Dairy-Free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream {vegan}

We're no stranger to homemade ice cream. On a scale of not-worth-your-time-buy-store-bought and I'm-never-buying-store-bought-again-where-has-this-homemade-version-been-all-my-life?! homemade ice cream is tipping the scales at the latter. There's just something about simple, real ingredients, no fillers, no preservatives, not chalked full of air, no stabilizers to keep it from melting - just pure real ingredients with a far superior taste and texture.  

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Last summer we made peach bourbon pecan cobbler ice cream and then we celebrated fall with cinnamon apple pie ice cream. We're a house divided between dairy-free ice cream and traditional. I've pretty much perfected the thick creamy consistency without dairy and with so many dairy-free store bought versions tasting just so off, I am such a sucker for a good homemade dairy free ice cream. The secret, like most delicious creamy dairy-free desserts, is in the coconut milk which when combined with coconut cream pretty much gives you the exact consistency of heavy cream without ever having the milk a cow. Other than that, this recipe is pretty straight forward, classic. 

Every now and then I think it's good to get back to the basics. And because there are probably one million vanilla ice cream recipes out there, but only a handful of dairy free ones, I'm throwing my hate into the ring with this recipe. It makes the perfect base for throwing in chocolate cookies for cookies and cream, seasonal fruit, jam, or even specks of melted chocolate. It's a staple for topping over cobblers and pies or just dunking a spoon into when it's super hot out. Oh, and be sure to check back next week because we're doing something super fun with it. 

My husband's been gone back and forth traveling for work since May and just came home, so I'm looking forward to spending the 4th as a pack, just the three of us. We're making Alexandra Cooks' peach pizza, which I've deemed a 4th of july tradition and smitten's zucchini crisps with sangria and this ice cream. Happy 4th! 

Dairy-Free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 
Makes 1 scant quart (which becomes a full quart with mix-ins) 

1/3 cup cane sugar 
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks (room temp) OR 1 tablespoon cornstarch (see notes)  
1 can full fat coconut milk 
1 can coconut cream 
1 vanilla bean 
pinch of salt 

Prepare a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a gentle boil in a small sauce pan topped with a heat-proof bowl. Be mindful the water doesn't actually touch the bottom of the bowl. Over medium-low heat, whisk sugars, egg yolks OR cornstarch and 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk to loosen in the heat proof bowl for about 3 minutes until the mixture thickens and the sugars melt.

Pour in the coconut milk, followed by the coconut cream and whisk. Slice open the vanilla bean and using the backside of a knife, scrape out the insides. Toss this vanilla bean "caviar" along with the vanilla bean pod and a generous pinch of salt into the coconut mixture. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and discard the remnants. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Pour the cooled mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacture's instructions. Once the ice cream comes together it will be the consistency of soft serve. If you like it a bit more firm pop in the freezer before serving. 

Notes: 

Egg yolks v. Cornstarch. Traditionally creamy custard style ice cream is made with egg yolks. Upon researching vegan alternatives I discovered cornstarch acts in a very similar way. I made a batch of each, expecting the egg yolk batch to come out creamier. We did a blind taste test and couldn't tell a difference. So we'll leave the decision up to you! Not into either? You could skip on both, the ice cream will just be more icy less creamy. 

Coconut cream? I buy it from trader joe's and it's only slightly thicker than regular full fat coconut milk. If you can't find it just go with two cans of coconut milk and you'll be fine. Definitely avoid light coconut milk here, we're making ice cream, and it will come out super icy. 

We have this ice cream maker. It's pretty great. 

Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Bread {vegan}

Operation put strawberries in as many things as humanly possible before summer gets here continues today. I've long been a fan of the marriage of strawberries and banana. They made a dynamic duo, and feel tropical and springy. So I decided to adapt my Aunt's banana bread recipe, which I pretty much grew up on and have been making forever, to include strawberries! Yipee! 

I wanted to make it somewhat less of a treat and somewhat more of a dare I say, healthy, snack. Something that would be appropriate with your morning coffee. So I omitted the sugar and replaced it with half the amount of maple syrup. All hail maple syrup! I swear I should have been born Canadian. With the help of a little coconut oil, I also made it vegan. I used a combination of whole wheat pastry flour, which makes this bread surprisingly light, and good old fashioned oats. And despite the fact that it tastes just as good if not better than the banana bread I grew up eating, it's packed with protein, whole grains, and fiber, so there is no guilt in eating the entire loaf. The result is an incredibly moist loaf of classic banana bread with the perfect tang from bursting ripe strawberries. I think banana bread is the ultimate homemade food. It smells and tastes like home.

Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Bread {Vegan} 
Makes 1 large loaf

1 flax eggs (1 tbsp flax seed meal + 2.5 tbsp water + pinch of baking powder) or 1 chicken egg
1 cup mashed ripe banana (~2 medium bananas)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 scant cup finely diced strawberries + 1-2 strawberries for topping

Prepare the flax egg, if using. Combine flax and water in a small prep bowl, stir to combine and let sit at least 20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a medium loaf pan (I used coconut oil spray) .

