The Healthy Cooking Coach

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Are you looking for great holiday gifts for health-conscious family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers? Do your gift recipients have food allergies or intolerances? Do they follow a paleo, practically paleo, primal, or natural foods diet? Do they want to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, more home cooked meals, and less sugar? Do they want to learn how to make healthy food taste great?

I can help. My cookbooks and cooking DVDs are perfect for a wide range of people and fit in with many ways of eating. They're great for people who who know how to cook and have experience cooking with natural fodos and for those don't know where to start. The recipes have been tested on thousands of kids and adults, including both adventurous eaters and picky eaters.Cookbooks and cooking DVDs can change lives. They can educate, inspire, and guide people who want to improve the way they shop, cook, eat, and look at food, and help people look and feel better.

I am offering a holiday special between now and the end of December. Buy any 2 of my cookbooks (The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook and/or The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces) and receive my Cooking With Whole Foods DVD (2-CD set) FREE!

Offer ends 12/31/2011! You pay only $5.00 shipping on the FREE DVD.

NOTE: Orders must be phoned in to receive this special offer. Call 602-840-4556. Leave a message if we are out of the office when you call. If you want to order additional copies of the DVD, you may.

I hope that you will allow me to inspire the people you care about most by giving them the gift of my cookbooks and cooking DVDs. If you don't have my books and DVDs, I hope that you will give yourself these great gifts. 

Sincerely,

Chef Rachel

Safe Storage Containers for Frozen Desserts

Commonly used plastic food and beverage containers can undermine your health by leaching toxic chemicals into the foods and beverages you consume. This can contribute to endocrine disorders, birth defects, and cancer. While we can’t eliminate all risks, we can certainly reduce our exposure to these harmful chemicals by being more conscious about the kinds of foods and containers we buy and use.

Safe food storage
If you’ve followed my blog, taken my online or live cooking classes, or read my cookbooks, you know that I advocate using a home drinking water filtration system rather than buying bottled water. I encourage people to use biodegradable, non-toxic, and inert containers for storing foods in the pantry, the refrigerator, and the freezer. Examples include stainless steel thermoses and water bottles, wide mouth canning jars and other glass jars, tempered glass containers with lids (think Pyrex and Corningware), and stainless food tins, such as tiffins, tiffin-like containers, and stacking stainless steel food containers. You can read more about these and other options and the benefits of them in The Garden of Eating.

Photo credit: Rachel Albert© Copyright 2009

Freezing homemade frozen desserts
If you make your own frozen desserts, you may be wondering what to store them in besides plastic. In my Ice Dream Cookbook, I present several alternatives, including pint and half pint canning jars, tempered glass custard cups with lids, and cardboard ice cream containers. 

Most people don’t know that you can freeze in glass if you leave an inch of space below the lip in the jar (where it gets narrow) when freezing liquids and you chill the jar and its contents until they are cold to the touch. I freeze many leftovers in glass jars and round and square tempered glass containers with lids. Still, there’s a limit to how much glass I want in the freezer when it’s very full.

The cardboard ice cream containers
These containers are one of the best options. They look like store bought pint-size containers of ice cream except that they don’t have labels. They’re inexpensive, unbreakable, 100% biodegradable and you can write on the outside (do this before you fill them with ice cream or Ice Dream). If you have kids, you can let them decorate the outside of the containers with colorful markers before you fill them with your freshly churned frozen dessert.

These containers are less fragile than glass jars, which can tumble out of the freezer and break if you’re not careful about where you place them. They keep your homemade frozen desserts fresh and preserve the texture better than larger containers, which can lead to icing up if the dessert is repeatedly frozen and then allowed to soften enough to scoop.

Restaurant supply and outlet stores sell these pint-size food-grade containers in packs of 25 and they usually sell the lids separately. In Phoenix, AZ, I buy them at Smart & Final stores. Although I listed some online sources when I wrote the boo, many required purchase in large amounts, until now.

A great find
Today one of my enthusiastic book customers sent me an Amazon link for these containers with lids. (Thank you, Isabelle!) Now you can buy 25 pint-size, food-grade cardboard containers with lids from Amazon. So, you don’t have to hunt around town for a store that sells them.

If you haven’t ventured to make your own frozen desserts, now’s the time, while the weather is still hot. Making your own frozen dessert is easier than you might imagine with today’s modern ice cream makers. You can make flavors you won’t find in stores. You can use higher quality ingredients and avoid a long list of preservatives and additives. You make your treats dairy free, gluten free, egg free (if you’re allergic to eggs or want to simplify the “custard” making process), naturally sweetened, and lower in sugar. My Ice Dream Cookbook will walk you through the process of making non-dairy coconut milk based ice cream alternatives without refined sugar. For more information about the book, click here.

Scream for Dairy-Free Strawberry Ice Cream

If you love frozen desserts, July’s an ideal month to indulge. August isn’t a bad time either. The weather’s hot here in the desert of Arizona (and maybe wherever you live as well), making it an especially refreshing dessert. It’s also National Ice Cream Month, a designation made by president Ronald Reagon in 1984. The third Sunday of the month is National Ice Cream Day. If you missed the chance to observe the event with appropriate ceremonies (I did!), now’s as good a time as any to indulge… after you’ve eaten your protein and veggies, of course.

If you like food trivia, here are some ice cream stats courtesy of The International Ice Cream Association, a constituent of the International Dairy Foods Association (www.idfa.org), and Cowabunga Ice Cream. My Ice Dream Cookbook contains some ice cream trivia but these figures are even more current.

Ice Cream Trivia
The average American consumes 23.2 quarts of frozen dairy products per year, including ice cream, ice milk, sherbet, ice milk or other frozen desserts. Yep, that’s about two quarts per person per month. If you’re not eating that much, rest assured someone else is doing it for you.*

For example, people in the Northern Central states consume 41.7 quarts of ice cream and related frozen desserts per person, per year. Hmm, they're eating almost 3 1/2-quarts per person, per year.*

Kids aged two through 12 and adults in the 45 year-old-and-older group have the highest per capita ice cream consumption.*

Ice cream and related frozen desserts are allegedly consumed by more than 90 percent of households in the U.S.* Is yours one of them?

Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are the three most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S.* Pretty plain, I know. Homemade strawberry ice cream or ice dream has a lot more fruit in it than store bought. (See recipe below for a dairy-free, fruit-ful version.) You could make it every more fruity by serving it in cantaloupe halves or alongside Avocado, Peach, or Basil Ice Dream with chocolate sauce.

* NOTE: These facts came courtesy of The International Ice Cream Association, and Cowabunga Ice Cream.

