Eat Simply, Eat Well

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

Make it yourself: Oat Milk

September 15, 2015 by aplough

Oat_Milk_20140914

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. 

 

 

Filed Under: Drinkable, Make it yourself, Vegan

Turmeric Onion Sauerkraut

September 1, 2015 by aplough

KrautSource_turmeric_onion_sauerkraut_20150831

Sometime last year, while browsing through the current Kickstarter campaigns, one page in particular caught my eye: a proposal for a better way to make fermented vegetables in small batches.

You may have run into this problem yourself: most recipes for sauerkraut, sour dill pickles and the like, are designed for huge batches, people with large kitchens or cellars, and certainly for people who consume fermented vegetables of a single type in far larger quantities than we do. Not to mention, for success, you either needed a special fermentation crock (beautiful, but I don’t have storage space for that in my city apartment) or you needed to rig up something a glass jar, shove the vegetables in, submerge them, and then attempt to keep the vegetables underneath the brine for the duration of the fermentation process (sometimes weeks), or you’d have mold and other spoilage issues. This meant filling plastic bags with water and tucking them in jar; placing plates carefully on top, held down by rocks or other heavy objects…

It was a mess.

And then along came Kraut Source. A beautiful, sleek solution using glass and stainless steel, and small enough to allow eager kitchen experimenters and fermenting veterans alike to experiment with small batches…even multiple small batches, of fermenting vegetables without filling out all available kitchen counter space.

Image courtesy of Kraut Source

Image courtesy of Kraut Source

I’ve had my Kraut Source since May, and have made multiple batches of sauerkraut and a few batches of sour dill pickles. I have been delighted each and every time by the ease of the whole process as well as the end result. I purchased just one jar during the campaign, and my only regret as that I didn’t buy multiples from the very beginning. They call it a “healthy addiction”, and it is! Fortunately, they have a lovely website where you can order the Kraut Source online.

Good thing – because mushroom season is here, and the same problem I’ve had with my fermented vegetables pops up if I want to preserve certain mushrooms. I can’t say how happy I am that this product exists.

I know this post sounds like a long marketing campaign for Kraut Source, but since I’m writing this voluntarily without compensation, please trust me when I say it’s a love story, instead. I can’t say enough good things about this kitchen tool. If you do any kind of fermenting, take a look at this product. You may just want a few for your kitchen as well!

About this recipe

Naturally fermented raw sauerkraut is an excellent source of important probiotics that help to maintain healthy gut bacteria. Raw sauerkraut contains lactic acid and living probiotic organisms that are created through the fermentation process, and which are heat sensitive and are killed if the sauerkraut is heat processed. Many of the store-bought sauerkraut options are canned or heat-processed in some way, so while they may still taste good, they are no longer a living food and do not provide the beneficial bacteria that raw sauerkraut does. For this reason, it is preferably to buy raw sauerkraut, or make your own in small batches for maximum benefit.

What does sauerkraut do for you, exactly? 

Sauerkraut can be made of two simple ingredients: cabbage and salt. At the beginning of the fermentation process, the salt preserves the cabbage to prevent if from rotting, allowing the fermentation process to begin – a process that begins after only a couple of days. During the process of fermentation, starches and sugar in the vegetables are converted to lactic acid, or probiotic bacteria, a naturally occurring substance that prevents the formation of harmful bacteria and acts as a preservative.

These probiotic bacteria are extremely helpful in aiding human digestion and in helping our bodies detox. They have been used for centuries in traditional food cultures as a way of preserving the harvest and providing needed nutrients, and even by sailors to prevent scurvy.

A healthy body begins with a healthy gut, and probiotics are your gut’s best friend. Probiotics can also be found in yogurt, kefir, chocolates and probiotic tablets, all of which introduce important lactobacilli to our gut; however most of these contain dairy. For those people wishing to avoid dairy or with lactose sensitivities, raw sauerkraut is an excellent alternative.

Benefits of sauerkraut:

  • important source of probiotics for gut health
  • help the body detox
  • excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K
  • good source of iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, sodium and calcium
  • excellent for digestive, heart, eye and skin health
  • anti-inflammatory
  • boosts immune system (35% RDV of vitamin C)

source: www.organicfacts.net

About Turmeric

Turmeric is a root vegetable native to India and China, and has been long been used for its medicinal qualities. Bright yellow-orange in color, slightly peppery and bitter in flavor, it is most commonly seen in curry powder and as an ingredient in ball park mustard. But more important are the health benefits it provides.

Turmeric qualities:

  • it is anti-inflammatory
  • excellent source of iron and manganese
  • good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber and potassium
  • has been used effectively in cancer treatments
  • helps prevent gas when cooked together with legumes
  • used in treatment of a variety of health issues including cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and high cholesterol

Source: whfoods.com

Are ready to make your own raw sauerkraut by now? You’re gonna love this stuff.

Turmeric Onion Sauerkraut

  • 1.5 lbs/700g green cabbage, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced small
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon turmeric

Note: You may want to use kitchen gloves when handling this sauerkraut. Turmeric tends to stain everything it touches, so your hands will stay yellow for days.

Combine all ingredients in a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Using your hands, massage the cabbage for about 5 minutes to tenderize it. Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes in order to let the salt draw the water out of the cabbage. Pack it into your Kraut Source jar or crock, pushing the cabbage down so that the liquid covers the vegetables. Secure the lid per the Kraut Source instructions; or if using a fermentation vessel, follow those instructions; or alternatively, check these instructions here.

Set the jar out of your way and out of direct sunlight to ferment for 3 weeks. You may want to place the jar in a shallow bowl or on a plate for the first week as it tends to bubble and sometimes spills over. After 3 weeks, taste the sauerkraut. If it tastes just the way you want it, transfer it to another glass jar with a lid and store in your refrigerator for up to several months. If you’d like it to be more sour, replace the lid and continue to ferment for several more days/week.

Makes 1 quart / 1 liter.

For additional recipes, try these:

  • Kraut Source Recipes
  • Wild Fermentation web site by Sandor Katz
  • The Punk Domestics website and community

Did you like this recipe? What are you fermenting in your kitchen right now? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you. 

Filed Under: Make it yourself, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian

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