Banana Avocado Chocolate Ice Cream.

I’m desperately in the mood for rainbow sherbet. I’m pregnant, and so far, what pregnancy means for me in terms of cravings is something tart and sweet, like lemonade. Or rainbow sherbet. Confession: I sent my baby daddy out on Father’s Day for a preggo craving run. I couldn’t help it. I was dying for rainbow sherbet. (Un?)Fortunately, he returned with a box of cones under his arm and no sherbet. I was devastated, and so was my poor husband, who, after listening to my exalting praise of the sugary treat, was super-duper in the mood for it too. Of the many problems with sherbet, the most worrisome issue is my kid can’t partake. Food dye is just one issue. Frankly, I really shouldn’t be eating it either. So I made this. I had to search for an ice cream recipe that I could make with what I had. I use the heck out of almond milk so I buy a lot of it, but I don’t regularly have coconut milk around because we eat it and then it’s gone. Most ice cream and sherbet recipes call for something fatty to bind it all together and emulsify the ingredients. I knew my “60-calorie-per-serving” almond milk wasn’t going to cut it in most ice “cream” recipes so I honed my search and found the inspiration for this. It’s still mixing in the ice cream maker, but the pre-mix is yummy, so I’m just gonna go ahead and write this recipe down before I forget it. It isn’t rainbow sherbet, but it is dairy-free vegetable-y ice cream goodness.

 

 

2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded

3 ripe bananas, peeled

4 tbsp honey

2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 c cocoa powder

 

 

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions until desired consistency is achieved.

OR Pour into a freezable container with a lid and freeze for at least 4 hours before eating.

OR Just eat it as is and enjoy it like a pudding.

Fried Nanners with Honey-Toasted Walnuts.

I got this recipe here (it’s a Pinterest find) and made it for an afternoon snack. Depending on the ripeness of the bananas, this ranges from uber-sweet to pretty darn sweet. My kid & I are both fans, and I’m sure you’ll love it too!

 

3 bananas

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp water

1/2 c walnuts

Coconut oil

Cinnamon for sprinkling

 

Cut bananas in half and peel. Slice into long strips or into “coins.” In a small bowl, combine honey and water; set aside. In a medium to large skillet, heat 1 tsp coconut oil (or spray with coconut oil spray) over medium heat. Place bananas in hot, oiled pan, and fry until golden on one side, about 2 minutes (you’ll probably flip the first ones as soon as you get the last ones in the pan). Using a fork, gently lift the banana slices and flip them over. As soon as the last ones are flipped, turn off heat. Immediately drizzle with honey mixture and allow to bubble until settled, about 1 minute. Remove from pan and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add walnuts. Toast walnuts until fragrant and warm, about 2 minutes, stirring well to get the honey and coconut oil off the bottom of the pan. Pour walnuts over bananas. Enjoy immediately.

Bean Salad.

I’ve never been a fan of bean salad. There’s something unappetizing to me about a jar of barfy-green veggies mixed with kidney beans. Maybe it’s because I don’t always like green beans. Maybe it’s because I don’t always like kidney beans. Maybe it’s because barfy-green things (with the exception of avocado) are best left uneaten. Whatever the case, I was armed with a few pounds of fresh green beans the other day, and I had a desire to wo-man up to the bean salad cause. It was a lovely and beautifully-colored summer treat. This took a long time, but the flavors improve over a few days and it makes a ton. If you eat it with fresh greens and a few hunks of meat or cheese each time, it’ll last you the week!

 

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed and beans cut into 1″ pieces

3 carrots, sliced into medallions

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 c freshly-cut corn (or 1 c frozen corn, thawed)

1 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 c red onion (about 1/2 large), diced or very thinly sliced

1/8 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch green beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and immediately plunge in an ice bath. Drain. In a large bowl, toss green beans with carrots, beans, corn, tomatoes, and onions. In a pourable measuring cup, combine balsamic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until desired consistency is reached (it should be fairly thick, almost gravy-like). Pour over salad and stir to combine. Allow to rest about 10 minutes. Serve over greens or by itself. Store in a glass container with a lid in the refrigerator.

