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Seven Day Meal Commitment: Days 3 and 4

February 24th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

I’m unfortunately having to put these two days into one blog because  they consisted of a back to back shift with 6 hours in between and no time to blog on the turnaround!  You are beginning to see what the difficulty is with eating right here!

Before I worked yesterday, I RAN to the store and bought supplies for a chili.  But not just any chili.  This is a chili with a twist!

But first breakfast!  One of my favourite vegan blogs out there is Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows.  Angela is famous for her overnight oats, so I whipped up a quick batch which you can find here:  http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/07/vegan-overnight-oat-parfaits-12-recipes-to-kick-off-the-season/ .  I didn’t get too fancy with it – just some oats topped with maple syrup and chopped apple in the morning.  Wholesome and delicious.  You can make a batch of this up for a couple of days and you are set (which I did here because I knew I was on the back to back).

photo courtesy of ohsheglows.com

Next was lunch.  As I mentioned, I had about three hours before my afternoon shift, so I whipped up a batch of Thai Chili.  http://www.theppk.com/2010/12/red-lentil-thai-chili/ .  I added a minor twist of course as I always do and diced up two sweet potatoes and sauteed them off first with the onion.  They made for a nice sweet addition against the spice of the curry paste.

photo courtesy of the Post Punk Kitchen

So that would be breakfast for day three and 4.  I cheated a bit and used a pro bar for dinner on these days (the back to back throws a wrench in the works for sure).  Pro Bars are AWESOME whole food bars that I love to bits.  You can keep some in your bag and have them on the fly, and they come in great flavours like “kettle Korn” or “Super Food Slam”.  Check them out here:  http://theprobar.com/ .  I manage to find them at Donalds market.

Day five is coming at us tomorrow peeps!  Guess what?!  That means it’s MY Friday, and I’m definitely taking two off this week!

Seven Day Meal Commitment: Day 2

February 23rd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


I didn’t factor in one simple thing for this challenge – blogging after a night shift.  I’m not at my best at 2am!  I decided to sleep on it and here I am to report back on yesterday.

Night shifts are a little easier to get my head around because I’m actually at home for breakfast and lunch.  I had time yesterday to whip up one of my favourite breakfasts of all time.  Weird I know…but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

Almond Butter and Sauerkraut Stacks.  Take your favourite rice cake and spread on a little almond butter, top with avocado, and sauerkraut.  I like tomato on there as well, but unfortunately I didn’t have any yesterday.

The health benefits of sauerkraut are endless.   Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps your digestive system in the following ways: boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious disease help inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida (yeast) create antioxidants that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor transforms hard-to-digest lactose from milk to the more easily digested lactic acid. It neutralizes the antinutrients found in many foods including the phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium.  Crazy no?  I buy the unpasteurized brand shown below to make sure I’m getting all these amazing health benefits.  It’s not hard to make your own kraut either!

For lunch I ate up the rest of the paella in the fridge and for dinner I had a vegan tomato basil soup at the restaurant with hummus spread on rice cakes with sliced tomatoes.

Now, I will admit by the time breakfast and lunch were complete and I had to run out the door for student interviews down at the local college, I had not packed a dinner and the fact that we had a vegan soup on the menu last night was sheer luck.  That is definitely one of the perks for working in a restaurant.  There are lots of great organic soups out there that are vegan and wheat free on the store shelves.  Just make sure to complement it with a protein such as hummus or some other bean dip, maybe some falafel on the side – anything that is easy to grab and go.  I keep rice cakes in my desk at work and it was easy enough to grab some hummus from one of Vancouver’s many gourmet grocery stores on the way in to work.  This did the trick last night!

The Seven Day Meal Commitment: Day 1

February 21st, 2012 § 1 comment § permalink

Nobody said this was going to be easy…

I run Show Case Restaurant and the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel Vancouver.  My week generally looks like a few administration days and a few operational days where I fill in for my assistants taking vacation, or when we are short, busy times – you know the drill.  Recently we’ve lost someone from our team and I’ve been mostly in the operation, making my administrative work come after and before the operational shift – or on the time that I’m usually at home or on days off.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world though.  I love my job.

