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Toasted Pecan & Date Caramel Coconut Milk Ice Cream

May 30, 2014 By Courtney West 6 Comments

It’s been raining here every day this week and I’m one of the few people that really loves and embraces this type of weather. I overhead someone complaining the other day about it not being sunny. I wonder if that same person will be complaining when it’s 100 degrees in a few short weeks. I’ve been especially grateful for the rain this week because it’s been keeping the temperatures down and making a broken air conditioner in my apartment a little more bearable. Good thing I also had this tasty ice cream to help cool me down as well.

I guess technically it’s not ice cream since it’s made from coconut milk. I think the proper term is “non dairy frozen dessert”. But, that sounds ridiculous, so I’m just going to go with ice cream if that’s okay with you. I’ve been a little underwhelmed with the vegan ice cream options available to me locally so I decided to just bite the bullet and make some this past weekend. The resulting ice cream was an homage to a certain Texas company’s pecan pralines and cream. But, it’s healthier, made from whole food ingredients, and a lot tastier.

The ice cream does take a bit of planning ahead due to the chilling/freezing time, so keep that in mind if you want to make it. I ended up tossing the toasted pecans with a bit of vegan butter to give them a little more depth and flavor, but it’s definitely up to you. You can actually omit the caramel, replace the vodka with a GF-friendly bourbon, and you’ve got yourself a buttered pecan ice cream. But, I highly recommend giving this version a go first. Enjoy your weekend friends 🙂
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Lentil & Stone Fruit Salad

August 8, 2013 By Courtney West 2 Comments

The way I plan recipes for the blog is probably a bit unconventional compared to other bloggers. It’s mostly based on spontaneity and availability, and in summer, the weather. I don’t have a notebook with blog posts scheduled, but rather a notebook filled with random post-it notes about ideas I may have had or flavors I want to try together. Usually, something will pop into my head and I will mull it over a day or two. Then, if I’m still thinking/dreaming about it (yes, dreaming), I will go ahead and set aside a bit of time to make and photograph it. This lentil salad, for example, came about because I was trying to think of a somewhat savory way to incorporate some stone fruit I had lying around in my kitchen that was starting to take up valuable real estate on the kitchen counter. I thought about combining it with some lentils for an easy summer salad, but had some doubts about whether the flavors would jive.

This salad is the epitome of summer eating. Fresh and bright flavors with a bit of protein to get me through the day. Though I’m itching for fall, pumpkins, and chai-spiced things at the moment, the temperature outside makes me crave raw, fresh flavors. The salad came together in under 30 minutes so it won’t take up too much of your time. I threw in some chopped toasted almonds for both the added flavor and crunch. And, as per usual, it’s both gluten free and vegan so everyone can enjoy it. In case you are a little skeptical about the lentil and stone fruit combination, just trust me and try it. I think you’ll find it particularly delicious 🙂

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