The Fickle Hobbyist

Archive for the ‘vegan’ Category

I don’t do animal dairy, and my husband is sort of lactose intolerant, so I usually buy soy, almond, or rice ice creams.  Although they are pretty good, they are also very expensive.  Not real cost effective when the man can sit down and go through one of those little $5 containers in one sitting.  While I was at Autumn’s house visiting this summer, she got out the old ice cream maker that my mom had given her, and we set out to make us some home made ice cream.  It being our first attempt, we scanned the internet for recipes, and wanted to follow them to a tee.  Most all recipes call for heavy whipping cream and half and half.  We made it as per the instructions, and it was delicious.  But I wanted to try making some without dairy, and I figured I could figure it out.

I bought myself a very inexpensive ice cream maker, and perused the internet for a recipe that I figured I could mess around with.  Most all recipes said that you could substitute milk for the half and half, or half and half for the cream, it just wouldn’t be as creamy, sort of an ice milk.

I came across this recipe, read the reviews, and tweaked it a bit.  I must say, it turned out very good!!!

Ingredients
·    2 eggs + 3 yokes
·    1 1/2 cup sugar (or less, depending on your sweet tooth, or what you’ll be adding)
·    1/4 teaspoon salt
·    3 3/4 cups soy creamer (ie Silk)
·    3 cups almond milk
·    2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract (or other flavoring of your choice)

I used Almond Breeze Vanilla Milk, so I didn’t add vanilla extract, and I didn’t add but a little bit of sugar since it is slightly sweet (the reviews said that the original recipe was too sweet).  You can add as little as you want, depending on your likes.

When separating the eggs, be sure and use a fork to get that little piece of white off from the white or around the yolk, as you don’t want any lumps in your ice cream.

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon and reaches at least 180 degrees F.

Remove from the heat; cool quickly by setting pan in ice and stirring the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight or freeze immediately. When ready to freeze, pour custard and vanilla into the cylinder of an ice cream freezer. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

I wasn’t going to be putting the mixture into the ice cream maker right away, so I skipped the ice bath.  I just refrigerated it until morning.  It was cold and ready to be put into the machine.

Once the ice cream was ready to be put into a container and put into the freezer, (it will be the consistency of soft serve) I folded in some broken up mint Oreo cookies.  Did you know that Oreos are vegan?!

At this point, you can add chopped nuts, marshmallows, fruit, candy pieces, caramel or chocolate swirls.  Use your imagination.  Next time, I am going to try using some coconut coffee syrup, and adding shredded coconut and crushed pineapple.
Mix up your added ingredients, and place into a container for freezing.

Let it set for several hours, or overnight, and it will harden up nicely.

This makes about a quart and a half, or almost a half gallon.  It’s hard to tell.  Makes quite a bit, though.

Previously, I found an ice cream packet mix, all you did was add half and half.  I used almond milk, and that was it (it was chocolate flavoring), and it had the consistency and taste of fudgesicles.  Oh, and I added broken up Butterfingers.  That was delicious!!

What better way to cool off during a hot summer day than with homemade ice cream?  Especially when it’s tailor made to your likes.

*Tami’s Tip of the Week*

Are you always rushing to eat your ice cream cone before it melts and drips?  Now you can enjoy your cool treat at your leisure.  Place a large marshmallow in the ice cream cone before you fill it.

**Don’t forget my Giveaway! There are only a handful of days left to get in on it.**

No Fat Brownie Muffins

I know what you’re thinking.  “No fat, no flavor”.  When people think about healthier versions of their favorite foods, tastiness never comes to the forefront of their minds.  I can assure you, in this case, nothing could be further from the truth.

Have you ever had a Costco chocolate muffin (you know the ones.  They come in a 12 pack of mondo sized deliciousness, in an assortment of flavors) or perhaps one of your favorite coffee shops carries something similar.  These muffins are like those.  And they are SO simple.  No oil or eggs.  (Yes!! They’re vegan!! Not that they’re labeled as such, just thought I’d throw in that tiny detail).  Just 2 very simple ingredients.  I’ll bet you’d never guess.  They are so moist, it’s unbelievable.

Combine a 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin with a box of devil’s food cake mix.  (Duncan Hines is vegan, if you care).

Stir until blended.

The batter won’t be anything like a cake mix batter.  It really is the consistency of a brownie mix.  And the weird thing about it is, it tastes just like a brownie mix!!

