Dairy-free Ginger Chocolate Ice Cream

A good friend of mine is practically addicted to dark chocolate-covered ginger candies, and he got me thinking about what a great ice cream flavor that would be. In my cookbook Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love, I have a Chocolate Ice Cream and I have a Ginger Ice Cream . . . so with a little tweaking, I combined them into a cold, creamy, chocolaty treat with a spicy ginger burn. And it's just as addicting as those candies, let me tell you. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ginger-Chocolate Ice Cream

We wanted a really strong ginger taste, but if you want it to be a little more subtle, use the lesser amount of ginger.

1 1/3 cups nondairy milk

1/3-1/2 cup peeled and grated ginger (3 – 4 ounce piece)

1 ounces dark unsweetened baking chocolate

1 can full-fat coconut milk

2/3 cup sugar or agave nectar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place nondairy milk in a small saucepan. Add the grated ginger, squeezing it a bit to release the juice. Cover and heat until just beginning to boil. Cover and steep 30 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing all the liquid out of the grated ginger. Return the strained milk mixture to the saucepan. Add the baking chocolate and heat enough to melt the chocolate. Let sit. Pour the remaining ingredients into the heatproof bowl. Wisk in the heated chocolate/milk mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for three hours or until very cold. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Makes 1 quart

Vegan Lemon Gingersnap Ice Cream

So, I've been eyeing this new ice cream flavor at Trader Joe's called Lemon Triple Gingersnap Ice Cream and decided why not make a nondairy version. I used the Lemon Ice Cream recipe from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love (I used Meyer lemons), and at the end mixed in grated lemon peel and crushed gingersnap cookies. OMG -- heaven. Just heaven.

Here's the recipe if you want to try.

Lemon Gingersnap Ice Cream

1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup nondairy milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar or agave syrup
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Grated peel from 2 lemons
2/3 cup crushed gingersnap cookies (about 10)

Place the coconut milk, nondairy milk, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Whisk in the lemon juice and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When the ice cream is firm, add the grated lemon peel and crushed cookies. Process another minute, or until they are distributed through the ice cream.

Makes about 1 quart

Dairy-free Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream

Wondering what to do with all of those luscious raspberries in season right now? How about making ice cream. This is one of my favorite recipes from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love. It tastes like a truffle.
















Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream
Makes about 3 cups
Rich dark chocolate tinged with fresh red raspberries—a wonderful flavor combination. To make this even more decadent, add a couple of tablespoons of Chambord liqueur.

1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups raspberries

Place the coconut milk, sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and whisk until well combined. Warm on medium-low heat until the mixture just begins to simmer and get foamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the raspberries. Let rest for 20 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl (or, to save on dishwashing, over the saucepan you used to heat the coconut milk). Pour the blended mixture into the strainer and press it through to remove the seeds. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

15-Minute Veggie Burger

We got home from dance practice and had 1/2 hour to cook and eat, before heading out to a play. Trying to see what I could make in a hurry, I came up with these veggie burgers--thanks to leftover rice and beans in the refrigerator. TIP: Whenever you cook rice or beans from scratch, ALWAYS MAKE EXTRA. There are so many ways to use the leftovers.

My kids absolutely loved these and they are so much healthier than storebought veggie burgers, plus they are free of soy, dairy, gluten, corn, and nuts! They get kind of lost in a big burger bun so you might want to put two burgers on the bun, but they are perfect in a pita pocket with sunflower sprouts. Since we had 2 burgers left over (no time for seconds!), I made the girls cold veggie burgers sandwiches (whole wheat bread, mayo, catsup, lettuce, and burger) for lunch and they said they were great. Next time, I will double the recipe and freeze some.

15-Minute Veggie Burgers

1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (or other bean)
1 1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
pinch paprika
oil for pan

Cut celery and carrot into chunks and place in a food processor with a metal blade. Process until the vegetables are minced. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture holds together but is still a little chunky.

