Kabocha Squash Pizza Sauce

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Day 22: Make a dish using all seasonal produce.

What a perfect prompt for this autumnal day! I had a big ol’ kabocha squash sitting on my counter, and all day long I mused about how to use it. Simple roasted slices? This beautiful soy-braised preparation? A gingery soup?

And then, on the give-and-take bookshelf at work, I found a copy of Mark Sutton’s Heart Healthy Pizza cookbook up for grabs, and pizza sounded mighty appealing. I’ve seen butternut squash-based cheezy pizza toppings, so why not kabocha?! I decided to make a thick sauce to top a pizza, and it exceeded all my expectations. This sauce is creamy, complex, and perfectly flavored with roasted garlic. And it’s a unique, unexpected way to use kabocha squash!

kabocha

You can prepare the sauce ahead of time, but I did everything in one night. It’s a little time-consuming, but there’s downtime for each component that lets you prep the next component. I included my workflow in the steps below.

Kabocha Squash Pizza Sauce

  • One kabocha squash
  • One head garlic
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 T yellow or white miso
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • A few grinds black pepper

Toppings

  • Basil
  • Caramelized onions

One recipe of your favorite pizza dough

Preheat your oven to 400˚ and pour a little water into a rimmed baking tin. Leaving the rind on, roughly slice the kabocha squash into sixths; don’t worry about how even they are. Place the slices rind-down into the baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, and place in the oven. Next, prepare the garlic for roasting. Add the foil packet to the oven and bake both the squash and the garlic for about 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender.

In the meantime, prepare the pizza dough, following your recipe’s instructions. Let it rise while the squash and garlic are in the oven. If you’re topping your pizza with caramelized onions, start caramelizing them now.

When the squash is ready, remove it (and the garlic) from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes while you roll out the pizza dough. Give the dough a brief second rise (after rolling it out) while you prepare the sauce. (If using onions, they should be done by now — just turn off the heat and leave them on the stove until ready to use.)

Preheat the oven to 450˚.

To make the sauce, carefully scoop the squash out of the rinds and add it to a food processor. Squeeze the garlic out of the papery skins into the processor. Be careful here too; it’ll be hot. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and process until it’s very smooth and creamy.

Spread the sauce as thick as you’d like on the dough. (Save any extra to use with pasta!) Top with caramelized onions and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, and let cool for about 3 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Note: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase something through my link, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies. I’m not looking to make a fortune, just to cover hosting costs. :)

Spaghetti Squash and Peanut Sauce

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Day 16: What’s your favorite late summer food?

Forget April — September is the cruelest month. My beloved and most favorite season is coming to an end, and I have to soak up every last bit of sun before the cold sets in. Sigh.

At least there’s late-summer and early-fall produce to comfort me… like squash! Although some smaller squash are at their prime in the height of summer, most larger and more cold-resistant squash peak in the early fall. I think my favorite transition-season squash is the oh-so-fun spaghetti squash. Although I typically serve it with a traditional tomato-based marinara, Steven recently tried it with an unlikely alternative topping: a spicy peanut sauce.

Spaghetti Squash with Peanut Sauce

This is our go-to super-simple peanut sauce. It pairs perfectly with rice noodles, soba noodles… pretty much any noodle! So I shouldn’t have been surprised that it complements spaghetti squash nicely. I simply roasted my squash for about an hour, used a fork to separate the strands, and poured on a big ol’ dollop of sauce. Mmm. Next time you’re looking for a new way to use spaghetti squash, give this a go!

Simple Peanut Sauce
Serves 2-3

  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 T soy sauce
  • 1-2 tsp sambal oelek
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp sugar (optional — use only if serving with regular noodles; squash is sweet enough!)

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until the sauce is emulsified. That’s it!

What’s your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through my links, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies. I’m not looking to make a fortune, just to cover hosting costs. :)

Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Quiche

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Day 15: OMG, Barack Obama is coming over because he knows you make awesome vegan food! What are you going to make?

In my most outlandish MoFo fantasy, I bake and decorate an elaborate cake fashioned to look like the GOP elephant symbol. Barack comes over and goes to town on it, a la one of those horrible first-birthday cake smash videos, to show what he thinks of the intransigent Republican congress that’s blocked his every move.

…but that would be a very un-presidential thing to do, so I opted for something a little less partisan.

According to the internet, the president once said his favorite food is broccoli. Okay then! I have my doubts about the veracity of that statement, especially since he said it to a group of elementary school children. He couldn’t very well have admitted that his favorite food was something super-duper unhealthy, right? Regardless of the truth, I decided to incorporate broccoli in my meal. I’m also assuming that Michelle is coming, and I’d want to impress her with a healthy yet delicious vegan meal. Enter quiche!

