There’s a lot that’s happening in the nondairy milk space, and most of it is excellent.

This week’s Top Pick is Almond Breeze Almondmilk from Blue Diamond.

Even if you’re perfectly happy with cow’s milk (as we are), you should give it a try.

Some people seek nondairy milks because of lactose intolerance, kosher or vegan diets. But everyone who enjoys milk or milk-based drinks should pull a carton of Almond Breeze from the shelf and check it out.

Almondmilk (we spell it almond milk, but are not about to take on Blue Diamond) can be substituted for dairy milk in cereal, smoothies, tea, hot chocolate, and hot or iced coffee.

You can use almondmilk for cooking (salad dressings, sauces, soups), baking, and pretty much everything that calls for milk or half-and-half, including ice pops and the creamy polenta in photo #3.

If you drink a lot of milk, you’ll save calories, too: At 60 calories per serving, Original Almondmilk has about half the calories of 2% milk.

It’s also higher in nutrition*. Almond Breeze products are an excellent source of calcium and Vitamins D and E, and a good source of vitamin A.

Although the entire line is dairy free, it’s certified OU Dairy†.
 
The products are available nationwide at Publix, Safeway, Target, Walmart and other stores. Here’s a store locator.
 
 
STARTING WITH THE BASICS

How much do people like almond milk? There are 10 SKUs‡ of milk alone; then creamer and specialty drinks.

 
The flavored varieties can be the basis of a float or a shake.
 
 
AND MORE!

If you like the milk, you’ll also like the:

 
 
OUR NEW FAVORITES

Almond Breeze Banana Almondmilk

Made with real bananas, this delectable treat has only 80 calories per cup and zero added sugars (photo #3).

It tastes like a better-for-you banana shake, but you can:

 
Almond Breeze Horchata

A classic creamy Mexican drink, authentica horchata is made with milk, ground rice, cane sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.

Almond Breeze’s horchata is made from almond milk, rice flour, cane sugar, cinnamon and vanilla (photo #4).

It’s an addictively delicious cold drink, with just 110 calories per serving. As we discovered with Banana Almondmilk, we can:

 
 
ALMOND BREEZE RECIPES

Whatever you want to make, whatever meal of the day, check out the Almond Breeze recipes at BlueDiamond.com.

[1] There are 10 flavors of Almond Breeze almondmilk, including both sweetened and unsweetened chocolate (all photos courtesy Blue Diamond/Almond Breeze).

[2] Rich coffee creamers, in Original and Vanilla, have just 10 or 15 calories per serving.

[3] Creamy polenta with beets, baby spinach and roasted chickpeas. Here’s the recipe from Blue Diamond.

[4] Our favorite new Almond Breeze flavor: Banana! It’s so good that it makes you wonder why there isn’t a lot more banana milk around.

[5] Another favorite, Almond Breeze Horchata, is so good that, like Banana, you can have it for dessert. (Or, add rum to either Banana or Horchata for a lower-calorie cocktail.)

*Compared to cow’s milk, almond milk has fewer calories and carbs. While it doesn’t have the natural calcium of cow’s milk, some brands are fortified—check the ingredients. Nor does it have the natural sugar of milk (lactose), making it great for lactose-intolerant people, but also saving everyone else a few grams of sugar. Here’s a comparison chart.

†The dairy designation means that the product was processed on equipment which also produces dairy products. Even though the equipment was washed after the dairy product manufacture, kosher law requires that the nondairy product that follows it be designated as dairy. Here’s a longer discussion.

‡SKU is a retailer term for Stock Keeping Units. In consumer language, a SKU is a flavor or variety. For example, blueberry jam, strawberry jam and raspberry jam from the same manufacturer represent three different SKUs.

[1] Garlic bread made on the grill with Lucero garlic olive oil. The recipe is below (photo © Lucero Olive Oil [now closed]).

[2] Baked in the oven. Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home (photo © Taste Of Home).

[3] Italian garlic (photo © Burpee).

