Tropical Traditions Coconut Chips & Coconut Milk Recipe

May 30, 2012 By

You probably already know that Tropical Traditions is famous for its Virgin Coconut Oil. (Curious about coconut oil? Click here.) And if coconut oil was the only thing available at Tropical Traditions, it would be totally worth it. Check out this video with all the uses of coconut oil if you don’t believe me.

LinkedTube

But as much as I love Tropical Traditions’ coconut oil, I’m not here to talk about that today. Today I want to focus on one of their other amazing coconut products: coconut chips.

Tropical Traditions generously sent me a gallon of their Coconut Chips to try, and I started digging in right away. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, to be honest. I’m familiar with coconut flakes, coconut shreds, desiccated coconut, and the like, but coconut chips? Wasn’t real sure exactly what that was.

It turns out that coconut chips are basically like coconut flakes, just a little bit larger. I was expecting a thicker, crunchier piece of coconut, but it’s actually rather thin. Tropical Traditions recommends using their shredded coconut or coconut flakes rather than the chips for baking, but I personally think these coconut chips would also work in any dried-coconut-based recipe, like these Orange Chocolate Macaroons. The texture would probably be different, but I think it would work. You could also try this recipe for Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Cupcakes.

What did I do with my delicious coconut chips?

Well, first of all, I ate them plain. Yummy!

Then I added them to a trail mix I made:

  • dried cranberries
  • raisins
  • sunflower seeds
  • chocolate chips
  • chopped walnuts,
  • and, of course, coconut chips

Dee. Lish. Us! And perfect for on-the-go snacking.

I also used the coconut chips to make home-made coconut milk for my Certain Little Someone. This is how I did it (in my Vitamix):

  • I placed 1 cup of coconut chips in the bottom of the Vitamix.
  • I poured 2 cups of boiling water over the chips, and let them soak for a while as I puttered around the kitchen doing other things.
  • I then put the lid on the Vitamix, turned it on, set it on variable 10 and then High. I let it run for 2-3 minutes to pulverize the coconut chips.
  • I strained the milk through a mesh sieve lined with a tea towel, and squeezed out the tea towel thoroughly after it had cooled some.

That’s it! I then used that homemade coconut milk to make some yogurt for the same Certain Little Someone. He loved it!

If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

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Cinnamon Pear Baked Oatmeal

February 23, 2012 By

I am honored that Nancy at Real Food Allergy Free (my new guest contributor!) asked me to share my baked oatmeal recipe on her blog. It’s a vegan-ized version of the old breakfast favorite, with a twist of fresh spices and grated pear. Delicious!

You can find the recipe for Cinnamon Pear Baked Oatmeal at Real Food, Allergy Free today.

Cast Party Wednesday

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Attune Foods Cooking Challenge and Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Crispy Chocolate Crust

October 10, 2011 By

pumpkins spice everything nice

When we first got married, my DH and I had a disagreement about dessert. Specifically, we disagreed (rather vehemently on both sides, I might add) about whether or not dessert could or should be “healthy”.

His POV: Dessert is supposed to be bad for you. It doesn’t need to be healthy.

My POV: It’s still going into your body, so you might as well use the healthiest ingredients possible.

We still occasionally dicker on the topic, but mostly we’ve come to a comfortable compromise whereby I use healthy ingredients for dessert but don’t skimp on taste or quality. Or at least I try not to. Sometimes I’m successful, and sometimes… eh, not so much.

This was one of the successful times! I came up with this recipe after reading about Attune Foods’ Cooking Challenge for October, which was to create a sweet treat using one of a few specific items in their product line. As it happened, I had a box of Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice in my pantry, and my wheels started turning from there.

pumpkin ice cream pie

I’d already made some chocolate crispy rice treats that the whole family loved, and I had used a similar mixture before as the crust of a frozen pie. Since I already knew that the theme on my blog for the month of October was “Pumpkins, Spice and Everything Nice”, it was a given already that the filling for the pie crust would be pumpkin-based. I tossed around a few ideas in my head: pumpkin custard, pumpkin pudding, traditional pumpkin filling, etc. None of them seemed quite right, and then it came to me: pumpkin ice cream! Since the crust was for a refrigerated/frozen pie anyway, it was the perfect fit. And then as I was making the pie itself, the chocolate ganache topping just suggested itself as a natural finish to the whole ensemble.