My plan for breakfast today was a blueberry protein shake.  Check!

1 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1 scoop harmonized vegan protein powder
2 ice cubes

Photo Courtesy of Colourful Palate

This is a super fast and portable way to start the day. Just load it in the blender, give it a whiz and away you go.  Breakfast done.  It’s filling and it’s protein and it’s vegan.  Brilliant.

I ran out the door, hopped a bus, and not only had a forgotten my iPhone (which has my calendar and my task list on it) but also my lunch.  :(.  Number one fail of the day.  Story of my life!  Ok, ok.  We can deal with this.

Lunch – what can I grab in the back servery right before service to tie me over until dinner?  Almond butter and jelly sandwiches.  Spelt bread, the goodness of almond butter and the sweet treat of blackberry jelly.  Not bad, not bad…not the hummus and veggie stacks that I had planned on, but it would do in a pinch!

Packed with protein and the goodness of whole grains on this spelt bread that I had stashed from a few days ago in my office drawer….meal two down!

The day did go on a little longer than planned (as it usually does).  We roll out our new breakfast menu tomorrow, so there was lots to be done, and an operation to deal with in the middle.  Dinner as planned – better late than never – a little leftover paella to finish out the night!

Tomorrow is a new day and it starts with student interviews at 1pm at Vancouver Community College, followed by a night in the operation for dinner service.  Night shifts are a bit easier to handle as I can make meals before I head off to work, but I won’t jinx it yet.

Off to bed…but not before a wee glass of vino to round off the evening.

The Seven Day Meal Commitment

February 20th, 2012 § 2 comments § permalink

Since I got back into restaurant management, I’ve had a really hard time sitting down and eating an actual meal, let alone one that is well-balanced.  Ironic isn’t it?  It’s partly because I can’t find the time to cook during the work week, and partly because I’m so busy while I’m at work that I  forget, or am just too busy making sure our guests are enjoying their meals to think about my own lunch, or dinner or breakfast!

Ok.  excuses, excuses.  This has got to stop!  If I’m going to be running around for 14 hours a day, I need to make sure I have the food energy to do so, and right now I’ve caught myself in a bit of a vicious cycle of just not eating, or eating junk.  My day consists of a soy latte in the morning and a glass of wine at night, and if I’m lucky, a slice of pizza in between.  I really have no idea what I’m running on to tell you the truth!

Last night after I made a Paella (the first real meal I’ve made in weeks), I decided that I needed to make a public commitment to start eating better.  This means actually eating.  And then a friend said to me – “Hey that would be a really good read in blog format for someone that’s struggling in the same way to get some inspiration!”  Brilliant I thought….because not only have I not been eating, I’ve also not been blogging!  Life gets so busy sometimes…and it’s time to real it back in.  Lets do this!

My commitment to you is a seven-day read of the life and times of meals on the fly as an Operations Manager (that’s just fancy talk for what I do on a daily basis).  I am sure most of you can relate to being so busy that you don’t have time to sit down and enjoy a meal – let alone three in a day.  In my job, it’s just impossible.  When we are in service, we are in the guest’s eye.  We are on stage – and it’s those few back stage moments that I am going to take advantage of.  Hopefully you can relate this back to your own busy lives and get some inspiration to eat better too!  My plan is just that – to plan.  Making meals ahead, packing lunches and planning quick grabs that are healthy and of course soy, wheat, dairy, and animal free.  Are you with me? It’s just going to take a few extra minutes each day to plan for the next.

Tomorrow is my monday.  On the menu?  A detoxifying blueberry protein shake for breakfast.  This is a quick shake to make in minutes and you can take it with you for the bus ride if you have a portable sippy cup (Starbucks has a good version).   Hummus and veggie stacks are in my back for lunch – all you need is some sort of vessel to carry your treats in.  There are several environmentally friendly lunch containers out there – just google it!.  Paella leftovers for dinner.  Come with me on a seven-day back to basics adventure!  By the end of the week we’ll have a routine together.  I promise!

