Choco Mint Ice Cream

Bangalore is getting very hot these days especially in the afternoons. One such hot day I was at the bus station and saw this Ice cream cart and got tempted to make some Ice cream :). (Looking forward to the day one can buy Vegan Ice Cream off a cart!) I had been planning to make one since sometime and had stocked up on coconut milk in my fridge. There was chocolate and fresh mint sitting in my fridge and here I am with this recipe :).

I have used Kara coconut milk for this recipe as I find it has more coconut cream. The creamier the milk the better for your ice cream. Store your coconut milk cartons/cans in the fridge for a few days before attempting this recipe. Keeping them in fridge allows the solids or the more creamy part to separate from the liquid. We are going to make coconut condensed milk and decant coconut solids from the cartons to make this ice cream. This is my most successful effort so far in Vegan Ice-Creams and if the recipe is followed the result is like store bought ice cream :) texture and taste wise.

Needs - Hand Immersion Blender with whisk attachment
Yields - 3-4 scoops

Ingredients
3 200ML Coconut milk cartons (chilled)
1/3-1/2 cup sugar (depending on taste)
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup Vegan chocolate chunks/chips
1 tbs Vanilla essence (optional)

Step 1 - Prepare Coconut condensed milk
1. In a pan on medium flame heat 200ml coconut milk with sugar.
2. Once the coconut milk mixture starts bubbling add mint leaves. With a spatula crush the mint leaves to release the flavors.
3. Keep the milk on simmer for around 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Over these 30 minutes the milk color changes from white to transparent to slightly creamish which is normal. The end result is a thick condensed coconut milk flavored with mint.
4. Take the pan off heat and allow the mixture to cool.
5. Pick or sieve out mint leaves from the mixture. Don't bother if a few are left behind.
6. Keep in fridge to chill completely.

Step 2 - Make coconut whipped cream
Take the other 2 coconut milk cartons which should have been sitting in fridge for a couple of days. Keeping them in fridge allows the solids or the more creamy part to separate from the liquid. Turn around the carton bottom up. This allows the more creamy solids to stay in the bottom. Now (quickly) open the carton and drain the watery portion into a vessel. We use the left over creamy part to make a coconut whipped cream :). Whipping the cream incorporates air into the mixture which makes your ice cream smooth and light in texture. Follow the steps below and refer to the images.

7. Whip the coconut cream from both cartons with a hand blender till you get soft peaks and an airy mixture. This can be done manually but could take more time.
8. Pour in your chilled coconut condensed milk and blend some more to combine and incorporate air. If the condensed milk has hardened too much loosen it by whipping with a spoon before adding.
9. Fold in you chocolate chunks with a spatula very gently without meddling too much with the cream.
10. Pour into a container with a lid and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. Before scooping allow the ice cream to sit outside for a few minutes.

Enjoy !! :)
Tip - Chill the vessel before whipping your ice cream.

References -
http://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-vegan-mint-brownie-ice-cream/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvclbHE-ZI8

Oatmeal Choco-Raisin Cookies

Cookies are the best quick bites to have at home especially when they are home made! There is a huge demand at my home for these. So I try to bake some new variety each time which then gets over within no time! Something about home baked fresh cookies makes your mouth water.. :) doesn't it ?

This is a No Maida recipe. I had a bar of Vegan Dark Chocolate which led me to make this recipe. If you are using a chocolate bar just chop the chocolate into small bite-able chunks for this recipe. Instead you could also use vegan chocolate chips. Coconut oil is very good for cooking with its health benefits and its higher smoke point. It leaves a mild coconut-y tinge to this cookie which works well with the other ingredients. :)

Cookies ready to be baked

Here is a recipe for sumptuous Oatmeal Choco Raisin cookies.

Ingredients

1.5 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tbs flax seed powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
pinch of salt
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks (vegan)
5 tbs water
3 tbsp date syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C.
2. Mix flax seed powder with 2.5 tbs water and set aside for few minutes.
3. Whisk together wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a bowl mix together coconut oil & brown sugar until combined.
5. Add date syrup, vanilla essence and flax seed mix to the wet ingredients and combine.
6. Mix oats with the other dry contents. To this add the wet ingredients and combine with a spatula.
7. Fold in the raisins and chocolate chunks into the mixture.
8. Add a little water and use your hands to bring the ingredients together, shape them into small disks and place on a baking sheet.
9. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes. Leave inside oven to cool for five minutes.
10. Take out the cookies and allow them to cool completely.

Expresso Panna Cotta

Coffee and coconut milk is becoming my recent favorite combo. Thought this might be an innovative way to express it in an 'Expresso Pannacotta' :). This is a subtle and delicate dessert. Crunchy roasted almonds take it to another level. "Who doesn't like roasted nuts anyway?" I would eat them with anything :).

A simple recipe with just five ingredients. Very quick and easy to make and will surely impress your guests.

Ingredients
200 ml full fat coconut milk (I used KARA)
Agar-Agar 2x2cm
2-3 Tbs Sugar (as per taste)
2 Tsp Instant coffee powder
3/4 cup water
Roasted Almond bits

I've used  Agar Agar sheet found in most retail stores. It looks like this.

