Plum Sorbet

Kitchen Play List:  Newton Faulkner ~ All I Got
                                      Skin ~ Back Door Man
                                      Slash ft Ian Astbury ~ Ghost
                                      All Saints ~ Black Coffee
                                      The Rolling Stones ~ It's Only Rock & Roll
                                      Shania Twain ~ Nah!
                                      Nicola Benedetti ~ Tzigane

'Sweet, tart and plummy' is how the creator of this recipe described it...and they weren't wrong..lol 

I found this recipe whilst doing my recipe search to use up the plum mountain I had received..lol. I wanted to find a variety of different ways to use them up and when I found this one, I knew I had to try it. And it was made and in my freezer within ten minutes of starting the pitting of the plums. Honestly! So easy...I was intrigued by the creators description of it as I often find sorbets too sweet..it sits in the freezer for 4 hours and then is blitzed again and then back in the freezer until you want to serve it.

I take no credit for this recipe as I found it on http://www.theveggietable.com/ and all credit is due to them for this fabulously easy and tasty recipe.

Plum Sorbet

Plum Sorbet Makes 3 cups
(Recipe from www.theveggietable.com)

1lb plums, pitted
1 cup orange juice
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp orange liqueur
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the plums in half, remove the pit and place the plum pieces in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and puree. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice as needed. 

Pour into a freezble container and place in the deep freeze for four hours. Remove from the freezer and blend again. Return to freezer for at leaste half hour before serving...or cover and freeze until ready to serve. 

You can use apple or white grape juice instead of orange. Or try Peach Sorbet or Orange Sorbet?

The arty Plum Sorbet shot...I couldn't decide which one to use..so I'm using both! lol

Enjoy! 
~R~  

Beautiful Strawberry Sorbet

Kitchen Play List:  No Doubt ~ The Singles 1992 - 2003

How do you make some shabby looking strawberries into a bright vibrant red cooling treat? Make them into this sorbet! I cannot express how beautiful the smell is whilst making this sorbet or how beautiful it looks in its many stages through to completion. And it tastes as good as it smells and looks...marvelous! 

Yes I have gone with the original recipe and that does use sugar syrup but as sorbet is only supposed to be eaten in small quantities I can live with that. 

Beautiful Strawberry Sorbet

Beautiful Strawberry Sorbet
(Recipe posted up by Anon on website)

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 cups water
2 cups of pureed strawberries

Dissolve the sugar and cornstarch in the water in a large saucepan over a low heat, then boil until it has thickened. (Mine didn't thicken that much but you could tell a big difference between the water and the syrup!! R) Remove from heat and let cool. 

When the sugar syrup is completely cooled, add the pureed fruit and mix well. Place in a plastic container, uncovered,until it is solid. ( I left mine overnight R)

Cut the sorbet into chunks. then process in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. 

Put the sorbet back into the freezer and allow to freeze for another 4 hours. 

Enjoy!...and you will...trust me! lol

~R~ 

Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream

Kitchen Play List: Chuckles and giggles

We had the pleasure of the little ones in the kitchen on Saturday. We made home made pizzas and M had requested a 'green' ice cream this week. However he did look horrified when My Love suggested Spinach Ice Cream lol. So I looked up various recipes and veganised this one. 
 
The results were a fabulous hit of mint followed by the creamy ice and then the yummy choc drops that melt in your mouth. The little ones had great fun 'whisking' and using a few drops of green food colouring gave us a lovely minty colour. And I am grateful they didn't splash it everywhere. lol. 

Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream or Princess Fiona Ice Cream! lol 

Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream Makes 2 x 1 pint tubs


1/2 pint/330 ml soya/dairy milk
1/2 pint/300ml soya cream/double dairy cream
3oz/75g caster sugar
5oz/150g plain chocolate/1 pkt dark choc drops
1 tsp peppermint extract
A few drops of green food colouring (optional)


Dissolve the caster sugar in the milk over a low heat. Remove from the heat and leave to go cold.

If using block chocolate grate and leave to one side. 


Stir in the cream, peppermint extract, chocolate of choice and food colouring into the milk. Pour it all into an ice cream maker and leave to churn. 

Scoop into freezable tubs and leave to finish in the deep freeze. 

Serve...Enjoy! ~R~

Strawberry Ice Cream

Kitchen Play List: Laughter and giggles from the little ones & shrieks from the bigger kids! lol

Strawberry Ice Cream

We had the pleasure of a visit from my sister and her little ones..always good to see them. The last time they were here I promised M & N that they could help me make some strawberry ice cream. Fun! So this morning they turned up eager to make the luscious treat. My Love had bought two large punnets of British Strawberries and it almost made me and my sister cry at the thought of the beauties being squashed and blitzed. Ah well. lol. I will confess that this isn't the healthiest of recipes but it's saving grace is that it isn't choc full of the nasty preservatives that the shop bought ones are. 

