BitterSweet

End All, Be All

“Just a few more tweaks” should be my mantra; Rarely able to stick to a recipe as written, either from a trusted resource or even my own pen, it’s near impossible for me to cook the same dish twice without throwing in something new.  It must be that perfectionist streak that pops up from time to time, compelling me to create an even better recipe, no matter how well loved the original is.  There are many worse compulsions to have, indeed, and I’m not complaining about this quirk of mine, especially when it often leads in such delicious directions.  However, when I finally stumble upon something so good that I feel entirely content with the ingredients, directions, and results, I stop and take notice; This has got to be one serious home run-sort a dish.

And in this case, it certainly is. Basic though it may appear on the surface, this humble chocolate ice cream will forever be my answer to a frozen cacao confection. Ultra rich, but not cloyingly so, this is no demure cocoa powder incarnation, but a full-bodied, decadent iced custard. Tiny shards of chocolate stracciatella flow through the smooth mahogany brown base, adding a quiet crunch to each creamy bite. In other words, it’s perfect. Or as close to perfect as I may ever come, and this recipe is one of the few that I have listed as “untouchable.” As in, “don’t fix it if it ain’t broken.”

My only dismay is how long I’ve kept this gem under wraps, as I sat on this lovely recipe for nearly a whole year before realizing that I never felt the need to change it once, no matter how many repeat performances it made in the kitchen. Dubious about making such big proclamations about plain old chocolate ice cream, I curbed my enthusiasm, but really, it’s so much more when it’s done right. Originally formulated to serve at a catered affair through Health in a Hurry, it does make one huge batch. Fear not; it can very easily and painlessly be reduced to 1/3, which will make it small enough to churn in most ice cream machines.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Adapted from The Vegan Scoop

3/4 Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
6 Tablespoons Arrowroot
1 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
9 Cups Coconut Milk
1 1/2 Cups Light Agave Nectar
1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Stracciatella:

1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

In a large sauce pan, combine the cocoa powder, arrowroot, coffee powder, salt, and cinnamon, distributing the dry ingredients evenly throughout. Pour in just about 1 cup of the coconut milk, and whisk vigorously to form a thick paste, making sure to moisten all of the dry goods and get out any lumps. Once smooth and homogeneous, go ahead and add in the remaining coconut milk, along with the agave. Turn on the stove to medium head, and whisk occasionally as it comes up to temperature. When bubbles begin forming around the edges of the liquid, add in the chocolate chips, and just let the mixture sit for 2 minutes, to allow the chocolate to begin melting.

Switch over to a wide spatula, and stir gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, to make sure that nothing sticks and that the chocolate fully melts. Once the mixture comes up to a full boil, cook for just a minute or two longer, and as long as there are no more whole chocolate chips remaining, turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, and let cool completely before moving it into the refrigerator to chill. Be patient; a vat of ice cream base this size can take a long time to sufficiently come down in temperature.

Once fully chilled, churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you have a smaller ice cream maker like me, you will need to churn it in batches.

When the ice cream is about 5 minutes away from finishing in the machine, melt down the chocolate chips, and slowly drizzle the liquid chocolate in a thin stream directly into the ice cream machine. It will freeze instantly on the surface of the ice cream, and the turning paddle will break it up into nice little chips.

Transfer the ice cream into an air-tight container, and store in the freezer. Let solidify in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving.

Makes About 3 Quarts

Printable Recipe

An Alluring Date

Give me a new ingredient, and I’ll practically move heaven and earth to find a way to use and enjoy it, no matter how unusual or scarce it may be. I make a point to try everything vegan at my disposal at least once, and some of my favorite fresh discoveries have been made this way. Thus, when I was approached by Organics Are For Everyone about trying out date syrup, the mere concept was irresistibly appealing. Never before had I considered a syrup made solely of those naturally sweet and succulent fruits, and yet it made so much sense- Thank goodness someone thought of the concept and bottled it!

Tasting for all the world like pure dates in liquid form, like one would expect, it pours just like molasses and has a pleasantly demure sweetness, much less in-your-face sugary than agave or maple. Though I can happily see using this as a simple topping on pancakes or even ice cream, I was clamoring to get this nectar into the kitchen to see what it could do in some treats.

Using the deep, molasses-like, earthy flavors to my advantage, I started out by dabbling a bit on the savory side of the street. Truthfully, more like the sweet-and-salty side, these candied cashews are all of the above, and then some. Tangy from a healthy dose of balsamic vinegar, and just a touch spicy thanks to a little pinch of cayenne and paprika, they’ve got it all going on, and are incredibly addictive to boot. Pleasing all realms of the palate, it’s disconcertingly easy to just munch on handfuls of these little morsels while watching a movie or chatting it up with friends.