Pour enough oil onto griddle or skillet to coat the bottom. Place over medium-low heat. Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of burger mixture onto hot skillet. Flatten to a burger shape. Let cook 5 minutes, or until bottom is brown and crisp. Do not turn to early or the burger will fall apart. Carefully turn the burger (it will be delicate), and cook another 5 minutes or so until crisp.

Makes 6 burgers

Note: These would also be great with other beans, spices, and vegetables

Versatile Bloggers Award!

I just found out I've been given The Versatile Blogger Award by the wonderful author/blogger Anne R. Allen!

Apparently the rules are I tell you 7 things about myself, so here goes:

1) I love to read . . . and really I'd get a lot more writing done if that weren't the case. I read about 3 books a week. Check me out on goodreads if you want to see what I'm reading.

2) I'm a library tech in charge of an elementary school library and I love it! It's my dream job (see number 1).

3) I also review books for the Amazon Vine Program, VegFamily Magazine, and occasional other venues--another dream job (again see number 1).

4) I've written a middle-grade novel featuring homeschooled characters and am currently searching for an agent to represent it (in case you know anyone . . .)

5) I've recently started writing a new cookbook of vegan family recipes which I am very excited about. It will be similar to The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook -- simply, family-friendly, whole foods recipes.

6) I love to cook but sometimes I wish I didn't have to. Luckily, my daughters are become quite good cooks!

7) My special relaxation when someone else volunteers to cook: A cup of green tea with a splash of coconut creamer and a square of Green and Black dark chocolate. Oh, and a book of course!

And now . . . my pick for the Versatile Blogger: Alisa Fleming of Alisa Cooks!

Birthday Goodies

My oldest daughter turned 12 yesterday. I can't believe it!!!! For breakfast she requested chocolate chip pancakes so I made her a vegan version that came out very well. The girls gobbled them off as soon as they came off the griddle . . . I was lucky to get one for myself! We decided that recipe is a keeper.

Then for her birthday dessert, she wanted homemade ice cream. Since a friend gave me a bunch of meyer lemons (and since she LOVES lemon anything), I made the Lemon Ice Cream and Vanilla Sandwich Cookie Crust from Lick It! Creamy Dream Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love and make her a pie.

Here's the recipe in case you have a lemon loving family members:

Grate and save the zest from the lemons to decorate the top of the pie.

NonDairy Lemon Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart
This is slightly milder and creamier than Lemon Sherbet.

1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar or agave syrup
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place the coconut milk, soymilk, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then whisk in the lemon juice and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Vanilla Sandwich Cookie Crust
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie or torte crust
If you’re using a food processor to make the crust, you can crush the cookies in the processor before adding the oil.

18 vanilla crème-filled sandwich cookies, finely crushed (1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or nonhydrogenated margarine, melted

Combine the cookies and oil in a small bowl or food processor and mix until well blended. Press evenly into an unoiled 9-inch pie pan or springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes before filling.

To assemble the pie, spread the freshly made ice cream into the frozen crust. Sprinkle grated lemon peel on the top. Freeze for 2 hours or until firm. If the pie is frozen solid, you will need to leave at room temperature about 15 minutes or in refrigerator 30-45 minutes, to soften for slicing.

Vegan Crunk

The Vegan Crunk likes Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love. Check out her blog post about her experience making vegan Rocky Road Ice Cream.

Special Food Groups ezine

If you have food allergies, you may want to check out the ezine Special Food Groups. The new issue was just posted and I have an article on making dairy-free ice cream.

You'll also find a few of my favorite recipes including Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream and Lemon Thyme Sorbet.

Best Vegan Cookbooks for Holiday Baking and Gifts

Check out this feature on the Go Dairy Free website: It’s All About Dessert: The Best Vegan Cookbooks for Holiday Baking and Gift-Giving.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream -- dairy-free

The weather's been so wonderfully warm here on the central coast of California -- perfect ice cream weather. Here's a delicious flavor from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love that's perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

Makes 1 generous quart

You can cook a fresh pumpkin for this recipe if you like, but canned works just fine. You can also substitute puréed sweet potato or squash for the pumpkin. Try this ice cream topped with Whipped Orange-Cashew Cream (recipe follows).

