Nut Milk Recipe

For weeks now I’ve been tooting my own horn about the “almond milk” I’ve been making, so several friends have asked me for the recipe.  Before I reveal the makings of this most delightful drink, I must first admit that the recipe is not my own (GASP!) and then pay homage to the Ayurvedic Chefs at 7 Centers Yoga Arts in Sedona Arizona, past and present, for their talent and creativity in kitchen and for introducing me to homemade almond milk and other tasty tasties.   Sweet Potato and Pea Garam Masala, Butternut Squash Pad Thai, Red Lentil Coconut Soup, CARROT HALVA!, the best Chai Tea EVER, Palak Paneer… Oh man, just thinking about it makes me want to return to 7 Centers for another 4 weeks of 4 am sadhana just for THE FOOD!  Believe me, it would be worth it!  I, like many other yogis-in-training, benefited from some of the most nutritious and delicious food EVER and if I could have brought chef Mira Murphy home with me (…and fed her and pet her and named her George) I would have done it in a heartbeat.  In addition to her AWESOMENESS in the kitchen and nurturing disposition Mira has compiled many of these recipes into “7 Centers Yoga Arts Ayurvedic Cookbook: a Collection of Recipes by Many Great Chefs”.  If you feel like you would like to get your hands on this culinary ensemble you can contact 7 Centers Yoga Arts and ask for it by name.  So, with no further ado:

Nut and/or Seed Milk Recipe

You will need a blender & a strainer BAG*

1/2 cup soaked nut and/or seed of choice (almond, cashew, sunflower, hemp seed, etc.)
soaking nuts & seeds allows for a greater availability of nutrients and is easier on the digestion
1 quart warm water
2 tsp lecithin (optional)**
Approx 3 dates, soaked (include soak water) – can also use figs, apricots etc.
1 Tbl ghee or sesame oil
2 Tbl flax seed – ground or soaked (optional)**
pinch dried ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, tumeric (or any combination of spices to taste)

Soak nuts or seeds overnight – you can drain the soak water or use it. I usually drain it.
Soak dried fruit overnight – you definitely want to use the soak water.

Add enough warm water until the nuts/seeds are just covered. Blend until smooth.
Add soaked dried fruit and soak water and other ingredients and blend for a few more minutes.
Strain the mixture. You will need to squeeze the strainer bag many times in order to get the maximum amount of “milk” from the mixture.  This can get a little messy, but it is SO worth it.

I’ve also dared to add fresh or stewed fruit to the mixture.  Feel free to play!

Store refrigerated.
The pulp makes an excellent addition to breakfast cereals (usually warm ones) or other recipes, such as crackers, breads, tortillas… I have not yet attempted this, but I imagine a certain amount of pulp dehydration and grinding into a flour is involved. The pulp can be stored refrigerated for a couple of days, or frozen, or dehydrated.

*The strainer bag can be something as simple and cheap as a new pair of nylons or more fancy and expensive like a nut milk bag. I go with the happy medium in the form of a paint strainer bag, which can be purchased at any hardware store. They generally run 2 per package at around $3, are sturdier than nylons, and are reuseable (unlike cheesecloth).

** About lecithin & flax. I try to keep my soy intake to a minimum – although it’s difficult to pass up red coconut curry with veggies and FRIED tofu. I’ve never added lecithin and the milk I’ve made turns out tasty and creamy. Lecithin does, however, up the protein content of the milk. I’ve also never added the flax seed – really, this has been out of sheer laziness – and who couldn’t use extra EFAs.

The Best Little Bakery in Chinatown

Long time no see my friends.  It’s been a very busy/intense early 2010 and it seems I have some catching up to do.  Sooooo with no further ado, I would like to sing the praises of a somewhat hidden gem in Chinatown, known as the Crown Bakery. In late December, after several days of rhinovirus wreaking havoc on my sleep and general outlook, I finally decide to call on the powers residing in Chinatown to aid me in my time of need.   T&T Ginseng was in order with a stop at Pho Saigon 8 for a pho-lunch with my ph-riend Kyle.  Nothing says GTFO to a cold like a steaming hot bowl of large #16… and some appropriately chosen Chinese herbs!  Your days were numbered you microscopic lung irritating, sleep depriving, snot producing microscopic monster!  Ha!  Or so I thought.  That was one tenacious virus!  However, one might say I would have never known the bliss of my first taste of white bean paste filled donuts (sooo good!) without it – or at the very least I would have been living my life in a pastry deprived darkness for a longer period of time.  So thank you nasty little virus?!

Anyway, in addition to the many fine pastries they have a fine selection of hot teas and coffee drinks which they will serve to you on a silver platter! as pictured above.  (It’s quite lovely DAH-ling!)  Additionally, the atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly, making it a nice diversion from the usual Vegas activities.  Because the Crown Bakery is a Korean bakery the pastries are not the usual cupcakes and bearclaws, however they are plentiful:

What’s even better, Crown Bakery’s tagline is “We Bake Happiness for Happy People”!  How awesome is that?  And it’s totally true !  AND in their own words “Yes, we are different than what you are used to be. Our pastry is always fresh and tastes good, light, not too sugary, and not too pricy.”  I LOVE pastries that are different than what I used to be! So delightful!

In all seriousness, if you are in the mood for a little something different (and sweet) and a friendly place to relax with some tea and friends, a visit to Crown Bakery should be at the top of your list.

For all you TCM folks out there – nothing says phlegm-be-gone like a white bean paste filled donut and Chuan Bei Mu.