Banana “ice cream” sundaes recipe

Banana "Ice Cream" | Pamela Salzman

Although I recently became dairy-free, I haven’t been able to eat ice cream for quite some time.  It’s a pretty hard-to-digest food even if you make it from scratch, and not one that has agreed with me in many years.  But when I got married, I used to eat ice cream every day and for several years afterwards.  At any given time, I think we had at least a dozen different pints in our freezer into which we would dip every night after we put the babies to sleep.  My mother-in-law thinks I can’t digest ice cream anymore because I OD’d on it all those years.  Perhaps.

freeze bananas peeled

homemade almond milk and pure vanilla extract

Last week I needed a little comfort food and I craved a quick, sweet pick-me-up while I watched the television in total disbelief of all that chaos.  I was really close to snagging the remains of Mr. Picky’s favorite Three Twins vanilla ice cream, but I know that I would have felt even worse afterwards, for many reasons.  Because we make so many acai bowls and smoothies around here, I  always have frozen bananas on hand.  One thing I’ve never posted is banana “ice cream.”  I’ve always figured by now most people have seen this on Foodily or Pinterest.  If you haven’t, it’s just frozen pieces of banana, blended in a Vitamix or a food processor with a touch of almond milk or regular milk and maybe a little sweetener to taste.  It comes out the consistency of soft serve ice cream and really hits the spot if you’re in the mood for a frozen treat.  But it’s really just bananas, so it’s a million times better for you than regular ice cream or (blech) popsicles made with food coloring.  I told my mother-in-law about banana ‘ice cream” and she offered to buy me a Yonana machine which basically does the exact same thing.  She’s so thoughtful, but you can really do this no problem in your food processor or high powered blender.

blend bananas and almond milk and vanilla

Banana "Ice Cream" plain and simple | Pamela Salzman

So why am I posting this “recipe” when I assume everyone has heard of banana “ice cream?”  Because apparently, not everyone has!  At least Gwyenth Paltrow doesn’t think so.  I am a huge Gwyneth fan and I just received her new book, It’s All Good, which looks fantastic.  Low and behold, there’s a recipe in there for banana “ice cream” with roasted almonds.  If Gwyneth can put it out there, so can I.

Banana "Ice Cream" with Cacao Nibs and Roasted Cashews | Pamela Salzman

I do want to emphasize that you can’t really follow a recipe here since there are a few variables which can affect the outcome of your ice cream.  First of all, you must start with ripe, well-speckled bananas.  Ripe bananas are much, much sweeter than pale yellow-skinned ones and will allow you to make this with a minimum amount of added sweetener.  That said, the amount of sweetener will vary according to the sweetness of your bananas.  I’ve made this many times without any sweetener at all, but sometimes a smidge of raw honey adds just the right amount.  So it’s best not to follow a recipe and just “sweeten to taste.”  Keep in mind however, that this recipe uses 4 bananas.  So don’t eat the whole thing unless eating 4 bananas is a normal thing for you.  I always add stuff to it like chopped nuts, raw cacao nibs or granola to make it a little more substantial and keep it healthy.  But you can have fun and put out a “sundae” bar with toppings like chocolate sauce, mini-chocolate chips, toasted coconut or honey-roasted peanuts.  This is a truly guilt-free treat!

Banana "Ice Cream" by Pamela Salzman

Banana "Ice Cream" Sundae

Pamela
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Servings 2 -4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 ripe bananas peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 2 ½ cups (if you’re using a Vitamix or another high-powered blender, you can cut bananas into larger pieces)
  • ¼ - ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice you can use the smaller quantity if you’re using a Vitamix
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • sweeten to taste with a few teaspoons more or less of raw honey, Grade A maple syrup or a couple drops of stevia
  • Toppings: granola raw cacao nibs, mini-chocolate chips, toasted coconut, chopped walnuts, chopped toasted and salted cashews, chopped honey-roasted peanuts, chocolate sauce

Instructions
 

  • Arrange the banana pieces on a baking sheet or a plate and freeze until frozen. Click here for a step-by-step on how to freeze fruit. Place individual bowls for the ice cream in the freezer.
  • When the bananas are frozen, store in a container for later use or place in the bowl of a food processor or Vitamix or other high-powered blender. Add almond milk, vanilla and sweetener to taste. Process until smooth and creamy. I find that the food processor needs a little more liquid and a few more seconds to achieve the desired consistency, which is like soft serve ice cream.
  • Transfer the ice cream to the frozen bowls and serve immediately with toppings, if desired. You can also store the ice cream in the freezer for another time, but you’ll need to allow it to sit on the countertop to soften up for a few minutes before eating so that it’s scoopable.

