Kitchen Basics: Hazelnut Milk

My favorite non-dairy milk is a specific brand of oat milk (Kölln Smelk in case any one is interested). It's more expensive than the average soy milk, but I like it because it tastes great, and the ingredients are not shipped across the world, as the oat is grown (and then also processed) in Germany. I'm absolutely willing to pay that price (usually €1.79 to €2.19 for a liter), but when I saw Jérôme Eckmeier make hazelnut milk, I knew I had to try this myself. It's really easy, too! And cheaper. And tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1l of water
• 2 table spoons of sunflower oil
• 100g of hazelnuts (soaked in cold water over night)
• 1 table spoon of unrefined cane sugar
• a pinch of salt

Vegan Kitchen Staples

Since my friend Joni (who is new to exclusively plant-based cooking) asked for some explanation of the things that appear to be more exotic to those who cook conventionally, I decided to collect a few things that I find in my pantry to explain them.

Firstly, I would like to mention that you can easily cook awesome vegan food without using soy, seitan, and all these other things. The main ingredient in my kitchen will alwaysdesc be vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, etc. There is nothing wrong with tofu etc., but in my kitchen vegan cooking does not have to mean that I copy conventional recipes and replace meat with tofu. I do that sometimes, because I used to enjoy eating meat. I do not think that there is anything wrong with the taste of it, I just no longer see the necessity to use meat/dairy/eggs in order to get a great meal.

So. The main ingredient that should be available anywhere near you is this: