Paleo Lattes

I can't live without coffee! This is no exaggeration. Okay, it's a slight exaggeration, but still. My love of coffee was a problem for me during the paleo challenge since I like coffee with milk--hot, steamy, foamy, lovely milk.

We made do with homemade nut milk and canned coconut milk. While not quite the same as a dreamy, foamy cappuccino, the coconut lattes we made were a delicious treat and the nut milk lattes a close second (lattes because coconut milk and nut milk don't get super foamy).

I'm posting our recipe for nut milk because I've had a few requests. For coconut milk, just be sure to check the ingredients on the can. Some contain yucky additives. Opt for the slightly more expensive brands that contain simply coconut extract and water.

We're continuing with no dairy at home. So even though the challenge is over, I still haven't had a true cappuccino, but I'm okay with that. For lattes, we warm the milk on the stove in a saucepan and foam it as much as possible with a hand-held frother. Add to freshly brewed espresso, and voila! Your paleo coffee fix. Yum! Nut milk is also a great base for your favourite smoothie.

Nut Milk
1.5 cups nuts (we use a combination of brazil nuts, macadamia nuts and cashews)
water
2-3 tsp coconut oil
splash of vanilla
pinch sea salt

Soak nuts in a bowl of water for at least an hour, so they're swollen and soft. Drain the nuts and discard the water. Place the nuts in a blender with 4 cups of water and blend for at least 2 mins. Strain the mixture using something fine (we use strainer bags found with jam and canning supplies at Canadian Tire). Strain it again. Return the liquid to the blender and add coconut oil, vanilla, salt and an additional 2 cups of water. Blend for another 2 mins. Can be stored in the fridge for several days. We invested in a 2L sealable Tupperware jug.

Note: After a certain period of time, the milk starts to separate and get a little clumpy. Just give it a good shake. Also, you may find that your cup of coffee looks greasy on top. That's just the coconut oil. Don't worry.

For a while, we were at a loss for what to do with the nut pulp that was strained away. However, I started storing it in the fridge and incorporating it into recipes that called for almond flour. I'll post my favourite paleo muffin recipe shortly.