Bohemian Kate

Healthy Homemade Ice Creams

For those of you that are regular readers of Bohemian Kate, you know that I have a thing for homemade ice cream.  I don't make them in the traditional way...that is, with an ice cream maker.  The thought of waiting around for hours for ice cream does not appeal to me, especially when you can get something delicious with the consistency of gelato right off the bat with a food processor.  I also don't use any cream or sugar in my ice cream.  See, I like to eat these every day for breakfast and I'm a little bit of a health nut, so...my ice cream has to be nutritious.  Kind of an oxymoron, but it exists.   Like I said, this is not a traditional ice cream, so you have to keep an open mind.  Still, it's completely satisfying and delicious...yum.

The basis for the three of these ice creams are sliced frozen bananas, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and about a tablespoon of chopped raw cocoa butter.  The magical trio.  The bananas add incredible sweetness without the use of refined sugar, the peanut butter adds the creaminess and the cocoa butter is just that little something extra.  It's kind of hard to describe, but I'm addicted to it. 

These recipes are just ideas that I came up with that I really enjoy over and over again, but are by no means the only combinations that make yummy ice cream.  It's so fun to play around and come up with different flavors.  Add ingredients or subtract them and you'll get a completely new taste. 

To make these ice creams, throw the ingredients that you see below into a food processor and blend until you get a thick creamy treat, like gelato.  I usually eat my ice cream right out of the processor, but you can also put them in the freezer and scoop them out later.

Blueberry Surprise:

• Handful of frozen blueberries
• Handful of frozen bananas
• Handful of spinach
• 1 1/2 to 2 scoops of peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cocoa butter
• 1 tablespoon of chopped dark chocolate (I usually use 60% or higher)

Raspberry and Chocolate:

• Handful of frozen raspberries
• Handful of frozen bananas
• Handful of kale
• 1 1/2 to 2 scoops of peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cocoa butter
• 1 tablespoon of chopped dark chocolate

Strawberry and Banana:

• Handful of frozen strawberries
• Handful of frozen bananas
• 1 1/2 to 2 scoops of peanut butter

What I especially love about these ice creams is that you get a big dose of your fruit and veggie servings for the day.  If you're looking for a sweeter treat, leave the spinach or the kale out.  Since I eat this for breakfast usually every morning I like adding the leafy greens because I get all the nutritional benefits without the taste. 

I can't decide which one is my favorite...I tend to lean towards the blueberry, but sometimes the combination of the raspberry and dark chocolate I can't resist.  The strawberry and banana is a flavor that really reminds of my childhood for some reason and is definitely on the sweeter side.

I hope I've shown you that making homemade healthy ice cream is a very easy process.  I'm completely addicted to it!  If you're looking for some other sweet variations that are easy to make in the food processor, check out my mango ice cream, berry sorbet, frozen berry coconut treat and banana peanut butter & chocolate mousse.  Enjoy :)

xoxo...Kate

Mango and Coconut Cream Pancakes

 

Yesterday, I had a very lazy day which was much needed.  This past week was very busy, but also very exciting!  Lots of good things going on :)  So anyhow, I slept in yesterday, finally rolled out of bed around noon (it's been FOREVER since I slept in that late) and decided I wanted something sweet.  It was a day for indulgence and laziness!  So I thought, dessert for breakfast would be perfect...and my obsession with pancakes continued.  I guess you can say that I have an obsession with mangos and coconuts as well, so I decided to combine the three.

It took some experimenting, but I finally created sort of like a mango coconut cream frosting to go on top of the mango pancakes.  Very decadent.  Also, there is no refined sugar in this recipe at all.  The only added sweetness is a couple of drops of stevia.  The mangos add most of the sweet taste.

Recipe for one pancake.

