Veggies for Dessert

Have I gone overboard?

Is this too much?

I mean, come on. Veggies for dessert? For added irony, I am writing this as I watch the most recent Epic Meal Time upload. It's my new favorite youtube channel. Other than Bad Lip Reading.

Did I mention I don't have TV?

Anyway.

Eat yo veggies. It's really quite awesome, especially if you like a good basic green monster. Subtly sweet. Spinach takes on whatever you blend it into, you just have to get over the weird bright green-ness. Speaking of which, remember green ketchup?

Well I feel like this has been sufficiently ADD commentary, so here's the recipe. Let me know if you try it!

Avocado Spinach Coconut Milk Ice Cream
makes about 3 cups

2 ripe avocados
1 can light coconut milk
1 c. unsweetened original soy milk
2 c. fresh spinach
1/3 c. sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Stuff all ingredients into a blender. If you have a smaller blender, mix everything but the soy milk, then just whisk that in later in a bowl.

Blend for about 1 minute or until super smooth.

Pour into trusty ice cream maker.

Run for 15-20 minutes, or until it stops churning because it's frozen!

Transfer to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for 2-3 hours. 

When ready to serve, let it sit out for 10 minutes so it may soften for scooping.

I read that you could add 1-2 tbsp of booze to keep frozen treats from freezing too hard. Someone try that and report back. I can't make an entire batch of ice cream for myself. I live alone.

Getcha getcha lips wet, cause it's time to have Pep

Salt 'n' Pepa reference helllooooooooo!!!

Lyrical genius. I know.

Anyway, let's talk about PEPpermint ice cream. It's good. It's minty, it's holiday-y, it's yummy. And tis the season. I attempted what I thought was a decently healthy recipe, but it's actually more caloric than I wished. I think the recipe could be modified with less peppermint candy, nonfat milk, and less of the sweetened condensed milk for a less sweet, lighter result in the future. However this recipe was awesome and if you don't have any qualms about sugar overdose, then go for it!

Peppermint Ice Cream
4 WW P+  per 1/4 c. 


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 drop red food coloring
• 1 14 oz can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 25 peppermint candies, crushed, or 2/3 c. crushed peppermint candies

Instructions

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine yolks and 1 1/4 c milk
• Heat over medium, stirring frequently - do not let the mixture boil!
• After about 15 minutes, the sauce will thicken and will coat the back of a spoon (see below)
• Remove from heat and let cool
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together remaining milk, vanilla and pep extracts, food coloring, and sweetened condensed milk
• Add cooled egg mixture
• Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until cold
• Mix in about half of the peppermint candies (if you mix them all in right now, they will lose their pink stripes and not look as pretty)
• Add to ice cream machine and follow directions according to manufacturer (about 20 minutes, or until ice creamy)
• In last five minutes of churning, add remaining candies
• Remove from ice cream machine, fridge for a few hours until hard
• Great with chocolate syrup or shaved dark chocolate 

A note on crushing the peppermint candies: 

Save yourself a crap ton of trouble and go directly to the food processor for this one. No matter how much anger you have, crushing the candy in a ziploc bag with a heavy pan or rolling pin is never going to work as well as the food processor. And you will make way too much noise, the ziploc bag will break, and you will get frustrated. Trust me!

To test if your sauce is ready, do this trick:

1. Stir the sauce to coat the back of the spoon
2. Hold the spoon horizontally
3. Swipe your finger horizontally across the back of the spoon
4. If the sauce stays put and doesn't run down to cover the swipe, you know you it is ready

Does that last pic look like lumpy butt cheeks to anyone else but me? 

This recipe is a wonderfully refreshing alternative to heavy pies and cookies and I can't wait to make it again for the family on christmas eve! That's right, family - get excited!