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Vanilla Date Almond Milk | Milk Yer Nuts

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Keeping it simple this week with a go-to recipe around here. Vanilla Almond Milk for your next latté, overnight oat soak, or just for that plain ol’ comforting glass of milk with your Peanut Butter Quinoa cookies, or Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies, or these classic Black and White cookies.

Making your own milk doesn’t have to be complicated.

3 things you’ll need are:

  1. Nuts
  2. Blender
  3. Mesh (nut milk) bag.

Today we’re using almonds, and feeling a little flavourful…so we’ll add some date sweetness, cinnamon and vanilla goodness with a pinch of salt.

There’s nothing like a fresh batch of homemade plant milk.

Store bought plant milk is pretty darn good these days, but making your own gives you the advantage of knowing every fresh ingredient you put in there.

Of course, I’ve got to mention that ditching the cow’s milk is going to bring mega benefits to your body, the animal’s lives, and the environment.

Check out this video to see what Dr. Neal Barnard has to say about why humans are physically addicted to dairy and cheese. 

Benefits of Ditching the dairy:

  • Clearer skin – less inflammation and hormones
  • Less gastrointestinal issues – by decreasing any potential lactose sensitivity
  • Less fractures and healthier bones– contrary to popular belief, according to the Nurses’ Health Study dairy may increase risk of fractures by 50 percent! Plus, the countries with the lowest rates of dairy consumption (like Africa and Asia) also have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.
  • Improved digestion – that diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas and nausea could very likely be from a lactose sensitivity or intolerance (65-75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant)
  • Weight loss – by taking out the hormones, animal proteins, lactose, and saturated fat found in the dairy products, many people find excess weight coming off easily. This is because dairy milk is naturally meant to help a calf grow into a cow (it’s a growth fluid)
  • Cancer prevention – there has been a strong link between dairy consumption and cancers because dairy consumption increases the body’s level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a known cancer promoter that encourages tumour growth. 
  • Stronger bones – because the animal proteins in dairy are difficult for humans to digest, calcium is actually leached from the bones to help absorb with digestion. It’s better to focus on more absorbable sources
  • Better for the environment – the dairy industry has a big impact on air quality (greenhouse gas emissions), soil quality (land use, pesticides), and water quality (run offs of antibiotics, pesticides, pathogens, waste products and hormones). The plants grown to feed these cows to produce dairy could instead be eaten directly by us, saving vast amounts of resources.
  • Reduce your exposure to antibiotics and hormones – which are used regularly in the US dairy industry to reduce infection and increase production
  • Reduce the suffering of the cows – the less we demand dairy, the less it will be mass produced 🙂

Something to think about:

The majority of humans naturally stop producing large amounts of lactase (the enzyme needed to metabolize the sugar in milk, lactose) between the ages of 2 and 5. This is normal for most mammals once they have been milk been weaned, because we simply don’t need to produce the enzymes for properly digest and metabolize milk anymore. Our bodies just aren’t made to digest milk on a regular basis, especially as adults (we are the only mammals who continue to drink milk after weaning, let alone the milk from another species).

Most scientists agree that it’s better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods —, fruits, beans, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and seaweed.

“It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal” – Joaquin Pheonix

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Mind-Blowing Multi-Purpose Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut-Free)

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This nut-free vegan cheese sauce may be the answer to all of your cheezy needs.

If nutty vegan cheese is too heavy for you to digest but you still want to curb that cheezy craving for all the things, you’ve come to the right place.

That cheezy pasta, or that cheezy dip for your chips, or that cheezy sauce all over your broccoli…

There’s not a thing in this world that I wouldn’t put this stuff on…well ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme.

While I may not douse my oatmeal or chocolate cake in this goodness…this stuff is still magic.

While surfin’ the waves of the inter web, you’ll come across vegan cheese sauce recipes based on cashews, sunflower seeds, or beans. This one, however, puts the veggie kingdom on the pedestal.

That’s right. Carrots and cauliflower can magically turn into cheese sauce. It’s possible, and it’s delicious.

What I love about this is sauce that you can devour a ton of it with zero guilt. It’s packed with nutrients + fibre, yet low in calories and fat. Sometimes the sauces made from nuts (as delicious as they are), can be a little heavy, ya know?

Vegan Cheese Sauce

To create a simple + yum pasta, just cook up your fave noodles, pan sear, then chop up some vegan sausages (the Gusta or Field Roast brands are yum), steam some broccoli florets, then mix everything together with this sauce. Top it all off with green onion and vegan parmesano (make this easy parm recipe, or find yourself some amazing Violife cheese to grate)!

