Oat (Avena) Milk Benefits

 Oat milk is a great alternative to regular milk with numerous benefits:
 
•    It is lactose and fat free
•    It is high in protein and fiber
•    It reduces the risk of heart deceases
•    It contains vitamins E, C,  A, K B1, B2, B6, B12 and folic acid  
•    It contains vital minerals, mainly iron and calcium, but also magnesium, potassium,       
      zinc, copper and selenium
•    It lowers the levels of cholesterol 
•    It’s easy to digest (far more easier than regular milk)
•    It is rich in phytochemicals (naturally found plant chemicals) and, thus, is great in
     protecting from diseases and fighting cancer
•    It aids aging (again due to the phytochemicals)
•    It is very moisturising and nurturing for the skin (when used externally). 
 
Oat (avena) milk can be easily found ready-made in the market in any organic or health store at a reasonable price. However, it is very fast and easy to make it at home and you may add a special ingredient or two that really will make a difference…and after all, fresh is always best!
You may drink it plain, or add it in smoothies, eat  your muesli with it, or just replace regular milk with it in certain recipes (mainly desserts).
Here I am sharing my recipe of Raw Oat Milk with Vanilla & Honey. 







                                                   Ingredients 
 

Raw Oat (Avena) Milk with Vanilla & Honey

Oat milk is a great alternative to regular milk with numerous benefits:
 
•    It is lactose and fat free
•    It is high in protein and fiber
•    It reduces the risk of heart deceases
•    It contains vitamins E, C,  A, K B1, B2, B6, B12 and folic acid  
•    It contains vital minerals, mainly iron and calcium, but also magnesium, potassium,       
      zinc, copper and selenium
•    It lowers the levels of cholesterol 
•    It’s easy to digest (far more easier than regular milk)
•    It is rich in phytochemicals (naturally found plant chemicals) and, thus, is great in
     protecting from diseases and fighting cancer
•    It aids aging (again due to the phytochemicals)
 
Oat (avena) milk can be easily found ready-made in the market in any organic or health store at a reasonable price. However, it is very fast and easy to make it at home and you may add a special ingredient or two that really will make a difference…and after all, fresh is always best!
Here I am sharing my recipe of Raw Oat Milk with Vanilla & Honey. You may also add cacao or carob powder,fresh ginger, shredded coconut or other nuts (that will also need to be soaked), you may replace honey with agave syrup or stevia, you may add spices like cinnamon or cardamom, or you can just make it plain and unsweetened if you want to use it in recipes to replace regular milk.
 
For the Raw Oat Milk with Vanilla & Honey recipe, you’ll need:
 
14-15 tablespoons rolled oats or oat flakes
1.5 liters of filtered water (or high quality bottled water)
A pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla pod, scraped
1 tablespoon of good quality raw honey (or more according to taste)

Place the oat flakes (or rolled oats) and water in a (glass) container that can be securely sealed and stir well. Seal and allow them to soak for 6-7 hours or overnight in the fridge (if you decide to add any nuts, you should let them soak together with the oats). When ready to make the milk, empty the water and soaked oats in a blender, add the salt, vanilla and honey, and blend really-really well. Strain the milk using a very fine sieve, or a nut milk bag (or just a piece of voile or cheesecloth). At this point you will need to squeeze and knead all the remaining mashed oats for the milk to go through the sieve or milk bag to make your oat milk as tasty as possible! 

Your milk is ready! You may enjoy it right away or you may transfer it in a glass bottle, seal it and store it in the fridge. It is best to consume it fast but it can be preserved well (if sealed well) for a couple of days. Always shake before use and  enjoy with love! ♥

Important note:
All the remaining mashed oats that will be left in the milk bag are not to be thrown! They can be used to make raw truffles or healthy raw energy balls or bars. They may also be added into cakes, they can be made into a crust for tarts (raw or baked) they can be even added into a smoothie (about a tablespoon for a large glass) to give it a thicker texture.

Recipes

Sugar-free “Halva” with Coconut and Ginger

Halva (or halwa) refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.

