Make the switch from packaged oat mylk to a more cost effective, plastic reducing natural alternative. This quick and simple recipe is just the thing!
Homemade oat mylk is not only inexpensive, but also requires no soaking and saves lots of time. Remember to always use certified organic rolled oats. Commercial oats contain high levels of glyphosate, a commonly used herbicide in farming. Glyphosate has been shown to disrupt healthy gut bacteria (an underlying factor in many chronic illnesses) is toxic to aquatic life, and may heighten cancer risks. At Alfalfa House, we stock certified organic locally grown rolled oats.
Enjoy this quick and easy homemade mylk recipe below. Use it in your coffee or porridge bowls this winter. During the warmer months, use this mylk as a base to make chia puddings or smoothies.
Homemade Oat Mylk Recipe
Quick and easy homemade oat mylk recipe. This creamy mylk is made with whole ingredients, and is vegan and vegetarian. Use in smoothies, coffee, porridge and bakes
Strainer or cheesecloth
Spatula or spoon for straining (if you're using a strainer)
Blender
Jug
Glass bottle
80 grams rolled oats
2 cups icy water ((room temperature water will produce thick and slimy mylk))
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 pinch salt (optional)
Add the oats, icy water, and any additional flavourings into the blender. Blend for 20-30 seconds (blending it for too long can warm up the mylk making it slightly thick(unless that's what you're going for).
Pour the blended mixture through a strainer or cheesecloth over a jug. If you're using a strainer, use your spatula or spoon to stir and flatten the mixture into the strainer to really juice it out. An optional step is double straining the mixture to ensure all the oat sediment is removed.
Transfer your delicious oat mylk into a glass bottle and store in the fridge.
Winter has arrived. Despite the cold weather and short days, there is a lot to look forward to in terms of cooking and winter recipes. It is the time for soups and stews, fragrant curries and pies, rich chutneys and cheeses. We could go on, but for now we will leave you with this easy spinach dal recipe. This dal is vegan-friendly, high on flavour and packed with fibre + proteins leaving you feeling full for longer. Serve it with some Basmati (or any long grain) rice and a dollop of yogurt for a complete meal.
Lentils To Choose From
There are a variety of lentils available to choose from. This spinach dal recipe uses “split” red or yellow lentils. Yellow Mung dal lentils are the best as they cook the fastest and are the easiest to digest. Because of their split nature these yellow/red lentils cook quickly and turn soft. These lentils are best for curries, stews and dal recipes like this one.
Further we found a cool infographic with quick tips on cooking lentils, nutrition facts and ways you can incorporate more lentils in your diet. Enjoy!
Sourcing Lentils & other Ingredients at Alfalfa House
Alfalfa House stocks all the ingredients for making this wholesome flavourful dal i.e. lentils, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and fresh spinach( Order our weekly veg box here).
Using dried lentils vs the canned variety makes a huge difference. We have access to a wide variety of dried lentils in our very own Alfalfa House. Buying a bag of red lentils won’t break the bank, will be good for your body and the planet. So whatever your reason for including lentils in your diet, we hope you enjoy cooking these as much as we do!
If you do make this spinach dal, please share your photos and tag us on Alfalfa House Instagram. We would love to see your creations 🙂
Featured above : Split Yellow Mung, Yellow Mung, Whole Green Mung
Spinach Dal (Lentil) Recipe
A recipe for a quick and easy vegetarian gluten-free spinach and lentil dal. This is great as a light meal or can be served as a side. Use coconut oil instead of ghee to make it vegan. The soup uses yellow mung/moong bean , but you can substitute any other lentils on hand like red lentils, green mung, split peas
In a deep sauce pan, boil the mung bean lentils with water. Keep cooking for about 20 minutes until the lentils turn soft and mushy. Alternatively use a pressure cooker to quickly cook them in about 10 min.
Once lentils are cooked, begin the tempering process. In another sauce pan heat ghee and cumin seeds. Allow them to sizzle.
Next add in the chopped green chilli, garlic and onion in that order. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
Add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Then add in the chopped tomatoes and chopped ginger. Sauté for a few minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through and turn mushy.
Next add the boiled lentils and baby spinach. Mix well.
Add boiling water to bring to the thickness of soup / stew you desire.
Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Then pour the soup in bowls and squeeze over the lemon juice.
