Tag Archives: food

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream (without an ice cream maker)

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Can’t believe summer is almost over ! So I thought I would treat my kids and myself with some homemade ice cream.  With a few rejected tubs still sitting in my freezer, I finally got the right taste !  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Makes about 1 L

  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Put a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl in freezer for about 15 minutes
  2. Put chocolate, condensed milk and cocoa powder in a bowl over a pot of simmering water
  3. Stir until chocolate melted and smooth, cool slightly
  4. Whisk cream in cold mixing bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed until frothy, add in vanilla
  5. Increase speed to high and beat until creamy and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes
  6. Gently whisk in 1/2 cup of cream into chocolate mixture, then the remaining in 2 to 3 portions, mix well, texture should look like melted ice cream
  7. Pour into container and freeze until set

No Bake Granola Bites

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A quick, easy and healthy snack. You can use any dried fruits or nuts that you like.  If you don’t want to use peanut butter, you can substitute it with almond or sunflower butter.

Makes about 16 bites

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  1. Mix melted butter, peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract
  2. Mix oats, rice cereal, chocolate chips, cranberries and flaxseed
  3. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until blended
  4. Roll into small balls, place on parchment paper
  5. Keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week

Blueberry Flaxseed Smoothie

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I love blueberries !  They are so tasty and healthy.  You can eat them fresh or put them in muffins, pies, smoothies, jam, etc.  I also like to freeze some at  the end of summer, so I can still enjoy them during the winter months.  I have added some ground flaxseed in this recipe.  Flaxseed is an excellent source of omega fatty acids and fibre.  It makes a great nutritious drink after my workout. 

Makes 2-3 servings

  • 200 g fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup vanilla flavour Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Blend all ingredients together,  serve immediately

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

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I was trying to make 2 batches of macarons today. The first batch didn’t come out as good as I expected.  Feeling a bit frustrated, I decided to change plan. I started making some meringue cookies. They came out nice but not yummy enough. So I drizzled some chocolate on top…..and wow ! What a difference ! Not only are they scrumptious, they are also low in calories and flourless ! What a treat !

Makes about 2 dozens

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  1. Preheat oven to 225°F
  2. Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until frothy
  3. Increase speed to high and slowly add in sugar
  4. Whisk until a stiff peak is formed
  5. Pour into piping bag with star or round tip
  6. Pipe onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart
  7. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, cookies should be dry to touch, turn off oven
  8. Leave cookies in oven for about 2 more hours to dry
  9. Remove from oven to cool completely on rack
  10. On stove, melt chocolate in a small pot over a pan of simmering water at medium heat
  11. Drizzle chocolate over cookies with a fork
  12. Let sit until chocolate is dry

Easy Creme Brulee (without a blow torch)

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Whether you like the creamy custard or the crunchy sugar on top, creme brulee is sure an irresistible delicacy, and you maybe surprised how easy it is to make.  Most of us don’t have a blow torch at home, but you don’t need one to make this tasty dessert.  All you need is an oven with the broiler setting.  As for the crunchy sugar on top, after a few experiments, I found that caramelized sugar (recipe below) works the best.  Regular sugar takes longer to brown and may cause the custard to overheat and crack. 

Makes about 4-6 servings

For the custard

  • 2 cups half and half cream or heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • pot of hot water
  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF
  2. Cut and scrape vanilla beans out of bean pod
  3. In a non-stick pot, heat cream, vanilla beans and bean pod over low to medium heat until just starting to boil, stirring occasionally
  4. Remove pot from heat, remove bean pod, let sit for about 15 minutes
  5. Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and pale
  6. Slowly add the cream, a little at a time, stirring continually 
  7. Pour mixture through strainer twice to get a smooth mixture, skim off bubbles on top
  8. Pour mixture into ramekins, place ramekins in baking dish filled with hot water, water should be about halfway up side of ramekins
  9. Bake for about 30 minutes until custard just set
  10. Let cool completely, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight

For the caramelized sugar top

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  1. Place sugar and water in a small non-stick pot over medium heat
  2. Stir slightly until sugar dissolves, after that, do not stir anymore, swirl the pot gently, otherwise crystals will form
  3. Sugar will bubble and change from clear to caramel colour, keep a close eye on it, be careful not to let it burn
  4. Remove from heat, pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  5. Let cool and harden, it will form a sheet of caramel  
  6. Break sheet into small pieces, then pulverize in a food processor or a chopper
  7. Store in dry, air-tight container

When ready to serve

  1. Take custard out from fridge, sprinkle evenly with caramelized sugar
  2. Adjust oven to broiler setting (usually at about 450ºF – 500ºF), place ramekins on top rack, heat until sugar start to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, do not heat more than 2 minutes, custard may start to crack and melt
  3. Cool slightly and is ready !

 

Mocha Shake

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I am a fan of coffee and chocolate. This is just perfect for me !

Makes 2 servings

  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 4 ice cubes
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in blender.  Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.  Enjoy!

Nutella Banana Muffins

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Making banana muffins is a perfect way to use up your brown bananas.  Adding Nutella to the recipe makes them extra yummy !   

Makes about 15 muffins

  • 3 large, ripe bananas
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Nutella spread
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F
    2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
    3. Peel and mash bananas, set aside
    4. Using an electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy
    5. Add eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla, mix well
    6. Add flour mixture in 2-3 portions, mix until well blended
    7. Line muffin tins with slightly greased paper muffin cups
    8. Fill muffin cups with batter to about 2/3 full
    9. Spoon 1 teaspoon of Nutella spread in the middle of each muffin, swirl around gently with a toothpick
    10. Bake for about 22 minutes, rotate muffin tray halfway through
    11. Let cool on muffin tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them on wire racks until completely cooled

To check if muffins are done, put a toothpick in the centres of the muffins, if it comes out clear, they are ready.

Homemade Berry Sorbet (without ice cream maker)

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I have been using my blender a lot this summer, making juices, smoothies, popsicles, etc. Here is another great summer treat we can do at home, even if you don’t have an ice cream maker !

Makes about 4 cups of sorbet

  • 32 oz (4 cups) of fresh or frozen berries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  1. Dissolve sugar in water over low heat to make simple syrup, set aside to cool
  2. Blend berries, 1 cup of simple syrup, and lemon juice together
  3. Press puree through strainer to remove skins and seeds
  4. Add about 2 tablespoons more of syrup if needed, mixture should taste slightly sweeter than you would like as a juice
  5. Pour on a baking sheet or a shallow pan
  6. Cover and freeze until frozen (at least four hours or overnight)
  7. Remove from freezer, break the frozen mixture into chunks and blend again until smooth
  8. Serve right away or put in an airtight container and return to freezer until serve

Use fresh fruits if available, it tastes better. I use a hand blender and a large mixing bowl when blending the frozen mixture, it’s easier than using the tall blender.

Watermelon Popsicles

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One thing I love about summer is the variety of fruits. Watermelon is one of our favourites. These popsicles are super easy to make and is much healthier than those artificial freezies. 

Makes about 4 popsicles

  • 400 g watermelon, cut in pieces
  • 2 tablespoons honey to sweeten if needed

Blend them together and freeze for about 4 hours

Mug Cake

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This is definitely the easiest (and laziest) cake recipe I have ever made! It may not be as soft as a regular sponge cake, but it’s equally tasty. I have made a basic and a chocolate cake.

Makes 2 to 3 mug cakes 

For basic cake

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus some for coating mugs
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 60 mL milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  1. Place butter in a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds until melted
  2. Coat inside of  mugs with melted butter
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and egg until blended (butter may still be warm, add egg at the end to prevent curdling)
  4. Add flour and salt, whisk until smooth
  5. Pour into mugs, no more than half full
  6. Microwave for about 90 seconds 
  7. Let cool for a few minutes, serve warm.
  8. You can top with icing, whipped cream or fruits after completely cooled

For chocolate cake

  • Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to batter. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup!

Cooking time may vary depending on microwaves and size of mugs.