Milk & Cookies

It's a real winter here now! Has been snowing for days and almost storming now. So all I feel like doing is just reading by the fireplace and having some delicious milk and cookies :)

This milk is perfect for all sorts of drinks, from fruity to chocolaty to even alcohol drinks. Also good in baking and cooking and with breakfast cereals/muesli. You can make different kinds of milks with the same recipe just by changing the almonds to what ever nuts or seeds. My favourite is hazelnut milk. What's yours? :)

Almond milk

• 3 dl raw almonds
• 10 dried dates (or less if you don't like too sweet)
• 1 l water
• (cinnamon, vanilla etc. for flavouring)

Soak the almonds for 8-12 hours and rinse well. Soak the dates for 8-12 hours in water that just covers them.
Put the soaked and rinsed almonds to a blender. Add the dates and the soaking water and start mixing. Add water little by little so you get really fine texture. Filter the milk to a pot through a very fine strainer or cheesecloth. Squeeze the remaining pulp to get all of the liquid. Add flavouring if you desire so and bottle. Store in fridge and shake well before using. I recommend to use within 2-4 days.

Raspberry milk for two:

• 4 dl almond milk
• 2 dl raspberries
• 0.5 tsp vanilla powder

Mix in a blender and enjoy. Test also other berries or fruits!

Cacao-coffee for two:

• 5 dl almond milk
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or other desired sweetener)
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder

Put all ingredients to a pot, mix well and slowly heat up on the stove. Don't boil!

Raw & spicy almond cookies

• pulp from the almond milk
• 1 dl flax seeds + 2 dl water
• 1 dl raisins + water to cover
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp orange peel powder

Put the flax seeds and raisins to separate dishes, add water and let soak at least for 2 hours. Puree the raisins with their soaking water in a blender. Mix all the ingredients into smooth dough (I used hands) and let it stand in fridge for about an hour. Roll the dough between two baking sheets and cut into desired shapes. Dry the cookies in a dehydrator or in 40'C degree oven until they are totally dry. This takes 12-24 hours, depending on the thickness of the cookies and the dryer. Will stay good for months in a cool and dry place.

Marmalade

• 10 dried apricots
• 20 dried plums

Soak the apricots and plums in water at least for 4 hours. Put to a blender and mix till smooth puree. Use as much water as needed. Store in fridge and use within a week.

~ Ilta

Holiday gift ideas

Time for goodies!!!

Earlier I've stated that I don't really celebrate Christmas and it also means that I don't like to buy gifts (not on other holidays either), but I do love to make and give eatable presents. So here is some suggestions what to bring as a gift when you visit people on these holidays.

All are of course very easy to make, healthy, extremely yummy and guilt free! :)



Chocolate truffels
yield 20 pc.

• 200 g soaked & boiled chick peas, white beans or broad beans (I've tested them all and can recommend!)
• 100 g dried dates
• 1 dl cacao powder
• 2 tsp vanilla powder
• 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• coating ideas: coconut flakes, cacao powder, berry/fruit powders, chopped nuts
• filling/flavour ideas: dried fruits or berries, nuts, essential oils, rum/brandy etc.

Soak the dates in water that just covers them for 4-8 hours. Put all the ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth dough. Pour the dough to a pot and stir in desired fillings and/or flavours. Let set in fridge for a moment. Roll into balls and roll them in the desired coating. Store in fridge.


Corny PB-balls
yield 20 pc.

• 250 g peanut butter
• 0.75 dl maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lucuma powder (not necessary)
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 4 + 1 dl cornflakes (sugar free!)

Stir peanut butter, maple syrup, lucuma and vanilla powders together. Crush the cornflakes into bit smaller pieces and add 4 dl to the PB-mixture. Roll into balls and coat with the remaining cornflakes. Store in fridge.

Citrus coconut balls
yield 10 pc.

• 2.5 + 1 dl coconut flakes
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1.5 tbsp dried lemon/orange zest powder
• 10 drops pure orange oil

Mix 2.5 dl of coconut flakes and the coconut oil in a blender into a smooth butter. Add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let set in fridge for a moment and then roll into balls and coat with the remaining shredded coconut. Store in fridge.