Move over, pumpkin pie. This Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Crispy Cocoa Crust and Chocolate Ganache is going to be the star of your Thanksgiving dessert table this year.

pumpkin ice cream pie


Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Crispy Cocoa Crust and Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 3 cups Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup butter or palm shortening

Ice Cream Filling:

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups milk or non-dairy milk substitute
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 TBSP raw honey, optional

Ganache:

  • 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or non-dairy milk

Instructions

Crust:

  1. Pour the cereal into a large bowl. Melt the chocolate chips and butter or shortening in the microwave at low power in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until melted. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal, and stir until well coated. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a glass pie plate. Freeze at least 10 minutes, or until set.

Ice Cream Filling:

  1. Combine all ingredients except vanilla and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir to combine. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat and simmer until just slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and honey, if using. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.
  2. Pour into ice cream machine and follow manufacturer’s directions.

Ganache (Make just before assembling):

  1. Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream or milk substitute just until boiling. Pour over chocolate and whisk until very smooth.

Assembly:

  1. Spread ice cream mixture into prepared crust, and freeze until set. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw for about 10 minutes or so; pour ganache over top, spreading to the edge or drizzling in a design, as desired. Serve immediately.

pumpkin ice cream pie

As you can see, this recipe is already gluten-free, and can easily be made dairy-free and even vegan. I actually made the dairy-free version myself, using palm shortening and sunflower milk to replace the dairy products. Soy or coconut milk would probably be better substitutes.

**If you’re not up for making the ice cream yourself, simply mix the pumpkin puree and spices into a pint of your favorite vanilla ice cream and spread into the pie crust.

pumpkin ice cream pie

This isn’t a super QUICK recipe, especially because you have to prepare the ice cream ahead of time. There’s some thinking ahead involved as far as putting the ice cream machine bowl in the freezer and prepping the ice cream mixture the day before assembly. Also, there’s the freezing time involved.

It is super EASY, though, and can be made even easier by using a ready-made container of ice cream.

It’s not the CHEAPest dessert I’ve ever made, but it’s not the most expensive either. Right now, pumpkins are in season, so they’re the cheapest they will ever be. The Erewhon cereal isn’t really cheap either, but you can find coupons for it occasionally to make it a better deal. Making the ice cream yourself is cheaper than buying it, which reduces the cost also.

A HEALTHY indulgence, that’s what I consider this kind of dessert. All the ingredients are the healthiest versions available, not to mention that the pumpkin in the ice cream is a super food chock full of nutrients and antioxidants. If you want to reduce the sugar and honey, you can by as much as half, although of course it won’t be quite as sweet.

All statements about Attune Foods, its products, or the Cooking Challenges Recipe Contest are my own. This post is part of- and made as a condition to- my entry in the Attune Foods Cooking Challenges Recipe Contest.

I’m linking up to Tasty Tuesday at NapTime Creations and the following:

Hearth & Soul Hop

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Stuffed Shells… With Pumpkin, Naturally!

October 10, 2011 By

Even though I love stuffed shells - Who doesn’t? It’s pasta in a cute little package. - I have never actually made them, not even once in my entire life. I’ve collected quite a few recipes for different variations thereof - chicken, tuna, fish, and more - but I’ve never actually buckled down and really tried one of the recipes.

The only thing holding me back? The shells. I know, silly, right? For one thing, I usually prefer to buy pasta that is whole grain or semi-whole grain, and those varieties don’t usually come in the jumbo shell size. For another, I almost never buy anything at the grocery store unless it’s on sale, and for some reason, jumbo shell pasta never goes on sale. Soooo… I never bought shells, and therefore never made any stuffed shells.

pumpkin stuffed shells

The Secret Recipe Club this month was the impetus I needed to actually get to the store, buy some shells and try a stuffed shell recipe for once! Funny how a deadline will do that for you. I found an amazing recipe for butternut squash and sage cannelloni on my assigned blog, Katherine Martinelli, and knew instantly that it would work perfectly for my October theme of Pumpkins, Spice and Everything Nice.

What does that have to do with shells? Just do a mental leap with me from cannelloni to shells; it’s not really that far of a leap, both shapes of pasta having that desirable stuff-able quality. For one thing, my store didn’t have cannelloni, and for another, I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream of making stuffed shells.

And I did, only I didn’t use butternut squash, I used - and I know this just shocks you - pumpkin! And, um, I didn’t use sage either; I had a bottle of Chinese 5-spice in my cupboard that had been calling my name and seemed like the perfect enhancement for a savory pumpkin dish.