I hadn’t made a full-sized vegan quiche since Easter 2010. Needless to say, in the past five and a half years, various vegan innovations (vegovations?) have taken egg-replication into bold new frontiers. I was excited to use aquafaba in this quiche, alongside the traditional tofu base. I’m glad I did! It was so creamy and delicious. I opted to make it crustless, because I’m not a huge fan of a traditional pastry crust. Next time, though, I might have to try this hash brown crust (!) from Avocados and Ales. I topped my quiche with grated Follow Your Heart provolone, just because I had a little bit leftover and it was starting to harden. (The provolone, by the way, is surprisingly good! FYH has really stepped up their game.) It was the perfect flavor combination.

Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Quiche

Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Quiche
Serves four

  • One medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
  • Two small heads broccoli, chopped into small florets
  • 14 oz firm tofu (not vacuum-packed), drained
  • 1/2 cup aquafaba
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp kala namak (black salt)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese

Add a little oil or vegan butter to a nonstick pan and heat it on medium. Add the onions and a pinch each of sugar, salt, and baking soda. Turn the heat to low and caramelize the onions, stirring them occasionally to prevent burning. They should cook for about 30 minutes. You want them mushy, but still holding their shape a bit.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ while the onions are on the stove. Prepare an 8” cake tin by oiling it liberally.

In the meantime, prepare the quiche mixture by combining the tofu, aquafaba (unwhipped), almond milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, soy sauce and spices in a blender or food processor. Blend for at least a minute to whip up the aquafaba.

When the onions are caramelized, move them to one side of the pan and add a splash of water (about 2-3 tablespoons) to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the broccoli, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook it for about 5 minutes, just until it softens and turns brighter green. Remove from heat and fold the onions and broccoli into the liquid quiche mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the vegan cheese on top, if using. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Quiche

I’m confident that Barack, Michelle, Steven, and I would make great dinner party partners. I think we’d steer clear of politics for a while, instead talking about veganism and how healthy, environmentally friendly, and downright delicious it can be.

So, Mr. Obama, when are you coming to dinner?!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through my links, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies to help cover hosting costs. :)

Soft-Batch Tahini Snickerdoodles

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Day 11: Focus on a nutrient

Today’s prompt was my theme for last year’s VeganMoFo! I focused on the nutrients that omnivores enjoy grilling us vegans about, like protein, calcium, and iron. I’ve got a lot of great, nutrient-rich recipes in that tag, so you should check ’em out!

So given my near-expertise (heh) in matters of vegan nutrition, would it surprise you that I’m sharing a cookie recipe today? It shouldn’t! As I learned last year when I investigated protein and where to get it, my conclusion was that protein is in lots of unexpected places. Like cookies. Especially cookies made with chickpeas and tahini! Enter these dreamy soft-batch Tahini Snickerdoodles. With 4 grams of protein per cookie, they’re a modest but not insubstantial source of natural protein. Each cookie also contains 2 grams of fiber, and since the RDV is 15 grams, you can fulfill nearly 1/3 your daily requirement just by eating two cookies! :D

If you’re worried about putting chickpeas in cookies, here’s what Steven said when I told him about this unexpected ingredient: “Really?! Holy sh*t! You can’t taste it at all!” And Steven is quite discriminating when it comes to “healthy” ingredients in desserts.

Soft-Batch Tahini Snickerdoodles

Soft-Batch Tahini Snickerdoodles
Makes 16 cookies

  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, shelled/skinned if you’re so inclined (save the liquid!)
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/4 aquafaba (chickpea liquid), whisked briskly for 30 seconds or shaken in an airtight jar for 10 seconds
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar
  • 2 T melted coconut oil
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 T ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For rolling

  • 1 1/2 T white or turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 T ground cinnamon
  • 1 T sesame seeds, white or black

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Prepare a cookie pan by oiling it or lining it with parchment paper.

Using a blender, combine the chickpeas, tahini, aquafaba, liquid sweetener, coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend for about 30 seconds or until everything is smooth.

Add the remaining dry ingredients (excluding the rolling sugar) to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour in the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon or plastic spatula to mix. The dough will be very thick, so use that elbow grease to get it all incorporated.