Benefits:

  • Cauliflower is super nutritious, so don’t let the lack of colour fool ya’. This white magic is packed with folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin B6. Plus, it’s a cruciferous vegetable, aka a cancer-fighting super veg with a good dose of antioxidants.
  • Carrots are known for their mega-dose of beta-carotene (an antioxidant that our body converts into vitamin A). What this means for you, is healthy skin and mucus membranes, a stronger immune system, and better eye health and vision.
  • Miso paste is an awesome addition, not only for the flava, but also because it’s fermented. Fermented foods do wonders for your gut aka microbiome aka microflora. This is where most of our bacteria lives! Since around 1/10 of our cells are human and 9/10 of our cells are bacteria, we’ve got to keep these bacterial cells happy by feeding them fermented foods. Eat that miso up.

Mind Blowing Vegan Cheese Sauce (without nuts)

Mind-Blowing Vegan Cheese Sauce (No Nuts)
 
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This nut-free, vegan sauce is a light option for that cheezy comfort food feel. It's perfect for pasta or a dip with veggies and chips!
Author:
Recipe type: Comfort Food, dinner, lunch, appetizer
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 6 carrots, chopped
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ large sweet onion, diced (or 1 tbsp onion powder)
  • 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ⅛ tsp smoked paprika (optional, but gives it a nice smokey flavour)
  • 1 cup plain almond milk (or any other plain plant-based milk)
Instructions
  1. Steam the cauliflower and carrots until soft (about 10 minutes)
  2. Meanwhile, (unless you're using onion and garlic powder), oil-free sauté the onion and garlic for about 7 minutes. Heat the element to medium, then add the chopped onions and garlic. Let the bottom of the pan brown, then add 1-2 tbsp of water to de-glaze the pan. As the onions cook, continue adding bits of water to prevent sticking if needed
  3. Add the onion, steamed cauliflower, and carrots to the blender with the the rest of the ingredients
  4. Blend until smooth!
  5. If using as a dip, put in and oven safe dish and broil on high for 3 minutes.
  6. Or, mix in with pasta, pour over roasted veggies, or just eat it by the spoonful 😉

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Hemp Milk Recipe & Ditching Dairy

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Ready in a few minutes! No pre-soaking or straining needed.

Not only is it the easiest plant-based milk to make at home, hemp milk is creamy and tasty too.

Not to mention the nutrient-boost of the hemp seeds you’ll get! As the most nutritious seed in the world, they’re a perfect balance of omega 3 and 6, a complete plant-protein, and packed with vitamins and minerals.

You can take it to the next step and strain the blended hemp milk through a nut-milk bag (like you would do for almond milk), but since hemp seed pulp is smoother, and packed with fibre for maximum nutrition, it’s a great excuse to skip that step and enjoy a thick, smooth, milky beverage!

Since you don’t have to pre-soak the seeds or strain the milk, you can whip this up in no time. Plus, you can get creative with your flavours. Today we’re keeping it simple and using cinnamon and maple syrup. This is my go-to, and never disappoints.

Other flavours you could add?

  • Molasses
  • Turmeric
  • Nutmeg
  • Vanilla
  • Cacao
  • Peanut butter
  • Maca powder
  • Lucuma powder
  • Shredded Coconut
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries

Drinking milk on the daily was thought to be the healthy way to get in the calcium and create strong bones. But, now that the science is catching up, we know this isn’t the case!

A must listen is Rich Roll’s latest podcast with Dr. Neal Barnard, all about the Dairy woes.

If you don’t have time to listen to the whole hour, here are some points to jump to:

22:22 ~ An example of a woman who healed by switching to a plant-based diet

25:47 – 28:20 ~ Where dairy comes from and the detrimental effects it has on us (estrogens, breast cancer, low sperm count, prostate cancer)

29:15 ~ Calcium confusion

31:15 ~ Prostate cancer

31:40 ~ Prostate cancer and dairy consumption

32:30 ~ IGF 1 (insulin like growth factor) and it’s dangerous effect on cancer growth

35:30 ~ Dairy is a legit addiction

43:25 ~ The ethics of the dairy industry (it’s even worse than the meat industry)

48:30 ~ Antibiotics and Additional hormones


1) Clearer skin  & 2) Less inflammation

Dairy is packed with animal hormones, animal proteins (casein and whey), saturated animal fat, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). These lead to inflammation, mucus production, bacteria and oil build up, leading to acne, skin aging, asthma, weaker immunity. Try a dairy free diet (and ditching the refined sugar will help too) for clearer skin, fewer colds, and easier breathing.

3) Improved digestion & 4) Weight loss

About 75% of the world’s population is actually lactose intolerant. As humans, we are the only species that drinks the milk of a different species. Cow’s milk is meant for cows, goat’s milk is meant for goats. Dairy (which comes with IGF-1) is meant to be consumed by a calf that needs to grow to a 400 pound cow in a few month’s time (this isn’t something we need as humans). Gas, bloating, weight gain, diarrhea, migraines and mucus build up are all issues that come from consuming dairy as a human.