And, Katherine, I really did make your recipe, I swear it! But the adaptations didn’t end there. Since I am currently dairy-free right now, I had to come up with substitutions for the dairy products. What I used:

  • chicken broth instead of heavy cream
  • faux buttermilk instead of sour cream (I would have used plain non-dairy yogurt if I had it on hand)
  • extra-virgin olive oil for the butter
  • rice milk for the whole milk
  • mozzarella for my DH (because that’s what I had) instead of parmesan; no cheese for mine

I call my version of the Bechamel Sauce “Poor Man’s Bechamel”, not because rice milk is any cheaper than regular whole milk - unfortunately, that is not the case! - but because rice milk is a rather poor imitation of the real thing. If you drink cow’s milk, do yourself a favor and use that instead. But if you’re dairy-free for any reason, non-dairy milks make a fair representation of bechamel sauce.

pumpkin stuffed shells


Pumpkin Stuffed Shells with Chinese Five-Spice

adapted from Katherine Martinelli

Ingredients

Pumpkin Filling:

  • 2 small-medium pie pumpkins
  • 1/2 head garlic
  • 1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice Powder
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup “buttermilk” (milk or non-dairy milk with lemon juice) or plain yogurt or sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Poor Man’s Bechamel:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 cups rice milk
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder

Shells:

  • 6 oz. jumbo shells
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, optional

Instructions

  1. Use a sharp knife to poke holes in the pumpkin. Microwave for 1 or 2 minutes, and let cool. Using a sharp knife, cut each pumpkin in half; scoop out seeds and pulp. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Wrap the garlic head in foil and place on the sheet with the pumpkins. Bake at 350F until pumpkin can easily be pierced with a paring knife, and garlic is cooked through, about half an hour.
  2. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh into a large bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic, one clove at a time, into the bowl. Add Chinese Five-Spice Powder, and stir all together, mashing the pumpkin flesh as necessary until you have the texture you desire. (You can also use a stick blender to puree it.)
  3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a pot, and stir in the broth and buttermilk or yogurt. Bring to a boil; then simmer until desired thickness and consistency is achieved. Salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
  4. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium-low heat; add flour one TBSP at a time, whisking until well blended. Slowly stir in rice milk until it is incorporated. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and simmer until for about 10-15 minutes. Stir in seasonings.
  5. Cook and drain shells according to package directions.
  6. Spread a thin layer of the bechamel sauce in a 9×13 and a square pan. Place the shells on the sauce. Gently stuff each shell with a spoonful or two of the pumpkin filling. Spoon the remaining bechamel sauce over all the stuffed shells. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes; add mozzarella cheese if using, and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.


I absolutely love Katherine’s whole concept of using squash as the filling for the pasta, and my next butternut squash is going to go to making this recipe with her chosen flavors of squash, sage, and nutmeg.

pumpkin stuffed shells

This is not my normal QUICK dinner recipe, which is what I love about the SRC: It forces you to step outside of your comfort zone on occasion and try something new.

It’s also not super EASY, with the multiple steps. Katherine’s cookery is a lot fancier than my usual lazy style, but I also love to have recipes like this for special occasions and guests.

It’s not CHEAP, either, that’s for sure. Like I said, pasta shells are not usually in the budget, and I had to use a whole carton of rice milk for the bechamel. Totally worth it, though!

As far as pasta recipes go, though, it’s pretty HEALTHY with the super-food pumpkin serving as the main component.

Does the Secret Recipe Club Sound like fun? Read more about it here.



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Pumpkins, Spice and Everything Nice: Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal (with Vegan Option!)

October 3, 2011 By

Because I can’t contain my love for pumpkin, I’m going to be enjoying it all month long. October is, after all, synonymous with pumpkins, or didn’t you know that? Well, now you know! October equals pumpkins, and pumpkins equal October. One and the same!

Join me, then, all month long, for fabulous pumpkin based recipes, including snacks, desserts, breakfasts, dinners, and well, just about everything. We’ve got the pumpkin bases covered, folks.

