Side Dish

How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

June 4, 2013 by Zucchini Runner in Food, Side Dish | 10 Comments

Whenever I tell people I make homemade almond milk, I get the same shocked expression. “Why??”  This video will show you how EASY it is to make it yourself – from start to finish and filmed in real time!

So, why do I do it? Making your own almond milk is great if you have food sensitivities or allergies. When you make it yourself, you know exactly what is going into your milk; no fillers or preservatives. Not to mention it tastes completely different than store bought.

You can freeze the leftover pulp to use in baking cookies, or sweet treats too! If you need a nut milk bag, check out my shop page under kitchen gadgets, or simply click here.

Note that the video demonstrates a double-batch, the recipe listed below is a single batch.

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How to Make Homemade Almond Milk
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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 cups

How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

Ingredients

3-4 c. purified water

1 c. almonds (soaked overnight)

1 Medjool date, pit removed (optional)

1/4 c. coconut flakes (optional)

Nut Milk Bag

Blender

Large bowl

Mason jar or similar glass storage container

Instructions

    1. Soak your almonds overnight or for 6 hours minimum in purified water.

    2. Drain and rinse your almonds after soaking, and place in your blender.

    3. Add 3-4 cups of water depending on the desired milk consistency.

    4. Add pitted dates and coconut flakes if you want it a little sweet.

    5. Process on high power, in the blender, for at least 30-40 seconds.

    6. Position nut milk bag over large bowl, by holding with one hand. Using your other hand, pour the blender ingredients into the nut milk bag.

    7. Using both hands, keep the top of the nut milk bag cinched, while you squeeze the milk out through the nut milk bag holes, separating it from the pulp. Do this until you can't get anymore substantial liquid from the pulp.

    8. You can place the nut pulp into a freezer baggie and store in the freezer. It is great for use in baking cookies, muffins or bread. Especially if you have a dehydrator and can release some of the moisture.

    9. Pour strained nut milk into the mason jar or storage container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

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homemade almond milk

Homemade almond milk with granola.

homemade almond milk

These lids are great for adding to the tops of mason jars. Easy pour, no mess spout.

Spicy Seitan

May 16, 2013 by Zucchini Runner in Food, Main Dish, Side Dish | 4 Comments

This spicy seitan recipe was a dream come true for Mr. Zucchini Runner and I, when I made the first batch. It is an excellent substitute for meat because of it’s texture and I like that it is not just a lump of tofu either. It is bursting with flavor and loaded with protein. I originally found the recipe on Vegan Dad’s website and then started creating my own variations shortly after! Making a spicy seitan to add to chili seemed to make perfect sense, as well as a version that didn’t have any fennel or sausage-like spices!

spicy seitan

The one drawback to seitan, is that it is NOT celiac or gluten-sensitive friendly. It is almost entirely gluten – hence the name “vital wheat gluten” as the primary ingredient. We have been trying to reduce the amount of gluten in our diets, treating it how we treat desserts – in moderation – so I don’t make this often. Luckily it freezes very well and makes a good size loaf.

Another fun fact about this recipe? It is featured along with my Vegan Chili on My Family Recipe Rocks! It works great as a replacement to deli slices, and you can switch up the spices to create whatever flavor you want, since vital wheat gluten doesn’t really have a strong flavor alone.

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Spicy Seitan
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Spicy Seitan

Ingredients

1 - 15 oz. can white beans (rinsed and drained)

2 c. water

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. chili powder

2 3/4 c. vital wheat gluten

Instructions

    1. Get a large steamer heated. I use a large stock pot filled with 1" water and place a steaming pot (with holes), inside of it. You will also need to preheat your oven to 350° F, but you can do that in the last 10 minutes of steaming.

    2. Combine all of the above ingredients in a blender with the exception of the vital wheat gluten, and process until the beans are tiny, tiny bits.

    3. Measure the vital wheat gluten into a large bowl and pour the blender contents over the vital wheat gluten and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula immediately. The gluten will be very sticky and start to gel together, so you may need to finish it up with your hands. You want a dough ball essentially, so mix it really well!

    4. Shape the dough into an oblong cylinder the best you can and wrap in aluminum foil tightly, ensuring you seal the ends and seam very well. The gluten will expand and the tighter the foil is, the firmer the seitan will be. If you want a softer texture, you can wrap it loosely, but still seal all the openings well.

    5. Steam for 30 minutes. (Once your steamer is producing steam, you can turn the heat to low.)

    6. After 30 minutes of cooking, use oven mits to get the loaf out of the steamer. Be very careful!!

    7. Place loaf directly on oven rack of preheated oven and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes.

    8. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes, with foil still in tact.

    9. Once it has cooled, you can carefully remove the foil and see your loaf of seitan! It can be sliced for sandwiches as a lunch "meat" or you can refrigerate it overnight and then blend it in a food processor to use in place of ground beef or turkey. I sometimes use it in my homemade vegan chili.

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Spicy Seitan Slideshow

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Looking for my other recipes featured on My Family Recipe Rocks?

 Have you ever tried or made seitan?

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