5) Disease Prevention

Dairy packs a punch when it comes to saturated animal fat (#1 source in the American diet), cholesterol, and IGF-1. These all lead to atherosclerosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.

6) Better for the bones

Contrary to popular belief, milk can lead to more hip fractures and osteoporosis. The elevated galactose in blood causes pre- mature aging, and weaker bones.

7) Calcium absorption

Calcium from plant foods is absorbed nearly twice as well as the calcium in dairy. Dark leafy greens, legumes, rice milk, soy milk, tempeh, are all high in calcium. You have to think about the package of what you’re consuming comes with:

  • Dairy comes with: pus, manure, natural hormones, saturated animal fat, lactose, and a lot of the time, added antibiotics and hormones
  • Plant foods come with: fibre, folate, high concentration of vitamins, electrolytes, antioxidants, phytonutrients

Cancer Prevention:

  • 8) Prostate cancer: Cow’s milk creates an increase in growth rate of prostate cancer cells by over 30%, whereas almond milk suppressed the growth rate of cancer cells by 30%.
  • 9) Breast cancer: Because of the animal-derived estrogen in dairy. Women who consume the most dairy had a 49% higher breast cancer mortality

10) Better for the planet 

Cows are the #1 contributor of methane gas. One fracking well releases just 1/10 of the amount of methane each day compared to one single dairy farm. Dairy products ranging from one glass of milk, 2 slices of cheese, one scoop of ice cream, one greek yogurt take 30 gallons to 109 gallons of water to create. Soy milk, on the other hand, takes 9 gallons of water per glass. You could save 50,000 gallons of water per year just by choosing to ditch the dairy.

11) Minimize cruelty

The dairy industry is the meat industry…but worse. The Mother cows is artificially inseminated every 10 months to give birth to their calf (which is taken away from them). Once they reach a certain age and cannot produce milk at the rate that is economically viable, they are killed for the meat industry. There’s no need to contribute to this cruel treatment when there are so many delicious vegan dairy alternatives available in the grocery stores, and at home in your kitchen.

12) There are delicious things happening in the plant-based dairy world!

Miyokos Creamery

Tree Line Cheese 

Daiya

Chao Cheese

Nice Vice Ice Cream

Make your own:

This Cheese Is Nuts – Just bought this book!

Turmeric Cheddar Log recipe

Documentaries to Watch:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, onto the recipe!

 

Easy Hemp Milk 

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup shelled hemp seeds or hemp hearts (same thing)
  • 1.5 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 4 cups water

Directions:

  1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender for 45 seconds to 1 minute
  2. That’s it!
  3. Store it in an airtight jar, (or re-use an old milk carton) for up to 5 days

**Optional: strain it for a smoother texture. But, hemp milk is so creamy and smooth even with out straining it through a nut-milk bag, plus you keep all of the beneficial fibre in your beverage:)

The Perfect Smoothie Bowl

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The secret to the perfect smoothie bowl?

 

Creativity, nutrient-dense ingredients, experimentation and love.

Simple right?

I make smoothie bowls for breakfast, lunch, even dinner sometimes on those lazy but clean-feelin’ days. What could be easier?

Why eat your smoothie with a spoon???

Smoothies are amazing, but usually they slide down the hatch too fast.

The digestion process for carbohydrates (which include fruits and vegetables) starts in your mouth. The process of chewing creates saliva with the necessary digestive enzyme, amylase to begin the breakdown process of carbohydrates. So, the more you chew your food, the more surface area it creates, and the more easily digested and assimilated your nutrients are. This is why it is extremely important to slow down, chew as much as possible, and breathe between your bites. Good digestion leads to weight loss, efficient nutrient absorption, more energy, less bloating, and the prevention of disease. YAY for all of that.

So, it’s great to create smoothie bowls, rather than downing a smoothie, because this forces you to slow down your consumption, and actually chew your smoothie one spoonful at a time! Plus, it’s even more satisfying to have that spoon to mouth action.

If you just don’t have the time to create and devour a bowl of smoothie goodness, then just take it in a to-go cup and remember to chew it before you gulp it.

Go for it and switch up the ingredients for a variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Just stick to these proportions and you’ll have the best bang for your nutrient buck, plus a delish smoothie bowl every time!

Why are smoothies SO AMAZING?

  1. They’re the easiest way to hide a salad-worth of greens on yourself.
  2. They are pretty much a delicious tasting, massive multivitamin.
  3. They still contain the fibre and water from the whole-food ingredients they’re made of.

TIPS:

  1. Pack your blender with as many greens as possible (for the easiest blending, put these in first, so they are pressed down with the other ingredients).
  2. Use the fruit as a way to mask any bitterness of the greens.
  3. If you’re on the run and need to make it into a smoothie – just fill the blender up 3/4 of the way with water, pour it into your to-go cup, and add in something like cacao nibs, seeds, buckwheat groats, to chew on. This is a great way to get in the habit of chewing your smoothies.