Photo credit: Copyright© 2002, Rachel Albert

Dairy-free ice cream alternatives
If you follow a dairy-free or mostly dairy-free diet, you have a lot of commercial options for ice cream alternatives; however, your best option is to make the frozen dessert yourself so you can leave the ingredients you don’t want and substitute the ones you do. Soy-based frozen desserts sometimes have a beany-aftertaste. Consuming large amounts of soy products may contribute to thyroid problems or hormonal imbalances. Rice-milk based ice creams contain large amounts of refined and polyunsaturated (omeg-6-rich) vegetable oils, which can also leave an unpleasant after taste in your mouth. They’re also very high carbohydrate.

If you want the job done right
You can buy non-dairy coconut-milk based frozen desserts but they’re much higher in sugar than what you could make at home using the recipes from my most recent cookbook, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces. I use a combination of honey and stevia, which lowers the total sugar content by one-third to one-half. My book also includes recipes for flavors of dairy-free coconut milk “ice cream” I’ve never seen in stores, e.g., Date-Rum Pecan, Dried Apricot Pistachio with White Wine, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Macaroon Madness, Basil, Avocado, Pumpkin Pie, and Orange Cream, and gluten-free Vanilla Brownie Crumble.

Got popsicles?
If you want to make your own frozen desserts and you don’t yet have an ice cream maker, you can still use this and other recipes from my book. You can freeze the custard-like mixture in popsicle molds. It won’t turn out as light and fluffy as what you’ll create using an ice cream maker, but it will still taste delicious.

Find a deal
If you belong to Costco, check to see if they’re running a seasonal special on a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with two pre-chill canisters (so you can make two flavors on the same day) for $40. If you have Bed, Bath & Beyond Coupons, take one to the store nearest you for a $5 off or 20% deal. Or, you can look online for other deals on ice cream makers with pre-chill canisters. Or, if you really want to splurge look for a machine with a built in condenser that doesn’t require pre-freezing a canister. These babies cost more but they don’t require saving freezer space for a canister and they allow you to make a frozen dessert on demand. I describe the various options in the front of my Ice Dream Cookbook.

Strawberry Ice Dream

Hands-on: 25 minutes/ Churning: 20 to 25 minutes/Yield: 4 1/2- 5 1/2 cups; 8 servings
                       
Look for strawberries that smell sweetly aromatic and have dark red skins with moist green leaves.  Avoid berries with white or green shoulders and wilted leaves; they were picked long ago and far away---before they had a chance to fully ripen. For a treat, top this Ice Dream with Hot Fudge Sauce or Chocolate Sauce (see The Ice Dream Cookbook for recipes).

FYI: Ever wonder what it means to hull strawberries? Simply cut off the stems with a small, sharp paring knife. Mystery solved.

Photo credit: Copyright© 2009, Rachel Albert

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert (Planetary Press, 2008).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened, preservative-free coconut milk (regular, not lite), divided
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or agar agar powder (not flakes)
• 1/4 cup honey; additional 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed)
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt(I use Celtic Sea Salt or Redmond Real Salt)
• 3 heaping cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained, and hulled (see notes above)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring

 

1. Add 1/3 cup coconut milk to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until it softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin or agar agar dissolves. Scrape the mixture into a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. Add honey, stevia, and sea salt. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Purée the strawberries in a blender, food processor, or Vita-Mix. You should have about 2 cups of purée. Combine this with the gelatin mixture, the remaining coconut milk, and vanilla. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides with a spatula. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia and/or 1 tablespoon honey. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed.
3. Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning or use an ice bath to cool it faster. (The custard-like mixture should feel cold to the touch before it goes into the ice cream maker. Chilled for 6-8 hours it will thicken to a custard or soft Jello-like consistency, creating an even loftier frozen dessert.)
4. Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Serve immediately or spoon into several 8- to 16-ounce freezer-safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.
6.  often solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

1 serving (regular): 166 calories, 2 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fat, 56 milligrams sodium

1 serving (half lite): 131 calories, 1 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fat, 47 milligrams sodium

Variations:

• Strawberry Almond Ice Dream: Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or natural almond flavoring or 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur with the vanilla. Proceed with the recipe as directed. Add 1 cup toasted, coarsely chopped almonds to the machine when the mixture reaches the soft-serve stage. Run the machine for 1 or 2 more minutes.

For more great recipes like this, pick up a copy of The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert (Planetary Press, 2008). For the fastest shipping, order it online from my web site.

Queen Creek Olive Oil is King

Like to eat? Love to learn? Want to know what Phoenix, Arizona has over Spain, Greece, and Italy?  Take a trip to Arizona’s only working olive farm and mill, Queen Creek Olive Mill for a tour of the facilities to find out!

What do you know?
Open Sunday through Wednesday from 9am to 5pm and Thursday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm with live music every Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 pm, the mill offers hourly tours ($5 per person; kids 12 and younger attend free) from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. If you’d like to bring your own group, you can book a private tour in the evening. You’ll learn about the history of the mill, how they harvest and process the olives, about different grades of olive oil and their percentages of purity, and what makes Queen Creek Olive Oil superior to most imported olive oils. Sample the olives, oils, tapenades, and  balsamic vinegars, grab a bite in the restaurant, or buy goodies to go. (Looking for unusual holiday gifts? This could be your go-to place to find them.)

How old is your oil?
I know a fair amount about olive oil and I picked up new facts on the tour of the olive mill that I will surely weave into the classes I teach and the articles I write. I was surprised to learn about the shelf life of extra-virgin olive oil (it’s best used within one year of pressing). I thought it was longer! 

They’re not saying (nor am I) that you’ll keel over if you use 18-month-old olive oil, but it won’t have as good a flavor and it will have a lower polyphenol content than younger olive oil. (Polyphenols are chemical substances found in colorful plants––think dark chocolate, berries, grapes, green leafies, green tea, etc.––that have antioxidant properties, i.e., they may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, macular degeneration, and other diseases, and help us age more gracefully by protecting our cells from excessive oxidation and damage. Oxidation is normal, natural, and inevitable, but too much of it can cause premature aging and an early demise.)

Olive everything
The store at Queen Creek Olive Mill features at least 10 varieties of marinated and stuffed olives (ever had mesquite smoked almonds or wasabi ginger sake olives?), plain and infused oils (from blood orange to chocolate-flavored olive oil), olive spreads, artisan butter, cheese, and bread, cakes and cupcakes made with extra-virgin olive oil, flavored balsamic vinegars and vinaigrettes, and olive oil bath and beauty products (a must try if you’re as careful about what you put on your body as you are about what you put into it), and wines, most (roughly 80%) of the products they sell come from local (AZ) sources. The bottled olives come from California (that's more local than olives from Europe).

