Raw Walnut Milk and Raw Walnut Alfredo

(better) late (than never) to the party...

Raw Walnut Milk

and

Raw Walnut Alfredo Sauce.

Freshly blended walnut-y perfection.

 



Walnut milk came as something of a surprise to me. Until about a week ago I had regarded walnuts as too precious a commodity to milk-ify. Oh, how wrong I was... Over the course of the last decade and a half I've tried (and tried making) just about every other kind of non-dairy milk under the sun. After all those years of mad-scientist experimentation, hemp milk became the homemade go-to in my household. It served it's purpose but, while I dig the taste of hemp seeds, I never quite fell in love with raw hemp milk. It lacked the creaminess of store bought and the taste was always a little... off.  But I dutifully made it each week and saved the pulp for raw crackers or cheese or sauce. Meh. Then last week I found myself hemp seed-less and a light bulb went off. Why couldn't I do the same with walnuts? So I did. And it was glorious.
Turns out raw walnut milk is pretty much perfection. Go figure.

And then there's the walnut pulp Alfredo...

*swoon*

Raw. Vegan. Alfredo.

Need I say more?





Soaked walnuts, ready to be blended.

 

Raw Walnut Milk

5c filtered water + extra for soaking

1c raw walnuts

2 pitted medjool dates

1/4tsp sea salt

1/4tsp vanilla extract
 

Place raw walnuts in a small bowl, cover with filtered water, soak for3-6 hours.

Drain soaked walnuts and discard water.

Place nuts, dates, salt and extract into blender or milk maker.

Add 5c water.

Blend until smooth or use set milk maker to raw.

Once blended, strain mixture through a cheesecloth or nutmilk bag, reserving pulp.

If using a milk maker, simply pour off milk and reserve pulp.

And then there was this...
 

Walnut Alfredo with whole wheat pasta, kale, artichokes and fried tofu.
Yes, it was as good as it sounds.
 



Raw Walnut Pulp Alfredo Sauce

(serves 2)

Reserved, strained walnut pulp (should measure about 1/2c)

3Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2tsp sea salt

1 clove garlic

1/4tsp nutmeg

1/2tsp ground black pepper

1Tbsp reserved walnut milk (more as needed)

Dash of dried oregano (optional)

 

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Add more walnut milk as needed for creaminess.

Serve over raw or cooked noodles.

 

Raw Coconut-Vanilla Chia Pudding

insert chia pet commercial joke here...
Raw Coconut-Vanilla Chia Pudding. 

Raw coconut vanilla chia pudding served with walnuts, sliced peaches and hemp seeds.

Being a child of the 80s made coming to terms with the whole chia pudding concept rather difficult. Until recently I had only ever experienced chia in pet form, gooey little seeds slathered onto a terra cotta sheep for novelty sprouting. But, in spite of what TV infomercials would have us believe, there is much more to chia than giving fuzzy green fur/ hair to ceramic animals and Mr. T heads.

Chia seeds are nutritional rockstars, ridiculously full of fiber, protein and vitamins, and they happen to make an outstanding pudding. The seeds thicken when soaked in liquid, giving them a texture similar to that of tapioca. Add a little sweetener, a little vanilla, a pinch of salt and you've got a crazy good (and good for you) pudding that can be enjoyed guilt-free any damn time of day.
Pudding for breakfast?
Don't mind if I do.

Maple syrup measuring time. 

Coconut-Vanilla Chia Pudding
(serves 2-3)

 1c light coconut milk

3Tbsp raw chia seeds

1" of a vanilla bean, scraped

or

1tsp vanilla extract

1/4tsp sea salt

1tbsp maple syrup
or
agave syrup

toppings 
suggestions:

raw walnuts
almonds

coconut flakes

cacao nibs

sliced fruit
berries
hemp seeds

In a medium bowl combine chia seeds, sea salt and maple syrup.
Split vanilla bean segment lengthwise and, using the backside of knife, scrape the seeds from inside the pod and
add to mixing bowl.
You can also drop the scraped pod into into the mix for a stronger vanilla flavor. Simply leave pod to soak with pudding then remove before eating.
Add coconut milk, whisk to combine.
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Whisk again, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours until thickened.
Serve with fresh fruit, nuts or seeds.


*Recipe Notes*

Read ingredients when shopping for coconut milk as many brands contain additives and thickeners. My favorite is Trader Joe's canned light coconut milk. It contains only coconut milk and water and is a great value at about $1 per 14oz can.
If you find that your pudding has become overly thick after setting,
add a bit more coconut milk and stir to combine.
Alternately, if it is too thin add a small amount of extra chia seeds to thicken it up.

More ways to eat chia pudding: with raw walnuts, hemp hearts and a sliced fresh fig.