October 15, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin-Maple Ice Cream

Here in VA Beach, fall comes late so it can be quite warm this time of year. Therefore, when my “good” vegan gal pals on “Good Reads” suggested that we all post a recipe inspired by pumpkin to celebrate the mid-way point of Vegan MoFo 2011, I decided to make mine a quasi-warm weather recipe while featuring this quintessential cool weather ingredient.

I love pumpkin as much as I do sweet potatoes, which is to say ” a whole lot!” so I was all in. And I love it in both savory and sweet dishes. This one is a not-too-sweet, but plenty sweet enough (that one’s for you, Lee!), maple-infused pumpkin ice cream. I serve mine with sweetened Cashew Cream and a cinnamon stick. But it would be delicious, say, with my Pepita Caramel Syrup (which is equally good on my Vegan Pumpkin-Bourbon French Toast) or with Pepita Brittle.

True confession: I tried a new recipe I found online, experimenting with adding some additional flavors. The recipe was a bust–maybe it was the Tequila and lime juice I added (seriously!)–as it never hardened enough to make brittle, but it also wasn’t soft enough to serve as a sauce. Plus, I discovered a very important lesson: cinnamon and chipotle chili powder, when combined, taste like a Red Hot! I don’t know about you, but I’ve never cared for Red Hots, and certainly not on my beautiful pumpkin ice cream. So much for being creative. I did, however, discover that I LOVE lime zest sprinkled over the top of the not-so-brittle brittle. I’m going to keep experimenting and be back to you when the results are worthy of Blooming Platter readers!

For now, I hope you enjoy my newest creation!

Yield: approximately 1 quart

1 cup unsweetened or plain soymilk, divided

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

3/4 cup soy creamer

2/3 cup natural sugar

1/3 cup maple syrup

1-15 ounce can pumpkin puree (feel free to substitute homemade)

3 cinnamon sticks

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon maple extract

Garnishes: sweetened Cashew Cream, cinnamon stick halves, and/or Pepita Caramel Syrup

In a small cup or bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soymilk with arrowroot until completely combined, and set aside. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine remaining soymilk, soy creamer, sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin, cinnamon sticks, and dry spices. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture just reaches a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in arrowroot mixture. The custard will thicken noticeably and quickly. Whisk in vanilla and maple extracts. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate until cold, approximately 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Remove cinnamon sticks, whisk again, and freeze according to your ice cream manufacturer’s directions. Store in freezer. Serve with a dollop of sweetened Cashew Cream, half of a cinnamon stick, and/or with Pepita Caramel Syrup.

For 150 fresh seasonal recipes, including some some fabulous fall fare, I invite you to check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

July 8, 2011July 8, 2011 by betsy

VegNewsletter Features a Recipe from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

Hi everyone~

I just signed up for VegNews Magazine’s free online VegNewsletter and wanted to encourage you to do the same!

While you’re at it, you might want to subscribe to the actual magazine; it’s a great deal at only $20 per year with discounts for 2 and 3 year subscriptions.

The range of content is amazing. Vegan food and wine is just the start. There is travel and fashion and, well, news on a host of topics as the title suggests.

Speaking of food and wine, the current issue features a recipe from The Blooming Platter Cookbook! It’s my Mango Coconut Sorbet, a summertime favorite.

Thanks to all the folks at VegNews for including The Blooming Platter in VegNewsletter; it’s such an honor! I can’t wait to meet all of you on my trip to San Francisco next week!

June 29, 2011June 29, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Bourbon-Broiled Peaches with Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream

With summer in full swing, and Independence Day in the USA just days away, the time seemed right to post a tasty teaser from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

Driving past a farm market yesterday, I noticed that our long-awaited local peaches are in! Hopefully, the same is true where your live because this cooling treat might come in handy for your July 4 celebration. Or, if you don’t observe this holiday, this dessert is sure to provide a welcome respite on any meltingly hot day.

Where we live in coastal Virginia, peaches are one of the glories of summer. It is hard to beat fresh peaches when eaten at the height of summer, fuzz and all, juice dripping down one’s chin. This preparation pays homage to the essence of the peach with the distinctive flavor of bourbon. It’s irresistible with the Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream, or to save time, a store-bought vegan vanilla ice cream may be substituted.

If this recipe makes your mouth water, I hope you’ll consider purchasing a book so more than 150 others will be right at your finger tips!