We sipped some of the chocolate olive oil, marveling at the smoothness and deep chocolatel flavor. I’m curious about using it in baking and in sauces. I’ll let you know when I try it and what I make with it. I’m thinking it would be good mixed with honey, maple syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla extract (click here for proportions from my recipe for Karly’s Carob & Cocoa Sauces from my Ice Dream Cookbook) to make a drizzle for fresh berries, sliced bananas, fruit salad, poached pears, ice cream, Ice Dream or other non-dairy frozen desserts, cake, or your favorite person.

Dining at Del Piero at the mill
The olive mill has a Tuscan-inspired café that uses local and organic products to make  appetizers, bruschettas, soups and salads, sandwiches, and desserts from del Piero family recipes. The herbs come from our organic garden, meats come from The Pork Shop (a local meat shop), and the oils, tapenades, and balsamic vinegars come from their mill. They offer gourmet meals to go and custom-made cakes (made with XV olive oil….and wheat; they don’t currently offer gluten-free baked goods), and gelato from two local companies: Udder Delights and Berto’s (note: some gelato flavors may contain gluten).

Gluten-free options at the olive mill?
Most menu items include bread (salads automatically come with a slice of it), if you're sensitive to gluten or have Celiac Disease AND you let them know, they can accommodate you. I called and quizzed someone from their kitchen to make sure! She said they are trained on how to avoid cross contamination; they will leave off the bread (and add extra lettuce or other veggies) by request, don a fresh pair of gloves; and use separate preparation surfaces and utensils. I asked if they've considered carrying gluten-free breads and crackers. She said they have discussed it but haven’t done it yet. If  you want that option, please call Queen Creek Olive Mill and request that they add this to their menu and shop.

I ordered the Sevi-del Piero’s Chicken Salad: Tequila lime roasted free range chicken with red onion, capers, cranberries, roasted pecans, celery, fresh garden herbs, and del Piero garlic aioli ($8.99) without the Ciabatta bread and potato chips, and a Seasonal Green Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette ($5.99). I was expecting more nuts, more cranberries, more aioli, and waaaay more chicken  than I got. Nothing out of the ordinary except that they charged us $8.99 for less than 2/3 of a cup of chicken salad on a single piece of lettuce (photo right!). They didn't bump up the portion of anything on the plate when they left off the bread and potato chips. Oh, well... I had room for dessert.

My friend ordered the Lucca sandwich ($8.99): Herb roasted turkey breast, brie, sliced apple, leafy greens, and Caramelized Red Onion & Fig Tapenade on a multi-grain ciabatta. He had them substitute a different cheese but that was the only change. His sandwich came with potato chips. The portion seemed satisfying to him. He also ordered iced tea and chocolate olive oil cupcakes (photo above) to go (Note: these and other baked goods at the mill are not gluten-free!).

My favorite dish: pumpkin gelato drizzled with fig balsamic vinegar. Mmmm! I’d heard of balsamic glaze over ice cream, but hadn’t tried it until now. My friend ordered raspberry-pomengranate and chocolate and gelato ($3.89 for a small but ample cup).

Although I appreciate the fact that they use a lot of local and organic products, I think they need to make changes in how they serve people who special order. My friend thought the food was good and the the price was high for the tiny portion of chicken salad I received. We liked the assortment of fresh olives on the plates, the tour and what we learned on it, and the outdoor dining. Still, we were glad that we stopped at the olive mill for a tour and lunch on our way to hike Usery Pass in the Superstition Mountains.

Queen Creek Olive Mill is located at 25062 S. Meridian Road in Queen Creek, AZ 85242. Phone: (480) 888-9290. You can visit their web site to learn more and sign up for their newsletter. If you can't get to the mill, you can buy the oil and olives and some of the farmers' markets around the valley, including the downtown Phoenix Public Market on Saturday mornings at 1st & McKinley.

I’d love to hear from you
Have you been to Queen Creek Olive Mill? What did you like and learn? Would you go back? Would you bring a friend, family member, or houseguest? Have you cooked with Queen Creek Olive Oil or tried the olive oil beauty care products they sell?

Photo credits: Rachel Albert © Copyright 2010).

I Scream for Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones

The last two times I had an ice cream cones that I can recall were at culinary festivals where restaurant chefs from around the valley served up bite size samples of some of their signature dishes to hoards of hungry diners. The most memorable was cone came from the West of Western Culinary Festival in downtown Phoenix a few years ago. Kai restaurant served their famous goat cheesecake filling swirled with cinnamon and coarse sugar in cones made from crispy baked corn tortillas. Last weekend at Phoenix Cooks in Scottsdale, I had a mini ice cream cone filled with a layered spongey cake with raspberry filling scooped into a pointy cone. Neither the cone nor the filling wowed me. In fact, I found the filling too syrupy sweet so I didn’t finish it. Other than that I can’t recall the last time I had an ice cream cone over the past 15 or 20 years!

My cone-less existence
I’m atypical and so are my eating habits. For years I was very strictly into macrobiotics and veganism, so dairy products and ice cream were a rarity and the few frozen desserts I had were mostly non-dairy versions purchased from a store and eaten by the scoop in a bowl, at home. I was coneless, but I didn’t mind. Even after I added animal products back to my diet, dairy played a minor role, if any, in my diet. Ditto for frozen desserts.

Photo right: Vanilla Caramel Ripple Ice Dream by Chef Rachel Albert© 2010

Dairy-free delights!
During the creation of recipes for my Ice Dream Cookbook, I ate frozen desserts more frequently, but they were made from coconut milk rather than milk and cream and I ate them without a cone. (To get your copy of Ice Dream Cookbook click here. To see sample recipes click here).

Try me!
That said, I love trying new recipes and testing and writing about gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free products. Given how tightly I have packed my closet-sized pantry, I sometimes lose track of what’s stashed inside.

Take my sample box of Let’s Do Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones. Made by Edward and Sons Trading Co. They sat in my pantry for months (four, maybe five?) before I finally pulled them out and decided to give them a recent taste test.

How do they taste?
Even with my long ago and far away memory of conventional ice cream cones I thought these tasted like what I remember eating a child and teenager! These are not sugar cones. They’re the plain and simple cones that have that nonchalant flavor, crispy, crackly texture, and airy melt-in-your mouth-feel that allows ice cream (or dairy-free Ice Dream) to take center cone. They don’t compete for your taste buds. Instead, they make a neutral contrast to the cold, creamy, dense texture of the frozen custard mounded on top. My tongue, teeth, and tummy loved them. I suffered no ill-effects.