Process the oats in the bowl of a food processor for about 1 minute until finely ground. Combine oat “flour” with whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

Toss baking powder into the flax seed mixture (skip this step if you are using a regular egg) and stir, it should be thickened to the consistency of an egg by now. In a large bowl (or stand mixture) mix together flax egg, bananas, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla until fully incorporated.

Slowly integrate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently stir in the diced strawberries and pour the batter into your loaf pan. Thinly slice remaining 1-2 strawberries and drape them on top of your loaf. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown on the top and a skewer comes out completely clean.

Notes:

The fresh strawberries give this bread a lot of moisture. Moisture leads to a longer cooking time. The top of your loaf will likely be darker than the loaf in the photos (which would have used a longer cook time).
As tempting as it is to toss in 2-3 ripe bananas and call it good, you need to measure out exactly a cup. Too much banana and the loaf won’t cook through. Trust me and my 6 loaves of under-cooked bread.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

After we found out we're moving to Chicago, Nate and I came up with a california bucket list of things to do before we move. Although we've been less than loving LA for a while now, it's a bit unnerving to think we may never come back to the city we live in again. I may never visit our Trader Joe's or take class at my yoga studio or spend a date night at our favorite Indian restaurant ever again. I know, I'm being a bit dramatic, but once we pick up and leave we're closing this chapter of our lives, a chapter we're happy to close. But there's something about closing a chapter that brushes over the rough parts and washes over everything with nostalgia. 

I know this because when I think of the 5 years I spent living in New York, I don't remember the roaches or cursing MTA as I'm late for class and the damn train won't come. I remember the best days of my life in what I still fiercely describe as the greatest city in the world. I remember being surrounded by friends, brilliant teachers, and the pulse of a vibrant city packed with more charm than Los Angeles could ever muster. 

It's also a bit unnerving how much where you live changes you. Los Angeles has made me softer, that's for sure. I look back on the person I was when I first moved here over 3 years ago and I barely recognize her. It's both scary and exciting to think about the person I'll become as a Chicagoan. As a mid-westerner (something that still continues to fill my mind with stereotypes that don't feel like me). What will my life be like? What will I be like? 

I recently told Nate that after we move I want to spend the first few weeks cooking the meals we already know and love. And how comforting I imagine it will be to eat the same crispy eggplant with mango salsa we've been eating for years. He doesn't relate to any of this because he moved every two years growing up. He has quite literally mastered moving on. He doesn't have friends from childhood or a hometown and because of it he is the most adaptable person I know. 

So in effort to savor these last couple months and check some things off our list, we headed up to Ventura last weekend and ate at Beach House Tacos on the pier. We went there the morning we got engaged, so it's sort of special to us. They sell the cheapest best tacos I've ever had, hands down. They definitely have that street taco feel - no fuss, simple, good. So last weekend we ordered a side of grilled pineapple salsa for the first time. Spicy roasted tomato salsa with thick chunks of juicy grilled pineapple. I barely finished chewing my first bite before I said, "WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS". 

Cinco de Mayo is here so what better time? I'd never made a salsa like this before, so I figured why not go with the pro, Rick Bayless, whose famous Chicago restaurant XOCO we ate at the night I interviewed. This recipe starts with simple whole ingredients. Instead of using canned fire roasted tomatoes, I roasted them myself. It's really super simple. Dry roast everything on a sizzling hot cast iron skillet until blackened. Peel off the skins and blend into chunky salsa goodness with a surprising bite of juicy sweetness from grilled pineapple. It is taco stand worthy, simple, authentic, and delicious. 

Grilled Pineapple Salsa 
adapted from Rick Bayless via The Splendid Table 
makes about 1 quart 

1 pound fresh tomatoes (I used greenhouse tomatoes on the vine) 
2 large jalapeños
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled 
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 
1/2 white onion ~ 3 oz, finely diced 
1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 
1 small pineapple, or 1/2 large pineapple 

Heat both a large cast iron skillet covered in tin foil and a grill pan over high heat. You could also use a regular grill. Remove the rind, and cut the pineapple in long, 1/2 inch thick slices. 

Place tomatoes, jalapeños, and unpeeled garlic in the cast iron skillet, place the slices of pineapple in the grill pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pineapple until dark brown grill marks appear on the bottom, then flip, about 12 minutes on each side - though it will depend on the temperature of your grill. Rotate the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeños every couple of minutes until they are soft, blistered, and blackened almost all over. For me, this took about 25 minutes. It's okay if the tomato skins stick to the foil. Remove from the skillets and let everything cool.  

Meanwhile, run cold water over the diced white onion and set aside. Roughly chop the cilantro. 

Remove the skins from the tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic. Discard the jalapeños stem and if you like your salsa mild remove and discard all of the seeds. I left about a dozen seeds and it was pretty spicy - so a little goes a long way. 

In the bowl of a food processor pulse the jalapeños, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until completely ground. You will need a scape the sides a couple times. Add the tomatoes pineapple and pulse until desired chunkiness is achieved. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and stir in the onion and cilantro. Let sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours to let the flavors marinate. The flavors only get better with time.