Coconut Chip Ice Cream

Sometimes when I make something really tasty for Aaron I think back to before we met each other, when our mutual friend who set us up on a blind date asked him "She's a vegan, are you okay with that?" I always tease him that he thought I just ate raw vegetables all day long and that he never thought I would make all of the yummy foods, especially desserts, that are a far cry from raw vegetables. (Don't get me wrong, I eat baby carrots like candy. I could devour an entire cucumber in one sitting. But also, I love ice cream.) Aaron's favorite flavor combination is coconut and chocolate so this is my love letter to him, in ice cream form. Personally it's not my favorite since it's too coconutty for me, but he loves it. If you like coconut and chocolate, you probably will too.

Coconut Chip Ice Cream

2 cups non-dairy creamer
1 cup coconut milk, divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1 tsp. coconut extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Start by toasting the coconut. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!

Blend together the creamer, 1/2 cup of coconut milk, and sugar.

In a small bowl mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk and the 2 Tbls. of arrowroot powder.

In a large pot heat the coconut mixture until boiling, then quickly whisk in the arrowroot mixture to thicken. Cool at room temperature and whisk in the coconut extract. Refrigerate until cool and make according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

While the batter is cooling, make the chocolate flakes as I do here. Add to the ice cream in the last few minutes of churning.

Seeded Energy Bars

Don't get me wrong, I love my granola bars, but I was in the mood for a different kind of noshy, healthy snack. I've been really enjoying the Oh She Glows blog lately, mainly because the woman who writes it is everything I want to be in life (a vegan, a parent, and a Canadian citizen), and this recipe seemed like something she would make. It's super easy, super tasty, and will give you superhero powers. I'm kidding about the last part, but it is full of lots of good-for-you stuff. Change it up with a different fruit puree or different seeds/nuts.

Seeded Energy Bites (makes 8-12, depending on how you cut them)

1 cup oats
Scant 1 cup cashews
8-10 dates (depending on how sweet you want it)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 Tbls. pumpkin seeds
2 Tbls. flax seed

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Soak your dates in warm water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Pulse together the oats and cashews in the food processor several times until they resemble small crumbs.

Measure out the rest of your ingredients and set aside. Pit the dates and discard the pits. Add the date flesh to the food processor and pulse several times until the dates are chopped into pieces the size of a small marble. Run the food processor on low for just a bit to mix everything. It should still look like crumbs, you don't want it blended.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the pumpkin puree, then the seeds.

Grease a large pan and spread the mixture evenly into it. Press down with your hands to flatten. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until set.

Let cool, then cut into bars. Refrigerate if you have any left after a few days.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Insanity Ice Cream

My friend Amanda and I had a friend date last weekend and she requested ice cream. I quote: "Can the ice cream involve chocolate and peanut butter??" Well duh, yes it can, because those are the two greatest flavors to go together ever. I was thinking of how I could get as much peanut butter and chocolate into one batch of ice cream as possible and this was what I came up with. I dubbed it "chocolate peanut butter insanity"when I texted her about it and the name stuck. So if you like peanut butter and chocolate, then this is for you.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Insanity Ice Cream

Double recipe chocolate ice cream
3/8 cup (6 Tbls.) chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter, divided
1 1/2 Tbls. liquid coconut oil, divided
1 Tbls. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
1 Tbls. brown sugar

Make the ice cream batter and refrigerate. While it is cooling, make the chocolate/peanut butter mix-ins. Start by preparing a small baking tray or plate with a sheet of parchment paper large enough to cover it twice. Also make sure you have room in your freezer for the tray to lay flat, and a plastic bag large enough to hold the tray.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and spread on the parchment paper. Cover with the other half of it, seal in the bag, and freeze until hard.

While the chocolate is freezing, melt together 1/4 cup of the peanut butter with 1 Tbls. of the coconut oil. When the chocolate is ready, spread the peanut butter mixture on top. Cover, seal, and freeze.

When the batter is cool, make according to your ice cream maker's directions. While it is churning, remove the tray and parchment paper from the bag and break apart your chocolate/peanut butter slab.

Mix the chocolate pieces into the batter in the last few minutes of churning. Spread evenly into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1-2 hours, until hardened but still pliable.

Shortly before the ice cream is semi-frozen, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter, 1/2 Tbls. coconut oil, PB2, and brown sugar.

Now you're ready to add the peanut butter swirl to the ice cream. Carve a few wells in the ice cream by dragging a butter knife through it and fill with the peanut butter mixture.

Very carefully, using a spatula, stir the swirl into the ice cream so that it is swirled, not blended. Re-freeze.

