Archive for August, 2012

Kickstart Your Vegan Diet

If you need help getting started with a vegan diet, here’s great news.  Some of the most well-informed, well-respected vegans in the country are pulling together their resources to bring you recipes, research, meal plans, and cooking tips.  It starts September 3 with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart.

I did the kickstart in April, and it was just what I needed.  It’s free and informative.  I tried new recipes and got to see what a healthy, plant-based, whole food diet looks like breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Check it out if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to get healthier or drop a few pounds.  You’ll be glad you did!

Why didn’t I know this sooner?

There is such a thing as rich, vegan ice cream that isn’t as expensive as shoes?  Check out this recipe from vegnews.com:

Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

By Hannah Kaminsky | August 6, 2012

Conjure the rich sweetness of hot cocoa in a frostier form with this tempting ice cream treat.

Calling any sort of ice cream “hot” is a bit of a misnomer, but forget the temperature connotations and consider the decadent, wintery drink on its own. Rich, bitter chocolate coats the tongue while fluffy, gooey marshmallows add lightness and balance the whole concoction brilliantly.

Makes 1 quart

What You Need:
2-1/2 cups chocolate non-dairy milk
1 ounce unsweetened baker’s chocolate, roughly chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 teaspoon maca powder (if unavailable, substitute malt powder or barley malt syrup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped vegan marshmallows

What You Do:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm chocolate milk. Add chocolate, whisking occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Meanwhile, in a separate dish, combine sugar, cocoa, arrowroot, maca, and salt, and stir well to evenly distribute.

2. Slowly sift dry ingredients into milk, whisking vigorously to break up any clumps that may form. Continue to cook gently, stirring every few minutes, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened in consistency. Remove from heat, then add vanilla. Let cool to room temperature before moving the base into the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the chopped marshmallows in the last 5 minutes. Transfer ice cream into an air-tight container. Place in freezer for at least 3 hours before serving, until solid enough to scoop.

Photo: Hannah Kaminsky