Tag: homemade

Homemade Plant-Based Milks

Plant-based milks were the original disruptor to the dairy industry until coronavirus came along, knocking cow’s milk off its already shaky legs. As dairy operations are dumping milk and consumers are finding empty supermarket shelves, people are cooking from scratch more than ever. While commercial plant milks are faring well during this pandemic, making plant milks at home is even more economical and sustainable, and the basic ingredients may already be in your cupboards.

They cost less, have less (or no) packaging, and can be flavored or sweetened to suit your taste. Zero-waste and plastic-free. It’s a win-win!

Different types of milk vary in terms of taste and texture, so if you don’t like one, try another. All plant-based milks are interchangeable for drinking, baking, or adding to coffee/tea, though some are creamier than others. Oat, almond, cashew, and soy are the creamiest, with rice milk being the thinnest.

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ALMOND OR CASHEW MILK
Used widely in the Middle Ages in regions stretching from the Iberian Peninsula to East Asia, almond milk has long been valued for its ability to keep better than animal’s milk, which has a short shelf life. The same process for almond milk can be used for other nuts, such as cashews and hazelnuts.

Ingredients

1½ cups raw (not roasted) almonds or cashews
4 cups cold water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk)
Pinch of salt (optional, but it enhances the flavor)
Optional ingredients such as vanilla extract, cocoa powder, dates, maple syrup, agave, etc. 

Directions

Soak the almonds in water for a minimum of an hour or up to 24 hours. Soaking is optional for cashews, though they will yield more milk if you soak them for at least 30 minutes in hot water.

After soaking the nuts, discard the water. Add the almonds or cashews and the 4 cups of water to a blender. Add other ingredients such as vanilla extract or cocoa powder, if desired, and blend well on high speed. Optionally, you can sweeten the milk with your favorite sweetener (dates, sugar, maple syrup, agave, etc.).

If making almond milk, you’ll want to strain the mixture with a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or fine sieve/strainer over a large bowl. This isn’t really necessary with cashews. 

Refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Give a little shake before serving. 

Yield: 4 cups

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OAT MILK
Rolled, quick-cooking, even steel-cut will work. Oat milk can become gummy (which is why it’s so effective at combating high cholesterol), so be sure to use cold water and avoid over-blending.

Ingredients
1 cup oats
4 cups cold water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk)
Pinch of salt (optional, but it enhances the flavor)
Optional ingredients such as vanilla extract, cocoa powder, dates, maple syrup, agave, etc. 

Directions

Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes or overnight. After soaking, drain the water from the oats, and rinse well with cold water. 

Add fresh cold water and oats to a blender, and blend just until smooth. As with the nut milks, you can add liquid or dry sweeteners or other flavors at this time, but be careful not to over-blend the oats.

Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or sieve/strainer over a bowl. Refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container. 

Yield: 4 cups

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RICE MILK
By now, you’re getting the idea that you just need grain/nut/seed/bean + water to make delicious, nutritious milks. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked long grain brown or white rice
4 cups water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk)
Pinch of salt (optional, but it enhances the flavor)

Optional ingredients such as vanilla extract, cocoa powder, dates, maple syrup, agave, etc. 

Directions

Soak rice in 2 cups very hot (not boiling water) for 2 hours. The rice should be soft at the end of 2 hours. Drain and add to a blender. 

Add the 4 cups of water, salt, and any additional ingredients. Blend well. Taste for sweetness and adjust accordingly. Strain using a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or sieve/strainer. 

Yield: 4 cups

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SOY MILK
Possibly the oldest of the bunch is soy milk, which originated in China thousands of years ago and was used long before we have written records to document the precise “day of discovery.” You can certainly make soy milk without a machine, but it is oodles easier to invest in a simple soy milk maker. (Here’s my favorite.) You’ll make back your investment in no time with the amount of delicious, nutty milk you will make. 

Though water is really the only beverage we have a physiological need for (beyond our own human milk when we’re young), it is certainly convenient and tasty to be able to make creamy, nutrient-rich milk from nuts, grains, legumes, and seeds. No packaging, no additives, no pregnant cow required. It’s a win-win during times of crisis or anytime. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLANT MILK? LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!

 

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Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is an author whose topics include animal agriculture, animal protection, and plant-based eating. She has written seven books, including several cookbooks, is a regular contributor to National Public Radio and LiveKindly, and has published letters and commentaries in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Christian Science Monitor. 

*Photos by Marie Laforêt

{Recipe} Homemade Vegan Sausage

Hear ye! Hear ye! These sausages are pig-free and gluten-full. I have neither a pig-full nor a gluten-free version, so enjoy this one that will blow your mind. You can also watch a video demonstration I did on a Live Facebook Broadcast. See below. 

ADVANCE PREPARATION REQUIRED to make the lentils. Brown lentils take less than 30 minutes to make from scratch, but you can use canned, if you wish. Drain first, and you’ll still want to puree them. Makes 6 sausages

Corn not included.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked brown lentils, mashed or pureed
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten (I always buy a box of 4 packages to keep them on hand.)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon anise seeds (you can also use 1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (my favorite is chipotle)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika will do)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

Cook your lentils so you have 1 cup cooked. I always make a little more than I need for this recipe so I have another batch on hand for another. When they are cooked, puree them in a food processor or mash them by hand.

Have at the ready 6 square sheets of aluminum foil. Set aside.

Combine all the dry ingredients, then add the pureed brown lentils, the vegetable broth, and the tamari. Combine thoroughly. It will come together pretty quickly. The more you mix once it’s combined, the more you’re working the gluten, which will result in chewier sausages. You’ll get a feel for how much you want to mix the more you make these.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts. I usually just eyeball this, but don’t worry about being perfect; you can always break up or add to a sausage once you make one, so just do your best. (See the video for how I do it.)

Place one part of the mix onto a sheet of foil, and mold into a 6-inch log. Roll it up in the foil. Place each of the 6 sausages in a steamer, and steam for 30 minutes.

Once they’re steamed, you can store them in the refrigerator for future eating, but why would you do that? Eat now. Unwrap them, grill them up or pan-fry with a little oil. Then, stick them in a bun with all the fixings, chop them up to make sausage biscuits and gravy, or cut them up and add them to a stew. They’re absolutely delicious, and yes, your Uncle Harry will think you just fed him a sausage from a cut-up pig, so even he’ll be happy. They’re that good.

VARIATIONS

Consider this a base and vary your herbs and spices to your liking. It’s a flexible recipe waiting for your special touch. Just don’t add pigs. Thank you.

[Tweet “Check out this delicious homemade sausage recipe. Pig-free. Gluten-full. Flavor-packed.”]

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