Your ice cream is ready now. Scoop and devour.

S'mores Cupcakes

I originally made these cupcakes about a month ago because I got the idea into my head that something like this would be good. Which it was, don't get me wrong. But the cupcake/marshmallow proportions were off so they looked like weird UFOs, plus I burned some of the marshmallows, plus I messed up the caramel. This was attempt #2 and obviously the result was blog-worthy. They were enjoyed by some friends at a holiday party last night (including our friend Jeff who is the best chef I know. Jeff isn't a food snob or anything but him saying the cupcakes were "awesome" made me feel accomplished) and also by my co-workers today, one of whom walked across the building twice to get a sweet snack. Sadly there are no more left...maybe I'll just make s'more.

S'mores Cupcakes (makes 12)

1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls. + 2 tsp. canola oil
3/8 cup (6 Tbls.) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbls. + 2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
3 1/2 graham crackers, divided (Nabisco's are vegan. If you're using another brand, check for honey)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows (Dandies is the only vegan brand I've found, but they are Chicago-based)
1/2 recipe caramel sauce (salt optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine the almond milk and vinegar and set aside. It will curdle and become like buttermilk.

Crush 2 of the graham crackers into a powder. Combine in a large bowl with the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Mix in the oil, sugar, and vanilla to the almond milk.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir in the chocolate chips.

Line 12 wells of a muffin tin. Divide the batter equally, about 1 1/2 Tbls. of batter per well. It will look like it barely fills up the well. You want this. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cupcakes are cooking, make the caramel sauce. While the sauce is cooking, break your remaining 1 1/2 graham crackers along the perforations. Then break each rectangle in half again so you have 12 graham cracker squares. Be careful they don't crumble! Place on a sheet of parchment paper on a plate.

When the caramel is ready, pour it evenly over the graham crackers. Using 2 forks (or whatever strikes your fancy), very carefully distribute the caramel over the graham crackers. The next step will work best if you spread them out as much as possible, more than I did here. It's okay if they're not completely covered. Pop in the fridge until the cupcakes are done.

When the cupcakes are ready, turn on your oven's broiler. Spoon about 10-12 mini marshmallows on top of each cupcake, pressing down slightly.

Broil for 1-2 minutes, watching CAREFULLY. These things go from toasty to charred in about 2 seconds.

When the marshmallows have toasted, very carefully break apart your graham crackers. It helps to hold onto the caramel as much as possible, rather than the graham crackers, as they are pretty fragile. Stick one on top of each cupcake.

YUM.

Pumpkin Apple Risotto

Although this was my first time making risotto, lots of things led to its inspiration. One, Aaron made this* risotto months ago and I still find myself thinking about it from time to time, it was so good. Two, we got cider from Sketchbook Brewing** a couple weeks ago and I wanted to cook with it. And three, it's cold and gray out and I wanted something homey. I referenced the Thug Kitchen* recipe for how to cook vegan risotto since I had no idea how to replicate the creaminess and I'd say their cooking method is pretty good. This recipe takes some time and TLC but is totally worth it.

*Warning if you have children reading: This blog is hilarious and awesome but completely not child-appropriate.

**If you live in the Chicago area we highly recommend checking out Sketchbook. The staff is super nice, the brews are super tasty, and they have free beer samples. And you get the warm fuzzy feelings from supporting a local business (in addition to the warm fuzzy feelings you get from their product).

Pumpkin Apple Risotto (serves 4)

2 Tbls. vegan butter 

1/2 yellow onion

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup hard cider*

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided (I used this recipe)

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup applesauce (one of the little single-serving containers)

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 Tbls. apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

*If you don't cook with alcohol you can try regular cider, though it may be too sweet. Or just use an extra 1/2 cup of vegetable broth.

Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. While it is heating, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute in butter for 10-15 minutes until everything is soft and starting to get brown around the edges.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, combine the pumpkin puree, applesauce, and 1 cup of the veggie broth. Set aside.

When the onion and garlic are ready, add in the rice. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice smells toasty.

Add in the cider and cook, stirring constantly, until it is all absorbed. This only takes a couple minutes so watch carefully!

Add in half of your pumpkin/apple/broth mixture and stir frequently until the liquid is all absorbed (about 10 minutes).

Repeat with the other half of the mixture, then with 1 cup of remaining broth.

Finally, add in your last 1/2 cup of broth, the nutritional yeast, spice, and vinegar. Stir until the liquid is all absorbed and the risotto is thick and creamy, tasting for salt and pepper and adjusting as needed. My broth wasn't very salty and thus I needed to add a lot, but if your veggie broth was salty to begin with you may not need to add any salt.

