Honey, Walnut, & Cinnamon Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Something you should know about me if you don't already: ice cream is my favorite food of all time. Something else you should know: I have an often insatiable sweet tooth (thanks, mom!*). What does this mean if a person possesses both of these qualities? It means that I can't just have it around the house, or I will eat all of it...all the time. However, I've found quite a decent loophole, and that is non-dairy ice cream made from frozen bananas. 

Typically, I'll use 2-3 bananas to make a single batch for Matt and I that we will eat right after making. But this time, I wanted to make a bigger batch that would last a little while. 

I had about 6 bananas that I cut into medallions. I put them in a glass container and let them freeze overnight. The next day, I let the bananas thaw for 20 minutes before blending them in a food processor. 

This is the best part about making this type of ice cream: you can add absolutely anything you want. This time, I wanted something light that still tasted like dessert, so I added honey, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. I added the majority of the honey and cinnamon in (again, as much or as little as you want) when I was blending the bananas in the processor, but you'll want to save the walnuts for toppings...otherwise they'll just get chopped up right into the ice cream. I added some more honey and cinnamon on top for garnish, and voila! A more-healthy-than-not treat.

Have y'all tried this with any other flavorings? I'd love to know!

*This is not because she force fed me sugar at any point in my life, but rather due to genetics. Just defending your honor, momz. 

Snack Time: Edamame

Hey, next time you're snowed in and planning on not moving from the couch for eight hours, try salting some edamame instead of popcorn. As a bonus, it's interactive cause you get to pull it out with your teeth. Was that too much?

Potato Gnocchi with Edamame Pesto

I have loved this alternative pesto recipe (basil is typically the main ingredient) for years now, and it was nice to put it with a pasta again. Mostly due to the fact that we bought the pasta already made, this took about 10 minutes to make. Right up my alley. 

If you don't have it, go get it:

-1 1/2 cups shelled edamame

-1 large clove garlic

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 1/4 cups packed cilantro leaves

-1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Cook edamame in small saucepan.

2. In a food processor, process the garlic and salt until finely minced. Add cilantro and puree.

3. Add edamame and lime juice and process until well-blended. Add the oil while the processor is running, and blend. 

4. If you're topping a pasta with the sauce, add up to 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water to make it more sauce-y. 

That's it! I hope you enjoy : )

P.S.- I am aware that I spelled edamame incorrectly in the first photo, but that doesn't make this recipe any less delicious. Live and learn, kittens.

Accidental Goodness: Vegan Taco Pizza

This past weekend, after much deliberation on how in the world I was going to make a meal out of the stragglers and castaways inhabiting my cabinets, (and two glasses of wine) I decided I could (possibly, maybe, hopefully) make a taco pizza. Having never made one before, I shut my eyes and crossed my fingers, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

If you don't have this stuff, go get it:

-Pizza crust (ours was pre-made but I'm sure there are a million and one recipes online if you prefer scratch).

-Can of refried beans. I hate even typing the phrase "refried beans," but it is essential- promise.

-Jar of salsa

-Taco seasoning

-Lettuce

-Onion (amount depends on personal preference, though I think I used about 1/4 of an onion)

-Can of black beans

-Cilantro

-"Cheese" (I used daiya)

-4-5 Hard taco shells or a couple handfuls of tortilla chips

-2 Roma tomatoes

-Avocado

-Cayenne pepper

Prep: Chop lettuce, onion, cilantro, tomatoes. Crush taco shells or tortilla chips into bite-sized pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 450, brush crust with olive oil.

2. In a medium or large bowl, mix refried beans with salsa (how much salsa depends on personal preference...I used 3/4 of a jar). Stir in taco seasoning; amount, again, depends on personal taste. I'd say I used about 1/2-3/4 of a packet. Spread this mixture onto crust.

3. Sprinkle about half of crushed taco shells or tortilla chips over the bean mixture.

4. Sprinkle layer of cheese (go light here), then lettuce, then onion.

5. Sprinkle layer of black beans and tomato. 

6. Add the rest of your taco shells or chips.

7. Alternate sprinkling of "cheese" and cilantro until you're satisfied. Add a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper on top (be careful!). Place pizza on oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes.

8. While baking, slice up 1/2 an avocado. Place slices on top of pizza during cooling. Enjoy!

P.S.- Don't forget to add your favorite hot sauce! 

Breakfast in a Hurry

Hey y'all! Today I wanted to share a super easy breakfast idea that I've been digging lately. Take a couple of large pretzel sticks, dip them in some peanut butter, and roll in flax seeds. I usually pair this with fruit of some kind, and with the carbs and protein involved, I feel full enough to make it til lunch. I realize this may not be up everyone's alley, but it's been fulfilling my need for crunch and gets the job done : ). See you tomorrow!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Everyone has a couple recipes that seem to stick around at holiday dinners year after year, right? These buttermilk biscuits fall into that category for us; Matt and I have made them every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas since we started dating, and they haven't let us down since. Enjoy!

Go Buy This: 

-2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

-2 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. sugar

-3/4 tsp. table salt

-1 cup cold buttermilk

-8 Tbsp. unsalted butter + 2 Tbsp. melted for brushing tops of biscuits later

-Parchment paper

Do This:

1. Move an oven rack to the middle and set preheat for 475.

2. Melt 8 Tbsp. butter and let cool while you do step 3 (or for about 5-6 minutes)

3. Whisk dry ingredients in large bowl (I know, whisking dry stuff is weird but just do it)

4. Combine cold buttermilk and 8 Tbsp. melted (but cooled!) butter in a medium bowl and stir until the butter becomes slightly clumpy.

5. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until incorporated and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

6. Use a greased 1/4 cup dry measure scoop to form drops, and, well, drop biscuits onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until tops are golden brown (12-14 minutes).

7. Once out of the oven, brush tops of biscuits with remaining 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Move to wire rack to cool for ~5 minutes before serving. Or, immediately when they come out of the oven, if you're Matt.

Yum! 

Spiked Apple Cider

Hey friends! Since I know a good number of you will be in full-on holiday mode this week and beyond, I thought I'd share one of my favorite gettin'-cozy-with-the-fam drinks with you!

Matt and I make this all the time, this time of year. We go through so many gallons of cider! It's our go-to because a) it's delicious and b) it's crazy easy (my favorite part). All you need is:

- Apple cider 

- Whiskey

- Cinnamon and nutmeg, or your favorite autumnal spices

1. Heat cider over stove.

2. We generally use a 2:1 ratio when mixing drinks, so pour 2 parts cider to 1 part whiskey, depending on your mug.

3. Add whatever spices/garnish you please! Let cool and enjoy!

P.S.- How great is this mustache mug Matt found on an antiquing trip? It's got a "mustache guard" so your drink stays out of your carefully-curated handlebar! I love it. : )

Cheers!

PB & Chocolate 5 Minute Cake

Am I the last person on the planet to discover Chocolate-Covered Katie? I may be tardy to the party, but this 5 minute, single serving recipe is almost worth the wait for a blog/blogger this amazing. I used Katie's recipe, only subbing half of the "icing" with pecans. 

Now go get lost for hours in dessertland, like I did.

P.S.- The (mostly out of focus) Dia de los Muertos napkins are a souvenir of Matt's from a friend's wedding in L.A. I love them.

P.P.S.- What do you think of the new layout? I think it's fresh.

Vegan Walnut & Raisin Zucchini Bread

This kitchen venture is inspired by a treat brought to the preschool where I work for a child's birthday. Instead of bringing cupcakes or candy, this parent brought chocolate zucchini bread for the kids- and they loved it (so did I)! The goal was to make a vegan version of the birthday treat, but I forgot to add the cocoa powder until it was too late (oops). Oh well, the holidays are approaching and there's plenty of time for chocolate : ).

Add to the grocery list:

-- 6 Tbsp. flax seeds

-- 1/2 cup warm water

-- 2 cups light brown sugar

-- 1/2 cup oil (I used olive)

-- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

-- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

-- 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

-- 1 carrot, grated

-- 1 cup raisins

-- 1 cup chopped walnuts

-- 1 cup whole wheat flour

-- 2 cups all purpose flour

-- 1 Tbsp. baking powder

-- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

-- 2 tsp. nutmeg

-- 1 tsp. salt

-- 2 loaf pans

To prep:

Grate zucchini and carrot, chop walnuts if not done already.

1. Mix flax seeds, warm water, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.

2. Beat well.

3. Stir in grated zucchini.

4. Grab a new bowl, sift remaining dry ingredients together. No sifter? Use a strainer.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet.

6. Stir until dry ingredients are wet. Add carrot. 

7. Split batter between two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. 

Slice thickly, spread some jam, and enjoy with a glass of milk or apple cider!

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Several trips to the grocery store ago, Matt and I came home with powdered peanut butter, just on a whim. While we discovered that the consistency of the product isn't exactly our bag on a sandwich, it does add the perfect amount of flare to a hot chocolate-- something I'm constantly craving as soon as the temperature gets below 60 degrees. So, without further ado:

You'll need:

-- 1 cup milk or milk substitute

-- 1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

-- 1 Tbsp. powdered peanut butter

-- 1 Tbsp. sugar

-- dash of salt

-- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat milk on stove or in microwave. Or, if you've got a milk steamer, do that. Combine all dry ingredients in a mug. Pour milk into mug, then add vanilla. Stir and enjoy!

Easy Potato Medley

It can certainly be said that I love to make any sort of meal that is extremely flexible with its ingredients (stir fry, soup, salad, etc.) since I'm terrible at keeping an inventory of what's in my cabinets. So if you have two kinds of potatoes that are about to go bad, and a refrigerator full of odds & ends (of the vegetable variety), this dish is for you.

We used:

-two sweet potatoes

-one large red potato

-hominy

-onion

-mushrooms

-carrots

-cilantro

-oregano

-olive oil

-salt + pepper

-a splash of light soy sauce (I told you, we kind of threw everything in)

-honey

We wish we would've added:

-garlic

Chop potatoes and slice carrots, as you'll want to put those in the pot first (over medium heat, with some oil), so they have plenty of time to become tender. Add the hominy (use liquid as a broth). While all that's cooking, chop the rest of your veggies and add to pot. Add spices/condiments and feel free to experiment. Seriously- if you think it sounds good, it probably will be. Add cilantro and mushrooms last, as you don't want those to be too tender. Cook until desired tenderness is achieved.

Matt brought a massive amount of oregano back from Greece because spices are apparently quite inexpensive there.

Don't forget the hot sauce (Cholula, if we're friends)! : ) Enjoy!