Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk)

Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/

Nearly two years ago I started this blog in an effort to share my peculiar eating habits, practice food styling, and someday contribute to the ministries I support. In the last two months my traffic has increased over 150%, and when I looked into why I found that one of my simplest and oldest recipes just hit the right chord with the internet. To everyone who has contributed to this recent boom, thank you! Along with the spread of this recipe has come a barrage of questions, so this repost is to answer every question I’ve ever received about the recipe…and to give it a new look :)

Scroll down for the recipe and FAQs.

Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/
Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/

Strawberry Ice Cream
2 cans coconut milk
6 ounces frozen strawberries OR 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries
1/3 cup raw honey

Using only the fat* from the canned coconut milk, blend all ingredients. Now there are several ways to freeze the ice cream base, and there are several ways to process the ice cream.

Freezing and processing options:
-Freeze ice cream base in ice cube trays. Once frozen process in a food processor until creamy.
-Freeze ice cream base in ice cube trays. One frozen press through a Champion Juicer.
-Pour ice cream base into a bowl and stir occasionally as it freezes. Eat as soon as it reaches a thick consistently.
-Pour ice cream base into a large shallow dish (like a casserole dish). Once frozen scrape the solid mass with a fork until soft enough to serve.
-Freeze ice cream base in popsicle molds.
-Use an ice cream maker.

*Canned coconut milk will separate into fat and water. Do not shake the can and you will be able to remove the fat from the can while leaving the water at the bottom. You will need 2 cups of coconut milk fat for this recipe.

FAQ

Where do I buy canned coconut milk?
I buy Native Forest Organic coconut milk from VitaCost. Most grocery stores carry Thai Kitchen coconut milk, and every health food store carries some brand of coconut milk. Although unmarked, I read that Native Forest uses BPA free cans, which is why I prefer their brand.

How many cans do I need?
Two. Every brand of coconut milk is slightly different, but two cans is enough for this recipe.

How many servings does this make?
Four servings

Can I use coconut cream?
Yes. Trader Joes sells a canned coconut cream, which is the same as coconut milk but it has more fat and less water in each can. You need 2 cups of coconut fat (cream) for this recipe.

Can I use coconut oil?
No. Coconut oil is just the oil pressed from the meat of the coconut. You want coconut milk, which is the meat and water blended together.

Can I use coconut butter?
Yes. Coconut butter is dried and ground coconut meat. Blend ¼ cup coconut butter and 2 cups water to make milk before adding the strawberries and honey.

Can I use a base other than coconut milk?
Yes. You can use cream or yogurt, and if you don’t eat dairy you can make your own nut cream. Just make a simple nut milk, but use less water for a thicker consistency and a more creamy ice cream.

Can I use a sweetener other than honey?
Yes. Agave, maple syrup, and date paste work well in place of honey. Stevia can be used to taste.

Can I make other flavors?
Yes! Raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, mint, and many more flavors can be made.

What if I do not have a high-speed blender?
You do not need a high-speed blender for this recipe. When using frozen strawberries just thaw before hand for easiest blending.

What if I do not have an ice cream maker?
You do not need an ice cream maker for this recipe. See above for a list of options for freezing and processing the ice cream.

Remember, this is ice cream :) Enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/
Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/
Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com

The time has come, I confess, I’m not a raw foodist. But wait! I have a very good excuse…errreason. Way back in the summer I worked on a farm in Wisconsin and my raw lifestyle, well, it kind of ended. I was working hard and eating off the land, so I wasn’t worried about all the cooked food I had suddenly added to my diet.

Needless to say I lived! I made it out alive, and today I have a new perspective. The main reason I’m still not eating mostly raw (I haven’t ever been 100% except for seasons) is after returning home from my farming adventure I lost my appetite. Due to some personal trauma and an abusive relationship I sunk into a depression, lost a ton of weight, and only ate what I could stomach. That ended up being things I wouldn’t normally eat, but I had to eat something.

I’m doing much better these days and have been good about adding good ol’ kale and buckwheat back into my regular diet (they were always some of my favs). However, running to Jesus and admitting I needed help is the best thing I did/I’m doing, and so life goes.

