Berries and Almond Milk

It's easy to make almond milk at home, and delicious over berries. This recipe makes either dessert or breakfast for 2.

The recipe called for 1/4 cup raw almonds to be soaked in 1/2 cup water for at least 8 hours, and up to overnight. However, I came across some interesting info online that 'raw' almonds are currently illegal in the U.S., because of pasteurization laws, although they are still available at farmer's markets and the like. Instead, I bought whole blanched almonds from Whole Foods, which seemed raw enough to me, plus it made intuitive sense that I would want almonds without the brown skin while making milk.

Drain the almonds, and rinse well. Place in a food processor or blender, along with 1/2 cup water and 1 pitted Medjool date (which adds a nice touch of sweetness). Process until smooth.

Line a sieve with cheesecloth, and place the sieve over a bowl. Pour the almond milk mixture into the sieve, and then gather the ends of the cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid. Discard the solids - you'll have about 1/4 cup almond milk remaining.

At this point, you can cover and store the almond milk in the fridge for up to a week. When you're ready to serve, place 1 cup mixed berries (such as a blend of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries) in each of 2 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and drizzle each with 2 tablespoons almond milk. This is best served immediately.

Each serving is 200 calories.

Cost:
blanched almonds $5.99
mixed berries $5.19