Notes

Sweeten to taste with raw honey, Grade A maple syrup or stevia according to how ripe your bananas are.  You may not need to add any sweetener at all!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Warm coconut millet porridge recipe

warm coconut millet porridge by pamelasalzman.com

I don’t know what has taken me so long to share my favorite breakfast with you.  Although I haven’t really been holding out on you since I did snap a picture of this delectable millet porridge a few months ago and posted it on Facebook.  But I know most people want a recipe, they want DETAILS.  So here it is – my most favorite, comforting, hug of a breakfast, made with a grain (really a seed) that is so underappreciated and low profile that I am ready to shine some more light on it.

creamy coconut millet porridge by Pamela Salzman

I have posted two other millet recipes on this site, a pilaf with mushrooms as well as a mash with cauliflower.  Neither of which has received much love in the way of comments even though I promised deliciousness, but I’m back to try again.  Coincidentally, Phoebe Lapine posted a lovely millet salad with fennel and tomatoes on her site this week and I thought this is the time.  Millet’s got some buzz.

warm coconut millet porridge by Pamela Salzman

warm coconut millet porridge by Pamela Salzman

I know it’s a risk to try something new, but millet is easy, non-offensive, as well as super nutritious, gluten-free and alkalizing.  And when you make it taste like dulce de leche meets horchata meets chai tea, I know you’re going to love it.  LOVE.  I actually make a big batch of millet every Sunday so I can have this yumminess every morning no matter how busy or time-crunched I might be.  Just like any other grain, you can freeze millet in batches and defrost whenever it strikes your fancy.  I have a feeling most of you aren’t big on over-the-top desserts or sweets, but with a little extra sweetener I think this could even pass for a dessert, like rice pudding.

warm coconut millet porridge by Pamela Salzman

I absolutely must top something creamy with something crunchy, so a nut of sorts is always in the picture.  And I am mad crazy for toasted coconut so I’ll add that too, if I have some.  I wrote “optional” in the recipe next to the pistachios and toasted coconut so that you wouldn’t freak out over so many ingredients for a breakfast dish, but people, live it up and add them on!

warm coconut millet porridge by Pamela Salzman

Today’s the day to give millet a shot.  No more excuses.  If you don’t live near a natural foods store, you can order it from Bob’s Red Mill, Amazon or Vitacost.  And if you do try this creamy, dreamy porridge, make my day and let me know about it!

warm coconut millet porridge by Pamela Salzman

warm coconut millet porridge by pamelasalzman.com

Warm Coconut Millet Porridge

Pamela
5 from 2 votes
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Servings 2 -4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or if you prefer to use sweetened almond milk, you can lessen the added sweetener
  • ¾ cup coconut milk I use full fat Native Forest
  • ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons – 1 ½ Tablespoons raw honey optional
  • 2 teaspoons – 1 ½ Tablespoons Grade A maple syrup optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom this is amazing here
  • 2 cups COOKED millet*
  • 3 Tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios or almonds or walnuts optional
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan whisk together almond milk, coconut milk, vanilla, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir in millet and 3 Tablespoons coconut flakes, breaking up any clumps of millet.
  • Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, and lower to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, breaking up any remaining clumps of millet, until thickened.
  • Remove from heat and serve with pistachios and toasted coconut flakes, if desired.

Notes

*I cook millet in a ratio of 1 part millet to 2 ½ parts water for about 30 minutes.
You can really adjust the amount and type of sweetener to your liking.  For breakfast, I am fine with no sweetener or just a smidge of raw honey and maple syrup.  You should try it with a little at first and then increase only if you need it.  Or use your sweetener of choice, such as stevia if that suits you.  I also very often eat this with goji berries and/or raw cacao nibs!
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Winter fruit salad recipe

Although I’m not 100% strict about it, I do try my best to eat seasonally as well as locally.  This helps to keep our bodies in harmony with nature, and is more healthful for us as well as the planet.  I know, easy for me since I live in Southern California.  It’s true we do have access to such a bounty of wonderful fresh produce all year.  But not even in sunny Southern California do I find locally grown melons and stone fruits in the dead of winter.  You might find a few vendors at local farmer’s markets who sell berries grown in hot houses all year long.  But I haven’t seen any farms with cantaloupes and watermelons in their fields in December.   

