Creamy Vanilla Almond Milk

Cow's milk was made to nurture baby cows. Almond milk was made to nurture baby almonds - oh, wait...

Plant based milk is an incredible way to reduce the 'bad' fats in your diet, and throw in good fats, protein, and an incredible aray of tastes and textures.

You can replace the almonds with ANY nut or seed. Or combination - whatever! For example... Hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, wholegrain oats, cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts.

For a winter kick (for those of you in the Northern half of the world), add some cinnamon and nutmeg for a warming touch to your milk.

It's incredibly easy to make - all you need is water, a jar, a blender, and patience.

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1/2 cup of raw almonds
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 1 cup water, to soak
• 3 dates (if you want to avoid fructose, use stevia)

Directions

• Throw all the ingredients in a jar
• Leave for 8 hours or overnight (at room temperature)
• Strain the mixture to rinse the soaking water. I find that it's bitter and quite unpleasant!
• For every 1 cup of almonds, use about 4 cups of water. So, for this quantity, I used 2 cups of water.
• Add your water and soaked nuts and dates into a blender, with a pinch of salt
• Blend well, until the water turns a creamy white (or caramel, if you have dates) colour.
• Strain through a cheesecloth/clean stockings/thin dishcloth into a bowl
• Add vanilla to taste
• Transfer into a glass bottle. I never buy bottles or jars - recycle them! Organic pureed tomatoes often come in a glass jar that you can use to store your milk!
• Also, if you make this often, I would invest in a cheesecloth (makes straining that much easier) and a funnel (no use crying over split milk, huh!)
• Remember to keep your almond meal! It's expensive and you can easily use it for baking later - simple dehydrate it for a few hours at a low temperature (40 - 50 degrees) in your oven until it's dry (you'll know) and blend one more time to make it finer.
• Keeps for 4-5 days in the fridge. Give it a good shake before using, as 'stuff' tends to settle at the bottom.
• If you want a lighter milk, simple use less nuts and more water. Creamier - use more nuts and less water! Simple as that.

Apple & Cinnamon Granola

Granola. A breakfast favourite, but unfortunately laden with sugars and flavours that aren't any good for us. This homemade take on a well-loved muesli alternative is sweetened with honey and apples, and loaded with protein, good fats, and a delicious taste.

Ingredients

• One large apple
• One cup of wholegrain oats
• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey
• 1 tablespoon unhulled organic tahini
• 2 tablespoons water
• Dried cranberries
• Slivered almonds
• Shredded coconut
• Chia seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Method

Preheat oven to 180c

Chop the apple and put into a saucepan with a thin layer of water. Cover and cook until the apple is soft. Mash and add into a large mixing bowl.

Melt the honey, mix into the apple mixture with water and tahini.

Add all the dry ingredients and the spices. Mix well.

The mixture should be sticky - at this point, give it a taste. Add whatever you feel necessary. Spread onto a 

baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 180c for about 30 minutes, turning the mixture thoroughly at least four times.

Leave to fully cool (it'll harden and go crispy and delicious), put into a sealable jar, and enjoy with yogurt, milk, or as a snack!

Homemade Healthy Mince Tacos (with all the trimmings)

Mexican food is one of my all-time favourites. Unfortunately, many places that serve Mexican cuisine offer food that is high in fat, dairy and gluten.  These fresh tacos are made from masa harina, a traditional flour used in Mexican cooking. This recipe has many components, but none are tricky, and it is well worth the effort! Many of the components can be made in batches and kept in your fridge for snacks at a later date.

Ingredients

Tacos

• Masa Harina flour (I use the Bob's Red Mill brand - you can find this in most supermarkets and health food stores)
• Hot water
• Sea salt

Mince filling

• 500 grams of lean, organic (if possible) beef, lamb or turkey mince
• A good handful of coriander
• One small chilli
• Olive oil
• One small onion
• 1/2 Capsicum
• One tomato
• 2 cups water

Note: For a vegan option, use a bean-based 'mince' recipe, like this one.

Gaucamole

• Avocado
• Lemon juice
• Sea salt

Salsa

• Sweetcorn kernels
• One medium tomato
• One small cucumber
• 1/2 Capsicum
• Lemon juice
• Sea Salt

Extras

• Grated carrot
• Shredded lettuce

Recipe

Begin by making your tortilla batter - For 2 cups of masa harina flour, use 1 - 1.5 cups of hot water. Follow the instructions on the packet, cover, and let sit for at least an hour

Brown off the mince on a medium-high heat - add a splash of oil to stop it sticking.

Finely chop your onion, capsicum, tomato and chilli, and throw it into your saucepan.

Roughly chop herbs, add in.

Once everything has fried off, add 2 cups of water, cover, and simmer for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, make your salsa by chopping all the vegetables (except the corn) finely, adding the juice of one lemon, a pinch of salt, and placing the mixture into the fridge, covered.

Whip up a simple guacamole - one soft avocado, the juice of one lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash with a fork.

Shred/grate any additional vegetables. This is a great way to amp up your vegetable intake - try adding kale, spinach, or any other dark leafy greens. Grated carrots are also delicious.

Once your flour has sat, you will notice it will have soaked up a lot of liquid. If you need to, wet your hands and knead the flour to make it a bit more doughy. Divide the mixture into equal portions. For 1.5 cups of flour (and 1 cup of water) I managed to get 8 tacos. Play around with the sizes.

Preheat a saucepan with some coconut oil on a medium/low heat.

Get one sheet of baking paper, and lay your ball of dough onto it. Flatten it slightly into a roughly rounded shape. Cover with another sheet of baking paper, and use a rolling pin to roll it out into an even(ish) round shape.

Place the tortilla in the pan. When the top starts to lift up (almost like pancake bubbles), flip it. It will hold it shape very well. Cook for about 30-45 seconds on each side, then transfer onto some aluminium foil to keep them warm.

Finish cooking all the tortillas, and check on your mince (season accordingly).

Serve and enjoy!