Kitchen Curious: Out of milk? Here’s how to make your own
Editor’s note: As part of the adjustments the AJC is making to Food and Dining content during the coronavirus pandemic, the Kitchen Curious column is undergoing changes. Recipes take a more frugal approach to cooking to help readers be more resourceful at a time when food supplies may be low and shelter-in-place orders in effect. In addition, Kitchen Curious is now published weekly instead of biweekly. Do you have feedback about the column? Do you have a recipe to share or one you want us to develop? We want to hear from you. Send your comments to ligaya.figueras@ajc.com.
Credit for this recipe goes to my son Anton. With college classes happening remotely now, he's holed up at our house. When we ran out of milk, we added that to the shopping list for when we make our next grocery trip, but didn't make an emergency trip to the supermarket. To make do, Anton searched online and found a recipe for Vegan Mexican Horchata on the Simple Vegan Blog.
The original recipe calls for white rice, unsalted almonds, a cinnamon stick, dates and a vanilla bean. Anton adapted to what we have on hand — and to the level of energy (low) he felt like putting into the project. He used brown rice instead of white rice, raw old-fashioned oats instead of almonds, ground cinnamon instead of a stick and vanilla extract instead of half a vanilla bean. The only ingredient not changed: dates. His use of raw oats, in particular, was a smart decision; oats don’t offer the same nutty flavor as almonds, but it is present nonetheless.
Once you blend everything except the vanilla with water, just let the mixture soak overnight. In the morning, strain, stir in the vanilla and serve. You can discard the pulp, but why waste? Use it to bulk up smoothies or stir it into yogurt for a healthy breakfast.
This resourceful, dairy-free horchata tastes great solo — with or without a few cubes of ice. Anton poured it on dry cereal. I’ve used it as a milk substitute with coffee. Who knows — maybe we won’t even need to buy milk during this pandemic. In the least, it’s one less reason to make a trip to the store when it’s best to stay put at home.
DAIRY-FREE MEXICAN HORCHATA
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
- 4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to taste and for garnish
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sugar or honey (optional)
- Add the rice, oats, dates and cinnamon to a blender. Add the water and blend until smooth. Transfer the contents to a lidded container and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, drain the mixture using a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or fine-mesh strainer. Discard the pulp or add it to smoothies or stir into yogurt.
- Stir in the vanilla. Taste. Add sugar or honey if you desire more sweetness.
- To serve, garnish with a dash of cinnamon, if desired. Will keep refrigerated up to 5 days. Makes 5 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: one cup: 58 calories (percent of calories from fat, 16), trace protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 14 milligrams sodium.RELATED:
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About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