Yet people love a good fruit salad for brunch or after dinner and for some reason I don’t see too many fruit salads without watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe and strawberries even at this time of year.  Sure these fruits look lovely together and are easy to cut up, but when was the last time you tasted a fabulous piece of watermelon on Christmas?  It’s time to think outside the fruit salad box and try a combination that is a more natural complement to gingerbread and pumpkin and everything else you’re serving for your holiday brunches.  I’ve been making this delicious fruit salad for several years and I am still obsessed with it. I use pears, apples, pomegranate seeds and dried fruit, but it’s the spiced-infused steeping liquid that takes it over the top.  If you’ve never used star anise, it is amazing.  It imparts a beautiful, floral, licorice flavor to the syrup.  If you can’t find it, just sub a cinnamon stick.

Technically I think this would be considered a fruit compote, but we don’t worry about semantics here.   Whatever you call it it’s easy peasy, and the best part — you guessed it — do ahead!   Which is why this fruit salad is really SO perfect for Christmas morning or any of your holiday brunches.  I have also made it for a more healthful after-dinner dessert option which is always so welcome during a season of cookies and pies and cookies and chocolate and… cookies.  But actually my favorite way to eat it is with yogurt and some sliced almonds — what a scrumptious breakfast or snack that is!

Here’s hoping your Christmas is merry and bright and that you can spend it with the ones you love!

Winter Fruit Salad

Pamela, adapted from The New York Times via Smitten Kitchen
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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup maple sugar or cane sugar I used maple sugar in these photos.
  • 3 star anise or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 2- inch piece of ginger cut into slices
  • ½ of a vanilla bean split in half lengthwise
  • 4 2- inch long pieces of lemon rind use a vegetable peeler
  • 8 dried unsulphured apricots thinly sliced
  • 4 dried unsulphured figs thinly sliced
  • Juice of the zested lemon
  • 3 firm Bosc pears or Asian pears
  • 1 firm tart apple
  • Seeds from half a pomegranate

Instructions
 

  • Fill a medium saucepan with 4 cups water. Add the sugar, star anise, ginger, vanilla bean and lemon rind. Bring to a boil, and simmer until all the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool for just a few minutes, but still hot and then add the dried figs and apricots. Set aside to cool completely.
  • Peel and core the pears and apple, if desired. Slice thinly crosswise (1/4-inch slices) and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss to coat.
  • Once the syrup with dried fruit has cooled, pour it over the apples and pears. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
  • The next morning, remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and transfer it into a serving bowl. You can remove or leave the ginger, vanilla beans, star anise and lemon zest. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve.

Notes

Syrup can be made up to two days in advance and kept refrigerated. Salad can be fully prepared and kept refrigerated up to two days. Other dried fruit that works well – dried cherries, raisins, peaches, persimmons
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Vanilla and chocolate chia seed pudding recipes

Have you ever bought something that you heard people talking about, that you thought you should start eating and would figure out how to get it into your diet soon but never did, only to have that something sit in your pantry forever?  That would be a scenario with me and chia seeds a few years ago.   I kept reading about these little nutritional powerhouses and I was easily convinced about all their benefits and that I should be incorporating them into my diet, but I hadn’t the slightest idea how to actually eat them.  Chia seeds are super high in Omega-3 fats (which many of us don’t consume enough of) and antioxidants.  They have almost double the fiber of flaxseeds, as well as lots of protein, calcium, iron and magnesium.  What is unique about chia seeds is their gel-like consistency when they are soaked in liquid.  They become thick like tapioca and that gel actually helps to keep everything moving very smoothly throughout our bodies.

