Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

There is nothing better than adding fresh fruits of the season to homemade ice cream.

This is the height of berry season and I like to use whatever berries I can get from the farmer's market. 

If you don't have access to fresh berries or if they are too expensive you can definitely use frozen berries.

I always keep frozen berries in the freezer and use them when I can't get to the store and I need berries.

There are dozens of recipes for homemade ice cream.   I often make our ice cream dairy free and sugar free.  This week though we used a blend of coconut milk and half and half.

For this recipe I adapted the basic vanilla ice cream recipe from the recipe booklet included with the ice cream machine and then I added in fresh strawberries and chopped chocolate squares.

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream
(adapted from Cuisinart Instruction Booklet)
Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1-2 TBLS. granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (or use whole milk)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (OR use agave nectar & taste for sweetness)
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 TBLS. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped chocolate

Directions

1. Chop the strawberries and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, taste for sweetness before adding the full amount of sugar. Set aside to macerate for about an hour.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the milk and sugar and use a hand mixer on low speed to dissolve the sugar, it takes a couple of minutes.
3. Stir in the half and half and vanilla and place the bowl in the refrigerator to keep cold until the strawberries have released some of their juices.
4. Take half of the strawberries and mash them with a fork and add that and the juice to the milk mixture.
5. Pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker according to manufacturers directions.
6. About 5 or 10 minutes before the ice cream is frozen add the remaining strawberries and the chopped chocolate and let the mixture continue to churn for the remaining 10 minutes.
7. It will be a soft serve consistency. If you wish you can transfer the soft serve to another container, cover and place in the freezer for a couple of hours.

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Grilled Vegetable Risotto

Risotto is a dish that can be a 'go to' side dish or the main course. One of the many reasons I like risotto is that you can add some leftovers to it and have your very own "weekly special" on the menu.

We always grill fresh vegetables whenever we have the grill on during the weekend.   I make  extra vegetables so we can have leftovers during the week and I use them in many different ways. This week I used some of the vegetables for the  risotto.

When you are having a really busy day or you are not sure what to make for dinner risotto can be a life-saver. Thirty minutes is all you need if you are using some leftovers. Add a green salad and your dinner is 'served'.

I have posted a few risotto recipes and I use Lidia Bastianich's method for cooking risotto. It's a no fail method and the risotto is always perfect. One thing to remember when making risotto is that it needs to be served immediately - it's not a make in advance kind of dish. BUT the flip side is that you can cook and serve risotto within 30 minutes.

Grilled Vegetable Risotto
Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (or you can use vegetable stock)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• grilled vegetables, chopped
• chopped fresh herbs of choice (parsley, basil, oregano, sage)

Directions:

1. Pour the stock into a 2-quart saucepan on medium heat to a simmer and then keep it hot over low heat. (The liquid must be hot in order for the starch to be released to make the sauce creamy.)
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat add in chopped onion stirring occasionally until translucent and just lightly golden.
3. Stir in the arborio rice and continue stirring until the grains are coated with oil and “toasted” – the edges become translucent – 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the wine stirring into the rice and let it simmer until wine is evaporated  (if you don't cook with wine just use the vegetable stock).
5. Season the rice lightly with salt and then pour in 1 to 1-1/2 ladles of the hot stock into the pan, or enough to barely cover the rice. Do Not Stir - Bring rice to a boil, then lower the heat so the stock is at a lively simmer.
6. Continue cooking the rice on simmer and pour in approximately 1/2 ladle of the hot stock. For each addition of the stock there should be just enough to completely moisten the rice -- and then let the rice cook until each batch of stock has been absorbed. 
7.  Repeat this process until the rice is creamy and al dente; this will take 16 to 20 minutes from the time the wine was added. When in doubt, undercook, the risotto continues to cook even after it is removed from the heat.
8. Taste the rice after the stock has absorbed to determine if the rice is al dente after about 15 minutes of cooking time.
9. Add in the grilled vegetables - or any leftovers you will be using and heat through.
10. Adjust the level of heat throughout cooking so the rice is simmering very gently.
11. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and any herbs you will be using.  Taste and season as needed.

Sugar Ruins Your Health - Sugar Free Dressing

I changed the title of this post from "Sugar Ruins Your Health" to what it is now. I thought it was a little too much to handle so I tamed my thoughts and hope I don't offend or scare anyone.

We all think about staying healthy and wonder what can we do to get there. This may be a thought many of us have but sometimes we ignore.