What’s in them?
Let’s Do Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones contain potato starch, tapioca starch, expeller-pressed palm oil, demerara sugar, potato fiber, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, and natural vanilla flavor. You’ll find these stable starches in many gluten free products. Palm oil is a very healthy fat, far healthier than vegetable oils. The cocoa powder I didn’t even taste. Xantha gum, like guar gum, is used to improve the texture and reduce crumbling of gluten-free baked goods.

The amount of sugar used is negligible. Each cone contains only 3 grams of carbohydrate (zero fiber and zero sugars), zero total fat and zero trans fats, and only 10 calories. So, they won’t set you back a lot of calories even if  you’re low-carbing or following a low-sugar or low-calorie diet.

How do they look?
Just like the real thing I grew up eating! Flat on the bottom, light beige, thin, wafery and waffle-y. I don’t think anyone would guess they were gluten-free. I think you could easily serve them at a kids birthday party without anyone raising an eye.

The verdict
Would I recommend Let’s Do Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones? Yes! Would I eat them again? Yes! These gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, Kosher, zero trans fatm 100% NON-GMO cones come 12 to a package. So I’ll have to invite some friends over for dessert to have help eating them or slowly use them up over a period of months. Not a problem since I can re-crisp them in the oven, if necessary.

Photo right: Carob Ice Dream by Chef Rachel Albert© 2010

Crisped to perfection
If the cones lose crispness, all you have to do is preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚ C) and turn it off. Now place the individual cones in the oven for 2 minutes to bring back that fresh-made taste!

Have you tried them? Did you like them? Have you tried other gluten-free ice cream cones? If so, what brands?

I Scream for Ice Cream Challenge and Ice Dream Cookbook Giveaway

Compliments and rave reviews are great. Imitation can be good too. Imitation is supposedly the most sincere form of flattery, right?

Well, I’m flattered that blogger Yasmeen Mohammad The HealthNut loves my Ice Dream Cookbook and recipes, that she gave it a big thumbs up in her review in July of 2009, that she took breathtakingly beautiful pictures of the recipes she made (without an ice cream maker!), that she regularly cooks from and recommends my Ice Dream Cookbook, that she's recently created a new frozen dessert using my recipes  as a model, and that she's created a fun contest this month.

In her review of my book on July 15, 2009, she made Roasted Banana Nut Ice Dream with Blueberry Sauce and dairy free Peach Melba. (Click review link for recipes.) She also made my Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Dream in March of 2010 (all without an ice cream maker). Photo right by Yasmeen,The HealthNut.>>>

About the book, Yasmeen says:
“I totally love the book for introducing the healthier alternatives in home made ice creams, clear and descriptive recipes with fabulous variety of flavors. I've been using her recipes to make most of my Ice creams ever since I did the review. The cookbook is a best buy for any diet-conscious, ice-cream aficionado and those on restricted diets (low-sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free). You can read my complete review here.”

That's Peach Melba Ice Dream (above) made without an ice cream maker. Photo right by Yasmeen, The HealthNut.>>>

To share her enthusiasm and inspire others to make delicious, dairy free, naturally sweetened, low-sugar frozen desserts she’s created the “I Scream for Ice Cream Challenge, and Ice Dream Cookbook Giveaway” and posted her most recent recipe for dairy-free Kumquat Ice Cream with Kumquat Syrup and caramelized Kumquats modeled on recipes from my Ice Dream Cookbook. The deadline for entries is June 30th, 2010.

Are you up for the challenge?
You already know that homemade frozen desserts are far superior than store bought versions. You can customize the flavors and ingredients, use higher quality sweeteners and less of them, reduce unnecessary calories, and eliminate preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavorings. You can also save money. Homemade frozen desserts typically cost half what you’d pay in stores.

 Can you create a fresh, healthy, homemade dessert recipe that fits her criteria? If so, you could win a copy of The Ice Dream Cookbook.

Do you need an ice cream maker to enter?
No. You’ll get the best texture using an electric ice cream maker, but if you don’t have one, Yasmeen offers tips for freezing desserts without one. (Note: You won’t get as much loft, your dessert won’t be as smooth, and they won’t keep as long in the freezer without icing up. If you shop at Costco, in many locations you can buy a Cuisinart Ice Cream & Sorbet maker with an extra prechill canister from Amazon using the link here.)

That's Yasmeen's Kumquat Ice Cream modeled on recipes from my book. Photo right by Yasmeen, The HealthNut>>>>

For complete rules to enter the "I Scream For Ice Cream!" Challenge click here. Note: You’ll submit your recipe on Yasmeen’s blog, not on my blog. Photos right by Yasmeen, The Health Nut.

If you like coconut milk, coconut cream, naturally sweetened desserts, non dairy frozen desserts, The Ice Dream Cookbook, or this blog, tell your family, friends and co-workers about this giveway and the how they can enter to win this book. Tweet about it, announce it on Face Book. I thank you, Yasmeen thanks you, and your family and friends will thank you after they dry the delicious recipes you make.

About the book
 The Ice Dream Cookbook is the first cookbook to feature delicious, naturally sweetened dairy-free frozen desserts made from coconut milk along with wheat- and gluten- free, naturally sweetened cookies, fruit compotes, and sauces. It provides information about the health benefits of coconut; tips for using a non-caloric herbal sweetener; charts to help you modify your favorite dessert recipes; a guide to buying ice cream makers and other kitchen tools; ingredient glossary; 80 recipes with more  than 200 variations; clear and detailed instructions; nutrition breakdowns, four appendices, index, illustrations, and 300 total pages.

If you can’t wait and you want to order your copy of the Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces today, click here or here to order it directly from the publisher for fast shipping.

For more healthy recipes, beautiful food pictures, and ideas, check out Yasmeen's blog. Book cover photo right by Reed Hamel, Phoenix, AZ.

Low Carb, Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream Alternative

Belated Happy Valentine's Day!
I thank all of you who posted comments on my blog to enter the drawing for a chance to win two Askinosie Chocolate bars. I also owe a big thanks to Shawn Askinosie of Askinosie Chocolate for providing the bars for the giveaway (plus three more for me to replace the two I am giving away; now I can try some of the other flavors that intrigued me and tell you about them).

One lucky winner
On Saturday I drew the name of the lucky winner of the giveaway. Brandae Filla of Lewisburg, Ohio. She won two delicious fair-trade, single origin, handmade, artisan chocolate bars from Askinosie Chocolate, made in the chocolate Mecca of the Midwest: Springfield, MIssouri. She’ll receive one super dark bar and one (goat) milk chocolate bar next week.

