Archives for 2013

Salted Chocolate Ice Cream

August 2, 2013 by Erica

Salted Chocolate Ice Cream

It’s Friday… and Friday calls for ice cream.

When I served some salted chocolate with ice cream a few Fridays ago, my taste testers all agreed: the sea salt totally made the dish. And so I got to thinking… why not combine all of those things into one, a salted chocolate ice cream?

Salted Chocolate Ice Cream

I couldn’t think of a single reason not to.

I love salted chocolate anything, and I’m not surprised that ice cream is no exception. This chocolate ice cream is exceptionally rich and velvety smooth, and the sea salt makes it over-the-top delicious. It’s like eating your favorite salted chocolate bar (ummm Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt, anyone?) in frozen form. It’s preferably done while watching The Bachelorette. And if you want the textural contrast of sea salt that you get with a chocolate bar, I recommend adding a few flakes of salt on top. Possibly with more chocolate.

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Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

July 31, 2013 by Erica

Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

When was the last time you went berry picking?

Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Mine was years ago, when my family came to visit me in Germany at the end of my semester abroad. It was late summer, and we were set on berry picking. We drove about an hour just to pick some raspberries. I probably have vivid memories of it mostly because it is well-documented – my dad likes to take lots of pictures when the family is all together.

Aaand this is reminding me of many funny things that happened during that visit – my sister falling off a folding bike (she didn’t think it was too funny at the time), my dad whipping the cream to go on top of those berries by hand because he couldn’t find an electric mixer, our crazy German relatives… good thing I am with my sisters this week, because we have some reminiscing to do.

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Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

July 29, 2013 by Erica

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Good morning!

Just like last week, I am drowning in lettuce.

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Well actually, I am on the beach, freed of my usual self-imposed responsibility to use up fresh produce as quickly as possible. So when I say I am drowning in lettuce, I really mean that my fridge at home is… probably very wilted lettuce at this point, because I’m sure no cooking is being done while I’m gone.

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Good thing I used up some lettuce last week by making these wraps! I am planning on wrapping everything in lettuce in the near future. You want pasta? Gotta wrap it in lettuce. Ice cream? I bet it will taste good with crunchy green exterior. Use that stuff up!

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Caramelized Banana Ice Cream (Dairy-Free)

July 26, 2013 by Erica

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

I have another dairy-free ice cream for you. And – hallelujah – it doesn’t require an ice cream maker.

Have you ever made banana ice cream? If not, it’s like magic – you slice up a frozen banana, throw it in the blender or food processor, add some nut butter and cocoa powder if you want, and a minute later you have a sweet frozen treat that you won’t believe is just a banana. The first time I tried it, I was vegan and missing ice cream terribly. I was so excited that I called my mom and babbled to her about it for minutes before realizing that it was past 11 pm her time, and I had definitely just woken her up from a deep sleep. Oops. Banana ice cream is just that exciting.

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

Well, this is taking banana ice cream to the next level by caramelizing the bananas before pureeing them, and then freezing the mixture. The result is a wonderfully indulgent-tasting frozen treat that, once again, is just a banana. Well, OK, this time the banana has coconut oil and honey added to it (or maple syrup if you’d like to make it totally vegan). But it is blissfully lacking any cream, eggs, or refined sugar… and forget all the stirring, straining, and tempering. Just a few simple ingredients, and no fancy equipment except a blender (and even the cheapest blender will work here – I would know).

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Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

July 24, 2013 by Erica

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

Remember my CSA bounty I told you about on Monday?

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

Well, hidden in there were also some adorable summer squash.

Lebanese squash (I think?), pattypan squash, green zucchini, and yellow zucchini.

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

I only ever really buy zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, so I was really excited about the prospect of trying some new kinds. I mean, they all tasted the same, but I loved the colors. And that little pattypan squash is just too cute to be allowed!

Admission: I’ve been afraid to buy pattypan squash, despite their cuteness, because I didn’t know how to cut them up. This forced me to try, and it was super easy: just slice off the stem on top and bottom and chop into wedges. Duh.

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

So I got a multitude of squash, but no turnips. I actually planned this meal before I picked up the box, assuming we’d get turnips again. Then, when we didn’t, I just bought some anyway. (Buying turnips… who am I?) They are definitely trying to give us a variety in our CSA box – cherries one week, apricots the next, etc. – which is nice, except when you’re learning how to cook with something new. I’m like, helloooo, now I’m brimming with turnip recipes! Bring on the turnips! Then nothing. But that’s OK, because I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of turnips and squash during the rest of the summer, and now I know the perfect dish to use them all up.

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Archives for 2013

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