 

Paella

February 12th, 2012 § 3 comments § permalink

Ever since I went to Spain last fall and tried some of the most amazing foods in the world under the heat of the Spanish sun, I’ve been obsessed.  Obsessed with the authentic flavours, the wine pairing…all of it.  It was a food and beverage experience I could re-live over and over again for eternity.

Real Spanish paella originated in the eastern coastal Spanish city of Valencia.  Paella exists because of rice, and rice has existed in Valencia and its surrounding area ever since the Moors planted it there over 1,300 years ago, in a lagoon called the Albufera.  The the grain is still grown in Albufera today.  The original Paella Valenciana dates to the early 1800s and consists of saffron-scented rice cooked with rabbit, chicken, local snails (vaquetes), and three types of beans: a broad string bean (ferraúra), a lima-like dried bean (garrofó), and a white bean (tavella).  We won’t be using any rabbit, snails or chicken here, but it helps that beans were part of this traditional recipe in bringing the vegan version to the table.

I have two great cookbooks in my collection, and between these two books there are three great recipes for Spanish paella.  Rick Stein’s Spain and a vegetarian cookbook, Plenty; Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi.  Many of the recipes I develop on this site are the result of taking a non-vegan classic and making it something amazing without the addition of animal product.  Because of this, I do have many non-vegan cookbooks in my collection to reference.  The photography and mood of these two books are very similar and have sparked some great ideas in my kitchen to take me back to that beach cafe in Marbella, without actually getting back on the plane (although I would go in a heartbeat if I had the chance!).  From these three recipes, I have developed my own version of paella.  Just imagine yourself in that little cafe on the boardwalk of Marbella, white wine in hand under the Spanish sun…

Serves 4
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook Time:  30 minutes

olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion, thinly chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cut into fine strips
1/2 fennel bulb, cut into fine strips
3-4 cloves crushed garlic
bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup Calasparra rice (or other short grain paella rice)
1/2 cup spanish white wine or sherry
1 teaspoon of saffron threads
2 cups boiling vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups frozen edamame beans (or beans of your choice).  I prefer the firmness of the edamame beans.
12 cherry tomatoes halved
5 small grilled artichokes from oil in a jar, drained and quartered
15 pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley

Heat about 2 tablespoons in a paella pan and gently fry the onion for about five minutes.  Add the fennel and the bell peppers.  and saute for about six minutes, until the peppers are soft.  Add the crushed garlic and cook another minute or so.

Into a small dish, crumble the saffron between your fingers and pour about 2 tablespoons over water over the threads to release the flavour and colour.

Remove the beans from the freezer and set aside to de-thaw.

Add the bay leaf, paprika, tumeric and cayenne to the vegetables and stir well.  Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and add the stock.  As the stock begins to simmer, sprinkle the rice evenly throughout the pan and finish this withe saffron and hot water.  Reduce the heat to a mimimum, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has absorbed. DO NOT stir the rice as it cooks!

Remove from the heat and salt if necessary.  Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and beans over the rice and cover the pant tightly with foil.  Leave  to rest for 10 minutes.

Now that’s a taste of Spain in Vancouver…

 

 

 

Gluten Free Protein Power Cookies

January 3rd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Wow.  Finally, a day off with no obligations!

I had hoped to bring you a plethora of delicious vegan Christmas treats and recipes over the month of December, but running the restaurant got a wee bit crazy and the days turned into nights and the breakfasts turned into lunch and dinner, and before I knew it…it was New Years and the season had come and gone.  Next year my plan is to bring it to you in November so you have the month of December to enjoy the recipes and make them over several times! But enough excuses…on to 2012!

