Z’s Almond Milk

1/2 c raw or blanched almonds
2-3 brazil nuts or a small handful of pine nuts
1-2 medjool dates, depending on how sweet you like it
a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
dash of salt

* Soak all ingredients for at least 2 hours. I usually leave them soaking for 8 hours or even overnight in the fridge.

* Put everything in the blender container (including the soak water) and add water up to the 1 liter mark.

* Start blender on low, quickly ramp up speed and switch to high. Run on high for 60-90 seconds.

* (optional) Pour through a strainer and it’s done. I set out a large bowl and place a metal colander type of strainer over it. Line the metal strainer with the muslin and pour milk through it. Gather up the sides and squeeze any remaining liquid through the strainer. What’s left will be almost a play dough consistency of almond bits. This can be composted or added to muffins or smoothies.

This recipe makes slightly over a quart and is good for 4-5 days when kept in the fridge.

Almond note: If you use blanched almonds, you’ll get a whiter milk since they don’t have the skins. Another option, although time consuming, is to squeeze the almond slightly, in order to slide off the skin. I did this once in an attempt to see if it made a difference in flavor or color. The flavor was almost the same and the color was lighter than my usual creation.

Strainer notes: My first strainer was a cotton/muslin blend that came in as a tofu making kit. I used it for years until it started to develop holes. Now I am using some muslin bought from the fabric store. If you choose this method and find that your fabric store has different thread-counts of muslin available, you’ll probably want the lower thread count. We use about an 18″ square size. Another option is to purchase a nut milk bag. I have one, but prefer the end result of the muslin.

1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c vanilla soy milk
1/4 c pumpkin puree
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T agave syrup
Toppings (choose from pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, almond butter, peanut butter or raisins)

Blend everything but the toppings and oats into a puree. The Magic Bullet made quick work of this. Put the oats in a microwave safe bowl, stir in the mix you just blended up. Microwave until done, stirring every 30 seconds so the oats don’t overflow. This usually takes 60 seconds in my microwave. 

Top with some pumpkin seeds and craisins or maybe 1/2 T of almond butter and some raisins.

Why pumpkin? Well, like I said, it’s autumn. Pumpkin is also quite nutritious. A half cup serving only has 40 calories and half a gram of fat, yet it is loaded Vitamin A, has 5 grams of fiber, no cholesterol and next to no sodium. One serving provides more than a days worth of Vitamin A, most of it in the form of the carotenoid, “beta-carotene”, an antioxidant. Vitamin A is good for your vision, helping to prevent night blindness, and necessary for cell growth and maintenance of skin tissue. It also promotes bone and tooth development.

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup
This recipe for a warm, spicy, low-fat soup is tasty, nutritious and quick to make.

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T chili powder (start with less and adjust to your taste at the end of cooking)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp chipotle powder (use less to start and adjust to your taste at the end of cooking)
15 ounces pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup salsa

1. In a 2-quart pan, saute the garlic and onion for 3-5 minutes in about 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Stir often.

2. Add the seasonings and saute for another 2 minutes.

3. Slowly add and mix together, the broth and pumpkin puree.

4. Add the beans, corn and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.

5. Serve with bread or rice. Rice could be added directly to the bowl.

Cooking notes: If you don’t have vegetable broth, use 4 cups of water and 2 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes. Go light on the seasonings at first and add more at the end of cooking if you want it to be spicier. If you don’t have fresh pumpkin puree, use a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree, but be sure that the only ingredient is pumpkin. Using the type with the pumpkin pie spices would give you some strange tasting soup! This was great with only 1/4 c chipotle salsa and the addition of 1/2 c diced tomatoes with green chiles.

More info:

• Beta-Carotene Info sheet
• Fat Soluble Vitamins
• Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

Millet Cheese Spread

1 cup cooked millet
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup water
1 T lemon juice
2 T nutritional yeast flakes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Let set in refridgerator to thicken.

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Notes: I use just over 1/2 tsp of salt and add in the smoked paprika or sometimes some chili powder. I made this with 1 tsp of salt the first time and it was a little bit too salty for my tastes, but then I’m not used to a lot of salt in things and rarely use it for cooking at all. 

If you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast, make sure you don’t get it mixed up with Brewer’s yeast. At some health food stores, I have been told they are the same thing and they are NOT!!  Ewwwww!  We use Red Star Nutritional Yeast which you can read about at http://www.bulkfoods.com/yeast.htm.

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Mange “Ice Cream”

16 ounces frozen mango
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1 ounce cashews (a small handful)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 stevia drops (optional)

Put everything except for the mango into the Vitamix. Start on low and slowly adjust to the high speed. Run until the nuts are totally smooth. (If you don’t run this for long enough, you’ll have gritty ice cream.)

Stop the Vitamix and add the frozen mango. Restart the blender again and ramp up to high speed. Use the tamper to press the fruit into the blades. Within 30-60 seconds, all of the fruit will be blended and your ice cream is ready to eat.

Tip: In the hot part of summer when we’re making this dessert often, I make up the liquid portion and keep it in the fridge. Then when it’s time to make the ice cream, just put in a little more than 3/4 cup of the liquid base, add the fruit and dessert is ready in less than a minute!

Serving ideas: I put a scoop of ice cream in the middle of a dessert plate and line the outer edge of the plate with sliced strawberries or bananas.

Mix-ins: If you like chunks in your ice cream, you could put one of the following in on very low speed after the ice cream is otherwise done.

• Coconut shreds
• Mango chunks
• Strawberries
• Macadamia nuts
• Diced pineapple

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 108 Calories; 5g Fat (34.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 8mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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