Now that grilling season is on, make one of our favorite foods to come off the grill: garlic bread.

Garlic bread, also called garlic toast, is toasted baguette or sourdough, sliced and spread with olive oil or butter, and garlic*.

Additional ingredients may be added:

 
On the grill, individual slices are cooked. In the broiler, the loaf is partially sliced through, then brushed with garlic oil or garlic butter.

Our Mom, who made garlic bread often, wrapped the seasoned loaf in foil and cooked it under the broiler. It was the simplest and easiest of our favorite dishes from Mom.
 
 
GARLIC-INFUSED OIL

Using garlic-infused olive oil saves the step of rubbing the slices with a cut garlic clove (although mega-garlic lovers can do both). You can buy it or make it.

Here’s how to infuse your own olive oil.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED GARLIC BREAD

Alternatively, separate slices can be individually seasoned and grilled.

There’s nothing better than garlic bread grilled crisp on the grill, with grill marks providing extra appeal. The recipe couldn’t be simpler. We used Lucero Garlic Olive Oil.

Ingredients

 
It isn’t “official,” but you can also add crushed red pepper flakes.

Preparation

1. BRUSH the olive oil onto the bread. Grill it using a grilling pan at medium-High heat until golden. Flip halfway if you want grill marks on both sides.

2. REMOVE from the heat and rub a cut raw garlic clove across both sides of the slices, as they do in Italy.

3. SPRINKLE with garnishes and serve hot.
 
Broiler Or Oven Technique

Garlic bread baked in the oven.

Broiled garlic bread, with or without grated cheese.

Garlic bread is the most basic form of bruschetta, grilled, sliced bread which appeared in the written record in 15th-century Italy.

It can be traced back to ancient Rome, and doubtlessly before then when any bread-baking people needed to extend the life of stale bread [source].

Italian restaurants introduced garlic bread to Americans around 1950. It arrived in a bread basket, to much acclaim.

But who needs an Italian restaurant? It’s easy to make your own garlic bread, to serve with:

 
You may hear some people insist that garlic bread is not an authentic Italian food. It certainly is: as noted, it’s called bruschetta (broo-SKET-tuh).

For a more substantial variation, top the cooked slices with as many extras as you wish: cheeses, meats, vegetables, whatever.

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*If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can mix garlic powder into the butter or oil.

Ready for zucchini season?

This recipe, from Lucero Olive Oil, adds zucchini to a thicker pesto-like recipe, that’s used as a spread instead of a sauce.

You can use it on crackers, crostini, grilled eggplant rounds, pizza dough and of course, toast.

You can even add it to a savory oatmeal breakfast, mixed into the oatmeal and topped with a fried egg.

The following recipe is made with olive oil. Here’s a version made with butter and different seasonings, from Dishing Up The Dirt.
 
 
RECIPE: ZUCCHINI BUTTER

Ingredients For About 2 Cups

 
Preparation

1. COARSELY GRATE the zucchini. Let it drain in a colander for 3 to 4 minute,s or until ready to begin cooking. To hasten cooking time, squeeze the water out of the zucchini by wringing it in a clean cloth towel or paper towels.

2. HEAT the olive oil in a deep skillet. Sauté the shallots or garlic briefly. Add the zucchini and toss.

3. COOK and stir over medium to medium-high heat until the zucchini reaches a spreadable consistency, about 15 minutes.

If you scorch the bottom, turn the flame down—and scrape those delicious bits into the butter for added flavor. You can splash in a little water to help deglaze the pan. The zucchini will hold its bright green color and slowly caramelize into a vegetable jam.

4. SPREAD on toast (crostini!), or serve as a side dish/condiment Keep in a tightly-lidded jar in the fridge.
 
 
National Zucchini Day is August 8th.

[1] Spread zucchini butter on toast or crostini (photo #1, courtesy Dishing Up The Dirt).

[2] A close-up (photo courtesy Lucero Olive Oil).

[3] Zucchini on the vine (photo courtesy Burpee).