Making it Vegan:Use coconut oil instead of ghee to make it vegan
Main Course, Soup
Indian
dal, lentils, spinach, turmeric
Recipe Contributor : Adity Kaushal, (Volunteer and Member at Alfalfa House Co-op , Newtown)
She also writes all about vegetarian, healthy plant-based recipes over at the urbanfoodlover website
Or follow along her Foodie journey for more recipes and Inspo over on Instagram @urbanfoodlover
Below is a recipe for a vegetarian minestrone style soup that uses pantry staples. We like making a big batch of this soup. It reheats well and is excellent for leftovers. The soup uses whole unprocessed ingredients that is great for our tummies (and body). It serves a crowd. With a few changes , this soup is good for fall, winter, spring or summer (although drinking soup during the hot summers in Sydney may not be a great idea). During fall, you should find all the vegetables in the market. In winter, use a can of good quality canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Be sure they are good quality and not over-seasoned with vinegar or salt.
On Vegetable Broth
A well made broth is the essence of making a good soup. Here is a recipe for a basic vegetable broth to make at home. Making your own vegetable broth at home is an excellent way to use up excess veg or using all those odd ends and bits that end up being thrown.
However sometimes you don’t have a homemade broth when you want it. So don’t worry – We all buy store bought at times. But choose carefully. Few points to note here :
Check the labels. Avoid anything with too much sodium, gums and ingredients you may never have heard of .
Some of the canned vegetable broths that might be alright ingredient wise, maybe too concentrated to use. In such a case dilute it for the recipe.
Some bulk food stores (like Alfalfa House 🙂 ) , stock dry veg stock powders. These are mostly made of dehydrated veggies that are ground into a powder. This dry good quality veg stock powder without any additives is perhaps one of the better options than using the canned varieties of broth.
A Note on Sourcing the Ingredients for Minestrone Soup
As mentioned above, this vegetarian minestrone soup uses pantry staple ingredients. And good news – we have all the ingredients stocked in store at the Alfalfa Shop (read veggies, dried beans, olive oil, dried herbs, hard cheeses). Further this soup is a power house of vegetables, giving you more than 5 serves of veg in a single meal. Check out the below pic of our Alfalfa House shelves stocked with all the fresh produce that you will ever need for this soup. And if you are looking for a quick pick-me-up vegetable option, then order our weekly veggie box online here . Our weekly veggie box has you covered. Thereafter make a big batch of this soup with all the healthy package-free produce from Alfalfa House.That’s dinner sorted for a few nights a week 🙂
If you do make this soup, please share your photos and tag us on Alfalfa House Instagram. We would love to see your creations 🙂
Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
This is a great pot of soup. Perfect to feed a crowd. It is vegetarian made using whole foods and seasonal vegetables. It can be made vegan if you skip the cheese toppings
100 g dried beans (cannellini, lima, butter beans are all excellent)
4-5 medium garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
2 medium celery stalks (thinly sliced)
450 g tomatoes (canned or fresh)
200 g zucchini
100 g greens (baby kale, baby spinach or thinly sliced savoy cabbage works)
1 litre basic vegetable broth (See notes in the post)
2 tbsp olive oil (App. 30 ml)
1/2 cup small pasta of choice (like fusilli, penne, macaroni )
1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
15 g fresh flat leaf parsley
15 g oregano (fresh or dried )
30 g hard cheese like a sharp cheddar or parmesan (optional)
Preparing the Beans
Soak the dried beans overnight. Atleast for 8-10 hours. Soaking dried beans and legumes not only reduces their cooking time but is also great for digestion
The next day, rinse the soaked beans thoroughly under cold running water. Then put the dried beans in a large pot with 3 cups of water and 2 peeled garlic cloves . Bring the water to a boil , then lower the heat, and simmer covered for atleast an hour OR until the beans feel soft and tender but not completely mushy
You can use the beans immediately if preparing the soup OR let them sit in the refrigerator for upto 2 days and use them when you need to make the soup
Preparing the Soup
Heat the olive oil in a deep soup pot. Add in the finely chopped onions and remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Saute for 8-10 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown
Next add in the chopped celery and carrots . Add a pinch of salt and continue to stir for around 7-8 min more.