Asparagus Walnut Sausage Pasta.

You guys, my picky kid ate asparagus. That’s how good this recipe is. I posted a cheese tortellini version of this and mentioned making a version that my kid could eat. Holy crap, did he eat it! Things I love about how this came together: I easily had all the ingredients involved, it can be made with any kind of pasta or none at all, and the vegetable could probably be any (non-moldy) green thing you had in your refrigerator/garden/freezer, such as cubed zucchini, chopped broccoli, fresh green beans, or peas. Also, it’s so flipping easy and reheats well. (Maybe I was just hungry when I made this pasta?)

 

1 lb ground pork sausage

1 lb asparagus, woody end trimmed and stalks sliced into 1″ pieces

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 c walnuts

1 lb pasta

Salt and pepper

 

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan or Dutch oven, brown the pork sausage until evenly cooked. Remove from pan into a medium bowl; set aside. Using the same pan, saute garlic and walnuts in pork grease over medium heat until walnuts are lightly toasted and garlic is softened. Add asparagus and cook 3 minutes, being sure to scrape the pork residue from the bottom of the pan while cooking. Add pasta and sausage and toss to combine, thoroughly warming sausage and pasta. Taste; season lightly with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Asparagus Walnut Pasta.

I, of course, made 2 versions of this recipe per my family’s dietary needs. It turned out so yummy for all parties involved (and was so easy!) that I am dying to impart an easy weeknight meal onto any willing readers. Frankly, you hardly need the pasta…I kept shoveling the asparagus and walnuts into my mouth and started feeling bad for taking away the goodies from my husband (he didn’t seem to mind since they were “just vegetables”). If you are going to skip the pasta, I recommend cutting the asparagus into larger pieces, closer to 1 1/2″.

 

1 lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1″ pieces

1/2 c walnuts

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb cheese tortellini pasta

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

 

Cook tortellini according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, gently saute garlic, walnuts, and crushed red pepper in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes or until walnuts are toasted and garlic is lightly softened. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Add asparagus and toss with the walnuts and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and lightly softened. Add pasta; stir to coat with asparagus and walnuts. Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

California Salad with Balsamic Dressing.

I just love vegetables. ‘Nuff said.

 

1/2 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced

2 roma tomatoes, quartered and sliced

1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1 tbsp red onion, sliced

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly grated black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

 

Combine vegetables in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Pour over salad. Enjoy immediately!

Coconut Mango Rice.

There’s a restaurant we frequent that serves theeeee best pho tai, kim chi, and spring rolls, all with a side of crack, no doubt. Their version of this recipe was a chef specialty until they opened a new location and revamped their menu. My family converges on this restaurant for special occasions, like birthdays, and there’s always at least one person who orders the sweet mango rice. There are never enough spoons for the number of greedy taste buds looking to be satisfied. I’ve tried to make something similar since college, and just recently I was able to nail it. If you’re not a fan of mango or if you’re a terrific earth citizen and eat seasonally only, I think you could substitute any soft and sweet fruit you prefer, like blueberries, peaches, or strawberries.

 

1 can (1 1/2 c) coconut milk

1/2 c almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp agave or honey

1 c rice

1/2-1 c water

2 mangoes, peeled and cubed (or 1 1/2 c sliced fruit of choice)

Toasted coconut (optional)

 

In a saucepan with a snug-fitting lid, combine milks, vanilla, agave, and pinch of salt over medium-high heat. Bring to a light boil. Stir rice into milk mixture and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with lid for 6 minutes. Remove lid and stir; return lid and simmer for another 6 minutes. Repeat, stirring every 4-6 minutes, until most of the moisture is absorbed by the rice. Taste; if rice is still a little crunchy, stir in 1/2 c water and return to a simmer. Add more water (and more time) if rice needs it. When rice is sticky and soft, remove from heat. Spoon into 4 dishes and spread mango cubes on top of each. Top with toasted coconut, if using.