Ingredients:

• Mangos ( I used frozen mangos)
• 1/4 Cup of creamed coconut or coconut manna
• 1/4 Ground oat bran
• 3 Drops of stevia
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil

Directions for the mango and coconut cream frosting:

• If you're using frozen mangos like I did, you will need to let them thaw for about 20 minutes or until they are semi soft. 
• The creamed coconut I used is hard at room temperature, so I heated it in a glass bowl over a simmering pot of water until it melted.  I had tried just heating it in a pan, but it turned brown really fast and burned.  So if you need to soften it up, make sure to do it on low heat in a glass or ceramic bowl.  It took awhile to soften so I just read a magazine in the meantime and kept an eye on it.
• Once the coconut is soft and the mangos are semi soft (but still a little frozen) it's time to blend them together. 
• Place about 3/4 of cup of mangos and the coconut in a food processor and blend until it's the consistency of a frosting.
• The frosting will actually be cold because of the mangos which I like.  I find it refreshing eating it with the warm pancake.
• Place the frosting in the refridgerator for a couple minutes while you make the pancake or leave it out so it becomes room temperature if that's what you prefer.

Directions for the pancake:

• The pancake only takes a couple minutes to make so here goes.
• Slice about 1/8 cup of the mangos into little pieces.
• Mix the oat bran, coconut oil, 3 drops of stevia, the egg and mangos in a bowl.
• Once it's all mixed up and has the consitency of batter, pour in a pan and cook on low to medium heat.
• Flip the pancake over to cook the other side.
• Once the pancake is done, place on a plate and let it cool off for a couple of minutes.

Finishing touches:

• Spread the mango and coconut frosting on top of the pancake.
• Chop up some small pieces of the mango and sprinkle on top.

That's it!  It's a little more involved than my other pancake recipes, but I think of this more as a special treat.  I love the cool frosting with the warm pancake.  It's definitely filling too, one is more than enough for me.

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend!  The weather is gorgeous here.  Looks like summer is upon us.  I am enjoying my weekend thoroughly.  It's been nice getting some "me" time, but I'm  also looking forward to hanging out with friends tonight.  Actually I'm getting really hungry writing this so I think I'm going to make some lunch...happy pancake making!

xoxo...Kate

Frozen Berry and Coconut Treat

As the weather gets warmer, the more I crave frozen fruit treats.  They're so refreshing and actually really, really easy to make.   A food processor is essential to make homemade fruit sorbets and ice creams, so if you don't have one, I really recommend getting one.  You don't need a fancy one either, just a basic model should do the trick.  Trust me, it's so worth it.  You'll be making delicious frozen treats all summer long.

This particular dessert is more like a sorbet, but when you add the coconut it gives it a almost creamy texture.  For me, adding coconut to anything makes it better (yes, I'm obsessed) and the combination of the berries with the coconut is amazing.   It's also a vegan dessert too!

Ingredients:

• Coconut Manna or creamed coconut (your local health food store should have both of these options).
• Frozen berries (Trader Joe's has a great selection)
• Coconut milk

Directions:

• Let the frozen berries thaw for about 10 minutes until they're slightly soft.  I used blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cherries.
• Put about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the berries into the food processor.
• The Coconut Manna or creamed coconut may be hard initially, so you may need to place whatever container it is in in warm water to let it melt a little.  I actually left the coconut semi hard when I added it to the berries which gave it a sort of crunch.  I like the crunchiness, but if you want a more smooth consistency, then definitely warm it up a little.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the Coconut Manna or creamed coconut to the berries.
• Blend in the food processor until is it's almost like a thick paste.
• While blending, drizzle in a little coconut milk until the berries and coconut have the texture of a gelato or sorbet.
• Spoon into a bowl, add extra berries on top and enjoy!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.  The weather is gorgeous here San Diego!  I went for a hike this morning and saw some gorgeous monarch butterflies.  It was nice to get out of the house and be in nature which always makes me remember what is most important to me.  Until next time ;)...

xoxo...Kate

P.S.  I just did an interview at one of my favorite blogs, Organic Beauty Talk.  Such a great site on the best of organic beauty products and Brandie, the founder and editor in chief, is awesome!  Check it out here.