Mango-Banana Gelato

First and foremost, let me confess...

The sinfully rich looking creaminess you see above is not really gelato, and it's not ice cream either.

Guys and Dolls...This is BETTER!

This is a virtually sugar-free, dairy free, healthy dessert that can be made within five minutes and will have your taste buds (and the little voice inside your head...or is that...just me? ;-)) convinced that you are sinning BIG TIME.

As you know from my juicing adventure, Sam and I have committed to eating healthier, which means getting creative and producing alternatives to typical desserts.  After dinner we either skip dessert entirely or have some fresh fruit plain, or with some vanilla yogurt.  Nevertheless, that doesn't always satiate the craving for a sweet, creamy gelato/ice cream.

I guarantee that if you love gelato and ice cream the way I do, you will L-O-V-E this Mango-Banana (pseudo) Gelato.

It's basically a mango and banana (already pre-cut and frozen) with just a little vanilla yogurt (I used soy yogurt) and a handful of walnuts pureed in a food processor.

I tell you, the mango and banana combination totally works! As Sam and I indulged last night, we kept commenting on how delicious our "gelato" was and how it easily competes with the real thing (like the one we had not too long ago), without all the extra fat and sugar.  I don't know about you, but for us, it doesn't get any better than that.

In the past I've pureed frozen bananas (I got the idea from here), which is really good on its own.  But of course, I had to take it to another level and added either mangos or (fresh, not frozen) strawberries to the frozen bananas with a little agave nectar, a few semi-sweet chocolate chips or sprinkled with cocoa powder.  However, this one is by far the best.  I can't wait to continue experimenting with other fruits and nuts, nut butters, etc. (using the frozen bananas as a base for the "cream" factor).

You owe it to yourself, regardless if you're trying to eat healthy or not (you can even have it for breakfast), to give this a try, and if you do, please feel free to share your thoughts.

My only concern now is, will my ice-cream maker feel lonely??

Thanks and have a great day!

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."  - La Rochefoucauld

Mango-Banana Gelato

Yields two servings

 1 pre-cut frozen mango (skin removed)

 1 pre-cut frozen large ripe banana (skin removed)

 1/4 cup vanilla soy or greek yogurt

 Small handful of walnuts (or any nut)

To prepare:

Place first three ingredients into your food processor (or blender) and pulse continuously (scraping down sides as needed) until you start to get a lovely creamy texture, then add nuts and pulse for about 20 seconds.  By the way, the frozen pieces of fruit may clump up, and it'll feel like it's not going anywhere, but don't lose faith.  Just continue to pulse.  I sometimes pulse in 10-20 second increments a few times and then as if by magic, it all comes together beautifully.

Enjoy!

Burnt Caramel & Apple Walnut Gelato

 
This past weekend was all about "saving" the foods that would soon expire if I continued to use them as props in my fridge and counter.
Part of the inventory of edibles were some leftover Fuji apples from last week's delicious Waldorf Salad.  Whereas I could have cooked the apples to accompany the dynamic rosemary-garlic pork tenderloin I made (I'll have to share this one at a later date).  
Instead...I followed my heart's true desire and made gelato. 
But first, let me ask you...
Do you like caramel?
I do!
Do you like apples cooked in cinnamon and sugar?
Yes!
What about caramelized toasted walnuts?
That's a double yes! 
Well then ladies and gentlemen.....
You will L-O-V-E this!!!
Although I had never caramelized anything in my life...I let myself loose and the results were just divine!
The inspiration came from this recipe, and in typical SamCyn fashion, I changed things up a bit and ended up with a Burnt Caramel & Apple Walnut Gelato.
Sam and I were immediately seduced by the creamy, subtly sweet, nutty, smokey flavors of this gelato.  We both agreed, this was a sophisticated flavored gelato...Definitely not one for the "kiddies". 
HAH!
I gave some to my six-year old niece to try and she loved it. 
Which proves one of two things:
1. My niece has got sophisticated taste buds.
or
2. We just don't know what we're talking about :-).
Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first. ~Ernestine Ulmer

Burnt Caramel & Apple Walnut Gelato
Serves 1 1/2 pints
Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 capful of dark rum (optional, makes the gelato easier to scoop right out of the freezer).
  
  
  
  To prepare:

1. Heat ¼ cup of sugar in a deep pot over medium heat until it begins to melt and turn golden. Add apples, walnuts and cinnamon and saute until well coated and caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside.


2. Heat the remaining sugar in the same pot over medium heat until it melts and turns dark brown, about 2 to 4 minutes (do not stir sugar during this process, except to evenly melt the sugar).  Slowly whisk in cream until well combined. Whisk in milk, add vanilla bean and salt; cook until very hot, about 2 more minutes.


3. Beat eggs yolks in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Slowly whisk ½ cup of cream mixture into the yolks. While constantly whisking, slowly pour egg-cream mixture back into pot with milk-cream mixture. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. 


4. Transfer to a container, stir in the rum (if using) and cool completely in the refrigerator or by using an ice bath. Using a sharp paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean pod into the gelato mixture and discard pod. Churn according to the directions on your ice cream maker, during the last five minutes or so of churning, stir in the caramelized apples and walnuts. then store in a tightly sealed container and freeze until firm. 
   Enjoy!

Lemon-Coconut Gelato

The old adage says " When life hands you lemons, make lemonade".

Which basically translates to turning a sour situation into a sweet one.  A good thing to ALWAYS keep in mind....don't you think?

A few days ago, my freezer was void of frozen dessert (a sour situation) :-(.  It just so happens, my in-laws gave me lemons from their backyard. So, I sweetened the situation and made a Lemon-Coconut Gelato.



I've got to tell you, this is a truly delectable treat!

It's like a yin yang effect on the taste buds, when the tartness of the lemon has you puckering one moment, while the sweet, creaminess of the coconut & cream balances it all out. 



Lemon-Coconut Gelato - loosely adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)


• 1/2 cup lemon zest


• 2 1/2 cups coconut milk


• 6 egg yolks


• 1 1/2 cups sugar


• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream


• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract


• 2 tbsp. limoncello


• 1/2 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut

 To prepare:

1. Whisk the egg yolks and heavy cream together into a bowl & set aside.


2. Add coconut milk, lemon zest & sugar into a large sauce pan. Heat over medium heat stirring frequently until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.


3. Add some of the warm coconut milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper, then slowly add the egg yolk mixture into the coconut milk mixture and stir well to combine. Return to medium heat and cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat & stir in vanilla extract and limoncello.


4. Allow to cool slightly, cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to cool completely.


5. When you’re ready to make your gelato stir in the lemon juice & shredded coconut and follow your ice cream maker's instructions.

Enjoy!

"It is probable that the lemon is the most valuable of all fruit for preserving health."  Maud Grieve: ‘A Modern Herbal’ (1931)