November 26, 2011 by Aylin - 0 comments

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

This is more like a cool pudding. Itâ€™s refreshing, a great way to start the day. The carrot and pumpkin spice give the ice cream some depth and festive flavor while the bananas provide the creaminess and sweetness.

Ingredients:

– 2 bananas, peeled, cut into fourths and frozen

– 2 carrots, chopped

– 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Serves: 2

Directions:

Food process the bananas until rich and creamy, then add the remaining ingredients until fully processed.

Serve elegantly:

The perfect light holiday breakfast or snack.

Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

August 7, 2011 by Aylin - 0 comments

Cinnamon Banana Soft-Serve Crepe

Sunday mornings arenâ€™t complete without a hearty breakfast. And it can be guiltless when using fresh, simple ingredients! Who says you canâ€™t have ice cream for breakfast?

This recipe uses a thin crepe with nothing but a few ingredients (no eggs, milk or white flour here) and brings the cinnamon flavor that Mr. Banana knows and loves too well. Banana soft serve is the easiest and most surprisingly decadent desert to have up your sleeves. Itâ€™s a crowd pleaser without the compromise in taste or texture. Together, the crepe and banana ice cream make the most satisfying and healthiest Sunday treat!

Ingredients:

– 1/2 cup of homemade banana soft serve

– 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or any flour of choice)

– 1/2 cup water

– 1 tsp honey

– 1/2 tsp cinnamon

– dash salt

– 1/2 tbsp butter

– 1 tsp honey

Serves 1-2

Directions:

Combine the flour, water, cinnamon, pinch of salt and honey.

Combine well and then spread evenly into a circular shape over melted butter in a pan on medium heat.

When cooked through, drizzle the other tsp of honey on one side of the crepe.

Have the banana ice cream ready to plop on top of the honey.

Fold.

And indulge.

Sister tested. Sister approved!

Bon appetit!

xo Aylin

July 5, 2011 by Aylin - 0 comments

One Ingredient Guiltless Ice-Cream

Yes, thatâ€™s right. This one has been getting a lot of steam these days, and itâ€™s totally worth the try! All you have to do is freeze the bananas, food process/blend them, add whatever else you want to the mix, and serve! The beauty of this recipe is that the possibilities are endless. While there is a banana taste, it is not overpowering. By adding dried fruit, chocolate, nuts, or any other topping/mix-in of your choice, you completely change the dessert. I like to blend mine with cocoa powder to make a chocolate version, but bananas alone do the trick.

I topped the finished banana cream with some chopped dried figs and apricots.

Banana Ice-Cream w/Dried Figs and Apricots

Ingredients:

– 3 bananas, chopped and frozen

– chopped dried fruit (your choice!)

Serves: 2

Directions:

Peel, chop and seal the bananas in a plastic bag.

Put into the freezer overnight or at least 4-6 hours.

The next dayâ€¦

Remove the bananas and food process them until the mixture is creamy and ice-cream like.

Serve:

Time to add whatever you like. You could mix the toppings with the mixture in the food processor or just add to the top of the finished product. I used dried figs and apricots.

Guiltless and SO good. You can eat this for breakfast too!

Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

January 19, 2011 by Aylin - 2 Comments

Carrot Ice-cream

Yes, you read right.

Carrot ice-cream it is…or was, since it’s all gone by now. Â I know, it sounds hokey. Also sounds kinda gross. But I assure you it’s not–quite the opposite in fact.

Think about it–carrot is a sweet root vegetable after-all, and if you’ve ever had carrot juice you can remember its milk-like consistency and mellow sweet taste. So why not make this baby into a vegan, figure-friendly ice cream that satisfies the sweet tooth whilst offering the creamy consistency of traditional ice cream? Â I make ice-cream out of different varieties of sweet potatoes,Â avocados, bananas, beets, you name it. If it’s starchy, and willing, I’ll make it cream.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Vegan Carrot Ice-Cream

Ingredients:

– 5-7 whole carrots, baked until soft
– 1/2 cup coconut milk (canned or fresh)
– Dash of salt
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 banana, peeled and frozen
– 1 tbsp honey

The banana, maple syrup, and honey give this dish extra sweetness without going overboard. The banana, especially, rounds out the taste, making the ice-cream more of a fruity concoction than say a savory, vegetable-y one. Â The carrot, however, is the backbone to the flavor. It’s the ingredient that will make others ponder, “What is that?” Well, that is if the orange color doesn’t give it away first.

Directions:

Gather the carrots together and bake in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are soft all the way through.

Let them cool for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Toss them in a food processor.

Add the coconut milk (just half of this can).

Add the maple syrup.

Pulse the mixture to get the consistency started.

Add the frozen banana. Earlier, I peeled, sliced and put the banana in a plastic bag to freeze.

Frozen:

Toss the banana into the food processor with the rest of the mixture. Add the honey last to monitor the sweetness of the ice-cream. 1 tsbp is a good starting point, but I oftentimes put more depending on the intensity of my sweet tooth that day.

Blend, baby, blend.

Herro!

The color is so vibrant and the taste is sweet, yet deep and nuanced. If you want to add cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice, it’ll give the ice-cream more Winter character. Pour the mixture in a pan lined with plastic wrap.