So I set out two bowls and divided up the strawberries and let the little ones 'get squishing'. lol. Messy work but so much fun. We then helped them to squeeze the lemon and then put everything into the blender and they stood with covered ears as it all blended to the bright pink mush. My Love poured the mush into the ice cream maker with the 'help' of M lol. Then both M & N stood over the ice cream maker as it churned. lol. Rather like little ones or animals watching the washing machine going round. lol. Then I mentioned lunch and making star shaped sandwiches to go with their Matoes and Peppers lol. N is a Matoe munchers and M can't get enough Peppers, much to his Mums disgust. lol. 

So lunch was had and in the meantime My Love had scooped the ice cream into two tubs to finish in the deep freeze. After a little play time it was decided it was taste testing time. So they all sat there with their bowls of strawberry ice creams with extra strawberries on top and enjoyed every mouthful. Even little L who had a tiny taste on her Mums finger enjoyed it. lol. A great success I think. There was even enough left for them to take home a full tub to enjoy later. 

Next week I have been asked if we can make a green ice cream....My Love suggested spinach..but somehow I don't think that will happen..lol. 

M's Ultimate Big Chill & N's Princess Ice Cream!

Strawberry Ice Cream Makes 2 pints of Ice Cream

1lb/500g ripe fresh strawberries
1/2 pint/300ml soya cream/double dairy cream
4oz/100g white caster sugar
Juice of one lemon

Mash the strawberries or puree them in a blender. Mix the sugar, cream and lemon juice into the puree. Blitz together and then pour into an ice cream maker. Churn for approx 20 minutes and scoop into a freezable container. Serve and enjoy! ~R~

Mango Pomegranate and Coconut Ice Cream

Kitchen Play List:        Sara Sant'Ambrogio ~ Vocalise 


Buried in the fresh produce aisle of our supermarket is where you will find me with a smile on my face. And this weekend was no exception...I walked around and took in the sight of fresh vegetables and plentiful fruits. In one corner there was a box of ripe Pomegranates that were looking like they had seen better days but I knew the fruit inside would still be plump and bursting with flavour so I chose the best one and picked out a Mango to go with it. 

I found this recipe during one of my cruising afternoons on the many websites and blogs I follow. I printed it off and forgot to make a note of where I found it so I can't give credit where it's due. But to whomever it does belong...thank you! 

The result is a fresh and fruity ice cream/sorbet. It really is a mix of the two textures and My Love gave it a 9.5 so it looks like I'll be making this again. lol  

Mango Pomegranate and Coconut Ice Cream
(Recipe found online...)

1 Pomegranate
1 Mango
1/2 cup of sugar ( 1/3 cup Agave Nectar)
1 can coconut milk 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Peel the Pomegranate and remove the seeds. Place them into a blender and blend until they are a puree. Pour it into a bowl for a moment. 

Slice the Mango down by the stone and cut the flesh away from the skin and place into the blender and blend until its a puree. 

Pour the Pomegranate puree into the Mango along with the sugar and vanilla. Pour half of the can of coconut milk into the blender and then blend it all together until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and blend until it thoroughly combined and frothy. 

Place into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Then pour into a prepared ice cream machine and churn for 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezable container and freeze. 

If solid when you come to use it..leave it on a work surface for 10 minutes at room temperature.    

Serve  with pomegranate seeds as a garnish. 

Enjoy!

Rocket and Roses Banana Ice Cream

I am not the worlds biggest ice cream fan, I leave that to my Mum and my sister. But I do appreciate and enjoy a nice ice cream dessert every once in a while. The soya ices on the market in England are limited and are nice for that special occasion but are loaded with refined sugars. Not good for me. We were fortunate enough to be gifted an ice cream maker as a wedding present in 2008. We both wanted one and made grand plans of making our own ice cream at every social occasion possible. And we finally got it out of its box...this week! Ooops! Time flies eh? lol. 

I had a rather sad, over ripe bunch of bananas sat in my fruit bowl in my office and I found myself inspired to try and use them up. Usually this means they are made into a Banana and Pecan Loaf but yesterday I found myself craving ice cream. And the following recipe is the creation that came from the contents of my cupboards and the first use of the ice cream maker. 

 Rocket and Roses Banana Ice Cream  Makes 1 pint of Ice Cream
 (Original recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)

3 ripe bananas, peeled and broken up
1 3/4 cups of soya milk
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into a container and then leave to cool completely in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Using an ice cream maker pour the blended ingredients into the machine and leave to churn for 20 minutes. Transfer the ice cream to a freezable container and store in the deep freeze until required. Or like some people I know....eat it straight away! lol Enjoy.