Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream

Ingredients:
* 2 1/2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries
* 2/3 cups white sugar
* 1 tablespoon orange juice
* 1 cup almond milk, divided
* 1/2 cup coconut milk (located in the dairy section)
* 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
* 2 teaspoons corn starch



How to:
* Heat 2 cups of strawberries in a pot with the sugar and juice.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes (until the sugar is fully dissolved).  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once cooled puree in a blender.  Then pour into a bowl.
* Mix 1/2 cup almond milk and corn starch in a small bowl, set aside.
*Heat 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup coconut milk & coconut extract until simmering.  Add the corn starch & almond milk slurry to the heated milk.  Keep on low-med heat for about 5 minutes, whisking often to prevent burning.
*Pour milk mixture into the strawberry mixture bowl.  Let the milk & strawberry mixture set in the fridge for about 30 minutes, to cool even more.
*Chop the last 1/2 cup of strawberries - add to your strawberry & milk mixture.  Pour all into your prepared ice cream maker.  Let it run for about 25 minutes.
*Eat now or put your ice cream in a freezer container until you are ready for use.


***I topped mine with mini chocolate chips.  My husband topped his with chocolate syrup.  I bet toasted coconut would be delicious also.  You could change this up to make this your recipe.  Use different milks, extracts (vanilla, orange, almond) or berries (blueberries, raspberries) - limitless options!

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I have another awesome stuffed pepper recipe for you! It is very similar to my Vegetarian Stuffed Anaheim Peppers.

 

Sauce:

*1 28 ounce can tomatoes (or 2 14.5 ounce cans)
*1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
*3 garlic cloves

*Salt and pepper to taste

 

Filling:

*2 1/2 cups cooked grains (I like to use Saffron Yellow Rice for this recipe)

*1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

*1/2 c grated cheese (I used 1/4 c cheddar & 1/4 c mozzarella) (use vegan cheese to make this vegan)

*1/2 Tablespoon onion powder

*Salt and pepper to taste

 

Other:

*4 Poblano peppers

*1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

*1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (use vegan cheese to make this dish vegan)

 

Turn oven on to 425.

Wear gloves and cut the peppers in half and deseed them (keep the seeds to plant later).

Find a baking dish that will hold all of your peppers (I used a 9x13 glass pan)

 

 

 

Take all the ingredients for the sauce and place in a blender - blend until smooth.

 

 

 

Place the sauce in the bottom of your baking dish.

Place your cleaned and halved peppers on top of the sauce.

 

 

 

In a medium bowl combine your filling.

 

 

 

Stuff your peppers with the filling.

 

Top with the crushed tortilla chips and then your cheese.

 

 

 

Bake for 15 minutes.

 

 

 

**The peppers will be REALLY firm - I like them this way.  If you like them more tender I suggest roasting the peppers and removing the skin.  Here is a video.

 

**You can add or remove items to really make this your own recipe. (proteins, cheeses, veggies, cilantro, chives, different kinds of chips, etc)

 

**If you'd like to kick up the heat - add 1 whole jalapeno to the sauce before mixing in the blender.

 

**If you have a bit of left over filling mixture use it in a soup or taco salad - or give it to the kids - most kids don't like peppers anyway.

 

 

 

Vegetarian Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

(photo from wikipedia)

*1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
*1 jalapeno (seeded and roughly chopped)
*2 small onions (one chopped and one cut into fourths)
*2 garlic cloves
*1 regular size can of beans (pinto, black, navy, whatever you have) rinsed and drained
*1/4 cup cornmeal
*1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, whatever you have) (use vegan cheese to make it vegan)
*1/2 teaspoon paprika
*6 large anaheim peppers (the big bright green ones), cut in half and seeded
*S & P

