Monday, November 30, 2009

Coconut Milk Ice Cream update

So I did add the finely chopped chocolate pieces and then I added some shredded unsweetened coconut. It was so completely yummy! I had about a 2/3 cup scoop and it was really too much. It just seemed so rich--half that amount would have been good. Add some banana slices and your favorite salted nuts (cashews for me) and that would be just...indulgent :-)

Coconut Milk Ice Cream-5 Star

I saw this on my naturopathic dr's website and decided to try it. It's a two step process since you need to chill the concoction before making ice cream. It's in the ice cream maker right now so all I can tell you is how it tastes right now--and that is HEAVENLY! Seriously. I thought it would taste really coconutty but it doesn't. Coconut milk is very thick, like heavy cream. The only way I've made ice cream in the recent past was to use whole goat milk (I've never found goat cream) so the ice cream is yummy but the consistency is more like ice milk. Pretty sure that won't be the case here!

It's heavy, creamy, just the right amount of dark chocolate taste, and just the right amount of sweetness. I can't wait to try it as ice cream! I finely chopped semi sweet chocolate to add to it but can't decide if I will do that--maybe I'll save it until next time. I'll let you know what the final product is like!

* 5 Star Coconut Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
* cane sugar free, dairy free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, gluten free, milk free, nut free, soy free, vegan, wheat free, yeast free
* Common allergens: none

Julia's Base Recipe (because chocolate should ALWAYS be the base!):

2 cans coconut milk; 2 Tbs. arrowroot powder; 1/2 cup agave nectar 

Empty cans of coconut milk into a medium size saucepan and add 4 squares of baking chocolate. Whisk to an even texture. Pour 1/2 cup coconut milk into a small bowl and add arrowroot powder. Whisk until no lumps remain, while heating the saucepan's contents on medium heat. Add arrowroot mixture and agave to saucepan and whisk on medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Turn off burner and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and chill in fridge for several hours. Process in ice cream maker according to directions. Enjoy!!

Original Base Recipe:


2 cans coconut milk; 2 Tbs. arrowroot powder; 1/2 cup agave nectar or sugar; 2 tsp. almond extract


Empty cans of coconut milk into a medium size saucepan. Whisk to an even texture. Pour 1/2 cup coconut milk into a small bowl and add arrowroot powder. Whisk until no lumps remain, while heating the saucepan's contents on medium heat. Add arrowroot mixture to saucepan and whisk on medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Turn off burner and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and add almond extract. Chill if desired. Process in ice cream maker according to directions. Enjoy!!


Like chocolate?   Melt 2-4 baking chocolate squares in the saucepan before warming the coconut milk.  Try other extracts for flavoring.  Fruits of any type can be pureed then added to the warm mixture. Have some fun with it!

UPDATE

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

You Won't Believe it's Gluten-Free! Cookbook

Going gluten-free!

In 2006 I took a blood test that informed me that I had food sensitivities and it was time to cut things out of my diet. Yeast, wheat, eggs, cow dairy, peanuts plus a few others that I don't eat too much of so it wasn't an issue to remove them. I got rid of all bread except for a yeast and egg free type that I fell in love with. I learned to bake vegan which got rid of eggs. I eat goat and sheep dairy exclusively now, and substitute cashew butter for peanut butter. It was a pain at first but I adapted and my health improved.

Wheat was low on the list and so I didn't bother with taking it out of my diet--it was hard enough to make the other changes. My dr recommended that I go gluten free asap once I got used to the new way of eating. I didn't do it. This year I came to realize that wheat/gluten really was an issue. After another visit with the dr I gradually started getting rid of wheat and sugar. Within a short amount of time I lost 15 lbs. Wow. Now I'm going gluten free and dragging the kids (and maybe hubby) with me. I bought the book The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman and it helped me to move forward.

Then I bought a cookbook called You Won't Believe it's Gluten-Free! by Roben Ryberg. The thing that was most interesting about it was this quote from the author, "Please note that I am not gluten intolerant. I do not have a wheat allergy. I am a bona fide food junkie! I eat traditional breads and rolls often. My palate is not influenced by years of eating a restricted diet. I tell it as I taste it and bake accordingly."

The first thing I tried was the Chocolate Chip Cookie (potato starch based) recipe on page 356--5 star! Having tried a lot of things in the past three years and only finding a few worth eating, I was leery. OH. MY. GOD. What a treat. There are several chocolate chip cookie recipes in her book but I liked the description of this one, "This cookie has all the nuances of a real chocolate chip cookie: a little crispness outside, tenderness inside, and that bite of baking soda. You will absolutely feel like you're cheating on your diet."
Having eaten "normal" for most of my life, I'm always looking for recipes that taste like Nestle Toll House cookies, "real" fresh baked bread, "real" biscuits, etc. While this recipe has an egg and 1/2 cup of brown sugar, I think I may be able to try an egg substitute next time. The sugar has to stay but it's so little per cookie (this recipe makes 36) that it's not too much of a concern. I'm kind of surprised that it only has 1/2 cup! I used mini vegan (does not contain milk) chocolate chips--I might try normal size chocolate chips next time.

Then I tried a biscuit recipe (corn based pg 95) and was again pleasantly surprised (4 star)-reminded me of Pillsbury biscuits in a can that go pop! when you open them. I made the sloppy joe recipe pg 217 and put that on top of the biscuits--yum! Bread! Yipee! The biscuits didn't use eggs or anything else I can't eat so I'll be making them often I'm sure.

Yesterday: page 84 Multigrain Loaf, Medium Texture Potato and Millet based. She says, "As far as flavor and texture go, this may be my very favorite gluten-free loaf of bread. Medium in texture, it tastes like "real" homemade bread..."
Results: 4 star! Wow--it's good! I got a rave review from the bread queen when I made it into cinnamon toast for her, "Toast, YUMMY!" I've made other cinnamon toast for her and have never heard that! To make it 5 star I would be more careful adding the 5 egg whites to the creamed butter and sugar--adding them a little at a time. I dumped them all in there and the creamed butter and sugar never fully incorporated leaving pockets of sweet in the bread. Not bad for breakfast bread but not good for sandwiches.

After the bread I tried the Cheese Crackers (corn based pg 28) recipe.
Results: 5 star! Even if I could eat wheat I'd be hard pressed to go back to boxed crackers after these! The first batch I put sea salt and cracked pepper on the tops--tasty. The second I used sea salt, cracked pepper, and onion powder--yummy! I used Earth Balance butter (because it's vegan and I've found goat butter doesn't do well in baking) and shredded mild goat cheddar. Crackers I'm allowed to eat and actually taste good--FINALLY!