Working in a restaurant is ironic.  I’m surrounded by food and options galore, and yet I never seem to get to eat.  Sometimes I find myself going 10-12 hours without a meal or a snack, simply because I’m running around all day.  We are always too busy feeding the masses.  Part of my New Year’s resolution was to be more organized and to have handy snacks on hand for a quick energy boost back stage.  What did I come up with?  Cookies.  Yes, that’s right.  I’m giving you permission to use cookies as a meal replacement.  This one’s for you Megan! (maybe try having a piece of fruit on the side).

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yields:  2 dozen cookies

Whole Almonds, and then ground into Almond Meal

Chia ground in a coffee grinder

3/4 cup of almond meal (this can either be bought or you can grind up almonds in a high-speed blender)
1/2 cup of gluten-free oats
1/2 cup of organic coconut flour
1 cup of sucanat (unrefined cane juice) coconut palm sugar or beet sugar
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 cup of almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds (ground flax seed works as well)
1/4 cup of agave nectar or maple syrup
1/4 cup of light olive oil or coconut oil (melted)
1/3 cup of organic almond butter
1/2 cup of dried cherries
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of dairy-free dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper (I like parchment as it’s a quick clean up at the end).  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk and chia (or flax).  Let sit for a few minutes while you prepare the dry ingredients.

Dry ingredients combined with chocolate chips and dried cherries

In a large mixing bowl, mix together everything from the almond meal, to the baking powder.  Add the chocolate chips, dried cherries and chopped nuts and set aside.

Your milk and chia mixture (or flax if you are using flax) should have thickened considerably.   Add the agave, olive oil, almond butter and whisk together until combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine thoroughly.

Drop large spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.  These cookies do not spread, nor do they rise considerably, so you want to basically flatten them down until they are the same thickness from the center to the edge.  You can use the back of a spoon or the back of a fork.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.  This will give you a nice soft chewy cookie.  If you prefer your cookies to be a bit crisper, leave them for another 2 or three minutes, being careful not to burn them!

Let cool on cooling racks and enjoy!  2 cookies is about 250 calories and 5 grams of protein.

Recipe adapted from Protein Monster Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

No Pig Pulled Pork

December 3rd, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

Ok.  There is just something about making a vegan meat replacement that tastes and LOOKS like the real thing that gives one a certain sense of pride and accomplishment.  Wow.  This is the dish.

I give full credit to my friend Dalyn of The Best i Ever Had who found this little gem of brilliance.  She was watching an episode of Eat Street (one of the main things we have in common is our love for wine and a healthy addiction to the Food Network).   The Seabirds was one of the competition on the Eat Street episode she was watching.  Another gem of brilliance.  A vegan food truck!   These guys do vegan pulled pork really well and the idea sent Dalyn on a quest to find a good recipe for this piggy which she did;  here at Clean Green Simple**.  I should add that if you ever need to find something in the deepest darkest corner of the internet and can’t seem to dig it up – ask Dalyn.  She is the Google Goddess.

This is pretty simple stuff to make.  You just have to keep in mind that it contains minimal protein, so you’ll need to jack up your fake piggy with some beans or other meat free option of your choice.  It’s pretty versatile – you can do everything from tacos to carnitas to Cuban pulled pork sandwiches.  Use your imagination and go wild!  I’d love to hear about what you choose to do with your little piggy…

Serves:  approximately 4 cups of “meat”
Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5ml  (1 teaspoon) Better Than Bouillon
1 20 oz can of Jackfruit in brine, drained *

*Make sure you get Green Jackfruit in brine or water and not want ripe Jackfruit in syrup

Dry Spice:

2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch cinnamon

Wet Seasoning:

3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons maple syrup

I have adapted this recipe from a combination of the Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich and the Mexican Carnitas found on the blog Clean Green Simple.  I wanted to create a spicy pulled pork for an open-faced sandwich with jalapeno peppers and Daiya mozza cheese.  You can adapt the seasoning in any way you want depending on the flavour you are going for (a bbq version would rock as well).  This is what I did:

Drain and rinse the jackfruit in a colander with cold water.  Cut away the core of the fruit and discard with any seeds that fall away.  You will be left with the stringy bits which will later resemble the pork.