With all of that being said, this is a new recipe! Finally! Wooo! Yes! :D I’m eager to get back to sharing healthy recipes with you all, which will in turn motivate me to come up with new and delicious raw and sometimes just plain ol’ healthy hearty cooked recipes. That’s where this recipe lands, cooked, but made out of nutrient rich goodness!

Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com
Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com
Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com
Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 c flour (I LOVE buckwheat*, but almond, oat, any gluten free, etc. works)
1 c coconut oil
2/3 c raw honey
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
1/4 t Celtic Sea salt
chocolate chips (as many or as little as you like)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients except chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips. Drop teaspoon amounts on to parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10 mins. Enjoy!

*I found that I need to add an extra egg when using just buckwheat flour.

Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com
Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com
Chocolate Chip Cookies _ immerwachsen.com

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Biscuits & Sun-dried Tomatoes

Buckwheat Bread
2 c buckwheat groats (soaked and dehydrated)
1 c golden flax seed (or chia seed)
1 c psyllium husks
1 t Celtic Sea salt
2 c water
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c Irish moss gel
1 T honey

Grind all dry ingredients into flour. Blend all wet ingredients. In a large food processor, process wet ingredients into dry ingredients until dough. Use buckwheat flour to dust counter and rolling pin, and roll out dough to 1/3″ thinckness. Cut and dehydrate between 105-110 F for 6 hours.

I am such a huge fan of buckwheat! It has a strong flavor, so not everyone is as enthusiastic about it, but the little plant is so full of nutrition that I haven’t found something quite as satisfying. After sprouting, dehydrating, and making flour, buckwheat can be used to make anything where you would use regular flour. These biscuits are perfect for any bread substitute.

For this post I topped the biscuits with a slice of avocado and a pinch of Celtic Sea salt or a simple sun-dried tomato spread of sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and Celtic Sea salt. Enjoy!





Mint Chocolate Fudge Pies

It’s that time of year! Christmas baking and treats galore. Last year I made several raw goodies to get through the season healthy and satisfied. Hopefully this year’s addition will encourage healthy eating on into next year. This pie is basically fudge in a crust. So good and ooey gooey!



Mint Chocolate Fudge Pies
Crust:
2 c oat groats
1/2 c coconut sugar
1/2 c water
2 t olive oil
1/2 t Celtic Sea salt

Filling:
1 c cashew butter
1 c honey
1/2 c cacao powder
2 t mint extract

Grind oat groats into flour. Process all crust ingredients and spread into pan (or pans). Dehydrate for a few hours or just until the crust is no longer sticky. For the filling, process all ingredients until oil just begins to separate (this is when it becomes fudge-like). Fill crusts and refrigerate. Enjoy!



Merry Christmas!

Blueberry Nut Granola

Blueberry Nut Granola
1 c shredded coconut
1 c dried blueberries
1 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c almonds
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c buckwheat flour
1/2 c flax seeds
1/2 c maple syrup
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

Grind coconut into flour. Chop almonds and walnuts. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Dehydrated in clumps until crunchy. Enjoy!

I was born in Southern California to two total SoCalers. My Dad, beyond the definition of laid back, and my Mom, beyond the opposite of my Dad. Then they moved to Indiana, and I’ve been a freak ever since :) I recently retook the Myers Briggs test and came out an ISTP…I’m not 100%, but it’s pretty close. I like to walk fast, get to the point, and I like change…a lot. Slightly kidding about being a freak, but only 6% of the population are ISTPs!

When I moved to Wisconsin for the summer it was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. I lived amongst beautiful rolling green hills and spent a majority of my days outside. I’ve been home from Wisconsin a week, and it’s so bizarre how different the two places are, not just in landscape, but in pace of life. The people are so different from those I’ve grown up with, and I really like them! They have a fearless outlook on life and an adventurous spirit I’m not used to being around. It was almost like experiencing a different culture.

I love Wisconsin and will most likely make frequent visits and eventually extended stays, but until then I’m readjusting to this familiar flatland of the Midwest. I like the quiet and the time to work on everything I didn’t get to over the summer. It’s been a joy to reconnect with church family and friends. And I’m excited to finish my degree. In many ways I see God preparing me for more and more change. Once I graduate in December, I’ll have no obligations, no commitments, no schedule, and there’s something really exciting about that!