When I cook, I always use full fat or organic milk in my recipes and I always try to cater for people who have intolerances such as to lactose or dairy. Nut and seed milks are a delightful lactose-free alternative to traditional dairy. They can be incorporated into healthy diets and provide your body with essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc to nourish its immune system. Fermented dairy such as yoghurt and kefir with live cultures can normally be tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant as the bacteria in yoghurt digests the milk sugar for you. These fermented foods help support a healthy digestive system and immune function.
A dairy-free milk is basically nuts, seed or grains blended with filtered water and strained. I like to soak my nuts and seeds overnight if I have the time, which makes them easier to blend and provides for a much creamier milk product. The milk can also be flavoured with many delicious flavours such as vanilla bean, cacao and espresso and for a little sweetness I love to add a few fresh-pitted dates before blending.
Once you make your own homemade dairy-free milks, you’ll never want to go store-bought again. Many store-bought dairy-free milks contain preservatives, gums, stabilisers and added oils that you really don’t want to put into your body. To make nut or seed milks you only need to invest in a very inexpensive nut milk bag, muslin cloth or fine strainer.
I like my milk quite light and fresh so my ratio is normally around 1 cup nuts or seeds and 6 cups of pure water. I find making it this way is light and refreshing on the palate and it tastes incredible. If you want a richer and creamier milk, decrease the amount of water by one or two cups or add a spoonful or two of tahini or coconut butter before blending.
For busy movers and shakers, a quick dairy-free milk can be made by blending 2 tablespoons of almond or cashew butter with 2 cups of water. Blend until smooth and creamy then enjoy.