 

Proportions for a nutrient-dense, tasty smoothie bowl:

  • Packed greens = 3/4 of the blender  (spinach, kale, romaine, celery, cucumber)
  • 2 ripe frozen bananas (add a couple more if you want a soft ice cream consistency, or need more sweetness and calories)
  • 1-2 cups of berries
  • Water or plant-based milk = 1/8 of the blender
  • 1 tbsp of your favourite greens powder (optional)

Use your blender’s tamper while you blend it up to help move things along and become smooth.

Optional 1 tbsp add-ins to blend:

~ Ginger: immune-booster and antibacterial (about 1 cm thumb fresh, or 1 tsp powder)

~ Turmeric: nature’s best anti-inflammatory (about 1 cm thumb fresh or 1 tsp powder)

~ Molasses: for hair, nails, bones and iron levels (about 1 tbsp)

~ Adaptogenic herbs like maca, astragalus, ashwaganda, shisandra, rhodiola: all of these restore your body by bringing it back to homeostasis/balance after stress (about 1 tbsp)

~ Medicinal mushroom powders: high in antioxidants and healing properties (about 1 – 2 tsp)

~ Spirulina and/or Chlorella: micro algae packed with protein, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties (about 1 tsp)

~ Lucuma powder: maple-tasting and packed with minerals and vitamin A (about 1-2 tbsp)

TOP IT OFF

aka

‘make it pretty’:

-Hemp seeds

-Shredded coconut

-Chia seeds

-Pumpkin seeds

-Chopped fruit (banana, pear, persimmon, kiwi, fresh figs….)

-Chopped nuts (brazil nut for selenium is my fave)

-Cacao nibs (for a serotonin and antioxidant-boost)

-Buckwheat groats (for a protein punch and some crunch)

-Rolled oats

–Jules Fuel (my pre-made superfood quinoa breakfast oatmeal)

 

Happy smoothie chewing!

Puffed Quinoa Dessert Bars

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Simple, no-bake, mouthwatering, chocolate-y, fudge-y dessert bars.

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Totally a go-to for any day of the week.

This recipe is adapted from on of my favourite food bloggers, Dana at the Minimalist Baker.

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I was lucky enough to grab a signed copy of Dana’s book at her book signing at Nourish Cafe after her and the lovely Erin Ireland‘s cooking demo! It’s an amazing new cookbook, Everyday Cooking. Every single recipe is simple and drool-worthy. She and her husband, John are both over-the-top inspiring.

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These bars are perfectly scrumptious snacks or desserts. Just sink your teeth into them once.

You’ll see.

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Here are the changes I made:

I used quinoa puffs as well as rice puffs, pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds, maple syrup instead of agave syrup, and a mixture of sunflower seed butter and almond butter instead of peanut butter.

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Benefits:

–Quinoa, AKA the mother grain, contains all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce themselves. So these bars are packed with plant-powered protein and nutrient-dense energy.

–Maple syrup is one of the least processed liquid sweeteners you can use. It’s packed with antioxidants and has a low glycemic index compared to most other sweeteners. This means you avoid the sugar spike, and inevitable crash like you would get from more refined sugars. And it’s Canadian, yo!

–Raw almond butter has healthy unsaturated fatty acids and fibre. In treats like this, go for it, but I don’t recommend over-eating nut butters because of the high saturated fat content, but the un-roasted, organic, raw versions do carry fibre and vitamins, and can be a small part of a healthy diet 🙂

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Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12-14

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of nut or seed butter of choice (raw almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates (medjool or bahri)
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 2 cups quinoa puffs
  • 1 cup rice puffs
  • 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Prepare about a 6″x 8″ cake pan by spreading parchment paper or plastic wrap on bottom and over edges.
  2. Add almond butter, PB2 paste and maple syrup to a small pot. Heat on low heat and stir until mixture is smooth.
  3. Add almond butter mixture to a bowl with chopped dates. Stir to combine.
  4. Add quinoa, rice puffs and pumpkin seeds. Mix with wooden spoon until evenly combined.
  5. Spread out mixture in the prepared pan. To flatten evenly, use parchment paper between your hands and the mixture and press down firmly.
  6. Remove the top parchment paper, and place pan in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.
  7. While the deliciousness is freezing, prepare your chocolate sauce.
  8. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove, or in 30 second increments in a bowl in the microwave (stirring each time), until you have a smooth sauce.
  9. Take the bars out of the freezer, and drizzle chocolate sauce over with a fork.
  10. Throw that pan of goodness back into the freezer and wait (the hardest part) for 10 minutes until it is set.
  11. Cut into shapes of your choice and gobble up.

 

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