Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream!

*Sorry, still no ability to upload pictures. Any suggestions are welcomed- to upload to a new server, or??

This is the first time I'll be making vanilla ice cream with the cashew cream... and I'm very excited about that.  For years, I made the vanilla with soy milk and creamer, but since I rarely use soy, and the cashew cream has made EXCELLENT ice cream- the time has come!

Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

2 C cashew cream, or almond, rice, or coconut milk

1/4 C organic evaporated cane juice, or raw agave

2 TBL vanilla extract

1 TBL raw honey (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

Blend in a blender.  Allow to cool in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight is better.  Process in your ice cream maker.   I love my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker! 

*GAME CHANGER: how to make cashew cream,click HERE!

*I made a simple syrup to make the vanilla ice cream.  Makes it easier to incorporate the sugar, as I used the evaporated cane crystals today. Organic evaporated cane juice is just that, the juice of sugar cane in it's whole, natural state. Only the water is removed. As a whole food it still retains its vitamins and minerals. It also retains its natural balance of sucrose, glucose, and fructose instead of being straight sucrose. Choosing organic, makes it void of the chemical processing, and pesticides.

*If you use the raw agave, and the cashew cream, it is a raw dessert! 

*Debate on whether agave is a healthier sweetener option.  I strongly believe, organic raw agave is a healthier option then all sweeteners, except honey.  However, honey is more difficult to replace in recipes, and has a stonger flavor. Agave is has a low glycemic index, and is sweeter than sugar. I love it for cooking, baking, and anywhere sugar is required. 

*I intentionally used vanilla bean seeds from my homemade vanilla extract!  It looks so pretty with the black flecks of vanilla!

*You combine milks to make any ice cream flavor.  I like cashew cream, and coconut milk, as they have a higher fat content- which creates a mouth feel closer to that of real cream ice creams!

*The vanilla extract I make myself, has no added sweetener like sugar, or corn syrup.  So, it is stronger,with more alcohol content.  The alcohol helps to create a creamier, more easily scoop able  ice cream.  If you use a traditional vanilla, add a TBL of vodka.

*The honey is optional, but I like added complexity to the sweetness.  Also, honey keeps the ice cream softer for scooping.

*Why salt in ice cream?  It's not the salty/sweet deal, it actually enhances the sweet, and the flavor of any ice cream!

Enjoy!
Yours in health,
Natalie

Crock Pot Red Curry Potatoes and Vegetables

Happy Halloween!  This is a great Autumnal dish, with it's rich orangey color!

I absolutely LOVE coconut curry dishes!  I love Indian inspired, Thai inspired, or simply yellow curry style dishes!!  I've made curry many different ways- and they are ALL so good!  I think it's close to impossible to make a bad dish mixing coconut milk, and curry!

Today I made a substantial crock pot curry dish, using potatoes, and other veggies I just had on hand.  That's the beauty, you can use what you have, you can use what you love!  This is the chop and dump recipe I made today. Here is another EASY CROCK POT RECIPE!

Crock Pot Red Curry Potatoes and Vegetables

1- 14oz. can of coconut milk

5 small potatoes, cubed

1 medium onion chopped

2 carrots, cubed

1 lg. tomato, chopped

1 red pepper chopped

1/4 cabbage, chopped

5 garlic cloves minced

1/2 Tbl ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger)

2 Tbl red curry paste (or more to taste)

2 Tbl palm sugar (or brown sugar)

2 tsp soy sauce



Put coconut milk, garlic, ginger, red curry paste, and palm sugar in bottom of 5 quart crock pot, and whisk until ingredients are incorporated.  Then add potato, carrot, tomato and onion in the crock and mix gently.  Next add the red pepper, and cabbage,(do not mix in, but leave on top) and gently press down to allow the liquid to rise as far as it will go.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8-10.  The times do vary, because crock pots unfortunately cook at different temps.  My crock cooks high, so I do the lesser times.
Mix towards the end of cooking time.  You can add a Tbl cornstarch, potato starch or tapioca starch, in a little water, and mix into the crock during the last 1/2 hour if you like a thicker sauce. 