In a medium saucepan, heat some oil and saute the diced onion for a few minutes until translucent.  Add the jackfruit and the dry spices.  The spices will toast nicely as you coat the jackfruit, stirring constantly.  Continue to cook until the mixture is fragrant and the jackfruit starts to fall apart.

Add the wet seasoning mix.  Continue to cook the jackfruit, working it with a wooden spoon to break it apart into stringy pieces.

The recipe on Clean Green Simple has you spread this mixture onto a cooking tray and bake it in the oven to dry it out, but rather than having to wash another pan, I just turned down the heat to medium-low and continued to cook my jackfruit until it started to caramelize and get crispy, stirring constantly so as not to burn any bits.  That’s it!

I decided to roast a few jalapeno peppers in the oven and make a spicy open-faced sandwich with some baked beans on the side. This is what I did.

Butter half of a nice bun with Earth Balance and place butter side down in a saute pan over medium heat.  When the bun is nice and crispy, remove from the pan and set aside for a moment.  Now, you could top this with your pulled pork, some roasted jalapenos and your cheese and then broil in the oven until the cheese is nicely melted, but I like my cheese to be nice and crispy, so this is what I did:

Turn the saute pan down to medium.  In the center for the pan, place a nice portion (about 1/3 cup) of mozza cheese shreds.  Top with about 1/2 cup pulled pork and jalapenos.  You could add a bit more cheese to the top so that it glues the ingredients all together.

When the cheese is all nice and melty, remove the gooey mix from the pan and flip onto your fried bun so that the cheese is now on the top.  Top with hot baked beans or fresh jalapenos (or both) and enjoy the cheesy, spicy goodness!

Like I said, you can play around with how you season the pork – let me know what you come up with!  The possibilities are ENDLESS!!

 

Winter Apple Crisp

November 28th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

I’ve had a few apple crisps in my day.  My mum’s was made with a crust of butter, brown sugar and flour only.  I’ve also had the “oat” variety which I always thought was a bit too “granola” for my liking. Regardless, apple crisp is a cold weather favourite.  There is something remarkably comforting about cinnamon, apples, butter and brown sugar that is like wrapping yourself up in a warm wool blanket in front of the fire.

Its been raining all day here in Vancouver.  As I set out for a run this morning and near froze my legs off, I thought that I should reward myself tonight with a heart-warming apple crisp; SwapMeat style.  I took inspiration from my mum’s version and that famous diner oat version and I think I came up with something comforting and wonderful.  After all, isn’t that what apple crisp is all about?

Yield:  8 servings
Prep Time:  20 minutes (it takes a bit of time to prep them apples)
Cook Time:  1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

4-5 large sweet apples such as Gala or Braeburn
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/4 cup maple syrup

For the Crust:

1/2 cup Earth Balance (not the spreadable kind)
1 cup whole oats (not the quick oats)
1/2 cup spelt or kamut flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup pecans
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel and core the apples.  Cut into about 1/2 inch pieces and place into a medium mixing bowl.  Toss with the lemon juice, the tapioca flour and the maple syrup.

Butter (with some more Earth Balance) a 9″ baking dish.  Pour in the chopped and spiced apples and spread evenly.

In a food processor (you can also do this by hand), pulse all the ingredients for the crust until well combined.  I personally don’t like whole oat flakes in my crust, so I make sure that they were processed until they were at least 1/4 of their original size and the mixture became sticky and starts to form clumps.

Pour the crust over the apples and break up any large clumps.

Bake at 350F until the crisp is bubbling and browned.  Enjoy with a scoop of home-made cinnamon ice cream (recipe below).   How’s that for comfort food?!

