Frozen Mint Chip Birthday Dessert

For the last 20 years, my mom has made a mint chocolate chip ice cream dessert for my birthday. It was adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe I think. I really wanted to veganize it but I specifically didn't want it to taste like coconut. After several attempts at the sauce and multiple ice cream varieties, this version was a smashing success. And better yet, the chocolate sauce was edible off the spoon on its own. Yum. I didn't get great photos of it, it disappeared too quickly. Maybe next time...

Ingredients:

Crust-
Crushed chocolate wafers - 1 pkg (I used one package of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and 1 package of Chocolate Graham Teddy's from Whole Foods)
1/2 cup vegan butter melted (I used Miyoko's cultured vegan butter)
1/4 cup sugar

Ice Cream- 
3 containers of NadaMoo Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Sauce-
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used the semi sweet chocolate chips from the bulk bin at my local grocery store but any vegan variety would be fine. You could use Enjoy Life brand as well.)
1/3 cup vegan butter (Miyoko's cultured vegan butter)*
1 cup powdered sugar
2 - 2.5 cups oat or cashew milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt

* I tried several varieties including using Earth Balance but I found the flavor to be "off". Miyoko's was the best choice. 

Directions:
1. Heat the oat milk or cashew milk to a simmer. Let simmer slowly for 20 minutes or until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.  STIR FREQUENTLY.
2. While the milk is reducing, crush the chocolate cookies in a ziplock to crumbs.
3. Stir together crushed cookies, sugar, and melted butter.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of 9x13 pan and set in freezer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove crust from freezer and tear open the cardboard containers of ice cream.
6. Lay the ice cream on it's side and slice into 1/2"-3/4" rounds.
7. Lay over crust filling in gaps as needed to completely cover.
8. Place back in the freezer.
9. To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate chips and vegan butter in small sauce pan on low heat.
10. Add powered sugar and 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk from above.
11. Cook and stir 20-25 minutes until slightly thickened.
12. Stir in vanilla.
13. Cool sauce completely.
14. Poor over ice cream layer and freeze until firm.

A-MAZ-ING.

Green Lentil Borscht

We had a fantastic meal tonight. The flavors were perfect. I started with a recipe but then ventured outside of it as I usually do. The result was magnificent. And very red. Very, very red. In fact, Patrick said that this would be an excellent plant based meal to take to a Husker tail-gate. It was that red. :)

This recipe is oil free, sugar free, dairy free, nut free, gluten free, soy free, and totally plant based. Whoo hoo! That makes it a "safe" option for vegans, vegetarians, MSPI mommas and people who are gluten intolerant. Perfect.

 

Green Lentil Borscht

made 8 1/2 servings (1 cup)

Ingredients

Vegetable broth

1 medium onion (minced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

3 medium beets (peeled and chopped)

5 small red potatoes (cleaned and chopped with skin on)

15-20 baby carrots (cleaned and chopped)

2-3 vegetable bullion cubes

3 bay leaves

2 cups cooked lentils

2 tsp dried dill

1 can diced tomato 

1 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable broth in a large soup kettle or sauce pan over medium high heat.

2. Saute the onion until translucent.

3. Add the garlic and saute for one minute more.

4. Add the potato, carrots, and beets, 6 cups of water, bay leaves and bullion. Stir to combine.

5. Cook until the beets are tender, about 25-30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

6. Once the beets are tender, add lentils, tomatoes, and dill and cook 10-15 minutes more or until heated through.

7. Just before serving add the apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

8. Adjust the herbs to taste and remove the bay leaves.

9. Serve topped with a nut based cream sauce.

NOTE: You could certainly use uncooked lentils in this recipe as well. Add them in at step 4 with the root vegetables. They should take about the same time to cook as the beets. I used precooked lentils because I typically cook a large quantity of lentils or black beans at one time and freeze them in portions so I have them ready to go into recipes. Lentils have a 1:2 1/2 or 3 cup ratio so use approximately 1 cup dry lentils for similar proportions above.

 My 3 year old insisted that his truck needed to be part of the photo shoot. I think it is a nice touch, don't you?

Ketchup

I am on a condiment kick apparently. Tonight it was ketchup. I used raw honey in this version but one could try maple syrup if honey is not part of your lifestyle. The good news... this took all of 1 minute to combine the ingredients and about 90 seconds to heat through on the stove and has no processed sugar in it. Just what a mom wants to hear!

Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon raw honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pink Himalayan  salt to taste
ground pepper to taste (just a pinch)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan and stir to combine. Heat over medium flame until all ingredients incorporated. Add a bit more water if you like a thinner ketchup or a bit more honey for sweeter.