Preheat oven to 425.
In a blender or food processor combine the tomatoes (and its liquid), jalapeno, the onions that were cut into fourths, the garlic, salt and pepper. Blend, blend and blend - get it souper saucy. Pour sauce into a 9x13 pan (I used a glass dish). Set that aside for now.
In a medium bowl combine the beans, cornmeal, half of the cheese, your chopped onions, 3/4c water, paprika, salt and pepper. Wait about 5 minutes for the cornmeal to absorb the water.
Now...there are two ways of doing this. The first way it to place the peppers in your sauce mix then stuff or stuff then place in the sauce mixture - up to you. I put my peppers in the suace then stuffed them using a spoon. Easy enough either way. Once you have stuffed your pepper and they are in a sauce bath use the rest of your cheese as a topping. Sprinkle sprinkle.
Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 15 minutes. DING.
I really wished I would have had some sour cream to top this with..but I didn't - it was still amazing!!

This was originally a Martha Stewart recipe - but I changed it up a bit and made it my own - you can do the same thing.

Homamade Granola - Cranberry Coconut

I posted my original granola earlier in the month - This is another version of the granola.

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 ounce unsalted butter (about 1/4 of stick) (plus a little tad extra)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
6 1/2 ounces dried fruit (any combo)
1/2 cup puffed rice cereal
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Butter/Or "Pam" a 8x8 glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and wheat germ onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes - stirring every 5 minutes.
3. Combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a a small pan and place over medium heat. Cook until everything has completely dissolved.
4. Once the oat mixture is done - remove from oven and reduce heat to 300. In a large bowl add the oat mixture and the liquid mixture. Stir well. Add the dried fruit, chocolate & puffed rice cereal to the mixture, stir. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it firmly down (I use the bottom of a glass to make it all even). Bake 25 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and cool completely - about 2 hours. Cut into squares, chunk it, make bars - whatever you want. It firms up really hard in the fridge. Keep in an airtight container for a week or two.

For my fruit mixture I used coconut and cherry flavored cranberries.
This probably could fit in a 11x9 pan a lot better than the 8x8.

Homemade Granola - Coconut Date

Homemade Granola is so easy!! Your kids could make it! Lots of measuring and dumping... 2 cups old fashioned oats 

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds 

1 cup sliced almonds 

1/2 cup wheat germ 

1/2 cup honey (or agave to make it vegan) 

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 

1 ounce butter (about 1/4 of stick) (plus a little tad extra) We like Earth Balance

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (optional) 

6 1/2 ounces dried fruit (any combo) 

1. Butter/Or "Pam" a 8x8 glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and wheat germ onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes - stirring every 5 minutes. 

3. Combine the honey/agave, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a a small pan and place over medium heat. Cook until everything has completely dissolved. 

4. Once the oat mixture is done - remove from oven and reduce heat to 300. In a large bowl add the oat mixture and the liquid mixture. Stir well. Add the dried fruit to the mixture, stir. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it firmly down (I use the bottom of a glass to make it all even). Bake 25 minutes. 

5. Remove from oven and cool completely - about 2 hours. Cut into squares, chunk it, make bars - whatever you want. It firms up really hard in the fridge. Keep in an airtight container for a week or two. This went FAST at our house... For my fruit mixture I used a combo of dates and coconut :) It was really good. This recipe can be tweaked in SO MANY ways! Just think of the combos of different extracts and fruit...endless ideas!

My Yard Salad

So I started following Merriwether's Foraging Texas on Facebook and I've found so many yummy edible wild plants in my yard!!



Wood sorrel is a new favorite of mine.



Ingredients: Wood Sorrel, wild onion "chives", parsley, dill, cilantro, argula, cimmaron lettuce, pepper cress, asparagus - evoo and S&P

Been really busy...new business!

So, I'm sure you've noticed that I've not posted in a while. I've been really busy. I STARTED MY OWN COMPANY. I'm so excited!

Here is a link to my Facebook page for Kendra's Kreations.

Please, go "Like" me.

Thank you for your support.

I will post soon :)