Pour the batter into a 12 cup muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray, and bake at 400F for 20 minutes

These chocolate muffins taste just like the real thing – but have a fraction of the fat and calories!!  If you love the best part of a muffin, the “muffin top”, you’re sure to enjoys these!!

I was thinking that a spice or carrot cake mix would be delicious made this way.  I’d probably add some nuts, some grated carrots or apples.  I will probably never make cupcakes the normal way ever again.  These don’t even need frosting!!

Tami’s Tip of the Week

Frosting that’s easy as…..cake.  Out of frosting for your cupcakes?  Don’t worry.  Plop a marshmallow on top of each one a minute or so before they’re due to come out of the oven.  Instant gooey frosting.

Quinoa, Gold of the Aztecs
Why Eat It

Nutritionally, quinoa might be considered a supergrain–although it is not really a grain, but the seed of a leafy plant that’s distantly related to spinach. Quinoa has excellent reserves of protein, and unlike other grains, is not missing the amino acid lysine, so the protein is more complete (a trait it shares with other “non-true” grains such as buckwheat and amaranth). The World Health Organization has rated the quality of protein in quinoa at least equivalent to that in milk. Quinoa offers more iron than other grains and contains high levels of potassium and riboflavin, as well as other B vitamins: B6, niacin, and thiamin. It is also a good source of magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese, and has some folate (folic acid).

An ancient grain-like product that has recently been “rediscovered” in this country, quinoa has a light, delicate taste, and can be substituted for almost any other grain.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient grain that has made a comeback in recent years. Its popularity is due in part to the fact that 1 cup cooked quinoa contains as much calcium as an entire quart of dairy milk!!100% absorbable and usable by your body, and twice the protein of rice and barley.

Quinoa, often referred to as the “gold of the Aztecs” is an ancient grain, first used by the Aztecs and Incas. It, too, comes in a wide variety of colors from yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and black. Many foodies and medical professionals are also calling it a “supergrain” because it contains all 9 essential amino acids in addition to being high in protein, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper, and B vitamins.

In a nutshell, in 1/2 cup dry quinoa (1 cup cooked), you’ll find…….
11 grams protein
51 mg calcium
179 mg magnesium
2.8 gm zinc
5 grams fiber
629 mg potassium
7.9 mg iron
42 mcg folic acid

The National Academy of Sciences considers quinoa one of the two best sources of vegetable protein. This source has a superior amino acid balance over cow’s milk or soy-based products. I find this very important, since I eat a mostly vegan diet, and to know that I am getting both calcium and protein in such a tiny seed, I find that impressive!!

Quinoa is very versatile. It can be cooked and used in place of rice or other grains, and eaten as a hot cereal. What a great food with which to start off your day!!

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes, each with a very different flavor, but equally impressive.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

1 cup quinoa, washed & drained
2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 fresh limes
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (108-oz pkg), cut in half
5 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash & rinse quinoa. In a saucepan, bring quinoa & water to a boil. Reduce & simmer, cover & cook until all water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and red pepper flakes.

3. Combine cooled quinoa, beans, tomatoes, & onions in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss with cilantro. Season with salt & pepper and serve.

*Let me just interject here and say that this is my freaking favorite salad of all time.  Trust me, it’s SO good!  -Autumn*

Quinoa Salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup dried apricots, diced into small pieces
1/3 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries, you could use dried blueberries, use your imagination)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 shallot, finely chopped (2 TBSP)
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
2 TBSP chopped fresh mint
1 TBSP grated orange zest (from the peel)
2 oranges, peels sliced off and sections cut out
(I bet canned mandarins, drained, would work just fine)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 TBSP olive oil

1. Toast almonds, set aside

2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in pan. Add quinoa and salt, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, or until tender and almost all water is absorbed. Drain, then transfer to large bowl. Toss with apricots and raisins.

3. Whisk together orange juice, shallot, parsley, cilantro, mint, orange zest, cumin and coriander. Whisk in oil. Pour over quinoa, and toss to coat. Garnish with orange slices and toasted almonds. (I tossed all the oranges pieces into the salad, instead of just using for garnish).

~ Besides being a great summer salad, this would make for a hearty, healthy breakfast.

Tami’s Tip of the Week

Does wrapping an extra large gift have you stumped?  Try using a paper tablecloth.  They come in lots of fun colors and designs, and are so much cheaper than having to buy all that extra wrapping paper.  Sometimes you can even pick one up at the dollar store.