It is appropriate that we start out with a great breakfast recipe, although I suppose slightly less appropriate when I consider that I normally make this for “brinner”. Ah, well, can’t satisfy everyone. At any rate, we’re going to kick off with a yummy recipe that’s flexible enough to be breakfast, dinner, or a great snack.

pumpkin spice baked oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is a very popular breakfast item these days, and you’ll find configurations thereof all around the blogosphere. The day after I made up this recipe out of my own head, I saw something very similar on at least 3 different blogs. Great minds think alike, I guess! Here’s my version.

pumpkin spice baked oatmeal


Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal with Vegan Option

Ingredients

  • 3 cups oats
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 eggs (or 3 TBSP flax seed + 1/3 cup hot water)
  • 1 cup milk (or any non-dairy milk)
  • 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together liquid ingredients until well blended.
  3. Stir liquid ingredients gently into dry ingredients, just until blended.
  4. Pour into greased 8×8 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F. Cut into 8 squares. Serve each square drizzled with honey or maple syrup; or serve in a bowl with 1/4 cup milk or non-dairy milk.

pumpkin spice baked oatmeal

This isn’t QUICK enough for a weekday breakfast, at least not for me, but I love to make it for an easy weeknight dinner, accompanied by some sort of protein (bacon, sausage, cottage cheese, etc.) and lots of fresh fruit.

It’s very EASY! I love that it’s easier than coffee cake or muffins - just mix and dump in the pan!

Based largely on oats, it’s also a very CHEAP breakfast option.

With low sugar, it’s very HEALTHY, too. Oats are a great whole grain with lots of soluble fiber to get you off to a great start!

Find more recipe inspiration at Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods.

Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays

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No Cheese, No Sauce… Can it Really be Pizza?

September 26, 2011 By

sausage zucchini pizza

My DH says “No.”

I say “Yes.” (Oh, and so does Mark Bittman, who inspired the recipe in the first place.)

We both agree, though, (okay, well all three of us) that it is delicious whether or not you call it pizza. Flatbread With Toppings? Extra Special Foccaccia? Eh, “Pizza” is easier, so we’ll just go with that.

Pizza usually ends up regularly on my menu rotation, but I hadn’t made it in a while because my DH can’t have tomato sauce, and I can’t have cheese or milk-based sauces. I figured that pizza was pointless in that case, so I decided to put all my pizza creations on hold until I’m done nursing Baby Boy and am back to my regular diet.

Then I found Mark Bittman’s The Minimalist Cooks Dinner cookbook, and in his pizza section, he said something so utterly profound, it changed my life. (Only a very slight exaggeration.)

Some people think all pizzas must have cheese in order to bind the other ingredients, but this is ridiculously limiting. What you put on a pizza is entirely up to you - if the kitchen sink is your idea of fun, go right ahead.

As soon as I read it, I felt the chains breaking and smelled the sweet air of freedom. I can make pizza! I can make pizza without cheese, and I can make pizza without sauce! And I can even call it pizza. Take that, dairy-free diet!

He even provided some inspiration with a few basic recipes for his favorite pizzas, so I started with one called Pizza with Zucchini and Sausage. I gave it my own little twist, and it was amazing. Even my DH, who looooves his cheese, especially on his pizza, agreed that it was very good. With the added caveat, “As long as I don’t call it pizza”. So if you can’t call it pizza, that’s fine, but you should still make it, because it’s very good. Amazing, in fact.

sausage zucchini pizza


No-Cheese No-Sauce Pizza

slightly adapted from Mark Bittman

Ingredients

  • 1 pizza crust (I use artisan dough)
  • 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, crumbled (but not cooked)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • handful fresh basil

Instructions

  1. If starting with pizza dough, roll it out to cover a large pizza stone or cast-iron pizza pan.
  2. Lightly salt the sliced zucchini and allow it to set for about 20 minutes; drain any liquid.
  3. Top the pizza with the zucchini, sausage, garlic, and basil. Bake for 15 minutes at 500F, or until sausage is cooked through and crust is lightly browned.

sausage zucchini pizza

Pizza is such a QUICK weeknight dinner, especially if you have a bowl of artisan bread dough in the fridge ready to roll out into pizza dough. Even if you don’t, pizza dough is ridiculously easy and quick to make, so it’s no trouble at all. I especially love that you can just cook the sausage right on the pizza, so it saves time.

It’s so EASY, too! This is a no-fuss pizza that still manages to give off a gourmet flair and offer incredible flavor to boot.

Because it uses minimal meat (and in this case, cheese), pizza can be a very CHEAP entree (another reason why it ends up frequently on my menu rotation).

