Chocolate Vegan Icecream

Chocolate Vegan Ice Cream
2 teaspoon Coffee Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

3/4 Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
3 Cans (13.5 oz each) Regular Coconut Milk

2 Cans (17.5 oz each) Coconut Cream
1 cup Sugar
¾ bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (because it’s what I had)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

In a separate container, combine cocoa powder, coffee powder, salt, and cinnamon, with about a cup of coconut milk, whisk vigorously to form a thick paste, making sure to moisten all of the dry goods and get out any lumps. Once smooth, add into the remaining coconut milk, coconut cream (found in my local asian market) and sugar in a medium saucepan. Turn on the stove to medium heat, and whisk occasionally as it comes up to temperature. When bubbles begin forming around the edges of the liquid, add in the chocolate chips, and whisk slowly or use a large spoon or spatula to keep the chocolate chips moving so they don’t burn on the bottom of the pan, continue until the chocolate fully melts. Once the mixture comes up to a full boil, cook for just a minute or two longer, and as long as there are no more whole chocolate chips remaining, turn off the heat. Stir in vanilla extract, at this point I stuck my emersion blender in the pot and mixed. Place in an ice bath and let cool completely before moving it into the refrigerator to chill. Over night is best.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We did this in 2 batches. Transfer the ice cream into an air-tight container, and store in the freezer. Let solidify in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving. So we were a little impatient and had some soft icecream.  Addendum: This is pretty solid after freezing overnight. I've been told that Arrowroot will keep the ice crystals from forming and keep the icecream softer. Next batch. It's still wonderfully good.  Next  try will be a vanilla version.

We also tried to make Vegan caramel with an organic sugar (white sugar is recommended because you can’t see the color change well with the organic sugar) coconut cream instead of half and half and coconut oil instead of butter. I’d forgotten to half the cream and oil so we boiled some more and ended up with a hard taffy like substance the kids loved playing with. If you have fillings in your teeth, we adults don’t recommend trying it on a holiday weekend. The caramel recipe will take some more tweaking.

Strawberry Rhubarb Banana Muffins

This is one of those recipes that I made and didn't really measure things, so recreating it probably won't work exactly. But they are good, so I thought I'd give it a try.
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t salt
1/4-1/2 c milled flax seed
2 t baking powder
2 eggs
1 T honey
1 t vanilla extract
2 or 3 mashed bananas
1/2 t almond extract
1/4 c apple sauce
1/4 c juice concentrate
1/2 c water



Filling
1 c Strawberries
2 c Rhubarb
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c water

 Mix the flour, salt, flax seed & baking powder. In another bowl, mix the eggs, honey, extracts, apple sauce, juice and water. Dig a hole in the flour mixture and dump the wet ingredients in. Mix until combined. Do not over mix.

Cook the filling for a few minutes, until the fruit breaks down and it starts to thicken.

Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Pour a little batter into each liner, then a dollop of the filling and cover it all with more batter. The muffin tins should be about 2/3 to 3/4 full. You will have extra filling, so you can make less if you'd prefer. I like it over pancakes and waffles, so don't mind having some extra around.

Asian Short Ribs

Asian Short Ribs

I've been playing with this recipe for a while and think I've got it down now. My local asian market has most of these ingredients for dirt cheep. The 5 spice cost me about $1.29 and the Hoisin about the same for a 20 oz bottle.  You can get 2 whole vanilla beans at World Market for about 2 bucks, at the grocery store it's $10 for one bean.

3 lbs Beef short ribs

Salt and Pepper

1T olive oil or olive oil spray

5 Shallots

1/3 c rice wine vinegar

¼ c brown sugar

4T Chinese Five Spice

15 oz Hoisin Suace

1 cup water

3T grated Ginger

1 vanilla bean

1 orange

Salt and pepper short ribs on both sides. Heat skillet with spray olive oil and brown seasoned short ribs on both sides just until brown.  Place is crock pot with 5 peeled and halved shallots.  In skillet deglaze the pan with 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, add ¼ cup brown sugar, 4 Tablespoons Five Spice, 15 oz Hoisin sauce, 1 cup water, 3T grated ginger and halved opened and scraped vanilla bean with pod bring to boil, add to crock pot with the zest of 1 orange and the juice. Cook on High for 3 hours. Serve with Coconut rice.  These were amazingly good.

Carrot Cake Waffles

My kids are pretty good eaters, but I still like to get extra veggies and fruits into them. I woke up this morning with a craving for carrot cake, so looked online for a carrot cake waffle recipe. I couldn't find any that I loved. Most of them used a boxed mix of carrot cake as the started and none used pineapple. The best carrot cake has crushed pineapple in it. So, these waffles were invented. I left out the raisins and walnuts today because I wasn't sure if the kids would love that in their waffles. I also added some grated green apple, only because we had some leftover from yesterday and I wanted to use it up. The waffles were great, but personally I think they could have used a little more carrot and pineapple.
Whisk together
1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 T sugar (optional)
1/4 c milled flax seed (optional)
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t allspice

Whisk in another bowl:
3 large eggs
4 T apple sauce
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c lightly drained crushed pineapple
1 c grated carrot
1/2 c golden raisins (optional)
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Black Bean Brownies

While not as good as brownies loaded with butter and eggs, these really are pretty good. No picture though. We ate them way before I could get my picture out. They are best if cooled before you cut them.

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pear
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/8 to 1/4 c honey (to taste)
1t vanilla extract
1/4 t almond extract
3/8 c rolled oats

Blend the first six ingredients in a food processor or with a hand blender, add in 1/4 c oatmeal and blend. Mix in the remaining 1/8 c oatmeal. Bake 35 minutes in a greased 8x8" pan at 350.

Brussel Sprouts with anchovy, dijon vinegrette and parmesan cheese

Brussel Sprouts
Olive Oil Spray
2-3 Anchovies
1t dijon mustard
3T white wine vinegar
5T olive oil
1t Lemon juice
Parmesan Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Spray a baking sheet with Olive Oil
Take whole brussel sprouts cut off the end and cut them in half and place them on the baking sheet
Spray with more olive oil season with salt and pepper
Roast for 20-25 minutes until carmelized and done

While the brussel sprouts are cooking put the next 5 ingredients into a blender or use a hand blender and mix. Poor over brussel sprouts when they're done like a dressing and grate parmesan cheese over the top. These are not your mothers boiled brussel sprouts. The flavor changes with the roasting and they get soft and have a completely different taste.

Potato Leek Mash

My Esthetician gave me this idea

2 pototoes I used Yukon gold

1 sweet potato not a yam, the flesh should be light yellow

2 leeks white part only

Cut all these up, cover with water, she uses a bullion cube, I used a product called "better than bullion" if you've got neither I cook it in chicken broth until tender. When done remove most of the liquid and used a mixer or hand blender to puree the mixture. No salt, no pepper, no butter and all I can say is mmm mmmm good.