- If you like it much saucier, add an extra can of coconut milk, and double the last 5 ingredients.
- If you'd like to make this a soup, add a quart of vegetable stock, or chicken stock if you'd like, and double the last 5 ingredients.
- If you'd like to make this a chicken dish, do so, by adding 4 boneless chicken thighs- whole or cubed.
- I used Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk, as it has the most coconut cream compared to other brands!
- I used Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
- You can use a  1/2 can of chopped tomatoes if you don't have fresh.
- This dish is excellent with sweet potato in addition to the regular potato. ( I just didn't have any today.)
- If you use softer vegetables like zucchini, or eggplant, add in the last hour of cooking time. If you won't be home until after the entire cooking time, put those softer vegetables on the top of everything else and do not submerse in liquid.

This can be served as is, in a bowl, or you can serve this with brown rice, soba noodles, or even quinoa pasta.  I like to serve curry dishes with black rice!  I found black rice at a local Vietnamese store.  I had never heard of black rice, and was excited to try it.  It is purple after cooking, and is super nutritious!!  If you find it, try it!

This dish is excellent topped with cilantro and cashew nuts!

Thai inspired heaven in a bowl- and I seriously could eat this every, single day!

Yours in health,
Natalie

Decadant Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream!

This is a luscious, decadent, indulgence!  It is rich, creamy, and oh, so chocolaty, that will please even the most skeptical.  I choose coconut milk for ice creams, ( most often) as they have the closest 'mouth feel' to dairy ice cream.  This is due to it's high fat content- however, this is a healthy fat.  Let's clear up the 20 year misinformation that coconut oil and/or fat  is unhealthy, it is the contrary, it is very healthy!!

Making your own ice cream is so easy!  My Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is one of my best investments in the kitchen- I love it!  At around $50.00, it has well paid for itself years ago!  At around $5 a pint for non-dairy ice creams, it is much more reasonable to make your own!  I watch for coconut milk to go on sale, and stock up!  Most recently, I found coconut milk, the Whole Foods 365 brand for only $1 a can!  Wha?  Yep, $1 a can, score!


Decadent Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2 cans of coconut milk (or cashew cream, or other nut milks)

2/3 C of unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 C organic sugar (or agave)
1 TBL vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)




Blend in a blender, then cool in the fridge for an hour. ( It is excellent just like this, a sort-of mousse.)  Pour into your frozen ice cream maker bowl, and use your maker as directed.  Mine is for 25 minutes or so.  It will turn out like soft serve, and is fantastic!  You can freeze in an air tight container for a harder ice cream. 
This has an intense chocolate flavor- you can use less cocoa powder for a milder chocolate flavor.
Welcome to heaven my friend.

Enjoy!

Yours in health,
Natalie

Pumpkin Ice Cream

There are many dairy-free ice cream options at the super market, and especially at the health food stores, but it is so easy and economical to make your own ice cream!  I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that makes it so very easy!  We've tried them all, but my personal favorite brand of 'ice cream' is Coconut Bliss.  However delish, the small container is close to 6 bucks, yikes.  So, with trial and error, came up with my own coconut 'ice cream' flavors, and this is one of my favorites!!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

2 cans coconut milk ( I used 365 organic from Whole Foods- never use lite)
1/2 C pumpkin
1/2 C agave nectar ( I used Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Raw Blue Agave, but you could use organic cane sugar, brown rice syrup, even maple syrup)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (optional, makes it extra creamy)

I blended it in the blender, then put the blender pitcher in the fridge for about an hour to cool.  I poured the ingredients into the freezer bowl of the ice cream maker, and ran the machine for about 25 minutes.
You can eat immediately, or put into a freezer safe container.  I put salty pecans on top, and it was magical!


Enjoy!

Yours in health,

Natalie

Healthy French Toast... YUM!

French toast is a staple breakfast in my house. My 2 daughters just love it! I have swapped out any regular/unhealthy/refined/dairy for all really healthy stuff! I usually don't measure unless I am baking, but for this recipe, I used measuring utensils for once!