 Valentine’s Day treat
I wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day with something chocolate that was also low-carb. I decided to take one of the chocolate Ice Dream recipes from my Ice Dream Cookbook and make a few modifications to make it completely sugar-free (and honey-free). I wanted to see how well a new alternative sweetener would work and make the recipes suitable for people who are following low-carb diets, candida diets, and other diets that restrict even unrefined sweeteners, such as honey.

I replaced the honey in my original recipe with Swerve brand erythritol, a non-caloric sugar alternative, rather than honey. Click here to learn more about this sweetener. I supplemented the sweetness of that with clear stevia extract liquid (less bitter and easier to measure than pure stevia extract powder). I replace 4 ounces of bittersweet dark chocolate with 3 ounces of unsweetened baker’s chocolate. I added 1 teaspoon of coffee flavoring extract and 1 1/4 teaspoons of Sensuous Spice Blend (formerly sold as Tantric Spice Mix) from Chakra 4 Herb and Tea House in Phoenix, AZ (in the Town & Country Plaza near Trader Joe's). The blend contains cinnamon, damiana root, shatavari, maca root, cardamom, ginger, korean ginseng, cumin, and coriander. You could leave out the spice blend or substitute cinnamon. If you omit the coffee flavoring it will still taste great.

I made the base for the dessert on Saturday afternoon, poured it into a couple of wide mouth jars and stashed it in the refrigerator. I took out a serving and enjoyed it as pudding last night. YUM!  Once chilled this Ice Dream Base (or batter) is actually thick enough to serve as pudding (if you don’t have an ice cream maker or you don’t want to wait) but fluffs up to a higher volume when churned in an ice cream maker, which I did on Sunday morning when I was preparing brunch and extra food for the first few days of the week. The frozen version made a delicious dessert sprinkled with Askinosie Cocoa Nibs. Now I have several more single serving portions stashed in the freezer for future treats. Btw: I didn't detect any unpleasant aftertaste or gritty texture from the erythritol. Xylitol sometimes does that, so that's why I didn't use it this time.

Too cold for ice cream? Try pudding!
If you can’t imagine eating frozen dessert right now because you’re surrounded by snow, you can still make this recipe. Once it chills to a thick puddingy texture, you can serve it as is and you’ll still enjoy the delicious creamy taste and texture. Although I don’t like to eat a lot of cold foods during the winter, it's not that cold here in Arizona, right now. It’s warm enough right now (high of 70 degrees F in the afternoon) for me to go out in a short sleeve shirt and pants with a light sweater and the temps are in the low 40s at night. So I'm indulging in a few servings of my homemade frozen dessert this week.

To every season churn, churn, churn
I own a Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker with sealed in coolant. It’s a great appliance: lightweight, easy to operate, and durable. But my freezer is usually too full of meat, bone broth, lemon juice, leftovers, and other foods that I can’t find room to pre-freeze an ice cream maker canister. So, I usually use my Cuisinart ICE-50BC Supreme Ice Cream Maker, a fully automatic 1-1/2-quart frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream maker with built in refrigerant. All I have to do to use it is plug it in and turn it on. No ice to add and no canister to pre-freeze. I do need to leave it in the same place for at least 24 hours prior to using it, otherwise it won’t freeze the ice cream mixture.  Cuisinart also makes an ice cream maker that allows you to churn two flavors at the same time. Click here to see the Cuisinart ICE-40 Flavor Duo Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker.

Low Carb Dark Chocolate Ice Dream   

Hands-on: 30 minutes/Churning: 20 to 35 minutes/Yield: 4 1/2 to 5 cups; 8 servings   
                                       
Unsweetened baker’s chocolate adds a rich flavor and silky smooth texture that you don’t get with unsweetened cocoa powder. To counter the higher fat content of the chocolate, I use lite (reduced fat) coconut milk. Actually I just made a 50:50 dilution of full fat (premium) coconut milk and water. The result is a rich chocolate flavor that’s so smooth your guests might not even suspect that you used coconut milk for the base.

You could dress this up with fresh berries (in season), Cherry Sauce, Blueberry Sauce, or homemade Caramel Sauce (see the Ice Dream Cookbook for recipes). For a more chocolatey flavor and crunch, garnish with roasted cocoa nibs (aka cacao nibs) or mix them in near the end of churning. 

Notes: To make your own lite coconut milk for less money, simply mix 1 1/2 cups of premium, full fat coconut milk with 1 1/2 cups filtered water for the recipe below. Refrigerate any unused coconut milk and use it up within 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays. For a thicker pudding, if you don't plan to churn this mixture in an ice cream maker, you might want to increase the gelatin to 1 tablespoon.
      
Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup cool or cold filtered water
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder if you’re vegetarian (do not use agar agar flakes; the amount and procedure for them doesn't work here)
• 1/4 cup erythritol (click here or click here to buy), additional 1 to 2 tablespoons if desired (I used Swerve brand for this recipe)
• 1/2 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid
  
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt (I use Celtic  Sea Salt or Redmond Real Salt)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Sensuous Spice Mix or ground cinnamon
• 3 cups unsweetened, preservative-free lite (reduced fat) coconut milk, divided, or 1 1/2 cups full fat unsweetened coconut milk + 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
• 1 teaspoon coffee flavoring, optional
• 2 tablespoons light or dark rum, optional

 

1. Add 1/3 cup water to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until it softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin or agar agar dissolves. Scrape the mixture into a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Add the honey, stevia, and sea salt. Blend.
2. Bring 1 cup of coconut milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Add this to the gelatin mixture. Blend until smooth. Add the spice mix or cinnamon, remaining 2 cups coconut milk, vanilla, snf optional coffee flavoring. Blend. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia and/or 1 tablespoon erythritol. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed.
3. Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until thick like pudding, before churning.
4. Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Add the optional rum. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Serve immediately or spoon into several 8- to 16-ounce freezer-safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.
6. Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

1 serving: sorry, no nutrition breakdown for this; I need to find a Mac-friendly nutrition analysis software program to replace the one I used to have that stopped working after I upgraded my computer operating system several years ago

Variations:

*     Dark Chocolate Honey Ice Dream: Replace erythritol with 1/4 cup honey +/- an additional 2 to 3  tablespoons if needed.

*    Dark Chocolate Cocoa Nib Crunch Ice Dream: Add 1/2 cup cocoa nibs (aka cacao nibs) when Ice Dream reaches the soft-serve stage. Run the machine for 1 or 2 more minutes. Try Askinosie Cocoa Nibs.

*    Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Dream: Replace rum with orange liqueur above; add the finely grated zest of 1 orange if desired. 