This is a HEALTHY pizza, too, I suppose with the exception of the sausage. Healthy sausages are available, though (if somewhat pricey), and I believe can be part of a well-balanced diet. The good thing is that on a pizza, the amount per serving is minimal.

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Ice Cream in a {Ginger}Snap

July 23, 2011 By

Welcome to Ice Cream Week here at Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy!

Ice cream is the topic of the hour, all week long. I’ve got some sorbets to share, plus some fun ice cream flavors I’ve been experimenting with, and some other ideas for what to do with all the ice cream you make.(Note: All the recipes are intentionally dairy-free; but with the exception of the sorbets can be made with regular old cow’s milk and cream should you desire.) Come back every day this week for a new recipe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I suppose it would be more accurate to say, “GingerSnaps in Ice Cream” but it doesn’t have the same ring to it. And when it comes right down to it, the actual truth is that it is gingersnap dough in ice cream, which totally just doesn’t have a ring at all. And yes, you heard me right: cookie dough ice cream, but not the chocolate chip kind. Nope, the gingersnap kind!


I was inspired by Susan of mighty acorns, who guest posted for me a little while back, and commented on my FB page that her favorite ice cream flavor had bits of “gingernut biscuit” (which I translated into gingersnap, hopefully correctly) and ginger chew (which I unfortunately did not have on hand). She said that it was in a vanilla-flavored ice cream, but I decided to go over the top and make the ice cream itself gingersnap-flavored, too.

Once again, I used a coconut milk base (which actually makes a very delicious and creamy ice cream base, even if you’re not vegan or dairy-free), but of course you can swap in regular milk and cream instead.


 

GingerSnaps in Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 can coconut milk, chilled
  • 1/2 recipe GingerSnap Dough
  • 1/4 cup candied ginger, optional

GingerSnap Dough

  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 3 TBSP palm shortening
  • 1 cup + 2 TBSP whole wheat flour (or 1 cup brown rice flour + 2 TBSP corn/arrowroot/tapioca starch)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1″ knob ginger root, grated
  • dash ground cloves

Instructions

  1. Blend together the coconut milk, molasses and ginger powder. Chill until very cold, and then churn in ice cream machine. When ice cream is very close to the desired consistency, add in the GingerSnap Dough, one piece at a time, followed by the candied ginger. Continue churning until mixed thoroughly, then freeze for several hours before serving. Enjoy within a week.

To make GingerSnap Dough

  1. Bring molasses to a boil; remove from heat and add shortening. Stir together until shortening is completely melted, then add remaining ingredients, stirring well. Roll into small 1/4″ balls and place in a single layer on a pan. Freeze until hardened, then add to the ice cream per instructions. Freeze extra dough for the next batch of ice cream!

The gingersnap dough really deteriorated after a week or so in the freezer, which may or may not be because I used rice flour. Just in case, be sure to enjoy the ice cream right away. Also, next time I try it, I might actually bake a batch of gingersnaps, cut them into chunks, freeze them, and then add them to the ice cream instead of the raw dough.

Also, the molasses flavor was really quite strong in these, so next time, I’ll probably cut it with honey to soften the intense flavor a bit. I love ginger, and molasses is its perfect foil… but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing!

This is not a super QUICK recipe unless you already have a batch of gingersnaps and just add them instead of the cookie dough, although it really doesn’t take long to whip up a batch of gingersnaps (It is my favorite go-to cookie recipe, after all.).

It has several steps, too, so it’s not super EASY, either. But you know what they say… no pain, no gain. Some things are worth it!

Homemade dairy-free gourmet ice cream is definitely CHEAPer than the same thing bought in a store. And that makes it totally worth it in my book.

I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again (because it’s true!), homemade ice cream is definitely HEALTHYer than storebought! You can make ice cream at home with pure ingredients, plus you can control the sugar level.

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Dulce, Dolce, Doce. In a Word, Sweet.

July 21, 2011 By

Welcome to Ice Cream Week here at Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy!

Ice cream is the topic of the hour, all week long. I’ve got some sorbets to share, plus some fun ice cream flavors I’ve been experimenting with, and some other ideas for what to do with all the ice cream you make.(Note: All the recipes are intentionally dairy-free; but with the exception of the sorbets can be made with regular old cow’s milk and cream should you desire.) Come back every day this week for a new recipe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So far this week, I’ve posted some pretty healthy ice cream and sorbet recipes, most of them with minimal or no sugar, not to mention loaded with healthy vitamin- and mineral- rich fruits.

