Ninja Ice Cream!

Well, I made the "Black-eyed Bean (pea) Casserole" and the "Jicama-Apple Coleslaw" last night for supper.  I think both turned out great!  Even the kids enjoyed trying them.  My oldest son cleaned his plate - he is more adventurous than his older siblings when it comes to food.  I say that they are definitely two recipes I will make again.  Did any of you try a new recipe this week?


I'm pretty sure that most people would love to eat ice cream for breakfast, but we have such will-power that we refrain from doing so...or not...ha.  My family had ice cream for breakfast this morning...without the guilt.  Wanna know how??  It is SO easy that you won't even believe that it's worth the effort...trust me.


Breakfast Ice Cream


6 very ripe bananas, broken in half
That's it


Take your less than attractive, very ripe bananas.  Am I the only one with kids that won't eat a banana if it has any brown on it??  Break the bananas in half and chuck into a larger freezer bag.  Make sure you squeeze as much air out as possible.  Freeze the bananas overnight or for at least 10 hours so that they are good and solid.  Put your frozen bananas into your trusty blender, food processor/chopper, or heavy duty juicer (the kind that looks more like a meat grinder than a juicer).  My favorite appliance that fits the bill?  My $40 Ninja.  It really does turn ice into snow.  ;)  If you need something that really works and doesn't cost a fortune, check it out here: Euro-Pro Ninja Master Prep Blender and Food Processor


Pulse the bananas until they turn into a creamy, frozen treat!  Be patient - it might take a few minutes!  The kids love it and I love it too.  I think that it would be super with a little cinnamon in it and maybe some chocolate?  The sky is the limit!  You can customize it to your heart's content!  It also makes a great base for a frozen smoothie!


Here are the last of the recipes that I promised...


#1 Moroccan Rice w/ Saffron


2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into cubes
2 cups yellow onion, large dice
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut into cubes
2 T extra-vrigin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 T Earth Balance butter
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp saffron threads (Meijer has it)
1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice (or whole wheat couscous)
2 scallions white and green parts, chopped 


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the squash, onion, carrots, and zucchini on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula midway through. (this smells SO good as it roasts!)  While the veggies roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.  Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, pepper, cumin, saffron, and salt to taste.  Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.  (At this point...if you are using a rice cooker...just dump your steeped broth in as your liquid and put your rinsed rice in and set to brown rice...once the rice is done, add the roasted veggies and green onion and serve right out of your rice cooker)  Here is where it gets a little sketchy...if you use couscous just combine your dry couscous with the veggies, pour the broth over the top, stir to combine and cover and let stand for 15 minutes.  If you use rice and don't have a rice cooker, use the broth to prepare your rice instead of water.  You may have to add a tad more liquid (either water or broth) to make sure it doesn't dry out.  Add your scallions and serve.  This is so good!!!  The spices are intoxicating and the combination of veggies really makes the dish.




#2 Polenta Casserole


1 1/2 cups polenta or cornmeal
1 medium-sized head cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
Kernels from 2 ears of corn or 1 cup thawed frozen kernels
6 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp roasted sesame tahini
1/3 cup plain soy milk
1 1/2 T soy sauce, shoyu, or BRAGGs
2 tsp umeboshi vinegar (Sunspot has it)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Fresh basil leaves for garnish


Place the polenta in a large, heavy pot.  Add the cauliflower, peas (if using fresh), salt, and 5 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the polenta for 30 minutes.  **Polenta must be stirred frequently as it cooks to prevent it from sticking or becoming lumpy.**  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil an 8X8 casserole dish.  Layer the corn kernels and then the asparagus.  Remove the polenta from the heat and add the tahini, milk, soy sauce, and umeboshi vinegar and mash with a potato masher or fork (or use a stick blender) until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes.  Add the chopped parsley and peas (if using frozen) and mix well.  Spoon the mashed mixture into the casserole dish over the corn and asparagus and smooth the top.  Poke a few small holes in the surface and sprinkle it with a little more soy sauce (this makes the top brown and crispy).  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  Let the casserole sit for 15 minutes to cool before cutting into squares.  Garnish with basil.  This is comfort food. Yum.




#3 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill flour blend that is gluten-free)
1/3 cup maple sugar (Whole Foods)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 safflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup choc chips (they sell dairy-free chips at Sunspot)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the syrup, oil, vanilla, and molasses.  Add the "wet" ingredients to the "dry" ingredients, and stir to combine.  Fold in the chocolate chips (I found that 1/4 cup was slightly too much so go slow and see what works best for you).  Roll tablespoon-sized scoops of dough into a ball.  Place the balls onto a cookie sheet and press down slightly to flatten the tops.  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  These cookies taste divine, but they are slightly crumbly so be careful when you transfer them to a cooling rack or plate.  :)


ENJOY!