"It's not convenient because we're too busy" . . ., you get the picture.

I came across this title "25 Reasons That Sugar Ruins Your Health" which included a listing of some of the health issues caused by ingesting too much sugar mostly from pre-packaged foods on a daily basis. There were many health issues on the list that I never would have thought to give the 'honor' to sugar.

Sugar is in most of the packaged foods on store shelves today -- are you surprised? It's in pancake mix, packaged bread crumbs (plain or seasoned), refrigerator dough (biscuits, etc.), -- who would have thought? These are items most of us use on a regular basis and then there are the packaged cookies, breakfast cereals, candy, and other sweet foods we eat every day.

My intention is only to raise awareness that sugar may have an affect on our health and some never realize it until they get an unhealthy report card. It is then that you realize it's time to change the grade to get back on the honor roll - not the jelly roll.

I gave serious thought about whether to include the list - I drafted this post many times, adding the list and deleting it. My final decision was to NOT add the list but just mention a few very common health issues that might be attributed to a diet high in sugar.

• Sugar adds calories and makes us FAT (sorry about the caps!)
• makes us sluggish
• can cause us to retain water
• increases levels of cholesterol
• can cause headaches
• and it's addicting - have you ever noticed the more sugar you eat the more sugar you crave

These common issues are some that we all may have experienced at some point in our lives.

If we are not feeling well the one thing we can do is make a food diet check-list to see if we are eating way more sugar than we should and just eliminate some foods that can be swapped out for something with less sugar.

If you can do that just a few days a week you might notice how much better you will be feeling. It could be the beginning of a healthy new way to begin each week!

I made this fruit salad while I was writing this post. Adding fresh strawberries and oranges to spinach and cucumbers is one way to eliminate sugar in a meal yet still have some sweetness from the berries and orange. Just a word of caution, don't use bottled salad dressing. This is what I used for dressing.

No Sugar Salad Dressing
Ingredients

• juice from 1 orange
• 1 TBLS. balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBLS. olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and taste for additional seasoning if needed.
2. Pour over the salad and gently toss to coat the spinach.

The reality is this is a food blog with many sweet recipes that call for sugar and, yes, we all enjoy desserts. Many of my sweet recipes include sugar alternatives to help reduce the amount of refined sugar in our diets.

That gives us more wiggle room to enjoy the sweets. There are many ways to 'skin a cat' as they say so don't fret, just . . . Eat, Drink, and Be Merry always in moderation.



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#FoodieFriendsFriday Salad Roundup

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Pasta Salad Hold the Mayo

I'm fortunate to have one of my lovely daughters live nearby.  I'm always learning something new when she shares with me her recipes and tips.

Over the years she has adjusted her cooking style to accommodate her family's preferences.

She often remakes an old family favorite and very often her remake of a dish turns into a keeper. That's what happened to the summer pasta salads we used to make.

We noticed no one was eating the old, cold pasta salad with broccoli dressed with an Italian dressing that always had too much oregano - oops! oregano may be the reason.

Lovely daughter is a minimalist cook, no fuss, make it quick and not too many ingredients. Her pasta salad is just that and whenever she makes it there are no leftovers.

The best part of this dish is you can boil the pasta and chop the tomatoes a day in advance if you are very busy and dress it up when you are ready to serve.

This recipe is really simple and there are probably many out there who make this simple dish but I'll share it for anyone who might be looking for a simple cold pasta salad.

Caprese Style Pasta Salad
Ingredients

• 1 box rotelli style pasta, cooked al dente (we use Dreamfields)
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or grape tomatoes quartered
• 8 oz. pkg. mozzarella cut into small chunks
• 1 cup black olives, halved (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro & fresh basil (whichever you prefer, or use all)
• 3-4 TBLS. olive oil
• 2 TBLS. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Chop the onion and tomatoes and add to a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar and toss well to coat the tomatoes and onions. Taste to see if you would like to add more of either vinegar or oil and salt and pepper. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the water just before draining.
3. Drain pasta and add to a large bowl.
4. Stir in the tomato mixture and add the mozzarella chunks, olives if using, parsley/cilantro & basil, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir well to blend. Can be served well chilled or at room temperature.

When you dress the pasta just before serving it can stay on the table for quite some time without spoiling. This dish is great as a side dish with weekend BBQ's or on a buffet table for a special celebration.



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