Bourbon-Broiled Peaches
Yield: 4 servings

2 peaches, rinsed, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons bourbon
4 teaspoons natural sugar
Pinch sea salt
4 scoops Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream (recipe follows), or your favorite vegan vanilla (optional but encouraged)

1. Position the oven rack on the top shelf of your oven and preheat the broiler. Place the peach halves, cut side up, in a small, shallow heat-proof dish. Brush them with the bourbon. Sprinkle each half with a teaspoon of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt. Broil for about 5 minutes to heat them through and melt the sugar. Watch them carefully to prevent scorching.
2. To serve, arrange broiled peach halves in shallow dessert bowls and top each with one scoop of the ice cream, if using.

Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream
Yield: 1 quart

Make this delicious ice cream the day before you plan to serve it.

1 very large ripe peach, halved, pitted, skin left on
Juice of one small lemon
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk, divided
1 cup plain soy creamer
3/4 cup natural sugar
1 large vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out with the tip of a paring knife
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
3 tablespoons pure peach preserves, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups vegan sour cream

1. Cut the peach into chunks and add to a food processor with the lemon juice. Process until it is a smooth puree. Set aside.
2. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine 1/4 cup soy milk, soy creamer, sugar, and vanilla seeds over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup soy milk with the arrowroot powder until smooth. When the soy creamer mixture just reaches a boil, remove the pan quickly from the heat and whisk in the soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth and thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract followed by the reserved peach mixture, peach preserves, if using, and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Whisk if lumps remain and/or press the mixture through a sieve. Cover the mixture and refrigerate it at least three hours or overnight; then whisk in the sour cream.
4. Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s directions. Scrape the finished ice cream into an airtight container and store in the freezer. Allow the ice cream to “ripen” and further set up before serving, if desired.

May 10, 2011May 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Coconut Cream-Mango Sorbet

If you think the Chocolate Carrot Cupcakes below look scrumptious, you should try them with my Coconut Cream-Mango Sorbet: just a tiny scoop in a Chinese soup spoon!

The dessert display at the party mentioned in the cupcake post was beautiful, clean and modern with a sweep of white ceramic soup spoons filled with golden-orange globes of sorbet playing off the robin’s egg blue cupcake decoration–perfect complementary colors and flavors.

But with its subtle hint of fresh lime and tropical-sweet fruit flavor, this sorbet is luscious on its own or, if you don’t want to go so far as a cupcake, with just a rich chocolate ganache squiggle as in the photograph.

This recipe and over 150 more, plus color photos, fill the pages of my new Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. Your copy awaits at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Prince Books (both online and in their Norfolk, VA, store)!

April 28, 2011May 9, 2011 by betsy

The Blooming Platter (Vegan) Cookbook Give-Away

I’m delighted to usher in spring by sharing a giveaway my publisher, Vegan Heritage Press, is sponsoring through their new blog. Just click here and follow the simple directions for three great chances to win a copy of my new cookbook: The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

Hurry, the contest ends Sunday, May 1, at midnight!

A visit to the VHP blog will also afford you a sneak preview of one of the most luscious and ultra-easy recipes from my book: Mango-Coconut Cream Sorbet.

Hope you win!

July 19, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Lemonade Ice Cream

Yield: approximately 1 quart

This is my mom’s favorite ice cream made my way.

When I was visiting my family a couple of weeks ago, Mama wanted me to veganize her Lemonade Ice Cream–doesn’t that just sound like summer?– to christen the Cuisinart electric ice cream maker I had given her and my dad (they gave me one just like it and I think it’s tops).

We didn’t get the ice cream made until the day before I was leaving early the next morning, so I wasn’t able to try any, but she reports that it met with ahhh-proval all the way around. I’ve been craving some ever since and finally made a batch this weekend. Oh, my, is it ever good: creamy and citrusy, kind of like a Dreamsicle only lemon flavored.

As always, I use Wheeler del Toro’s basic formula (if you didn’t purchase his Vegan Scoops cookbook last summer, treat yourself to it this summer). Since it makes about half as much ice cream base as my Mom’s recipe, which calls for one large can frozen lemonade, I simply used half a can.

Also, there was no arrowroot powder in my folks’ pantry, so I substituted an equal amount of cornstarch and it thickened beautifully. The only difference is that cornstarch doesn’t “break” when heated and, in fact, it needs to be cooked just a minute or so to thicken properly. Arrowroot reportedly prevents the formation of ice crystals and I’m not sure that cornstarch does. However, the batch I froze at my parents’ emerged from the ice cream maker silky smooth and didn’t last long enough for them to find out.

Enjoy this cool and refreshing sweet taste of summer as often as you like, as it’s a breeze to make.