~ Ilta

Christmas dinner idea

Here is one idea what to offer on Christmas dinner.
I made these last Thursday on Finlands Independence Day and we we're really satisfied and happy! Everything tasted fabulous and fit perfectly together and we were totally full, so full that could hardly go to sauna anymore... and that sure is something for a Finn! Sorry about that, but have to give some credit to myself occasionally :)

We don't really celebrate Christmas, because we're not religious nor materialistic (which you might have noticed by now from the fact that we're selling almost everything!!!) and this holiday just doesn't have much meaning for us, except some nice free days from work :) But we do love to eat well and I love cooking! So I guess that's my way to celebrate all these religious holidays... in kitchen inventing new stuff and feeding my dear 'guinea pig' :D

Hope you like these and get at least some ideas for your hopefully animal friendly holiday!

All recipes are for about 4 persons.

Fruity starter salad
(one of my favourite salads ever, especially the sauce!)

• Salanova lettuce
• Bloody Sorrel lettuce
• 2 carrots
• 2 persimons (aka sharon or khaki)
• cashews
• hemp nuts
• 1 dl mint leafs
• 1 tbsp avocado oil (other oils are also ok)
• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 1 very ripe pear

Wash lettuces. Peal and grate carrots. Peal and slice persimons. Pile into beautiful salads. Sprinkle cashews and hemp nuts on top.
Mix mint leafs, avocado oil, lemon juice and peeled pear in a blender until smooth sauce. Pour dressing on salads or offer on the side.

Seitan & plums stewed in brandy 
Seitan:

• 3 dl wheat gluten flour
• 2 tbsp powdered pepper
• 2 dl water
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tbsp sojasauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour the wet to the dry and knead into firm dough by hands for few minutes. Cut it into 6-8 pieces and boil in water for about 20 minutes. The dough will swell 2-3 times bigger, so have enough big pot for boiling!

Stew:

• seitan (soya cubes might work also, but I haven't tried yet)
• 2 dl dried plums
• 2 dl brandy (or other desired alcohol or even strong juice)
• 4-6 dl water (add if needed!)
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp whole cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp potato flour (or other starch)

Cut the seitan into cubes. Oil a big oven dish and put all the ingredients in there and mix well. Cover with a lid or foil and let stew in 175C degree oven for about an hour. Check and stir occasionally.

Not really photogenic but really delicious!

Creamy mushrooms

• 300 g champignon mushrooms
• 1 big yellow onion
• 2 whole garlics (about 20 cloves)
• canola oil
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• salt & pepper according to taste
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 dl oat cream

Wash the mushrooms and cut into big peaces. Peal the onion and garlics. Chop the onion into rather big chunks and let the cloves of garlic stay whole. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic cloves as long as most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. (this won't taste too much of garlic 'cos they are not crushed or sliced, the cloves will become just nicely soft and delicious!)
Oil an oven dish and put the mushroom mixture there with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover with a lid or foil and put to 175C degree oven for about an hour. Check and stir occasionally.

Sweet potatoes from heaven :)
(this is one of my biggest comfort food favourites!)

• 1.5 kg sweet potatoes
• 2 dl coconut cream
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.5 tsp salt
• breadcrumbs
• vegan butter

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and boil in salted water until soft. Pour the water away, add coconut cream, cardamon and salt and puree with beater or mixer. Pour the mixture into greased oven dish, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and some thin slices of butter. Bake in 175C degree oven for about an hour. Don't cover so you get nice crispy and brown crust.

...and finally the dessert:

Chocolate pudding with red sauce

• 4 dl cashews
• 2 dl dried dates
• 1.5 dl rice-coconut milk (or other veggie milk)
• 1 dl cacao powder
• 2 tsp vanilla powder
• 0.5 dl melted coconut oil
• 300 g fresh or frozen strawberries (or whatever berries you like)

Soak the cashews in water for 4-8 hours and rinse well. Soak the dates in water that just covers them for 4-8 hours. Put the cashews, 2/3 of the dates & soaking water in to a blender and mix until silky smooth. Add milk, vanilla, cacao and coconut oil and mix again. Pour into serving dish and let stand in fridge at least for an hour.
To make the sauce mix the strawberries and 1/3 of the soaked dates in a blender until fine puree. Serve for example from champagne classes.

~ Ilta