Next, stir the rolling sugar mixture together in a small bowl. Use your hands to roll 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon balls of dough, then roll them in the sugar. Flatten them slightly and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14 minutes and allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Notes

  • I’ve become a chickpea-skinning convert. It makes hummus SO much creamier, since the chickpeas are more easily blended without those pesky skins. So now I always skin my chickpeas. It takes a few extra minutes, but it’s an oddly satisfying feeling to have those little skins slip right off in your fingers.
  • Aquafaba! Have you tried it? It’s probably not strictly necessary in this recipe, but it provides a great texture.
  • These are not particularly sweet cookies, so if you have a bigger sweet tooth than I do, add a few tablespoons more brown sugar.

Sweet Iced Oat Milk

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Day 7: Make/eat something inspired by a book or film.

Today’s prompt is terrifyingly broad! On this hot Labor Day Monday, when I’m still tired out from last night’s fundraiser and post-fundraiser friend times, all I want is to drink ice-cold water and snack on healthy foods. As I perused the internet looking for inspiration, I came across this quote from A Game of Thrones:

“…Wine no longer agrees with my digestion, I fear, but I can offer you a cup of iced milk, sweetened with honey. I find it most refreshing in this heat.” (Grand Maester Pycelle to Ned Stark, p. 250)

As a fan of the book series, the idea of making something super-simple yet inspired by a King’s Landing drink appealed to me. Ned describes the milk as “oversweet to his taste,” so I made sure not to go overboard with the sweetener in my version. I think this one would be Eddard-approved!

Sweet Iced Oat Milk

Sweet Iced Oat Milk
Serves 2-3

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 2 1/2 T pure maple syrup
  • Dash cinnamon

Add the dry oats to the blender and pulse for 20-30 seconds, or until they’re in small pieces. Add the water and let soak for about 10 minutes, giving the oats a stir now and then if you think of it. Blend for 2-3 minutes, or until you don’t see any pieces. (Give your blender a little rest in between minutes if it’s not particularly strong.)

Place a nut milk bag over a large measuring bowl or mason jar and pour the oat milk through the bag. Use your hands to gently squeeze out the milk, but most of it should strain very quickly. Set the bag aside. Pour the milk back into the blender and add the maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon. Blend for 10-15 seconds, then return to a jar for storing.

If you have time, freeze a few ice cubes made of the oat milk. To serve, add 2-3 cubes to a frosty glass, then pour in the milk. If you’re short on time, you can place the entire container of milk in the freezer for about 15 minutes so it gets very cold, and forgo the ice cubes. No matter which way you serve it, be sure to give it a quick whisk or stir to recombine any separated ingredients.

Oat milk should last for about a week in your fridge.

Sweet Iced Oat Milk

My Favorite Sandwich + a Savory Marinated Tofu Recipe

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Day 5: Best sandwich ever.

I love and hate today’s prompt. Love, because a good sandwich can be sublime. When quality bread meets fresh veggies, a savory protein, and a spreadable fat, beautiful things happen. Hate, because best ever?! How am I supposed to decide? I haven’t tasted all the sandwiches! It’s too much pressure! I can’t do it!

What I can do, however, is share my absolute favorite go-to sandwich, the one I make when I have a little prep time. It doesn’t sound like much more than a glorified TLT, but the flavor profile is totally different thanks to sauerkraut and Dijon mustard. This “recipe” is also flexible; you can modify it based on whatever veggies and toppings you have in the house. Just make sure to include the marinated tofu!

Marinated Tofu Sandwich

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Quality bread. Homemade is great, but today I’m using Trader Joe’s sourdough pane. I usually prefer a grainier bread, but this is what I have!
  • Spread. Vegan mayonnaise and a good Dijon mustard work perfectly here. Don’t use anything with too much unique flavor, like pesto.
  • Sauerkraut. It adds such a perfect tang!
  • Sprouts. I used home-sprouted mung beans. You don’t need anything fancy; these were only sprouted for a day! I use a Handy Pantry stacking sprout garden and love it, but you can go old-school with a jar and cheesecloth.
  • Marinated Sandwich Tofu. See below! You can make this in advance and use it cold, or eat it hot off the pan. Mmm.
  • Veggies. Sliced fresh tomatoes and a few pieces of lettuce are my go-to. I’ll also add some avocado if I have it!

Marinated Tofu Sandwich

Marinated Sandwich Tofu

Serves two to three

  • 1 block extra-firm tofu (14-16 oz), pressed for at least an hour (if you have time)
  • 2 T low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • Scant 1/2 T vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce like Frank’s (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup or maple sugar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Dash liquid smoke (more if you’re particularly fond of the flavor)

In a large container with an airtight lid, whisk together all the marinate ingredients (everything except the tofu). It might not look like much marinade, but it’s enough!

Prep your pressed tofu by laying it down on a cutting board and cutting it in half. Turn those two halves on their sides and slice them into four wide slices each, for a total of eight large slices.