Thinking more towards healthy sweets, this date syrup seemed like the perfect thing to introduce to a crispy snack bar. Packed with wholesome things like oats, wheat germ, and puffed rice, it’s easy to excuse that little handful of chocolate chips and think of these as health food. Plus, the date syrup keeps things from being tooth-achingly sweet, so it’s hard to feel guilty about these simple little squares. Ideal for packing in a lunch box or taking along for a snack on the road, these will absolutely see a repeat performance in my kitchen sooner or later.

Now I don’t usually share two recipes in one post, but both of these were so incredibly good, I can hardly leave you guys hanging. Just consider it a little “thank you” gift for being so patient while I got my school situation under control!

Sweet and Salty Balsamic Cashews

1/4 Cup Date Syrup
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Raw Sesame Seeds
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
2 Cups Whole, Raw Cashews

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Simply whisk together all of the wet ingredients and spices, and once everything is combined, add in the cashews and toss to coat. Pour everything out onto your prepared sheet, spreading the nuts out into an even layer so than none are overlapping. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until there’s no remaining liquid between the cashews and the nuts themselves are golden brown.

Pull the silpat or parchment paper off the baking sheet to let the cashews cool. Break up any clusters, and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Printable Recipe

Double Date Chocolate Chip Bars

2 Cups Rolled Oats
1 1/2 Cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
1/2 Cup Wheat Germ
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Date Syrup
1/4 Cup Date Sugar
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan.

Place the oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the date syrup, date sugar, and coconut oil, and set over medium heat. Cool until the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is just on the brink of boiling. Incorporate the vanilla, and quickly pour the hot syrup into the bowl of dry goods. Mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Add in the chips and stir to distribute them through the mixture. (Adding them last helps to prevent them from melting, but if you’d prefer an all-over chocolate bar, go ahead and add them first to the syrup, let them sit for a moment to melt, and them stir everything together.)

Transfer everything into your prepared pan, and use lightly greased hands or a non-stick spatula to firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool completely in the pan before turning out onto a cutting board and slicing into bars.

Makes 16 – 25 Bars

Printable Recipe

Semi-Official

So maybe I jumped the gun a little bit. Who could blame me for being excited about shaking off the winter blahs and getting on with the year?  After a long week of pounding rain, the snow has melted and temperatures are rising ever so slightly, adding fuel to my accelerated sense of time.  Despite common sense and the calender’s conclusive decree, spring is the only season I can think of catering to now, and oh, the plans I have!  Asparagus, ramps, fiddleheads, morels, all have a place on my menu, and eventually in my stomach, but for now remain a dream.  It’s still winter as far as my selection of produce is concerned, yielding slim pickings at best, but at least there is hope on the horizon- Little green sprouts are popping up in planters, and the first of the crocuses are lifting their sleepy heads from their multi-month naps.  Besides, daylight savings has brought sunshine back to the dinner table, relenting at last with that early, oppressive darkness.  That’s got to be at least a semi-official sign of spring, right?

I’m sure the last frost is yet to come, and perhaps another cold snap or two just to keep us on our toes, but I’m ready to throw off the sweaters and turn off that pot of stew, slip into something a bit more fresh. Let’s not get crazy here, this isn’t the time for chilled bean salads or anything of the sort, but more of a compromise, bridging the gap between these two competing seasons. By easing some new spring greenery into a more hearty dish, everyone wins.

An adaptation on the butternut risotto from Jae Steele’s Get it Ripe, which I loved so much, my new incarnation drops the heavy orange squash in favor of the rich flesh of an avocado, plus some pureed white beans to lighten things up. Asparagus, one of my favorite veggies of all time, makes a cameo appearance but doesn’t steal the show, the crisp yet tender stalks contrasting nicely to the creamy rice base, redolent in savory, almost cheesy flavor. Unnervingly green as it may be, thanks to that avocado, I think the color is just a cheerful reminder of the greenery to come.

Green Risotto Primavera

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice
4 Cups Vegetable Stock
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Soymilk
6 Cloves Roasted Garlic
1 Cup Canellini Beans
1 Ripe, Medium-Sized Avocado
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 – 2 Cups Chopped Asparagus, Fresh or Frozen
1 – 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Chives
1 – 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
1 Teaspoon Fresh Chopped Thyme
Salt and Pepper, To Taste

Set a medium saucepan over a moderate flame, and coat the bottom of the pan with the oil. Once hot, add in the chopped onion, and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add the rice into the pan, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the grains appear somewhat translucent.

Combine the vegetable stock and soymilk together, and heat for a minute or two in the microwave to take the chill off, if they were previously refrigerated. Pour about 1/3 of it into the pan, just so that the rice is covered, and reduce the heat slightly so that it remains at a low simmer. Continue stirring every few minutes to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the rice absorbs that liquid and begins to look dry, add in another splash of the stock mixture, while stirring gently. Continue this pattern until about 2/3 of the stock is used. At that point, pour the remainder in, cover, and let simmer on the lowest heat setting for about 15 – 25 minutes, until the rice is done.