Not today.

Today, it’s time for a little decadence. What is life if you don’t live a little? This particular ice cream is inspired by my most-favorite-ever drink at Starbucks, the Cinnamon Dolce Latte. Thank goodness it’s only available for a limited time each year, because my wallet and my scale can’t handle anymore than that. If you’ve never had a cinnamon dolce latte, it’s a deliciously creamy drink that’s very sweet with a hint of cinnamon and caramel. The combination is luxurious, indulgent… and addictive!

In my head, I imagined a creamy cinnamon-flavored ice cream base with ribbons of dulce de leche swirled throughout. I got close. Very, very close. The ice cream base is creamy and cinnamon-flavored, but the dulce de leche didn’t exactly swirl in ribbons. I chalk that down to my impatience - I couldn’t wait until a.) the dulce de leche was cool enough, and b.) the ice cream was frozen enough, so the warm dulce de leche just melted into the ice cream. I am pretty confident, though, that if you are more patient than I, and have nearly-frozen ice cream, and very cold dulce de leche, that you will achieve Cinnamon Dulce Ice Cream nirvana.

Of course, I used dairy-free products because of my son’s allergies to milk, but you should be able to substitute regular heavy cream for the coconut cream (no need to whip), regular milk for the coconut milk beverage, and canned dulce de leche (available under the brand name Goya in the Hispanic section of many grocery stores, or the Nestle brand La Lechera here at Amazon.com) for the “leche de coco”.

 

Cinnamon Dulce Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • Ice Cream:
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 1 TBSP honey or agave nectar (if you want to keep it 100% vegan)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup “dulce de coco”

Dulce de Coco

  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. To make the ice cream, place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator until at least half of it solidifies (several hours). Place the solid portion in a mixer, and beat with the whip attachment until it forms the consistency of heavy whipped cream. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until well blended (or use stick blender); fold coconut whipped cream into the liquid mixture. Pour into ice cream machine, and follow manufacturer’s instructions. When ice cream is almost to the desired texture, drizzle in 1/2 cup of dulce de coco. Remove from ice cream machine and store in freezer.
  2. To make dulce de coco, combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan, and whisk over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, and continue whisking frequently. Allow to boil for at least 10 minutes, up to 20 minutes, until mixture is thickened and significantly reduced (by as much as half). Cool completely in refrigerator before adding to ice cream.

Not the QUICKest ice cream in my repertoire, especially having to make the dulce de leche from scratch. I don’t begrudge one minute, though, once I’ve tasted it!

It’s also not the EASY-est… but once again, no regrets!

And again… not so CHEAP, at least compared to other homemade ice creams. But compared to store-bought dairy-free ice cream? Definitely cheaper, by more than half!

And… not really very HEALTHY, to be sure, although for as sweet as it is, there really isn’t a ton of sugar involved. The dulce de coco recipe calls for 3/4 cup, but then you use less than half the amount, so it’s really not a terrible amount of sugar. For an ice cream, recipe, anyway.

 

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Ice Cream Even Baby Can Eat!

July 20, 2011 By

Welcome to Ice Cream Week here at Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy!

Ice cream is the topic of the hour, all week long. I’ve got some sorbets to share, plus some fun ice cream flavors I’ve been experimenting with, and some other ideas for what to do with all the ice cream you make.(Note: All the recipes are intentionally dairy-free; but with the exception of the sorbets can be made with regular old cow’s milk and cream should you desire.) Come back every day this week for a new recipe!

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Ice cream that baby can eat? Ice cream that is completely devoid of cream of any sort? Ice cream without sugar? Creamy ice cream? Ice cream that is all those things and also delicious?!?!

Why yes, my friends. And once again, you need go no further than the humble banana. (Maybe I should have called this Banana Week instead of Ice Cream Week!) Except this time, instead of just exploiting the banana’s attributes to make a regular ice cream even better - whether by flavor or by texture - we’re just going to use the banana. Just the banana, that’s it.

OK, you can add in some things if you want. For instance, cocoa comes to mind, or chocolate chips. Or maybe a big spoonful of peanut butter (or non-peanut substitute). Coconut, maybe? Some berries or berry syrup?

All right, now I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself. First, let’s make the “ice cream”.

