Simple Strawberry Banana "Ice Cream" Smoothie

I do not miss ice cream when I have something like this available.  It certainly is: Dreamy and Creamy! It's also simple and doesn't need any ice cream maker.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen strawberries (buy frozen or wash and freeze fresh ones)
1 frozen banana (allow fresh bananas to ripen, then remove peel and freeze)
Just enough milk (I used almond) to blend smooth but not make too thin
stevia, to taste (optional: if you have a sweet-tooth like me and want it even sweeter)

Directions:

Place ingredients in blender and blend on high until smooth.  A high-speed blender works best for this and you can use the tamper tool to really get the ingredients blended well.  Any will do, you may just need to add more milk for a regular blender.  Enjoy! 

If you like this recipe, you might also be interested in my recipe for Strawberry Frozen Yogurt!
Also, check out more yummy recipes in this week's recipe sharing events at Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Gluten Free Cat.

Make Your Own Stevia Powder!

So, I've been using Kal stevia powder extract for over 10 years now.  I've tried several other brands but they often have more of that bitter after-taste.  This stevia powder has had the best taste, even over their liquid extract (to me).  Well, it's very processed and I recently realized it's from China.  There was something unsettling about consuming white powder from China!  I mean, anyone else with me on this?!  Well, I'm still using it (I've got to do something to cure my never ending sweet-tooth!) but wanted to try using stevia that's closer to the original (plant) source so I decided to grind up some of my own stevia powder!  Unfortunately, this powder does have more of a bitter taste.  It also gives more of a "green" flavor which can be interesting in some scenarios, undesirable in others.  Just like learning to appreciate stevia in the first place, it can be an acquired taste.  I ordered these crushed leaves from Mountain Rose Herbs but you can certainly grow your own to REALLY make it your own personal powder!  These leaves were grown in Israel; I know I could have gotten them a little closer to home, I admit with going the easy route.  BUT, at least they're "organic!"  I've grown it before from seeds and from a starter plant that you can (sometimes) find at your local home improvement store such as Home Depot or Lowe's.


What you'll need...

- DRIED stevia leaves (if growing your own be sure to remove stems)
- high speed blender or coffee grinder (a regular blender may not blend into a fine enough powder)
- glass jar or spice shaker to store powder (I reused a clean spice jar)

Grind the dried stevia leaves in your high speed blender (I use a Vitamix) or coffee grinder in batches.  To fill the entire spice jar it took me two batches in the blender.  I don't like to put too much in at one time as it doesn't always grind it up well enough.  Grind until you get a fine powder.  I left my blender on approximately 1 minute each batch.  With the coffee grinder it might be a little faster, depending on how sharp the blades are.

My blender has openings in the top that allow the powder to come out into the air.  So that I'm not breathing it all in I place a damp towel (my dish towel tends to be damp so it's easy to grab) over the top and keep it on there for a minute after grinding to allow the powder to settle. 

Next, I like to dump the powder into a bowl and then spoon the powder into the storage jar.  It really makes things easier.  I'd recommend labeling the jar somehow so you don't get it confused with the kelp.  I tend to use what I have around and have either written on it with sharpie marker or put a sticky label on it.

I am still using the Kal stevia but am supplementing the green powder when I can!  Does anyone have any stevia products from a trusted and pure source that you'd recommend?  Let us know!

(More great recipes here
 and here)

Lemony-Coconut Cake

Here's a recipe for another yummy cake.  It is best served warm, I find.  The texture reminds me of corn-muffins and the lemony flavor is delicate, not overpowering.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond meal
1 - 1 1/2 cups milk
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbs vanilla extract
stevia, to taste

unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

*Note: the ingredients listed above make a delicately lemony flavored cake.  If you would like something with a stronger lemon flavor you could try adding more lemon juice and using less milk (for correct liquid-ratio).*


Directions:

Use a wire whisk to whisk the eggs.  Heat the coconut oil on stovetop over low until melted.  Whisk well into the eggs.  Next, mix in the 1 cup milk and coconut flour, mixing to get out any lumps.  Add the almond meal and mix.  Add the lemon juice, baking soda, vanilla extract and stevia and mix well. Add in more milk if the mixture is too thick.  It's amazing how the coconut flour absorbs the liquid so well! 

Grease pan and sprinkle with a layer of shredded coconut on the bottom (optional).