Most suggestions that I originally encountered for consuming chia seeds were to “sprinkle” them on food, such as oatmeal or yogurt.  That was fine for me, but the kiddos and Mr. Picky Sr. weren’t going for it.  My next idea was to add chia seeds to cookie dough, which did make for a delicious almond butter and chia seed cookie.  But a cookie isn’t going to give you a heck of a lot of chia seeds/nutrition.  Finally I heard about chia pudding – an instant, raw, thick and silky pudding of chia seeds soaked in a barely sweetened liquid.  Sold!  Not only is chia pudding even easier to make than tofu chocolate pudding, but I think it’s even more delicious!

I have two versions to share with you because even though I love the plain Jane vanilla version, Mr. Picky thought it looked like tiny eyeballs and wouldn’t try it.  So I added a little cocoa powder to make it chocolate-y and less like, well, eyeballs.  Both versions are great.  I eat vanilla chia seed pudding for breakfast with berries or diced banana on top and it fills me up for a good long while.  Mr. Picky and his buddies love the chocolate pudding after school with lots of different toppings like coconut, raspberries or sliced almonds.  Check out the video I did below for The Chalkboard on how to make this delicious concoction.  Naturally I used date-sweetened Pressed Juicery almond milk to make it, but you can follow the recipe below.

Now that we’re hooked, I’d love to hear your favorite way to eat chia seeds!

 

Vanilla and Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Pamela
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Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ cups almond milk
  • 3 pitted dates or sweetener of choice to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2-2 ½ Tablespoons raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder if making chocolate pudding, depending on how chocolaty you like it
  • ¼ cup chia seeds

Instructions
 

  • Place almond milk, dates, vanilla and cacao in blender and process until dates are pulverized. A Vitamix does a great job with this. If your blender leaves the dates too chunky, you can strain the mixture before adding it to the chia seeds.
  • Pour chia seeds into a medium container and add almond milk mixture. Stir immediately to combine otherwise you may end up with blobs of chia seeds. Allow to sit on countertop and stir every 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, it should have thickened.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. I usually do this the night before. Stays in the fridge for as long as your almond milk would. Fun to add toppings like fresh fruit, coconut or chopped nuts.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

No-Sugar, No-Egg, No-Flour Breakfast Cookie Recipe

Most people are not mind readers, so if you have a wish for the perfect Mother’s Day, you may need to drop a few hints.  I used to dream of a day where I could relax in my bed for a few extra minutes, maybe with the newspaper and a fresh cup of tea.  Then off to a rare workout or walk along the beach.  I would wish for a little extra time to do my hair before having a yummy and healthful brunch with my favorite people in the world, my husband and my kiddos.  Ha!  Sometimes we moms keep doing for others and feel guilty about taking time for ourselves.  You know what?  We run around at 90 miles an hour every day of the year, it’s OK to have one day where you get put on a pedestal and your loved ones spend the day worshipping you.

But I’ll admit, I’ve never been very good at asking for things.  Year after year, we would go out with my husband’s family for brunch to a crowded restaurant or hotel.  The men spent a lot of money for average food and lots of noise and this wasn’t dreamy to me.  Then two years ago my good friend Melissa told me that her Mother’s Day is spent at the home of her in-law’s and all the guys get together in the kitchen to make lunch for the ladies.  LIGHT BULB!  So last April, I made a few subtle suggestions and guess what?  My husband can take a hint!  He organized the troops to cook the loveliest lunch at our home.  Never mind that the kitchen looked like something exploded in there, I didn’t have to lift a finger and my hair looked great.

This year we’re doing the same thing and I am totally excited.  If this sounds good to you, but there isn’t enough advance warning for your family to mobilize, you can at least make a few suggestions for breakfast in bed…like these breakfast cookies!  You can whip them together the day before and suggest that they be delivered bedside on a silver platter with a coffee or tea and some fresh fruit.  A little bud vase with a beautiful flower would be nice too, but maybe we shouldn’t push it.  These “cookies” are like having your oatmeal and toppings in a tasty and neat little package, and it kind of feels like you’re eating a cookie.  Splurge!  But look at the ingredients — totally clean and won’t offset that workout you’re going to get in!

If breakfast cookies aren’t your thing (really?), here are a few other ideas to give your family a little help:

Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful women.  I wish I could jump through the computer to give you a big hug.  The world is a better place for all you do.

