Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Strawberries make me think of spring.  In Canada, we have had a long winter and are ready for the season of spring.  It is a bit early for fresh strawberries, but I used frozen strawberries and found some fresh raspberries in the store to use for garnish.  This recipe reminds me that spring and warmer temperatures are just around the corner!

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup coconut water
1 can coconut milk
1/3 cup liquid honey
12 drops of vanilla liquid stevia
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons coconut butter
1/4 cup liquid coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups frozen strawberries

Directions

1.  Combine the cashews, coconut water, coconut milk and honey in a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix or a Blendtec) and blend until smooth.  Add the stevia, hemp seeds, chia seeds, coconut butter, coconut oil and vanilla and blend again.  Add the frozen strawberries and blend until smooth.

2.  Pour the mixture into a container and chill in the freezer for an hour or two.  Scoop the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

3.  Store the ice cream in a container in the freezer.

Sausage and Seafood Jambalaya

This is one of my husband's favourite dishes.  I have changed and adapted a recipe from The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carrie S. Forbes so it can be made on the stovetop.  It is actually fairly quick and easy to prepare.  I make a gluten-free Creole seasoning by following Emeril Lagasse's recipe from the Food Network website.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce (796 ml) can diced tomatoes

2 cups fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (gluten-free)

2 teaspoons gluten-free Creole seasoning

1-454 gram package uncooked scallops, halved or quartered if large, thawed if frozen

1-340 gram package uncooked, peeled, deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen

4 cups hot cooked rice

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Directions

1.  In a large pot, heat oil.  Saute onions, celery and bell pepper until softened.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add tomatoes, sausage, parsley flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Creole seasoning.  Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes to let the flavours develop.

2.  Prepare the rice in a rice cooker or pot.

3.  Stir in the scallops and shrimp to the tomato mixture.  Cover and cook on low to medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the pot is bubbling and the scallops and shrimps are cooked.  Stir in the rice.  Serve the jambalaya garnished with fresh parsley and green onions.  

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I have been making this flourless chocolate cake for years.  Over the years, I have changed the recipe to make it somewhat healthier.  There is still sugar in the chocolate chips, but I consider this cake an occasional treat.  It is still my favourite chocolate cake recipe and perfect for Valentine's Day!

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter or earth balance margarine 

1 1/2 cups Enjoy Life chocolate chips (free of milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and gluten)

6 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  

2.  Lightly butter a large springform pan and set aside.

3.  Heat about an inch of water to a simmer in a saucepan.  Melt the butter or margarine in a heatproof bowl over the saucepan.  Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Add the coconut sugar and vanilla.  Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let the mixture cool slightly.

4.  Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl.  Whisk a small amount of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks to temper them.  Then whisk all of the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture.  

5.  In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and glossy.  Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Take the mixture and using a spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

6.  Spoon the batter gently into the springform pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  Immediately go around the edge with a knife to loosen the cake from the pan, and remove the collar of the pan.  Let the cake cool.  

*Serve with berries and/or berry sauce and whipped cream or whipped coconut cream.  I made a whipped chocolate coconut cream by whipping the thick cream from a can of coconut milk (refrigerate the can overnight first) with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon cocoa or cacao powder. 

Spiced Pears in Red Wine with Chocolate Ganache

This is an easy recipe for Valentine's Day.  The pears are cooked in the slow cooker all day and then the chocolate ganache is prepared right before serving.  Your house will smell amazing and you will have a romantic dessert as well!

Spiced Pears:

6-8 pears, peeled, cored and cut in half lengthwise

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup water

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar or honey

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

zest of an orange

Place the pears in the slow cooker.  Add the wine, water, honey, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pears are tender.

Chocolate Ganache:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons canned coconut milk (full-fat, not lite coconut milk)

1/2 cup gluten-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is gluten-free)

In the top of a double boiler, heat the butter, honey, coconut milk and chocolate over medium heat, whisking until the ingredients are well combined.

Serve the pears in dessert bowls drizzled with chocolate ganache.