Using a fork, poke a few shallow holes in each slab of tofu. Don’t poke too deeply; you’re not trying to go all the way through. You just want to create a few more nooks and crannies for the marinade to penetrate.

One slice of tofu at a time, place each side of the tofu in the marinade so all sides are coated. Depending on the size of your container, you might have enough room for all the tofus to lay flat. If not, you can stack them once they’re coated on each side. Cover the container and refrigerate it.

Marinate for at least 30 minutes, gently flipping the container over halfway through.

When you’re ready to cook the tofu, heat a little vegetable or olive oil in a heavy pan on low-medium heat — I like to use cast iron — and cook as many tofus as fit comfortably at a time. Don’t overcrowd it, though, or you’ll break a tofu! Cook for about 4 minutes on either side, but you can cook for longer if you want a crispy crust.

To assemble the sandwich, toast two slices of bread per sandwich very lightly. Spread liberally with mustard, mayo, or whatever spread you’re using. Place two slices of tofu on one slice of bread and a pile of sauerkraut on the other, being sure to let the sauerkraut drain for a second before adding it so the sandwich isn’t too watery. Then pile on the other ingredients, smoosh together, slice in half, and get your nom on!

Quick and Easy Pudla

VeganMoFo 2015 bannerDay 3: Quick, easy, and delicious.

Today’s prompt has me jazzed — I can’t wait to read everybody’s favorite quick, easy, and delicious meals! My contribution is something that most of you probably already know and love: pudla. If you haven’t heard of it, let me enlighten you: pudla is basically a chickpea flour-based omelette or crepe. It comes together in no time, and it’s easily adapted to any chopped veggies and spices you have on hand. I’ve been a pudla fan since Kittee’s seminal pudla post a few years back; pudla is my go-to in-a-rush meal. I’ve perfected my technique over the years, although I’ve certainly had my fair share of undercooked, scrambled, broken-up pudla patties in my day! I chose onions and tomatoes for today’s pudla simply because they’re what I had on hand.

pudla1

Quick & Easy Basic Pudla

Serves 1

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • Dash salt
  • Dash cumin
  • Dash turmeric
  • A few twists of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup + 1 T water
  • Small dash lemon juice (~ 1 tsp)
  • 1-2 T very finely diced (or grated) onion
  • 1 small tomato, chopped into small pieces (try to remove the juicy/seedy bits)

Add the oil to a thick-bottomed saucepan (cast iron works great) and heat over medium-low.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, baking soda, and spices. Pour in the water and and lemon juice and whisk to form a thick batter. Fold in the onion and tomato.

Pour the batter into the pan and cook over medium-low until the middle of the top side looks just nearly cooked through (i.e. it shouldn’t be runny). It should take 5-6 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. The key is to use low heat so it doesn’t burn, while still cooking it all the way through. If you try to flip it too soon, it’ll fall apart. If it’s sticking while you flip it, quickly drizzle a little more oil to the pan while you flip.

pudla2

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through my link, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies to help cover hosting costs.

Veganized American Chop Suey

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Day 2: Recreate a meal from your childhood.

Me: “Have you ever had American chop suey?”
Steven: “What? No. What is that?!”
Me: “It’s like, elbow macaroni and beef in tomato sauce. My mom used to make it a lot when I was a kid.”
Steven: “OH! I called that cowboy mac!”

American chop suey, cowboy mac… whatever you call it, this ever-so-basic dinner is pure comfort food. Somewhere between a casserole, a chili, and plain old pasta with tomato sauce, it was a dinnertime standby during my childhood, yet I haven’t had it for probably 15 years. Today’s MoFo prompt, therefore, was the perfect excuse!

American Chop Suey

American Chop Suey (aka Cowboy Mac)
Serves four

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 cup beefy crumbles, store-bought or homemade*
  • 1/2 T garlic powder
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Add water to a pot and bring to a boil for the pasta. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large sauce pot over medium, then add the onion, pepper, beefy crumbles, and garlic powder. Sauté over medium for 6-8 minutes or until the crumbles are browned. Add both cans of tomatoes, stir to combine, and simmer uncovered on low.

In the meantime, when the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package’s instructions.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the pot with the sauce. Simmer together for another 5 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

* I made the Basic Seitan Crumbles from 500 Vegan Recipes.

American Chop Suey

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VeganMoFo 2015: PB&J Overnight Oats for Breakfast

VeganMoFo 2015 bannerIf you’re a regular reader, you know that every year I get very into the Vegan Month of Food (aka VeganMoFo). Themes are my JAM, and I love coming up with a new one every year. But not this year. This year, the powers-that-be at MoFo HQ are doing something a little different by offering up daily prompts that participants are highly encouraged to follow. And I’m happy to join! No more MoFo stress for me; this year, I’m going to revel in the simple deliciousness of vegan food. And what better way to start than with breakfast?!