Breakfast Cookies

Pamela, inspired by Anja's Food 4 Thought
5 from 4 votes
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
  • ¼ cup almond meal or sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • ½ cup chopped nuts I used walnuts and almonds, but pecans are great, too
  • 1 cup unsulphured dried fruit chopped (I used dried dates and blueberries)
  • 3 ripe bananas or 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, coconut, almond meal, cinnamon and salt. Add the nuts and dried fruit combine with the mixture, breaking up the dried fruit so it doesn’t clump together (I use my hands to mix this.)
  • In a medium bowl, mash the bananas and stir in the oil and vanilla.
  • Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir to combine.
  • Take scoops of the batter either with a 1/3 cup or ¼ cup measuring cup and drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your hand to about ¾-inch thick. Bake for a about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in the fridge after a few days or wrap and freeze.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Pancake Recipe

gluten-free buckwheat pancakes | pamela salzman

I have two things on my mind this week — eating anything that was forbidden during Passover (like grains) and being mindful of our consumption of limited resources with Earth Day coming up on April 22nd.   “How will she ever revert this to a pancake recipe?” you ask.  Stay with me, peeps.

Passover, which occurred last week,  is a mighty 8-day abstinence from eating all grains, except wheat turned into matzoh.  Giving up bread, pasta and most starches isn’t such a big deal to me, but my hubby and the kids start groaning after about Day 3.  “How much loooooonger?”  “How come we can’t have rice?  Jack’s family eats rice during Passover.”  “What??!!  It ends on Saturday night?  I thought it ended on Friday!”  And so on and so forth.  Same spiel every year.  Yawn.  So on sundown of the 8th day, my people were freed from bondage, ordered pizza and ravaged it like contestants on “Survivor.”   As for me, I will admit, I was missing oatmeal for breakfast.   Sunday morning I made an extra-large batch thinking everyone craved it as much as I did.  Wrong!  Everyone was craving bagels.    That brings me to my other thought for the week which is being efficient with resources and limiting waste.  I needed a creative way to use that leftover oatmeal!

dry ingredients

By now you know I am serious about pancakes.  I make them twice per week, very often varying the flours or even adding pumpkin and spices to the mix.  I love that everyone has fun customizing his or her own with fruit, nuts or chocolate chips.  Yesterday I made a a lovely batch of oatmeal pancakes with some of the leftovers from Sunday’s excess.  I added a good cup’s worth of steel cut oatmeal to gluten-free oat flour and buckwheat flour, which gave the pancakes these fantastic tiny little chewy bites.  I am a big fan of texture and whole grain flavors, so I adore these pancakes.  If you’ve never tried buckwheat flour, it has a great wholesome earthiness, but it does lend an odd, grey color to the batter.  By the way, buckwheat has no wheat in it and isn’t even related to wheat.  In fact, it is a relative of the rhubarb family, which is why it’s gluten-free.

leftover steel cut oats

 

gluten-free oatmeal pancake batter |pamela salzman

Oat flour is quite simple to make yourself if you don’t feel like buying it.  Just process rolled oats in the food processor until powdery.  That’s it!  If you need or want the oat flour to be gluten-free, you must buy oats/oat flour that is labeled as such, because otherwise it can contain trace amounts of gluten.  If you’re like my husband and are wondering how they take the gluten out of oats, they don’t really.  Botanically oats should not contain gluten, but they do share crop space with gluten-containing grains and often they are processed in facilities which also process wheat and barley, for example.  So the oats can pick up gluten that way.  But if you prefer, feel free to use my standard whole wheat pastry flour for the oat and buckwheat flours.  It just won’t be gluten-free and it will taste more like my traditional buttermilk pancakes, but with a little chew from the oats.  I tend to adorn these pancakes with the same yummies that I would add to a bowl of oatmeal — diced bananas, chopped walnuts, and the like.  But strawberries are incredible and plentiful right now, so we all included them yesterday and my husband tossed in his standard handful of blueberries.  Mr. Picky eats these pancakes just fine, but did declare my “normal” pancakes are his first choice.

add fruit to pancakes before flipping | pamela salzman

Extra pancake batter?  We won’t waste it!!  It will stay good in the refrigerator for a few days and can be used to make fresh pancakes later in the week.  If you use buckwheat flour, don’t be put off by the gumminess of the batter.  It’s very normal and still turns out perfect pancakes.  You can also make all the pancakes at once and freeze them for another day.  I like to put a piece of parchment paper in between each piece so they don’t stick together.  Another idea is to use the pancakes instead of bread for a sandwich or a roll-up.  Any other creative ideas for using up oatmeal or pancakes??

