To continue celebrating the joy and beauty of summer in Montreal, I want to again this week, share with you a summery recipe. I know you loved last week’s cooling gazpacho because I was overwhelmed with positive feedback. Keep the comments coming! I really enjoy hearing from you.
Aside from gazpacho, what says “summer fun” more than ice cream? This week, let’s make some vegan ice cream!
Would you believe we can make absolutely delicious ice cream without any dairy at all? Oh yes we can! I created this vegan ice cream recipe using frozen bananas as the base. You just have to try it to believe how delicious it is! Thankfully, it’s super easy to make!
Not only is this recipe vegan, it’s also sugar free! The ripe bananas add all the sweetness we need.
Unlike other teas, Matcha green tea comes in a very fine powdered form, so it is perfect to add to ice creams or smoothies. A beautifully vibrant green color, Matcha tea is very flavorful and adds all the health benefits of a green tea to this non-dairy iced treat.
As a tea, Matcha is full of antioxidants and has many health benefits. It is said to be the healthiest of teas because the whole leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant is stone-ground into a powder, so we are actually drinking a green plant when we drink Matcha tea.
Matcha tea does contain caffeine, but the experience that comes with drinking tea is very different than with drinking coffee. People often describe getting “wired” with caffeinated coffee, whereas with green tea, the feeling is one of calm alertness.
Staying with the green theme and remembering the pistachio ice cream I used to enjoy as a child, I added pistachios for their delicious flavor. As you know, I like to use raw nuts in my recipes to make the most out of the health benefits we derive from nuts.
Nuts are actually easily denatured with heat due to their high oil content, so roasting them often destroys many of the nutrients. Also, nuts can become rancid quickly when sitting in a warmish cupboard or countertop, so I always store all my nuts in the freezer.
Give this dairy-free, sugar-free treat a try!
Maria’s Green Tea Pistachio Ice Cream
Ingredients:
Makes approximately 4 to 5 servings
4 bananas, very ripe, chopped into chunks and frozen
1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened almond milk (see my recipe for homemade almond milk)
¼ cup (60 ml) raw pistachios, more for topping
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Imperial Matcha Ceremonial Green Tea
Method:
1. Remove bananas from the freezer and blend all ingredients in a high-powdered blender.
2. Your mixture may be too soft and more like a smoothie at this point. If so, place your ice cream in a large glass container and put it in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once firm, remove from the freezer. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop out ice cream and place it into your serving cups. Sprinkle a few pistachios over top, if desired. Serve immediately.
“Before you taste anything, recite a blessing.” ~Rabbi Akiva
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