There are two main types of halva. One is flour-based, which is slightly gelatinous and made from grain flour, typically semolina and the other is nut-butter-based, which is crumbly and usually made from tahini (sesame paste) or other nut butters, such as sunflower seed butter.

In greece we traditionally use either butter or olive oil to make it, and sugar is sometimes replaced with honey. Raisins, dates, other dried fruits, or nuts such as almonds, pine nuts or walnuts, are often added to the semolina halva.

This is my version of halva, which is sugar-free! I replaced half of the semolina with shredded coconut and the olive oil (or butter) with coconut oil. The sugar is replaced with agave syrup and I added some raisins to give it an extra sweetness. The  ginger and cardamom seeds add to the exotic taste of coconut and make it more interesting!

Here is the recipe:

¾ cup coconut oil

1 cup coarse semolina

1 cup shredded coconut

1 ½ cup agave syrup

½ cup raisins

4 cups water

15-20gr. fresh ginger, peeled and sliced or 1 ½  teaspoons powdered ginger

4 cardamom pods

In a medium sauce pan add the water, ginger and cardamom, cover and bring it to boil. Boil for 5 minutes, bring the heat down and gently simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  Remove the pieces of ginger and cardamom pods, mix in the agave syrup.and make sure you preserve your syrup hot for a few minutes, until you use it.

In a larger saucepan heat the coconut oil, at medium heat, and add the semolina and shredded coconut, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it takes a golden color (make sure you don’t burn it though!).  

Put the heat down to low and gradually add the hot syrup to the semolina and coconut mixture, stirring. Now be cautious because it is going to sizzle, and spatter! Stir in the raisins (and watch them expand!) and continue to cook until the all of the liquids are absorbed.

Remove from heat, cover with a towel and let it stand for 15 minutes, until it cools down a bit.

Spoon the mixture into a pudding mold or individual ramekins or bowls. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving. Later on you may store it in the refrigerator if you like it best cold, but it is preserved perfectly well outside the fridge as well.

To serve, you may sprinkle with chopped almonds or chocolate or just shredded coconut. 

Enjoy! ♥

Special thanks to Denia for the photos!!!

Recipes

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halva

Roasted Okra with Feta Cheese and Mint

Okra is very low in calories. It contains high amounts of vitamins A, B6, K and C, it is rich in folic acid and is a good source of minerals like iron, calcium and phosphorous. It also contains thiamine, riboflavin and phytochemicals like beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. The taste and texture resembles, in a way, that of the eggplant, but that also depends on the way you decide to cook it. 

Since I was a child roasted okra was one of my favorite dishes (really odd!!!). Many people hate okra for being slimy, but I must insist that when roasted, okra is not slimy at all! I am proud to say that with this recipe I have really made people who thought they hated okra, to actually love it! So just give it a chance, I definitely recommend it!

You’ll need:

1 kg fresh okra

1 large red onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

4 plum tomatoes (or regular)

½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

250gr feta cheese, crumbled

1 small glass olive oil (130 ml)

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¾ small glass water (100 ml)

sea salt

cayenne pepper

Rinse the okra and tomatoes in cold water and drain. Using a small knife, trim the stems from the okra tops (in a circular way), but try not to remove the caps.

Place them in a roasting pan. I actually prefer to use one with a lid (in Greece we call it “gastra” and it is similar to the Moroccan “tajine” pot), to prevent the food from drying out, alternatively we can cover it for a while with foil and then remove it towards the end.

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4. Cut the tomatoes in relatively small chunks and add them in the roasting pan with the rest of the ingredients:  the onions, garlic, feta cheese, mint, salt, cayenne pepper, olive oil, vinegar and water. 

 Toss well using your hands. 

Cover either with a lid or foil and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid or foil and put it back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes. Every now and then, you might need to stir it to make sure it is cooked evenly and if too dry, just add a bit more water. Remove it from the oven, drizzle some extra olive oil, if you like, and serve! 

Special thanks to Denia for the photos ♥

Recipes