Ahh, finally, the reward for all your hard work :). I think this would be even more delightful topped with parsley or other fresh herbs.

Glory and Achievement

My husband is a very smart man. I could brag all day about how clever and intelligent he is but what he truly excels at is creating ice cream flavors. The notion that "hard work pays off" isn't new to the ice cream world, because indeed the most complicated flavors to make are by far the tastiest. A couple months ago Aaron came up with "salted caramel ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels." Genius. After that he requested "salted peanut butter ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels." Again, genius. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what happened next. A word of advice, Salty Stix pretzels are by far the best. World Market has them, or you can order them in bulk from Amazon, which you should do because once you taste this ice cream you will never want to eat anything else again.

Glory and Achievement (aka Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Pretzels)

2 cups non-dairy creamer
1 cup non-dairy milk, divided
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4-1 tsp. sea salt
Splash of vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups pretzel sticks

To make the ice cream batter, start by whisking together 1/2 cup of the non-dairy milk with the arrowroot powder and set aside.

Pour the granulated sugar into a large pot and shake it gently so the sugar settles evenly. Melt the sugar over medium heat, watching constantly so it doesn't burn.


While the sugar is caramelizing, heat the creamer and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk together in a medium pot.

Once the sugar looks like this:

Quickly whisk in the hot milk. Keep whisking over heat until any caramel clumps have dissolved. If you have an electric whisk, use it.

Then whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar.

Bring to a boil, lower slightly, and whisk in the arrowroot mixture until thickened.

Let cool for a bit, then whisk in 3/4 tsp. sea salt and the vanilla. Taste for saltiness and add more gradually if desired. Refrigerate until cool and make according to your ice cream maker's directions.

While the ice cream batter is cooling, it's time for the chocolate covered pretzels! Before you begin, make sure you have a large flat space available in your freezer. Prepare your pretzel-prepping station by getting a medium tray or plate, several layers of parchment paper, and a plastic bag big enough to fit the tray.

Start by melting your chocolate chips in a large bowl in the microwave.

Gradually stir in the pretzel sticks so they are evenly coated with chocolate.

Cover your tray with parchment paper. Spoon a single layer of pretzels, top with parchment paper, and repeat until you had used all your pretzels. It's kind of hard to arrange them in a single layer, but do the best you can.

Cover the pretzels with a final layer of parchment paper, put the whole thing in the plastic bag, and freeze until hard (this doesn't take that long).

When you're making the ice cream, get the pretzels out of the freezer. Remove the tray. Wrap the bag in a towel and step on it to crush the pretzels. Over a garbage can or sink, carefully remove the parchment paper, leaving the pretzels in the bag.  If your ice cream is still being made, pop the pretzels back in the freezer to stay cold.

When your ice cream is done, transfer it to a large container and stir in the pretzel bits.

Now you are ready to eat your glorious creation.

Roasted Squash, Fennel, and Apple Soup

Ah, the holiday season is here. If you're thinking that this soup sounds like it would be great for Thanksgiving, you're correct - it was a huge hit at our non-turkey dinner last night. But it is so tasty that I would be apt to make it any time. Sweet, savory, and hearty, this soup takes a little bit of time but is easy to make. Enjoy it on a cold winter day...or any time you're in the mood for some really awesome soup.

Roasted Squash, Fennel, and Apple Soup (serves 8)

1 medium butternut squash
2 apples (I used fuji, use what you want)
2 fennel bulbs
1 yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
2 Tbls. vegan butter
2 sprigs each rosemary and thyme
~3 cups veggie broth (I used this recipe)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley and chives, for garnish

Heat the oven to 375 F. Prepare the squash for peeling and chopping by slicing off each end, poking holes all over with a fork, and microwaving for 4 minutes.

While the squash is cooling prepare the rest of the veggies. Peel the apples and coarsely chop them along with the fennel and onion. Peel and smash the garlic.

Using a vegetable peeler or knife, peel the squash. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds (you don't need them for this recipe, but clean and roast them for a tasty snack if you want.) Chop into 1 inch cubes. Add to the veggie mix (I had to transfer everything to a large bowl for the next step.)

Melt the butter in the microwave and pour over the veggies. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and mix using your hands.

Transfer to a large roasting pan and nestle in the rosemary and thyme.

Cover with foil and roast for an hour.

Remove the herbs and transfer to a blender (you may need to do this in multiple batches). Blend, adding veggie broth until the consistency is to your liking. I used 3 cups total but add more or less depending on how thick/thin you like your soup. Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed.

Top with chopped parsley and chives for serving.