 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup puréed cooked pumpkin

1/2 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Whipped Cashew Cream

Makes 2 cups

Cashews are amazingly creamy and make a wonderful, thick topping similar to whipped cream.

1 1/2 cups raw cashews

1/2 cup rice milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the cashews in a blender and grind them into a powder. Add the rice milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and process until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until cold and firm.

Whipped Orange-Cashew Cream: Add 1/8 teaspoon of orange extract along with the vanilla extract.

Benefits of Coconut Milk

Listen to my foodcast about the benefits of coconut milk -- and for more information and recipes, check out my article in VegFamily Magazine.

Video: Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream

See how easy it is to make this luscious flavor from Lick It! Creamy Creamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love. Click here for the complete recipe.

Get cultured-Yogurt

Listen to the first of my Get Cultured soundbytes. This one focuses on yogurt. Below is my recipe for Cashew Yogurt from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook.

Cashew Yogurt

This creamy, nondairy yogurt just takes a few seconds to mix up. The incubation period is 8 to 24 hours depending how warm you keep it.

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

Place cashews in blender and grind to a coarse powder. Add water and blend until smooth. It should have a consistency of heavy cream. Pour mixture into a jar and place in warm location (70ºF to 100ºF). Cover with a light towel or napkin. Start checking the yogurt after 6 hours. First you should notice bubbles forming. When it has formed thick curd with a layer of liquid (whey) on the bottom, cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least one hour. When ready to eat, stir the whey and yogurt together. Add a little honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses, fruit, or jam if desired. Yogurt will keep refrigerated up to a week.

Makes 2 cups

Note: Choose a place where the temperature will remain constant to incubate your yogurt. I like to fill a small cooler with warm water and place the jar in the water (make sure the water is below the level of the jar). Another good place is on top of the pilot light in a gas stove. As long as the temperature in your house is at least 70ºF, you can place the jar anywhere. Keep in mind, the lower the temperature, the longer the incubation. At 70ºF, it will take about 20 hours.

Chocolate Chai Ice Cream Pie

Try this--Chocolate Chai Ice Cream in a cinnamon graham cracker crust, topped with crushed crackers and chocolate chips!

Vegan Chocolate Chai Ice Cream

Learn to make Chocolate Chai Ice Cream -- one of my favorite flavors from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love. Rich and creamy chocolate with a hint of spice -- and best of all completely dairy-free. Click here for the complete recipe and instructions.

It's also up on YouTube.

Vegan ice cream article and recipes

Lick It! was featured in the San Luis Obispo Tribune on Sunday. Check out the article for pictures and a few of my favorite recipes.

Lemon Thyme Sorbet

Okay -- here's my first food video . . . thanks to a cool Web site called animoto.com. And now you can make one of my families very favorite treats: Lemon Thyme Sorbet!

GIVEAWAY--Drawing for free cookbook!

Visit VegCooking to be entered in a drawing for Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love!

Chocolate Raspberry . . . Chocolate Blackberry . . . Chocolate Strawberry . .. Oh My!

I'm still churning out ice cream for tomorrow's tasting at Rutiz Farms. I wanted to make my favorite flavor Chocolate Raspberry but . . . no raspberries yet. There are, however, lots of blackberries and strawberries so I used my Chocolate Raspberry recipe from Lick It! substituting those berries and YUM!!!! The blackberry especially blew us away!  Come on over to the farm tomorrow to check them out . . . or try making one yourself! 

And by the way -- you can find my Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Recipes on VegFamily.com.

Ice Cream Tasting

For those of you on the Central Coast of California, come on down to Rutiz Farms on Friday, July 10th starting at 1 p.m. until I run out of ice cream. I'll get sampling out some ice creams made from fresh local produce and herbs from my book Lick It! For more information about Rutiz Farms or to get directions, to to www.rutizfarms.com.