Cinnamon Ice Cream:

3/4 cup non dairy milk (something not too thin like almond or hemp)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 cups coconut milk (full cream)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar (or substitute stevia drops for sugar free)
 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl or cup, combine 1/4 cup of the non dairy milk with the arrowroot powder and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining milk, coconut milk, cinnamon and sugar over medium high heat.  When the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to minimum and stir in the arrowroot mixture.   You will notice the mix thicken almost immediately.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Let cool completely before adding it to the ice cream maker (3-4 hours in the fridge).  I often make up my ice cream mix the day before I want to serve it so that it’s ready to go right away and I don’t have to wait around in anticipation for it to cool!

 

Pancakes

November 25th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Life has been busy lately.  I’ve taken on a restaurant management job with a major hotel chain, and as ironic as it is, I’ve had very little time to get into the kitchen (the SwapMeat kitchen that is).  This pattern will hopefully change now that I’ve got my bearings. I still have a plethora recipes to veganize from my trip to Spain, not to mention some of the favourites from my restaurant.

Since I’m working the closing shift in the restaurant tonight, I figured a carbo-load is in order .  It’s Friday night and we will be running!  I had yet to try out our new griddle, so I thought I’d whip up a batch of vegan pancakes this morning.  Coffee helps too.

Yields:  8 x 3″ sized pancakes (2 substantial servings)
Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  approximately 6 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (I’ve used spelt flour)*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons agave

*spelt is actually a derivative of wheat and of course contains gluten.  You can substitute kamut flour here to avoid wheat all together.  These pancakes are not gluten-free.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, oil and agave.  Cooks tip:  use the same measuring spoon for the agave after using it for the oil, and the agave won’t stick to the spoon!

Heat a griddle to 350F, or alternately heat some oil in a saute pan. If using a non-stick griddle like I am, no oil is required.

Pour the batter onto the griddle in 1/4 cup portions.  As the pancakes cook, tiny bubbles will begin to form.  When bubbles reach the center, the pancake is ready to flip. 

This pancakes is ALMOST ready to flip. Wait until the bubbles fully burst and the top of the cake isn't so wet.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes (until golden on the opposite side) and serve hot with Earth Balance and maple syrup!

Recipe adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

That’s a hot stack!

Greta’s Strawberry Ice Cream

November 15th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Ok.  It’s cold here and I can’t seam to warm up.  It’s definitely parka season!

I just got back from Spain a few weeks ago where I was visiting my sister and niece who are currently residing in Marbella.  I had some amazing food and wine experiences and managed to soak up some of the heat before returning to the blustery, raining weather of my home town!  Since I’ve returned to Vancouver I’ve started a new job and life has been a bit hectic, however my goal over the next month is to veganize some of the most amazing dishes that I found along my journey and get them up here to share with you all!

That being said, my sister and my niece Greta have since come to Canada to spend the Christmas season, and Greta has a passion for fine ice cream (and chippies)!  Although it’s freezing cold and I am dreaming of things like warm apple pie and festive shortbread, who could say no to this face when a request for strawberry ice cream is mentioned…

Yields:  1 quart
Cook Time:  10 minutes
Freeze Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups strawberries
1 cup of almond or other non-dairy milk
2 cups full cream coconut milk
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp arrowroot powder mixed with 3 tbsp almond or other non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla
juice of half a lime (or 2 tbsp lemon)

Wash and cut the tops off the strawberries.  Place in a blender with the sugar, milk and coconut milk and blend until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, heat the strawberry cream mixture until it comes to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the arrowroot mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and lime juice.

Let cool completely before placing into an ice cream maker.  Follow the manufacturer’s directions (mine takes about 25 minutes).  Keep in mind that your ice cream container needs to be frozen in advance.  I store mine in the freezer so that it is ready at any given moment!

You can also make this ice cream if you don’t own an ice cream maker!  Don’t fret!  Pour the cooled mixture into a freezer safe bowl.  Place in the freezer and ever 30 minutes, remove and stir.  Continue this process until the ice cream is the desired consistency.  I’ve never tried this method, however I would guess it would take about 3-4 hours.

Voila!  A frozen strawberry treat.  Who doesn’t like ice cream!? And who doesn’t like sharing their ice cream with friends!?

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