While the onion-celery-carrot mix is in the stock pot, chop the tomatoes and zucchini into small chunks. Also finely chop the greens that you are using – If using Kale remove the tough stems in the kale
Next Add in the dried herbs, chopped tomatoes, zucchini, finely chopped greens and vegetable broth in the soup pot. Give it a good stir, season with salt and let it simmer until the tomatoes start to turn mushy
Once the veggies are semi-soft, add in the cooked beans and pasta of choice in the soup mix. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente in the soup
Ladle the soup in bowls. Check for seasoning and season with salt and black pepper as per taste. Garnish with finely chopped parsely , oregano and grated cheese. For a vegan version, skip the cheese and add in a glug of olive oil
Main Course, Soup
Australian
minestrone, vegetarian
Recipe Contributor : Adity Kaushal, (Volunteer and Member at Alfalfa House Co-op , Newtown)
She also writes all her vegetarian, healthy plant-based recipes over at the urbanfoodlover website
Or follow along her Foodie journey on Instagram @urbanfoodlover
Join us for inspiring community workshops & events @ Alfalfa House
Alfalfa House hosts regular events & workshops. Whether you’re a local, new in town, or just passing through. Join us as we learn, gather, and have fun.
Our Alfalfa House member Ivy shares with us her Cinnamon scrolls recipe. After all the baking fever that 2020 brought upon on, all the ingredients should be in your pantry right now. Further Ivy’s included the vegan version as well. She makes these feel so simple to bake. We have our ovens ready to preheat right now!
If you do bake these cinnamon scrolls, please share your creation on Instagram with #alfalfahouse
Cinnamon Scrolls Recipe (with Vegan version)
These are quick and easy cinnamon scrolls to bake. We use pantry staples (flours, yeast, cinnamon ) and have also included the vegan version.
Medium baking tray (approx 35cm×25cm)
Baking paper for lining tray (optional)
Small bowl
Medium bowl
Large bowl
whisk
Wooden spoon or a silicone spatula
Basting brush
For the Dough
330 g all-purpose flour
60 g granulated sugar ((App. 1/4 cup))
30 g butter ((See Notes for vegan version ))
1 large egg ((See Notes for vegan version ))
1 package instant yeast
120 ml water ((App 1/2 cup))
120 ml milk of your choice ((App 1/2 cup))
For the Fillin
149 g brown sugar
56 g butter ((See notes for vegan version))
15 g ground cinnamon ((App. 1 tbsp))
5 ml vanilla extract ((1 tsp))
For the Vanilla Glaze
180 g icing sugar ((App. (1½ cups) )
56 g butter ((See notes for vegan version))
1 tsp vanilla extract ((5 ml))
45 ml milk of your choice
Combine and warm up milk and water in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of the sugar along with the yeast. Set aside for approx 5 – 10 minutes until the mixture is foamy/frothy.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt, set aside. Melt the butter (if using oil, skip this step) ensure it has cooled down, then add to the activated yeast along with the rest of the sugar. Whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, add the yeast mixture. Whisk in the egg to the yeast mixture. Once combined add the flour little by little, switch to a wooden spoon (or spatula) when it gets thick. Mix until you get a nice tacky dough.
Knead the dough in the bowl for a bit with some extra flour. This helps get the dough off the sides of the bowl. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough for 8 – 10 minutes, using your hands. Use a bit more flour if the dough gets too sticky. Coat the same bowl with a bit of oil, transfer dough to the bowl. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rise for 1 hour
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin (or a wine bottle, ensuring the lid is screwed on tight!) into a long rectangle (approx 1cm thick) and baste the top with softened butter (or oil).
Combine the cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the mixture evenly on the dough, then roll the dough up tightly.
Using dental floss or a knife, cut the rolled dough into 12 sections. Line baking tray with baking paper (or lightly bast with oil), then place the rolls onto the tray. Cover tray and let the rolls rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (or 180°C fan forced).
Uncover and baste the tops with butter (or oil). Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes until the rolls are golden brown. Once they are done allow them to cool.
While the rolls are cooling make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, melted butter (or oil), vanilla extract, and milk (extra milk can be added if you want your glaze runnier). Baste the glaze to the top of the cinnamon rolls and they are ready to enjoy!
For the vegan version
Instead of butter use 30ml of your preferred oil in the dough, 60 ml of your preferred oil in the filling and 60 ml of your preferred oil in the vanilla glaze,.
Instead of egg in the dough, use 1tbsp ground flaxseed and 3tbsp water stirred and left to thicken for 5 mins.