Source: Recipe modified from The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert Matesz. To order, click here.

For more sample recipes, check the category pages on the left under Dessert, Fruit Dessert, and Frozen Dessert. Here are some of my favorite ice cream makers. Buy an extra canister if you get the 1 1/2 quart automatic ice cream maker and you want to be able to make two batches on the same day.

Dairy Free Coconut Milk Kefir

Kefir
Kefir (pronounced kef-EER) is an ancient cultured, enzyme rich beverage made from animal milks that contains the friendly probiotic bacteria found in yogurt as well as beneficial yeasts that help to improve the health on intestinal flora. Think of it as drinkable yogurt. It has a tangier taste than yogurt and a thinner consistency. You can drink it plain, season it with spices, or used to make salad dressings, uncooked soups, or fruit smoothies.

Non dairy cultures
There’s something about the tangy taste and creamy texture of yogurt, sour cream, and other cultured milk products that people often miss when they go dairy free. Until recently your only options were various soy-milk based yogurt- and kefir-like products that missed the mark. They tasted beany, they had a lumpy or goopy texture, or they required so much sugar to disguise their leguminous nature that they tasted funny. Then there was the digestive distress that many people experienced when they ate soy-based products. Then the concerns about the adverse effects of liberal consumption of soy in non-traditional preparations and how this might affect thyroid health.

Enter coconut milk
Coconut has been making headlines over the last few years. Coconut products contains monolaurin, a fatty acid found in human mother’s milk, which has proven antiviral, antibacterial, and fungal properties that support natural immunity. It has a creamy taste and texture that’s similar to cream (with half the fat and calories) or milk (when diluted). It tastes on the flavor of what you mix it with, making it ideal for both sweet and savory recipes.

Turtle Mountain, makers of Purely Decadent Non Dairy Frozen Dessert made with coconut milk (a great product and a huge improvement over soy-based ice cream alternatives) have been coming out with a steady stream of other coconut milk products, from a drinkable less calorie dense milk alternative to a line of coconut milk yogurt and kefir in a rainbow of flavors.

Vanila Coconut Milk "Ice Cream" >>>

Coconut milk kefir
So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir comes in original (plain), vanilla, and strawberry. They range in sugar content from 3 grams of sugar per cup for plain to 11 grams of sugar per cup for strawberry, and 12 grams for vanilla. For more on the nutritional composition, click here for original, strawberry, or vanilla.

What’s in in for you?
It’s formulated with 10 active & live cultures
It’s soy free & dairy free
It’s a good source of calcium and magnesium
It’s rich in medium chain fatty acids

What I liked
I tried all three flavors and thought they tasted good. I like that people on dairy free diets now have an alternative to soy-based milk, yogurt, and kefir products. I liked the slightly tangy flavor of these products. I thought even the sweetened flavors were mildly sweet without being overly sweet.Of all three flavors  I prefer the plain (lowest in sugar of all three). I thought the strawberry one tasted like liquid strawberry yogurt. The vanilla tasted vanilla-y.

Both the strawberry and vanilla kefir are sweetened with cane sugar. I’d rather buy plain; however, I realize that many people are accustomed to buying already flavored and sweetened products. I’ve heard people complain that they or their kids don’t like plain yogurt or kefir. Me? I’d rather have it plain. I love the flavor of plain full fat yogur or Greek yogurt with nothing added. If I want to sweeten it I’d rather do it myself with fresh or frozen fruit with or without a little bit of pure stevia extract powder or liquid or mix in one of my delicious fruit sauces (click here or here for recipes). But I’m not your average shopper.

What I missed
I missed was the rich taste of cow and goat milk products that have more fat and the indescribable flavor, body, and mouthfeel that protein adds. Even though coconut milk on its own has a composition more like half and half than milk, the coconut milk kefir, coconut yogurts, and Turtle Mountains So Delicious cartons of coconut milk have been diluted to give them a more milky consistency and a composition more like low-fat milk. Because coconut milk is vanishingly low in protein, diluted milk, yogurt, and kefir made form it also lack the protein of cow’s milk. One cup of coconut milk kefir provides only 1 gram of protein.

If you plan to make smoothies with coconut milk kefir and you want to use them to replace meals, I recommend that you add a generous scoop of protein powder to the mixture. If you do dairy, try plain or vanilla whey protein or goatean (goat milk protein). If you don't do dairy, try egg white protein or hemp protein. I tried a sample of pea protein and thougth it tasted beany, so I don't recommend that!

Strawberry Coconut Milk Kefir Frozen Dessert done churning >>>

What I tried
Since I had three quarts of coconut kefir and I wasn’t drinking them up fast enough, I decided to make a couple of batches of my coconut  milk Ice Dream (like ice cream but made with coconut milk instead of milk and cream). I thought the kefir would add a frozen yogurt like flavor, which it did.

The coconut milk ice cream market
When I began creating and testing recipes for my coconut frozen dessert book, there were not commercial coconut milk products on the market. Now there are several well known brands and lesser known ones making their mark. Still I prefer making my frozen desserts at home using a mix of honey or agave nectar and stevia (to reduce total sugar calories). I prefer to use honey however I added the option of agave nectar in the recipes in my new book to accommodate strict vegans, who avoid honey because they consider it an animal product.

Homemade Strawberry Coconut Kefir Frozen Dessert >>>>

So here you have it, a frozen yogurt like recipe using So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir.
Because coconut milk kefir is so low in fat, I combined it with full fat coconut milk to prevent it from turning out like ice milk and freezing up to an icy block when placed in the freezer. Make sure the coconut milk you buy contains at least 10 grams of fat per 2 ounces, which is per 1/4 cup). You can use Thai Kitchen, Whole Foods Brand, or something from an Asian market. I like to buy brands that don’t contain sulfites (aka potassium metabisulfite), which some people are very allergic too.

Cinnamon Vanilla Coconut Kefir Frozen Dessert I made >>>

I thought the frozen desserts came out good, albeit lower in fat and not as smooth creamy as my usual coconut milk ice cream. For the best texture serve the dessert right from the ice cream maker. If you do have leftovers to freeze, divide them between small containers, seal tightly, and give them a good 15 to 20 minutes to soften at room temperature before serving to make them scoopable.

FYI: I do not make or market coconut milk kefir or any commercial coconut milk frozen desserts. I have no affiliation with the company. I simply tested samples of the product and wrote about them on my blog. The recipes from my coconut milk frozen dessert book were my own creation. I concocted them several years before anyone came out with any commercial coconut milk frozen desserts. I have nothing to do with the ones on the market.

If you are having trouble locating them, contact the company directly to find out what stores in your area carry it.

