Awesome Almonds

Almond milk has become my go-to liquid of choice and a great milk substitute in all kinds of recipes. I even made my own this week to try it out. Super easy and far superior to store bought versions. Surprisingly though, not cheaper. Check out this link, which explains how to make it:

http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/06/08/homemade-almond-milk-almond-meal/

Homemade Almond Milk with morning coffee.

I followed the instructions with a couple exceptions:
-I soaked the almonds overnight so they ended up being soaked for about 15 hours. 
-When blending, I used 3 cups of water to make it nice and thick. 
-I used 2 tablespoons of raw sugar to sweeten. It dissolved quite easily into the liquid.
Also, I dried out the almond meal as suggested. We added some of it to our moose burger patty mix tonight in place of oatmeal or breadcrumbs that we’ve added in the past. Doesn’t just have to be used in baking!

Below are a couple of great recipes that use almond milk. For the followed recipes I used unsweetened almond milk of the store bought variety. I’m saving the good stuff for my coffee.

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potato with moose sausage and grilled veggie skewer.

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes 
(adapted from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook)

This recipe is an absolute gem! If you like samosas, you'll love these potatoes. Warm, hearty and spicy. Yum! Thank you Cecille for introducing me to the recipe.

Ingredients:
5 medium-sized, russet potatoes
1/4-1/3 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 tablespoon vegan butter
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted & ground
1 small onion, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt 
pepper to taste
3/4 cup frozen peas
Juice of 1/2 lemon
chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:
1) Pierce 5 medium sized potatoes and bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 1 hour. Let cool. (You will reheat the finished product at 400 degrees as well.)
2) When potatoes are mostly cooled, slice lengthwise and scoop out the inside, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Lay out the skins on a baking sheet. Mash the insides up in a bowl with the almond milk and vegan butter, season with a bit of salt and pepper.
3) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and sweat for 7-10 minutes until onions become translucent.
4) Add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute more.
5) Add cumin, turmeric and salt with a splash of water, stir well.
6) Add potatoes, mix everything well. Cook until potatoes are heated through. Add a bit more water if the mixture seems dry.
7) Add peas and lemon juice. Cook until peas are just warmed through.
8) Check seasonings.
9) Scoop the filling into the skins. Bake for 20 minutes.
10) Garnish with chopped cilantro. Watch out, they’re hot!

Crepe with fresh berries and coconut flavoured almond yogurt.

Dessert Crepes

Here is a recipe I’ve been making for years. When I was 18, I lived with a family in France on a little dairy farm for a year. The mother of the house made the most delicious crepes. This is her recipe. I substituted the milk below with unsweetened almond milk. I found, however, that with the almond milk the batter was too thick, so I added almost another whole cup. I used vegan butter instead of regular butter. Serve with fresh berries and almond yogurt. Yummy!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups milk (up to 3 cups if using almond milk)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup of flour
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Beat eggs. Mix wet ingredients into the same bowl. 
2) Sift dry ingredients into wet mixture while whisking.
3) Let batter rest in fridge for an hour.
4) Heat non-stick pan to medium heat.
5) Grease pan with butter.
6) Spoon in just enough batter to make a thin coating on bottom of pan.
7) Cook until light golden brown. Loosen edges.
8) Flip, cook other side. 
9) Remove from heat.
10) Serve with your favourite topping.