Steps
1. Boil Agar Agar in 3/4 cup water until it dissolves.
2. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat coconut milk until you see the first few bubbles.
3. Add dissolved agar agar liquid into the coconut milk and keep stirring.
4. Add sugar and coffee powder into the above mixture and stir to dissolve.
5. Keep Stirring until the mixture thickens a bit for about 4-5 minutes.
6. Switch off the heat and put the mixture into moulds and keep aside to cool.
7. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving with a dash of roasted almonds :).


Note- To de-mould gently run a butter knife along the sides of the mould. Overturn and tap the mould.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

I love vegetables of all different colors. Something that works well for me being a vegan. Aiming at adding more raw plant based food to my diet, I was keen on trying roasting my veges first. My childhood memory is of eating roasted sweet potatoes cooked in a man-made sigree in our garden. Roasted sweet potato chaat was heavenly in winters. :)

Its lovely how roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness. Entire house smells aromatic without any spices or herbs being used. Moreover the nutritive value of some vegetables is higher when they are cooked by roasting. Here is my Colorful Roasted Vegetable Salad :)

Few things to note while roasting vegetables in a convection oven are -

1. Coat them with a generous amount of olive oil before roasting. With less oil on them veges can dehydrate while roasting.
2. Different vegetables take different amount of time to get cooked while roasting. I've mentioned timings for different vegetables below.
3. Dice the vegetables into equal sized pieces for uniform roasting.
4. Well roasted veges become tender inside and slightly brown on the outside.

Oven Pre Heated to 220C
Vegetable         Time(minutes)

Potato/Sweet Potato 20-25
ButterNut Squash      20
Carrots         15-20
Onion / Tomato 10-15
Red/Yellow Bell Peppers 10-15
Broccoli                 10

The roasting time can vary based on the size of vegetable pieces and also depending on the oven. Use the above chart as a reference and check your veges 5 Minutes before mentioned time. I put the vegetables in one single stretch on the same tray after gaps of 5-10 minutes as required. This is an overall quick method but adds an additional 5-10 minutes to your cooking because of opening of oven multiple times.

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced potato
1/2 cup diced sweet potato
1/2 cup diced butternut squash
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup chopped red & yellow pepper
1 small Onion chopped in chunks
1 medium Tomato chopped
1 medium carrot cut in length
2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Tahini (optional)
Salad Dressing (optional)

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 200C.
2. Dice and cut your vegetables as mentioned.
3. Grease your baking tray with few drops of oil.
4. Rub the vegetable with generous amount of olive oil. They should look shiny.
5. Spread the veges flat on a tray and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
6. Start with Potato and sweet Potatoes in a preheated oven, after five minutes add Butternut squash and carrots. After ten minutes add Onion, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and garlic. Each time you open the oven turn around the existing vegetables a bit for uniform roasting.
7. Whisk together your salad dressing with 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, 1 Tbs Tahini, juice of a lemon and anything else you may want to spike your salad with.
8. Coat your veges with the dressing, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve warm :).


Note:- Add fresh herbs / baby spinach to make this salad more crunchy and RAWwww :)

Sticky Date and Ginger Pudding with salted Caramel Sauce

Christmas called for a Festive Warm Dessert.. I celebrated mine with Sticky Date Ginger Pudding :-)

I came across this dish on Masterchef Australia and was very eager to make a Vegan version. :-) Two trials gave me a recipe I would love to make again. I heard about PETA Dessert competition and I have entered the competition with this vegan dessert recipe. Fingers Crossed !! :-)

To all you Lovely People out there have a Great 2016 and carry the festive spirit to the rest of your year. May the coming year be full of Positive Energy everywhere around you.

Orange segments add a freshness to this otherwise sticky sweet pudding. Guess my Palette is getting wiser ;-). I cant believe myself when I say such things :-P. Here's the recipe for this Warm Comforting Dessert. Do try and let me know how you like it :)


Ingredients

12 Dates pitted and chopped
3/4 cup Maida / Refined Flour
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 Ripe Banana
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
3/4 cup Water
10g Crystallized Ginger (chopped)
Pinch of Cinnamon & Nutmeg powder (optional)
Orange segments for garnish

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 180 C and grease your ramekins / baking vessel.
2. Add the water and dates into a pot and bring it to a boil. Once water starts boiling switch off the stove.
3. Add baking soda to the above mixture and give a little whisk. Set aside to cool.
4. In a bowl mash well a ripe banana.
5. Add half cup sugar and vanilla essence into the mashed banana and whisk well.
6. Pour in the date mixture and add the crystallized ginger. Mix well.
7. In a separate bowl sift together flour, nutmeg and cinnamon.
8. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients few spoonfuls at a time and combine well.
9. Bake for 25 - 30 Mins or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
10. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from Mould and serving.

Ingredients for Caramel Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt

Steps

1. In a heavy Bottomed Pan mix together Sugar and salt. Stir over medium heat until it resembles a toffee color. If the mixture turns clumpy reduce the heat and keep mixing. (Avoid stirring rapidly)
2. Switch off the heat and add coconut milk cream slowly part by part. Keep mixing.
3. Switch on the heat and mix over medium heat until you get a smooth consistency.

Serve your Sticky Date Ginger pudding topped with warm sauce and orange segments :).

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year !!