Pour the mixture into the greased cake, pie pan, or muffin tin.  Sprinkle some more shredded coconut on top (optional).

Place in an oven preheated to 350 for 30-35 minutes (for cake or pie pan, less time for muffin-size) or until the edges *just* begin to brown.

This cake is very good when served still warm but it is also good out of the fridge as a left-over! 

For the chocoholic, you could add some home made chocolate sauce, but I do find that does overpower the lemony-aspect of this cake. 

Strawberry-Banana CHOCOLATE Almond-Meal Cake with Faux-Ice-Cream Frosting!

I needed to make a birthday cake recently so wanted to make a new and very yummy cake for the occasion.  So, here's what I came up with!  It is SO delicious & a REAL treat!  It reminds me of eating cake and ice cream together or like a banana split.  The frosting smells and tastes like a creamy strawberry ice cream and the cake is so rich and chocolatey with a boost of strawberry-banana.  This cake is not light and fluffy like an angelfood cake, it's more dense and rich like a flour-less chocolate cake.  That, in combination with the yummy strawberry frosting, make this a very rich and naughty-tasting treat.  It tastes MUCH naughtier than it actually is...


Ingredients:


Cake:
5 eggs
2 tbs melted butter or coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 cups almond meal (directions for making your own here)
1/2-2/3 cup cocoa powder/carob powder mixture (your choice-- I used mostly cocoa)
1/8 tsp sea salt
stevia powder, to taste

1 cup fresh chopped strawberries

milk, to add in small amounts to add if batter is too thick



Frosting:
1 1/2 cup milk (I use soy or almond)
3 tbs arrowroot powder
9 tbs butter or coconut oil, soft consistency (not melted!)
2 tbs food-grade vegetable glycerin
stevia, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped strawberries (approximate equivalent: you don't need to actually chop them as you will be putting them in the blender)


Directions:

Cake:

Beat the eggs, whisk in the butter or coconut oil and vanilla extract.   In a separate bowl mash the bananas while heating the chocolate over low heat, paying close attention to it so it doesn't burn.  Mix the melted chocolate, baking soda and apple cider vinegar along with the bananas.  In a third bowl completely mix together the almond meal, cocoa powder/carob powder mixture, sea salt, and stevia.

Combine ingredients from all three bowls into the a large bowl and stir until mixed but don't over stir.  Add small amounts of milk if the batter is too thick.  Fold in the strawberries.

Grease two cake pans, then lay wax paper cut in a circular shape to fit on bottom of each pan (you can see I pressed the wax paper in the bottom to get an idea of the size to cut out).

Pour batter evenly between the two cake pans.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Frosting:

Warm the milk on high in a saucepan until it just starts to boil (keeping an eye on it so it does not burn).  Turn heat down to medium and slowly add the arrowroot, mixing constantly with a wire whisk.  If the arrowroot doesn't mix in smoothly, that's okay, you can get it all smoothed out when you add it to the blender with the strawberries.  In the end, though, you want to make sure it is heated with the arrowroot powder in it enough that it thickens (but doesn't burn!).  Place in the blender along with the strawberries and blend on high for about a minute.  (You might want to let it cool a bit before adding to the blender, so as to not overheat the blender).  If the mixture hasn't yet thickened, you can place it back on the stovetop at a simmer and stir until it thickens.  Once the mixture has thickened, place in the freezer to cool down while you prepare the rest...

Use an electric mixer on high to whip up the butter or coconut oil (make sure it's got a soft consistency, NOT melted, before you do this) thoroughly.  Fully cream the butter or oil, THEN add the stevia, glycerin, and vanilla extract, then mix well.

Mix in the mixture out of the freezer thoroughly with the electric beaters.  

Removing cake from pans is easy, all you to is turn them upside-down over plate and it should come out easy.  Be sure to peel off the wax paper!

Spread the frosting over the first layer.  Next, place the top layer over it.  Finally, apply the rest of the frosting to the top and sides.  Cover (without disturbing frosting) and refrigerate until ready to eat.  It should keep for approximately 5 days (unless you live with me, then it would not last that long!:)).

I found a bowl in the cabinet that fit perfectly over the top of the cake on the plate and this worked very well for refrigerating without messing up the frosting with any cling wrap, etc., or having to find a container made just for cakes:

Strawberry for garnish looks nice...