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
3/4 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be nice)
2 cups soy creamer
1/2 cup sugar
Optional garnish: twists of lemon rind or sprigs of fresh lemon verbena

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy milk with arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside. Pour remaining soymilk, soy creamer and sugar into a small to medium saucepan and stir to combine. Place over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain and/or press through a sieve, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. When ready to freeze the ice cream, shake the lemonade container well, and whisk half a can into the soymilk mixture. Then freeze according to your manufacturer’s directions. Scrape the finished ice cream into an airtight container and store in freezer. Initially mine was frozen, but quite soft. But, after a night in the freezer, it was perfect. So you may want to freeze it a day before you plan to serve it.

June 6, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

Yield: approximately 1 quart

If you follow this blog, you know that I am a huge fan of Wheeler del Torro’s vegan ice cream. This founder and owner of Wheeler’s Frozen Dessert Company in Boston and author of The Vegan Scoop is a culinary genius. I’ve tried several vegan ice creams, with and without tofu, but wasn’t completely satisfied until I experimented with his formula.

The base for many, if not most, of Wheeler’s ice creams is a cup of soy or other vegan milk, 2 cups of soy creamer, 2 tablespoons of arrowroot (a natural starchy thickener) and 3/4 cup of sugar. You will scarcely believe how smooth and creamy the end results will be because the arrowroot thickens the base and, more importantly, reduces the formation of ice crystals.

Last summer I made lots of varieties and would hate to have to choose a favorite. This summer, with my first ever full-blown herb garden in full bloom, I decided to inaugurate ice cream season with Vegan Lemon Verbena. And, boy, am I glad I did. It was 97 here on Saturday. If you’re a frequent visitor, you know that lemon verbena is one of my favorite new herbs. The amount called for sounds like a lot, but it was really just about 3-4 nice-size stems.

If you don’t grow this plant, run, don’t walk, to your nearest garden center or farmer’s market and buy yourself a lemon verbena plant. It is unbelievably versatile for both savory and sweet dishes.

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons arrow root powder
3/4 cup sugar
approximately 70 lemon verbena leaves, rinsed and completely dried (about 3-4 stems)
3/4 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be nice)
2 cups soy creamer
Optional garnish: sprigs of fresh lemon verbena

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy milk with arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place sugar and lemon verbena leaves until leaves are finely minced. Pour remaining soymilk, soy creamer and sugar mixture into a small to medium saucepan and stir to combine. Place over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. At this point, you may simply freeze the mixture according to your manufacturer’s directions. Or, if you prefer not to have the actual leaves in your ice cream, simply strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids, and then freeze. Scrape the finished ice cream into an airtight container and store in freezer. Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh lemon verbena.

September 14, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Peach Ice Cream and Broiled Peaches

I accidentally let summer pass me by before I posted this link to August’s iteration of my monthly vegan recipe column, “The Veggie Table,” in the Virginian-Pilot:

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

July 4, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Caramelized Banana-Macadamia Nut-Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart

Wheeler del Torro’s The Vegan Scoop rules! His basic formula combined with my friend Shelley’s recommendation for banana-nut ice cream and my penchant for anything caramelized led to this concoction. As a child, I was “mad” for Brennan’s Restaurant’s Banana’s Foster on pre-vegan trips to New Orleans: bananas caramelized and flamed tableside and served over rich vanilla ice cream. Out of the fire and into the freezer comes this vegan-approved almost guilt-free pleasure with a bow to Sin City.

1-14.5 ounce can coconut milk, with 1/4 cup poured into a small cup or bowl
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
3/4 brown sugar
2-3 bananas, sliced about 3/4-1″ thick
1 1/4 cups plain soy creamer
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted macadamia nuts (if macdamia nuts would break the bank, your favorite nut will do nicely)

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup coconut milk and arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and cook until dissolved. Lower heat just slightly if mixture is cooking too fast. Add banana slices and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 3-5 minutes or until bananas soften and begin to caramelize. remove from heat and mash right in the skillet with a potato masher. (If you use a non-stick skillet, remove bananas before mashing, or you will scratch the surface.) Place the remaining coconut milk, soy creamer, cinnamon stick and mashed bananas into a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in coconut milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth followed by the vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, whisk again if lumps remain, and then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled. Whisk to remove any remaining lumps and then freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. (I use a Cusinart electric ice cream maker.) When ice cream is almost frozen, pour in chopped nuts and continue freezing so that they are well distributed. Scrape ice cream into an airtight container and store in freezer.