 gluten-free oatmeal pancakes | pamela salzman

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Pancakes

Pamela
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 cup buckwheat flour or substitute whole wheat pastry flour for all or part of the oat and buckwheat flours
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
  • pinch ground cinnamon optional
  • 2 cups buttermilk*
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup COOKED oatmeal preferably steel-cut
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • Melted unrefined coconut oil for brushing the griddle

Instructions
 

  • Preheat a griddle to 400 degrees or medium heat. (Not all built-in griddles are the same. 350 degrees may be fine for you.)
  • Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a medium bowl or 4-6 cup measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, melted butter and oatmeal until well blended. (Or combine all wet ingredients in a blender and add to dry mix with oatmeal.)
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Brush the griddle with coconut oil and spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle. Add blueberries, chocolate chips or diced banana to the surface, if desired. When bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake and the edges become slightly dry, flip it over and cook until done. Maintain the heat on medium-low or 400 degrees.

Notes

*No buttermilk? Sub half unsweetened yogurt and half whole milk. Or use 2 cups milk, omit the baking soda and use 1 Tablespoon baking powder instead.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Coconut-Almond Tart with Strawberries Recipe

When I was a little girl, I loved any holiday where candy was involved.  I was crazy about sugar and my mother didn’t allow many sweet treats in the house, so I really looked forward to those “special occasions.”  Lucky for me, my auntie was all too happy to satisfy my sweet tooth whenever possible.  She was and still is an unbelievable baker as well as a top customer at her local chocolate shop.  You name the holiday, she had the matching sweets, especially on Easter, which was like sugar-on-steroids.  There were small little foil-wrapped bunnies for our baskets, large chocolate boxed bunnies, jelly beans in every color of the rainbow, chocolate eggs and the best one of all — a ginormous chocolate-covered coconut egg.  Imagine a moist, dense, sliceable orb of sweetened coconut covered in milk chocolate — I was obsessed with this confection!  Believe me, I’m not trying to tempt you here.  It was so sickenly sweet, I am sure if I had a bite of it today, I would be nauseous.  Definitely not worth it!

I’m no longer obsessed with that coconut egg (or candy, for that matter.)   But since then, I’ve always associated Easter with coconut, which is funny because it’s really a season-less food.  And in the last decade since I’ve been on the health food path, coconut has found it’s way to me in many forms, none of which is sweetened with sugar nor coated with chocolate-flavored sugar.  Today I rely on unrefined coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut water and unsweetened shredded coconut and my body is much happier with me.  So when I was coming up with a new Easter dessert a few years ago, coconut immediately came to mind.  But since I also celebrate Passover with my husband’s family, I wanted something I could serve on that holiday, too, so no grains or flours allowed.  Lastly, I wanted a delicious dessert that wouldn’t make me feel sick after I ate a slice.  And this is what it really boils down to for me.  I rarely eat sweets and when I do, I’m not looking for dessert to take care of my nutritional needs.   So whereas it’s nice in theory to know I may be getting a few extra minerals from unrefined sweeteners and unprocessed ingredients, I just want a tasty treat that doesn’t make me feel like hell afterwards.  Like this coconut tart!

 

This tart is so delicious and light, but it also happens to be gluten-free, vegan (if you use coconut oil), Passover-friendly, and adaptable to the fruits of the season.  I love making this tart with strawberries now since they are absolutely everywhere and super luscious.  But I’m sure you can picture this like a traditional fruit tart with raspberries, blueberries, kiwis, ripe peaches and/or apricots.  If you don’t like coconut (seriously?), you probably won’t love this, but you can always swap your favorite (hopefully not too toxic) crust for this one.  The coconut custard is very subtle and not overly sweet, so do give it a chance.  For those of you looking to get a jump-start on your holiday baking (I love the way you think), you can definitely make both the crust and the pastry cream 2-3 days in advance and keep both covered in the refrigerator.  You can even wash, dry, and slice your strawberries the day before and keep them covered in the fridge, if it makes your life easier.  It’s best to wait until the day you serve it to spread the cream on top of the crust to avoid it becoming soggy.  Leftovers (what leftovers?) should be kept refrigerated otherwise you’ll run into the same soggy crust issue.  For my other two favorite go-to Easter and Passover desserts, check out my Lemon Ice Torte, which I’ve been making since 1991 (gasp!) and Coconut Macaroons.  With desserts like these, you won’t be tempted by your kids’ Easter baskets!