Meanwhile, toss your roasted garlic, beans, avocado, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Once the rice is cooked through, gently fold in the bean and avocado puree, stirring just until evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Add in the chopped asparagus, turn off the heat, and cover for about 5 minutes, to steam the veggies and let the risotto finish cooking. Finish by stirring in the fresh herbs, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 – 6 Servings

Printable Recipe

Better than Cheddar

Cheese… in a dessert? Clearly, some terrible mistake has been made…

Pondering what deranged, misled cook thought it was a good idea to top a perfectly good apple pie with little shreds of florescent orange cheddar cheese, the combination struck me as downright repulsive. Perhaps sheltered from such cheesy practices, it wasn’t until reading about this oddity online, only a few years ago, did I even know such a thing existed. To each their own, but something as undeniably savory and even downright funky as cheese had no place on the dessert menu. No, not even a cheese course was appropriate in my eyes, the French be damned. I wanted my pie and nothing more!

Naturally, my morbid curiosity got the best of me even after I had verbally condemned the concept to a slow death. Maybe it was one of those things that was so bad, it was actually good, after all. When I finally had the opportunity to find out, I pounced, and eagerly set about experimenting, Teese in hand.

A few plain old hunks of sloppily cut “cheddar” wouldn’t do it though, not by a long shot. Hoping to increase the odds of creating something edible, I employed one of my favorite kitchen gadgets: The ice cream machine.

Your eyes do not lie- That is indeed a generous scoop of “cheddar” ice cream, perched upon a just-baked and still warm apple crisp. It sounds bizarre, and the fact that there’s no actual cheddar in it doesn’t help the cause much, but the results were truly less shocking that I had imagined. Despite emptying a whole package of the orange stuff into the ice cream base, the flavor was quite mild. What hit me first was a lovely bouquet of floral vanilla aroma, followed by the slightest hint of umami and a twang that might be hard for an unsuspecting taster to place. Moreover, what really made this frozen concoction special was the texture. Thanks to the abundant fat, a richer, smoother, and creamier custard could not be imagined. For that reason alone, I implore you to break down your ideas of “normal” and give the recipe a go! If you’re still intimidated by the idea of a cheesy ice cream, perhaps give the Mozzarella flavor a spin first, and rest assured that it’s hardly present when paired with a strong enough vanilla extract.

“Cheddar” Ice Cream

2 Cups Vanilla Soymilk
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
10 Ounces Cheddar Teese
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch Salt
Pinch Fresh Ground Pepper

First, allow all of your ingredients to come up to room temperature if they were previously refrigerated. This is critical, because the Teese changes significantly in texture, and becomes much softer and easier to melt when already warm.

Combine the soymilk, arrowroot, and sugar in a medium saucepan, and whisk vigorously to break up any lumps. Place on the stove over medium heat, and empty the tube of Teese into the pan, whisking gently until the mixture is smooth. Continue to whisk every couple of minutes, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for about a minute longer, until fully thickened, and turn off the heat. Add in the vanilla, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate.

Let cool, and chill thoroughly for at least 3 hours before churning in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the soft ice cream to an air-tight container, and store it in the freezer for another 3 hours minimum, until frozen solid, before serving.

Printable Recipe

Maca Mania

Who knew that maca was the new hot, must-have ingredient? Not I, that’s for sure! Though the $50 iHerb shopping spree was plenty popular, I wasn’t sure if there was more interest in winning, or just getting that cookie recipe! Never fear, I wouldn’t make you lovely people choose between the two, so let’s get the bookkeeping out of the way first, shall we?

The winner is commenter #90, who is Gail, of Cooking at the Pacific Outpost! Congrats, Gail, you’ll be hearing from the kind folks at iHerb shortly. Hope you enjoy that SuperBerry and SuperFruit Blend you were eyeing!

And for everyone else, don’t forget, you can still get $5 off your first order by using the discount code “NAH833“.

Losing may never be so sweet though; These long awaited maca bars will surely soothe the pains of missing out on the contest. One of those flavors that is hard to describe, and even harder to replicate with alternate ingredients, it’s just something you’ll have to try for yourself. Trust me, it’s worth any hardships to find real maca powder, if only to bake these cookies!

Maca Maca Bars

3/4 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tablespoons Maca Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Plain Coconut Kefir (Or Plain Soymilk + 1/4 Teaspoon White Vinegar)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Unsalted Macadamia Nuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, maca powder, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine.

Separately, whisk together the melted coconut oil, sugar, kefir, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and with a wide spatula, stir just enough to bring the two together without too many lumps. Transfer the batter into your prepared pan, smooth out the top so that it fill the loaf pan in one even layer, and sprinkle the macadamia nuts evenly across the top. You may choose to lightly chop them if you feel they’re too large, but I like the visual impact of the whole and halved mac nuts. Use your hands to lightly press the nuts into the batter.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing.

Makes about 6 – 8 Bars

Printable Recipe