That’s right, today’s prompt is: Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast.

Now, I’m no stranger to breakfast recipes — I’ve shared lots of ’em here. For a work-day morning, I generally keep things simple: oatmeal, a baked good, a piece of fruit… I usually don’t get much more complex than that. So for today’s breakfast, I opted for an easy, make-ahead breakfast: overnight oats. This time, I adapted a classic lunch flavor pairing (PB&J!) for breakfast. The addition of peanut butter adds a little extra hit of protein, helping keep you full for longer. You can use any jam, jelly, or preserve in this recipe; I opted for a homemade blueberry-lavender jam I whipped up a few weeks ago. It’s unsweetened and a little tart, so I added some brown sugar to my oats. Feel free to omit the added sweetener if your jam is sweet enough!

PB and J Overnight Oats

PB&J Overnight Oats
Serves two

  • 1 cup rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats)
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • Heaping 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1 T brown sugar, agave nectar, or maple syrup (omit if your jam is sweetened)
  • Dash salt
  • ~1/4 cup jam of choice

Add the almond milk, peanut butter, sweetener, and salt to an airtight container and whisk until the peanut butter is emulsified and fully incorporated in the mixture. Add the oats, cover the container, and shake for about 10-15 seconds. Refrigerate overnight.

To serve, layer oatmeal and jam in a serving jar or bowl. Top with chopped peanuts if desired. Enjoy!

Trying a new jam flavor? Let me know how your vegan PB&J overnight oats turn out!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through my link, it costs nothing extra for you, but I get a few pennies to help cover hosting costs.

Simple Vanilla Oat Milk

As someone who’s slouching towards minimalism, the holidays pose a unique stress in my life. What to do with so many gifts? As much as I might want to request only experiences or (dare I say it?) cash as gifts, there’s a certain joy in the giving and receiving of tangible things, carefully chosen by a loved one. So I try to pre-empt the discomfort of bringing less-than-necessary new objects into my life by making my needs and occasional wants known. Case in point: last Christmas, I asked for nut milk bags and/or cheesecloths (#stereotypicalvegan) for my vegan cheese-making adventures.

Ask and ye shall receive. Receive I did — not just one, not two, but three varieties of cheesecloth and nut milk bags. Happily, they were all different, serving unique purposes in my kitchen. Did you know that you can use cheesecloth to strain cold-brew coffee? You can! We did! But while the cheesecloth was in regular kitchen rotation, my poor nut milk bag remained neglected. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive about making my own milks. I don’t have a fancy Vitamix or Blendtec; my run-of-the-mill blender has been known to require gentle coaching to perform the simplest of tasks. Even making smoothies with frozen bananas is an adventure! I expected the worst if I tried to blend something more resistant.

Vanilla Oat Milk

But then a friend mentioned how much she loves being able to whip up a batch of cashew milk whenever she’s running low. Sure, she has a Vitamix, but still! And then Steven received Miyoko Schinner’s The Homemade Vegan Pantry for his birthday, and my desire to start making my own staples finally transformed into action.

So, today, I’m sharing the easiest of easy homemade non-dairy milk recipes. To make oat milk, the only equipment you need is a blender and a nut milk bag. Unlike nuts, oats require very little soaking, so you can make a batch in nearly no time. And if you, like me, lack a fancy-pants blender, you’ll still be able to have creamy, delicious non-dairy milk without a trip to the grocery store.

Vanilla Oat Milk

Vanilla Oat Milk
Makes two cups

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • Seeds scraped from 1/2 a vanilla bean

Add the dry oats to the blender and pulse for 20-30 seconds, or until they’re in small pieces. Add the water and let soak for about 10 minutes, giving the oats a stir now and then if you think of it. Blend for 2-3 minutes, or until you don’t see any pieces. (Give your blender a little rest in between minutes if it’s not particularly strong.)

Place a nut milk bag over a large measuring bowl or mason jar and pour the oat milk through the bag. Use your hands to gently squeeze out the milk, but most of it should strain very quickly. Set the bag aside. Pour the milk back into the blender and add the maple syrup and vanilla. Blend for 10-15 seconds, pour back into jar, and refrigerate.

Oat milk will last about a week in your fridge.

Note: You can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans if you don’t have them or don’t want the visual effect of the seeds in your milk; I just didn’t want to add alcohol to mine.

Vanilla Oat Milk