Strawberry Coconut Kefir Frozen Dessert

Hands-on: 25 minutes/ Churning: 20 to 25 minutes/Yield: 4 1/2- 5 1/2 cups; 8 servings

I used a combination of Strawberry Coconut Kefir, full fat coconut milk, fresh strawberries, honey, and stevia here. If you decide to use Original (plain) or Vanilla coconut Kefir, you may wish to double the amount of strawberries and increase the sweetener (if using plain). I liked this with Hot Fudge Sauce. You can check out that recipe on My YouTube channel.

FYI: Did you ever wonder what it means to hull strawberries? Simply cut out the stem with a small, sharp paring knife. Mystery solved.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup unsweetened, preservative-free coconut milk (regular, not lite!), divided
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (not flakes)
2 tablespoons honey or agavé nectar, additional 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed
1/8 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt
1 2/3 cups Strawberry Coconut Kefir (see variations below)
1 heaping cup fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained, hulled, and sliced
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or clear stevia extract in the recipe above.
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring

1. Add 1/3 cup coconut milk to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until it softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin or agar agar dissolves. Scrape the mixture into a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. Add the honey or agave nectar and sea salt. Cover and process until smooth. Add reserved 1 cup coconut milk. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

2. Purée the Strawberry Coconut Kefir and fresh strawberries in a blender, food processor, or Vita-Mix. Combine this with the gelatin-coconut milk-honey mixture. Taste, add the stevia. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides with a spatula. For a sweeter taste, add additional honey or agave nectar 1 tablespoon at a time or stevia 1/8 teaspoon at a time. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed.

3. Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning or cool the mixture more quickly using an ice bath. If you have an electric ice cream maker with its own refrigerant, you can churn the mixture right away. Don’t try to churn the unchilled mixture in an ice cream maker with a sealed in coolant or the canister will melt before the “ice cream” freezes.

4. Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or spoon into several 8- to 16-ounce freezer-safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.

5.  Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Variations:

*  For a richer flavor, replace coconut milk with coconut cream: To make this, refrigerate 3 cans of coconut milk for at least 12 hours. You may not need all three but chill them all just in case. When you open the cans, scoop out and use the thick mixture that settles on top, reserving the coconut water for drinking or making smoothies.

*  If using Original (plain) Coconut Milk Kefir above: Increase strawberries to 2 cupfuls, replace coconut milk with coconut cream, and use 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar plus 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or liquid. Start with the low end for both sweeteners, and then add more only as needed and in tiny amounts.

Source: Recipe modified from The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces. Click here to order and receive prompt shipment.

Dairy Free Coffee Ice Cream

I don’t have a regular coffee habit, never have, probably never will. For more on this you can read my previous post, “Confessions of a Reluctant Coffee Drinker.”  I will admit that in the last few years I’ve realized just how much I enjoy the occasion cup of organic, fair trade, herb infused coffee laced with coconut milk and a dash of plain or vanilla-flavored stevia liquid and the way it works its magic on my mood, my mental powers, and my alertness even if I’ve had a short night of sleep. If I have a long drive or a very rigorous day ahead, coffee is my drug of choice. I’d rather have coffee than an accident!  I finally understand why so many people drink coffee on a daily basis, even if I don’t do it that often!

Benefits of Coffee
“Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities? If it sounds too good to be true, think again. Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes.

“…At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.” For the rest of the story click here”

According to Healthcastl.com Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. “Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in foods that can prevent or slow oxidative damage to our body. When our cells utilize oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage to other cells. Antioxidants act as ‘free radical scavengers’ and hence prevent and repair damage inflicted by these free radicals. Fruits and vegetables are hailed as the richest sources of antioxidants, but this study shows that coffee is the main source from which most Americans get their antioxidants. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee appear to provide similar amounts of antioxidants.

Coffee upgrade
I realize you probably don’t need encouragement to drink coffee, especially if you already do it. But you might need encouragement to upgrade to a higher octane coffee that’s grown organically grown without harmful chemicals, fairly traded (read: humane and eco friendly). My favorite brew Nutri Cafe contains the additional benefit of herbal extracts, including reishi mushroom, that can reduce the stress caffeine may exert on your body, boost your immunity, and improve your daily performance. You can't taste the reishi or any of the herbs, although you may notice that this coffee tastes better than most. I've used it in recipes in cooking classes and demos and no one knows about the added herbs. They do comment that the dessert tastes extraordinarily good, even if they don't normally like coffee or coffee ice cream.

Frozen coffee
You know to store your coffee beans in the fridge or freezer, right? Do you know how good that coffee can taste turned into dessert? You might also need encouragement to use this coffee in your frozen desserts as opposed to serving it with dessert.

This dessert has won accolades among health-oriented folks and mainstream people whether I served it straight from the machine, from cartons in my freezer, as Ice Dream Pie with a gluten free cookie crust, or as popsicles coated with homemade Magic Shell. For more dairy free frozen dessert and sauce recipes consult The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces).

If you want updates when I post new recipes, you can subscribe to my blog (see button on the left side of this page). You can also subscribe to My YouTube Channel to receive updates when I post new videos.

      

Coffee Ice Dream

Hands-on: 30 minutes/Churning: 20 to 25 minutes/Yield: 5 to 6 cups; 8 servings   

Coffee and coconut milk team up to make a rich and robust antioxidant-rich dessert.  Eat it early in the day if caffeine keeps you awake at night.  Try it with Caramel, Chocolate,or Fudge Sauce, with or without a garnish of berries or served over a fresh fruit salad.  Chocolate chips, chunks of bittersweet dark chocolate, or cocoa nibs can be added during the last few minutes of churning or sprinkled on at the table.

Note: For best results, use dark-roasted coffee beans to make the coffee for this recipe. Medium-roasted beans won’t provide the same intensity of flavor. FYI: The addition of liqueur will help make the Ice Dream softer and easier to scoop even after weeks in the freezer; it will also make it easier to slice when used to make Ice Dream Pie.

Ingredients:
1 cup brewed dark roast coffee (made double strength); my favorite coffee
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (not the flakes)
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (regular, not lite)
1/3 cup honey (my favorite) or agavé nectar (for vegans); additional 1 to 3 tablespoons as needed
1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid
1/8 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
2 tablespoons light rum, brandy, Kahlua or cognac, optional

1. Simmer the coffee in a saucepan until it reduces to 1/2 cup. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until it softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin or agar agar dissolves. Scrape the mixture into a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Add the honey, sea salt and stevia. Blend.

2.  Add the coconut milk, vanilla, and optional liqueur. Blend. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia and/or 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed.
3.  Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours before churning or use
an ice bath to chill faster.

4. Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

5.  Serve immediately or spoon into several 8- to 16-ounce freezer-safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.

6.  Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

1 serving (regular): 215 calories, 2 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams fat, 75 milligrams sodium

1 serving (half lite): 163 calories, 1 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fat, 61 milligrams sodium

Variations:

*  Mexican Coffee Ice Dream: In step #3, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

*  Mocha Ice Dream: In step #3, add 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.  If desired, replace light rum, brandy, or cognac, with chocolate liqueur or Kahlứa (coffee liqueur).

*  Coffee Chocolate Chip Ice Dream: Coarsely chop 1 cup dairy-free or bittersweet chocolate chips (unless using mini chocolate chips) or cut a 4-ounce bar of bittersweet dark chocolate (70 to 73% cocoa content) into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/4 to 1/2 the size of regular chips). When Ice Dream reaches the soft-serve stage, add the chocolate bits and churn for 1 or 2 more minutes or fold them into the frozen Ice Dream as you remove it from the machine.

*  Lite Coffee Ice Dream: Replace half of the coconut milk with lite (reduced fat) coconut milk. Alternatively, use 100% lite coconut milk, but plan to use the batch immediately or within 24 hours before it becomes hard and icy.

*  Coffee Ice Dream Pops: You don't need an ice cream maker for this. At the end of step #2 above, instead of chilling the mixture, pour it into popsicle molds, add the covers w/sticks and freeze until firm. Run popsicles molds under warm water to release, then coat with homeamde Magic Shell.

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert-Matesz (Planetary Press, 2008).

Note: Special thanks to Sunwest Appliance Distributing in Tempe, AZ, for allowing us to tape the video above in their Viking Showroom Kitchen. If you would like to rent their space for a special event, you can contact them via their website.

Stay Cool Desserts

When I think of summer I think of the cool dishes that make summertime meals so refreshingly satisfying––salads of every creation, chilled soups, blanched veggies with dips, salsa, cool drinks, like stevia sweetened lemonade and herbal sun tea, and juicy fruits. I think of frozen desserts as the epitome of summertime desserts. Nothing says fun like ice cream, the symbol of warm weather refreshment and birthday parties (along with cake). A simple scoop goes with just about anything from cookies, cakes, and brownies to fruit compotes, crisps, and poached fruits to fruit salads, and sauces.

Going dairy free? Reducing your sugar intake?
If you or your loved ones need to avoid dairy products, soy, refined sugar and artificial colorings and flavoring, or you don’t care for the aftertaste of soy or rice based frozen desserts, you may wonder what you can eat when everyone around you is indulging in their favorite frozen treats.

The good news is that you can still enjoy the silky smooth texture of freshly churned ice cream, the nostalgia of sucking on popsicles, and the satisfaction of sharing chocolate or caramel covered treats with your family and friends.

Scrumptious substitutions
With a little ingenuity, you can enjoy the scrumptious sweets of summer. Your secret weapon will be an arsenal of remakes of your family’s favorite recipes using wholesome, natural ingredients in innovative ways.

Coconut milk can stand in for milk and cream to make nondairy forms of familiar frozen desserts. Unsweetened cocoa powder and unsweetened baker’s chocolate can stand in for sweetened chocolate in less refined versions of the sauces and popsicles you’ve known and loved. Vine ripened fruits can yield delectable sauces that rival store bought varieties. Honey (or agave  nectar if you’re vegan) –––with or without the addition of a little bit of stevia extract powder or liquid––can replace refined sugar.

Beyond stevia stereotypes
If you haven’t liked stevia in the past, give it another try measured meticulously and used judiciously in combination with a little bit of honey or agave nectar. I’ve watched people change their minds about it for the better with my recipes.

Conventional eaters accustomed to sugar sweetened treats have sampled many of my dessert recipes and said that they tasted better than conventional ice cream, blondies, and sauces. So don’t be shy, give my recipes and techniques a try.

How to convert from sugar to honey or stevia
My Ice Dream Cookbook contains a chart that shows you how to convert recipes from sugar to honey (or agave  nectar if you’re vegan) and then how to cut the amount of honey in half and supplement with trace amounts of stevia to reduce total sugar calories.

If you haven’t already acquired a copy of my this one-of-a-kind, first-of-it’s kind book, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces You can order it from Planetary Press.

Here’s a sample of one of the recipes from my new book that uses juicy summer berries. For additional recipes, check the side bar of my blog and the reviews posted here.

Strawberry Ice Dream

Hands-on: 25 minutes/ Churning: 20 to 25 minutes/Yield: 4 1/2- 5 1/2 cups; 8 servings

Look for small, preferably organic, strawberries grown in your state, region, or bio-region. They should have dark red skins with moist green leaves and stems, and should smell sweetly aromatic.  Avoid berries with white or green shoulders and wilted leaves; they were picked long ago and far away, before they were fully ripened.  

For a special treat, top this Ice Dream with Hot Fudge or Chocolate Sauce, or layer a scoopful over my Gluten-Free Brownies or Chocolate Chip Blondies, or arrange it next to a scoop of Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Hazelnut, Blueberry, Peach, or Vanilla Ice Dream (see index of The Ice Dream Cookbook for recipes).

FYI: Did you ever wonder what it means to hull strawberries? Simply cut out the stem with a small, sharp paring knife. Mystery solved.

Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened, preservative-free coconut milk (regular, not lite!), divided
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (not flakes)
1/3 cup honey or agavé nectar, additional 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed
1/8 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt
3 heaping cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained, and hulled (see notes above)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or clear stevia extract in the recipe above.
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring

1. Add 1/3 cup coconut milk to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until it softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin or agar agar dissolves. Scrape the mixture into a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. Add 1/3 cup honey and sea salt. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

2. Purée the strawberries in a blender, food processor, or Vita-Mix. You should have about 2 cups purée. Combine this with the gelatin mixture, remaining coconut milk, stevia, and vanilla. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides with a spatula. For a sweeter taste, add additional honey or agave nectar 1 tablespoon at a time or stevia 1/8 teaspoon at a time. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed.

3. Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning or cool the mixture more quickly using an ice bath.

4. Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or spoon into several 8- to 16-ounce freezer-safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.

5. Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Variations:

*  Lite Strawberry Ice Dream: Replace half of the coconut milk with lite (reduced fat) coconut milk. Plan to use it within 36 hours before it becomes hard and icy.

*  If you don’t have stevia: Use 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey or agavé nectar in the recipe above.

For the Hot Fudge Sauce, stay tuned. I’ll post it next week.

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces. Click here to order and receive prompt shipment.