This week marks the first step in my raw foods culinary journey. On Monday, I started Matthew Kenney’s plant based culinary school, PLANTLAB. Don’t worry, plenty more about that to come, but in the meantime I had to share my favorite thing from week one, nut milk. As simple as it sounds, it’s been the star of the week. Outside of the fact that homemade nut milk is so much more delicious than store bought brands, there are plenty more reasons you should at least try to make it at home. And believe it or not, it’s extremely easy to make.

• Homemade nut milk has no additives, preservatives or risk of hidden allergens.
• Flavoring your milk is completely up to you, golden milk, chocolate milk, agave, cinnamon, you choose.
• Wholesale or bulk stores like Costco are great for projects like this, homemade nut milk becomes more cost effective when buying in large quantities.
• Nut milk can be made from any type of nut, almond, cashew, hemp, macadamia… have fun try them all!
• Sustainability is key! If you have a dehydrator or your oven has a dehydrating setting, take the pulp from your nut milk bag, dehydrate, food process it and voilá, you have nut flour.

Ingredients:

1 cup Nut of choice soaked over night

1 cup Water

Optional additions: agave, salt, coconut oil, turmeric, cacao, strawberries, cinnamon, lemon, etc.

Directions:

1. Blend 1 part water to 1 part soaked and rinsed nuts for 1-2 minutes.
2. Pour blended liquid into a nut milk bag over a large bowl squeezing from top to bottom.
3. Add flavoring  and refrigerate, nut milk will hold in the fridge for 3-5 days.
4. Spread leftover pulp over a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees overnight. Food process dehydrated pulp into flour and store in airtight container in the fridge or freezer.