Plant Milks - by chef Talia

​
Plant Milks
 
If you have trouble digesting dairy, plant milks are great alternatives. Typically made from nuts or seeds, these plant milks can be used to replace anything you would typically use milk for, whether it’s milk for your coffee or cereal or making a creamy sauce to go on pasta. You can buy a variety of plant milks in grocery stores, but making them at home is shockingly easy and allows you get creative.
 
Here’s what you need to get started:​
​

1. A nut milk bag:  my favorite one is made by Ellie’s Best (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLT6X9W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), but any brand of nut milk bag will work. Best of all, they are very inexpensive and last a long time!

 

1. Nuts or seeds: You can really use any nuts or seeds that you like, as long as they are raw. Some favorites include almonds, cashews, pistachios, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Coconut flakes are also great!

 

1. Filtered water

 

1. Blender (high-speed ones like a Vitamix or Blendtech work best)

 
Take one cup of nuts or seeds (any combination works!) and soak them overnight in filtered water. The nuts/seeds will expand a little as they take in water, so make sure they are covered by at least a couple inches of water and are in a large container.
 
After they’ve soaked overnight, strain the nuts and seeds and rinse well. Combine them with 4 cups of filtered water in your blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
 
Holding your nut bag over a large bowl, pour the contents of the blender into the nut bag, pulling the strings to close the bag. The milk will start to strain out of the bag immediately. Use your hands to squeeze and twist the bag until all of the milk has been strained out and only pulp is left. Discard the pulp, compost it if you wish, or save it to use in a recipe!  You can use the pulp as a coating for chicken tenders, fish, or even in energy globes (dates, cacoa, nuts, seeds).
 
Taste the milk and add a pinch of sea salt and a bit of vanilla if you like.
 
You can also get creative by adding in fruits like strawberries or dates when you blend to create different flavor combinations!