Baby’s First Ice Cream, aka Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • slightly overripe bananas*
  • splash of vanilla
  • freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Peel the bananas and slice them into 1/2″ rounds. Place the rounds in a single layer on a pan and freeze for an hour or two. Remove from the freezer and put into a blender (or put in a bowl, and use an immersion blender, in which case, don’t freeze them rock hard - they should still be a tad moist). Blend, blend and blend some more until you have a creamy ice-cream-like consistency. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, if necessary to help the blender run. Stir in vanilla and nutmeg. Serve immediately soft-serve style, or place back into the freezer for a harder ice cream. I found the ice cream tasted better the next day after the flavors had some time to blend. *There are no specific quantities. Each banana makes about one serving, so adjust to however many servings you want to make.

 

Instead of the vanilla and nutmeg, consider other flavor combinations, such as:

  • dried ginger and candied ginger
  • cinnamon and cardamom
  • almond extract and coconut flakes
  • grated semisweet or dark chocolate
  • small chunks of fresh mango
  • a drizzle of honey or maple syrup
  • a tablespoon or two of peanut butter
  • a tablespoon of cocoa (you may want to add a little honey or sugar, too, to offset the bitter)

Take the simple to the sublime by topping it with:

Bet you never thought ice cream could be so QUICK!

Or so EASY!

Or so CHEAP!

Or so HEALTHY! I didn’t feel the least bit guilty offering it to my Certain Little Someone just now as a mid-morning snack.

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40!

6 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Children, Dessert, On The Table Tagged With: , , ,

Ice Cream Week Continues with Berry Sorbet

July 19, 2011 By

Welcome to Ice Cream Week here at Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy!

Ice cream is the topic of the hour, all week long. I’ve got some sorbets to share, plus some fun ice cream flavors I’ve been experimenting with, and some other ideas for what to do with all the ice cream you make.(Note: All the recipes are intentionally dairy-free; but with the exception of the sorbets can be made with regular old cow’s milk and cream should you desire.) Come back every day this week for a new recipe!

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Would you believe that this is yet another recipe whose pictures are on that blasted memory card that is who-knows-where?! I have yanked out my hair, searched through every possible hiding spot in this residence, even crawled around on my hands and knees and I can’t find it anywhere. Ugh. Oh well, here’s a picture from the source:


We’re coming to the end of berry season on the east coast here, but the good thing about sorbets is that they often start with frozen fruit anyway, so all you need is a bag or two of frozen berries from the grocery. However, if you happen to have some fresh local berries like I did earlier this month, then so much the better!

When I set out to make my berry sorbet (I used strawberries), I was actually kind of shocked at how much sugar (or corn syrup, for goodness’ sakes!) people threw into their sorbets. Most fruit is sweet enough on its own; it doesn’t need to be doctored up quite so much. Of course, the tart factor might be increased after some time in the freezer, but even so, I found this recipe to be plenty sweet enough, especially when I served it with a sprinkling of homemade granola and a few chocolate chips.

I used this no-sugar-at-all berry sorbet recipe, and it turned out great! It only uses a tablespoon of honey, which means that it is not even an indulgence. It calls for coconut water - I just used the bit of coconut milk left over from a can after I had refrigerated all the cream out of it. Of course, if you have coconut water, you can use it, or you can use plain water. You can try using milk or cream instead, but then it won’t technically be a sorbet anymore. And… we have again a banana in the ice cream! I really think the bananas help to make a nice creamy consistency, and the flavor goes very well with the berries in this recipe.

Easy Sugarless Berry Sorbet

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen berries
  • 1 TBSP honey
  • 1 banana, frozen
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk, coconut water, or water

Instructions

  1. If berries are fresh, wash them, pat them dry and then freeze for an hour or so. Combine all ingredients and blend well in a blender, food processor or with a hand blender. Churn in an ice cream machine until you have reached desired consistency (optional). Freeze in a freezer-safe container for several hours, or eat right away soft-serve style.

If your berries are already frozen, this is one of the QUICKest ice cream recipes around. You can even eat it immediately if desired, since all the main ingredients are frozen to begin with.

It’s also one of the EASY-est, especially since you don’t really even need an ice cream machine (although I think it helps with the texture, too).

It’s CHEAP during berry season, but otherwise, not so much. Frozen berries are available for a good price year-round at Trader Joes.

This is such a HEALTHY ice cream, you don’t even need to feel the list bit guilty about enjoying it! It’s an additional serving of fruits, after all!

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40!

5 Comments Filed Under: Dessert, On The Table Tagged With: , ,
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