Eat Simply, Eat Well

Healthy recipes & tips to help you live the good life. by Ann Plough

Make it yourself: Oat Milk

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There are certain recipes that I make nearly every week. I make them so often that I hardly even think about it anymore: the whole process goes on auto-pilot to the point where these staple items become something that just fit into everything else I have going on, and are as normal to include in my day as brushing my teeth and exercising. These include Granola, sourdough bread, and various kinds of non-dairy milk, including Oat Milk.

Oat Milk is definitely a staple item. Some of you may have recently given up dairy and are looking for ways to make your own version of the non-dairy milk you can buy in stores, while some of you may still consume dairy milk and are looking for ways to consume a little less, have a non-dairy alternative for a friend or family member, or simply interested in trying something new. Whatever the case, oat milk is a great non-dairy milk to begin with.

There are so many benefits to making your own:

  • Low cost. Unlike nut and seed milks which can be slightly more expensive, oat milk, because its main ingredient is oats, costs literally pennies to make.
  • You know exactly what’s in it. The vast majority of store-bought milks contain additives and stabilizers in order to extend the shelf life and to maintain the consistency of the milk. Many of these, such as carrageenan, have been under scrutiny for their links to cancer and inflammation in the body (see this link for more information). When you make your own, you can have as few as two ingredients: oats and water. I usually add a date or two for sweetness and a pinch of sea salt for added mineral content, but that’s up to you and not essential.
  • It’s simple. All you need to do is soak oats in water, preferably overnight, rinse, blend, strain, drink.
  • It’s fast. If you are in a hurry and need oat milk for a recipe right now – you can literally make it in 20 minutes starting with boiling water, letting it soak 20 minutes, and then following the instructions on rinsing and straining before proceeding. I like to drink the milk “raw” so I soak them at least 4 hours but again, if you need oat milk immediately, the boiling water method is still a good option.

Note: Some of you may remember that I’ve posted on Oat Milk once before. After making it over and over again, decided to post this updated version because it’s evolved and improved along the way. I hope you enjoy!

Oat Milk

  • 1 cup / 2.5 dl oatmeal, preferably large flakes or whole oat groats
  • 2 cups water to soak
  • 4 cups cool water for blending (preferably bottled or Spring water, especially if your tap water contains chlorine)
  • 1-2 fresh dates, pits removed, optional
  • pinch of sea salt, optional

Pour the oats into a large bowl or container. Pour 2 cups of cold water over the top, cover, and allow to soak at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to make the oat milk, pour the soaked oats through a fine mesh strainer to drain away the soaking water. Rinse the oats with cold water in order to remove any “slime” that has developed. Transfer the strained oats to a blender. Pour 4 cups / 1 liter of cool water over the top. Add the dates and salt. Blend on high for 1 minute.

Pour the oat mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir well before pouring as it tends to settle.

Makes approximately 4 cups / 1 liter.

Did you like this post? Do you make your own oat milk or other milks? How are you using them? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. 

 

 

Blueberry Cacao Smoothie

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Happy April Fool’s Day!

But let me tell you, this smoothie is no joke.  It’s packed with serious flavor and nutrients to have you sailing right on through your morning or to pick you back up off the floor after a tough work out. Use blueberries or bilberries, whichever you have, toss in the remaining ingredients and blend up a drink full of fiber, antioxidants, good healthy fat (from the avocado), Omega 6 (thank you Chia seeds).

Have you been feeling forgetful?  New studies on blueberries (and their wild friend the bilberry) show that eating blueberries help are great for brain health and improving memory. Very nice.

Need a little more oomph?  Then grab that bag of Maca Powder and toss in a little of that, too and it will give you the all-over energy boost that you just might be missing.  Especially at 6 AM. What exactly is Maca?  Nutrition stripped offers the complete overview of this excellent nutitrion source here.

To top it all off, toss in a generous spoon of Raw Cacao Powder for a smooth chocolate flavor that blends perfectly with the blueberries while packing in some extra iron, magnesium and antioxidants for your health.  For more information about Raw Cacao, take a look here.

What about that kale, you say?  You won’t even taste it.  But you’ll get the benefits of perhaps the most nutrient-rich vegetable on the planet, so don’t hold back!

This can be made the night before for an instant breakfast in the morning, or pack it in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and take it with you for a snack on the go.

Blueberry Cacao Smoothie

1.5 cups cashew milk, almond milk, or other nut milk of choice
1 heaped cup fresh or frozen blueberries (frozen makes for a nice, thick, cold drink)
1/2 avocodo, pitted and peeled
3 leaves kale
2 tablespoons Chia gel (or 1 teaspoon Chia seeds soaked in 2 tablespoons of water for 5 min)
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1/2 tablespoon Maca powder
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or 1 fresh, pitted date

Put all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender.  Process until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Divide between 2 tall glasses and enjoy

Makes 2 servings.

All Green Veggie Smoothie aka Blended Salad

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Here’s to happy mornings:  All Green Veggie Smoothie

OK. Some of you are going to think the recipe I am about to share with you is really, really strange. But I promise you, it is one of the best wake up meals a person could ask for.

I woke up to sunshine this morning – the first rays reaching the shoreline on the far side of the bay opposite our bedroom window.  So the light wasn’t shining into the room, but the brightness of it greeted me as soon as I opened my eyes.  For those of you living in parts of the world where Winter is already a distant memory, my exultation over each tiny step towards Spring may be surprising.  For those of you still buried under inches of snow, or cheering on the progress made of green grass over dirty gray snowbank, I know you’ll understand.

We haven’t had freezing temperatures here in Helsinki for a couple of weeks.  The natural world is waking up. The swans are back:  I saw a faithful pair soaring through the sky yesterday, on their way to nest in the bird sanctuary just beyond my window.  The first of the crocuses are poking their spiky leaves skyward, getting ready to bloom.  The world is alive, again.

And all I could think this morning is “I want a salad”.  Except that I didn’t really – didn’t want the chewing nor the chopping of vegetables that would proceed the chewing.  So I did what any smoothie loving woman would do: I washed a pile of veggies and threw the whole lot of it into a blender.

Happy Days!  The results were delicious.  So before I head out into the sunshine that’s been putting a smile on my face since I woke up, here’s a green smoothie that’ll put bells on your toes. It’s bright, light, smooth, creamy, flavorful and completely satisfying – and oh-so-good for you.  It’s packed with fiber, folate, a long list of micronutrients and good fats.

It’ll make two large glasses of smoothie – so you can share one with someone else, or drink them both down with a smile on your face.

The savoy and kale can be substituted for the other, as needed.  And as with smoothie recipes generally, feel free to improvise based on what you have on hand.  Enjoy!

Make it a great day.

All Green Veggie Smoothie

1 handful of washed spinach
1 kale leave, rib removed
1 savoy cabbage leaf
1 carrot, peeled and cut or broken into pieces
1 celery stalk, broken into pieces
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
4 pitted, fresh dates
leaves from 3 mint sprigs
3 sprigs fresh parsley, stems and all
1/2 lemon, peel and pith cut off (don’t worry if there are seeds in there)
1 cup of cold water

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process for 1 – 2 minutes.  Depending on the power of your blender and the way you stacked/packed the ingredients in, you may need to stop the blender and stir or push the ingredients down.  This makes a thick smoothie, so add more water if you prefer them to be more runny.

Makes 2 tall glasses of smoothie