Healthy French Toast:

12 slices sprouted grain bread (Cybro's)
6 organic eggs (Organic Valley)
3/4 Coconut milk (SO Delicious, vanilla)
1 tsp. vanilla (Trader Joe's Bourbon Vanilla)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
sea salt
Coconut oil
Earth Balance/ Smart Balance
100% Pure Maple Syrup (Klebenow's Sugar Bush)

Heat pan or griddle, and coat well with coconut oil. (Or other cold pressed oil.) Mix eggs and coconut milk (or other nondairy milk) blend well. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and pinch of sea salt, blend well.
Dip each piece of bread into mixture, and turn over so both sides are well coated. Place on heated pan or griddle, no more than medium heat, for a few mintues each side, or until golden brown. Top with buttery spread and syrup. Enjoy!

* Left overs can be put in the fridge, and toasted in the toaster when needed!

* I like to leave out a small amount of the Earth Balance and syrup overnight when I know I will use it in the morning. So it is room temp, and won't cool the french toast when used. Or, you can make it really special, and warm them on the stove before serving!

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs: Organic eggs, which is all I use. The expense is more than worth it. Eggs are a very healthy food, despite misinformation about cholesterol. I would serve some form of eggs daily, but I stick to every other, to help prevent an allergy to them. Organic eggs are void of all of the bad stuff in regular eggs, i.e. pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, animal feed, and so on. A regular egg is a chemical cocktail- and the lower price tag, has a huge price tag for your health. You and your family are worth using organic.

Coconut Milk: There are many options on the market now for nondairy milks. It is a dream come true! 11 years ago, the selection was small, and only available at Health Food stores. Despite what we all have been taught, dairy is not healthy for the human body. Most humans are allergic/sensitive to dairy, and at the very least, milk causes inflammation in every human.

Coconut milk is one of the newest options at the store. I am thrilled! This is truly the healthiest of all 'milks' available! Coconut milk has medium chained fatty acids that are so important. Our bodies use this fat as a preferred source of energy. Two of the primary medium chained fatty acids are lauric and capric acids, that are known to support the immune system, as well as being anti-viral and anti-fungal, and super nutritious in it's properites!

Sprouted grain bread: Sprouted grain breads are a flourless, super nutritious bread, that is easily digested. It is more like having a vegetable than a 'bread'! The grains are 'sprouted' instead of refined, which removes all that is healthy about the grain. The grain is treated like a seed, sprouted, then made into a nutritious bread! All of the enzymes and nutrients stay in tact.

Vanilla Extract: Use a high quality vanilla, that is natural, and void of corn syrup.

Coconut oil: This is my preferred oil for frying with. I use this oil in the pan for cooking the french toast. It is an easy way to add this important fat to the diet. It has a very high smoke point, which makes is great for frying. (However, with all frying, you should never go higher than a medium heat. As not to denature whatever oil you are using, and to preserve more nutrients in the food you are cooking.) Coconut oil doesn't oxidize during cooking like most oils. Coconut oil is rich in the fatty acids that I mentioned earlier in coconut milk, only much more of these essential fats!

Earth Balance: This is a buttery, dairy free spread. I use this in lieu of butter to spread on top of the warm french toast. It is an excellent source of ALA Omega 3 fatty acid, and has no trans fat! What is also important here, is that it is made with COLD-PRESSED oils. Which means they are not chemically processed. Today I used Earth Balance-soy free. Usually I use Organic Smart Balance. Both made by the same company.

Pure Maple Syrup: I always use 100% pure maple syrup. The so-called syrups on the market, and nothing more than corn syrup and artificial flavoring. Corn syrup is very dangerous to your health for many reasons, is a cheap, chemically processed sweetener, that is worse for you then sugar. Artificial flavors are proven to be unhealthy in so many ways. Maple syrup is a natural sugar, that we use sparingly.


Happy Cooking!
Yours in health,
Natalie