Coconut-Almond Tart with Strawberries

Pamela
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Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter plus additional for greasing pan
  • ¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup preferably Grade A
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup almond meal or almond flour
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ vanilla bean halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ cup coconut milk not light
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup preferably Grade A
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons non-GMO cornstarch such as Bob’s Red Mill or Rapunzel
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 dry pint strawberries sliced

Instructions
 

  • Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a 9 ½ -inch tart pan with removable bottom with butter or coconut oil. Whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended. In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, coconut and salt. Add wet mixture to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. It will be quite sticky. Press into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Make the filling: Scrape vanilla seeds into a small saucepan, and add pod. Stir in the almond milk, coconut milk, maple syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard vanilla pod.
  • In a small bowl, combine the cold water and cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Pour into the coconut milk mixture and simmer, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened like pastry cream. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer cream to the refrigerator and chill.
  • Just before serving, pour custard into crust and spread evenly. Arrange berries decoratively on top and serve immediately. Best kept refrigerated.
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Easy-Peasy Chocolate Tofu Pudding

We used to celebrate Valentine’s Day a little differently than we do now.  It was also the one holiday of the year where I was off the hook.  My husband took care of the dinner reservation and the flowers, and all I had to do was wash my hair and get dressed up.  But it’s not as easy for both of us to get out of the house on a weeknight now that we have kids ranging in age from 8 to 15.  The book reports, sports practices, and a pre-6:00 am alarm the next morning just aren’t conducive to a relaxing evening out.  So these days I am happier making a cozy Valentine’s dinner at home for my family.  But what can make this feel like it’s not just any old night is… dessert!

Before you think I’ve lost my marbles, let me just tell you chocolate pudding made from tofu is nothing new.  Dairy-free and egg-free people, as well as vegans have been making it for years.  And you know what?  It’s delicious and uber-simple to make!  I was skeptical the first time I heard about using tofu in a dessert, but I also didn’t realize there were two different kinds of tofu.  There’s one kind that stays firm when you stir fry it or bake it, and there’s silken tofu which is rather gelatinous and very soft.  Silken tofu is used quite effectively to add creaminess in dairy-free desserts or salad dressings in place of cream cheese, sour cream and egg yolks, for example.  I’m still on the fence about tofu since I much prefer to consume soy in its more healthful, fermented form, which tofu is not.  But I also don’t promote a lot of pasteurized cow dairy (not easy for most people to digest.)  I’m guessing a little tofu every now and then won’t harm you.  However since tofu is made from soy and soy is one of the top four genetically-modified foods in this country (along with corn, canola and cottonseed), I do make a point of choosing organic or non-GMO tofu.

In my area I can’t find fresh tofu, which I hear is great, so normally my preferred brand is Wildwood Organics “Sprouted Tofu.”  The soybeans have been soaked and sprouted before being turned into tofu, resulting in a more digestible food.  But I did a side-by-side taste test in my free time and the Mori-Nu tofu that you see pictured here tasted more neutral than Wildwood so that’s the one I would recommend for this recipe.  And even though this is as “instant” as pudding gets, I do think it tastes better if it sits in the fridge for at least an hour, if you can wait that long.  I promised my kids that I would include their opinion in my post and let you know that they think the serving size is too small.  I disagree, but if you would like a more substantial serving, you can double the recipe to serve 6.  Instead, I prefer to keep the serving size as is and bring out some fun toppings (always a fan of the topping bar!) like fresh berries, finely chopped or sliced nuts, raw cacao nibs, finely shredded coconut or freshly whipped cream.  Dessert should be for special occasions and what’s more special than Valentine’s dinner with the ones you love?

More ideas for Valentine’s dinner and dessert coming soon!

 

Easy-Peasy Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces organic silken tofu such as Mori-Nu
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup coconut palm sugar or natural cane sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Transfer to individual ramekins or small bowls. Refrigerate for at least two hours for best flavor.
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