And it makes a perfect birthday cake!

It's tasty and might go quickly, so make sure you get a piece.  :)

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Simple, easy and delicious: Stevia-sweetened strawberry frozen yogurt!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk of choice (I use soy or almond)
1 cup whole-milk yogurt (or non-dairy alternative)
1 cup strawberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
stevia, to taste


Directions:

Combine strawberries and milk in a blender and blend on high about a minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly.   I recommend Trader Joe's Organic European Style plain WHOLE MILK yogurt, but any yogurt would do.

Add to a ice cream maker and follow the directions on the maker.  I use a Donvier Ice Cream Maker and it works real well.

If you do not have a maker you could freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, take out and allow to partially unthaw and then process in a blender.

Creamy and yummy-yum!

If you like this recipe you may also be interested in a Strawberry-Banana "Ice-Cream" Smoothie!

Lime-Hemp Coconut Candy

Get prepared for St. Patty's Day (or any day) with these healthy and delicious lime dessert bars.  I love how the hemp gives these ample nutrition AND green color, making lime the perfect flavor!  It's raw, gluten-free, sugar-free, anti-candida friendly, low-carb, paleo, and just plain GOOD.   When I began experimenting here, I was originally inspired by the use of hemp in this recipe from Diet, Dessert and Dogs.  I really like how it seemed to complete the bars along with the coconut.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup almonds
juice from 1 lime
2 tbs ground flax
stevia, to taste
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Place coconut, hemp seeds and almonds in a high-speed blender and, using tamper, blend until smooth.

Add the lime juice, flax, stevia, salt and optional vanilla extract.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

Place either in a 9x9 pan or loaf pan lined with wax paper.  Use a spatula to smooth mixture out evenly.  Sometimes I wrap the wax paper over it and use that to help press it evenly across.

Place in the freezer for approximately an hour, or until it's quite set through to the middle.  Take out and cut to desired sizes with butter knife.  If it has hardened too much in the freezer simply leave it on the counter until it softens slightly.  I store this in the freezer and serve soon after as it will start to almost melt if it becomes too warm.  The oil in the coconut helps hold it together since it firms up at cooler temperatures.  It makes great bars that way --- function, flavor and nutrition!  See what else is crackin' at Wellness Weekend, February 21-25.

Coconut Starfruit Upside-Down Cake with Blueberry Explosion!

I was given a couple of fresh starfruit (aka: carambola) and since I don't normally have an opportunity to work with them I wanted to make something fun.  So, here it is: Coconut Starfruit Upside-Down Cake with Blueberry Explosion (you can see), inspired by the beauty of starfruit and a recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in the book "Cooking with Coconut Flour" by Bruce Fife, N.D.  I just LOVE the star pattern along with the colorful blueberries.  The coconut batter gives a gluten-free and low-carb exotic twist on the classic cake and I have made several modifications such as making it sugar-free.  A beauty, that's for sure!

Ingredients:

Topping:
2 starfruit
handful blueberries
juice 1/2 lemon
2-3 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut

Batter:
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
juice 1/2 lemon
stevia, to taste
1/2 cup sifted coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder



Directions:

Grease a 8x8 or 9x9 round cake pan or spring form pan.  Trim the brownish edges from the 5 points of the starfruit.  Next, cut off the two sides, then slice the rest.

Arrange the starfruit on the  bottom of the pan.  Add blueberries evenly in between starfruit.  If you have more starfruit arrange a second layer or eat it and share it with your dog.

Sprinkle shredded coconut across fruit then drizzle lemon juice evenly across.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Whisk together the eggs, then add the melted butter, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and stevia.  Mix thoroughly with wire whisk or electric beaters.  Mix together coconut flour and baking powder in a separate bowl then combine with the liquid-mix and mix thoroughly until there are no clumps left.

Use spatula to carefully scoop out batter onto fruit topping.  VERY carefully spread the batter evenly across the fruit, being careful not to move the fruit below (you can see in my photo one of the blueberries came through when I did this... do it carefully!).

Bake at 350 for 30-34 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when stuck through middle of cake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool  enough to handle.  While still warm, turn on to a plate.

Serve warm or place in the fridge to serve later.  You can let it warm to room temperature before serving if storing in the fridge.