Guys! I have created what I like to think of as one of the most secretly healthy indulgences I could create.
Icecream has always been one of my guiltiest pleasures (and of course chocolate), and it''s always been one of those things I've wanted to try create for myself in my own healthy way.
My goal for this recipe was to create an ice cream without sugar, dairy, coconut cream/milk, and also wasn't too heavy on the nuts. In saying that, cashews are still required (3/4 cup), but they arent the main ingredient.. the main item on the recipe list is frozen cauliflower! Yup, you read right. Cauliflower.
This cruceforous vegetable is becoming hugely popular in the foodie world for those that seek a thick ass smoothie without adding the usual frozen banana, so taking this into consideration I figured why wouldn't it work the same in ice cream?
And it did!
When it comes to what makes this ice cream sweet, i've used my new favorite monk fruit sweetener by Lakanto. This stuff is a 1:1 sugar substitute, comes in granulated form just like sugar but without the same calorie or sugar count, in fact it has 0g of sugar or calories!
Don't ask me how, I say its magic, but if you have yet to try this stuff, get on it.
Now to the blue color, (this is where the Superfoods come in). I recently acquired some Brain On powder from E3 live, which to put simply is a blue green algae that has a tonne of health benefits. The 65 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids present in this powder help enhance energy levels, improve brain function and stabilize mood levels. Ive been taking it daily for the past few weeks and have already noticed a change in my eye color and brightness in my complexion. And funnily enough - it doesn't add any weird seaweed like taste to the ice cream, just a brilliantly bright blue green hue.
Now let's talk about the mint chocolate chip. My first batch was created with a few tablespoons of cacao nibs and a few drops of peppermint extract. This resulted in fine pebbles of cacao throughout and that underlying hint of mint that goes so nicely with the color from the E3 Live. My second batch amps up the decadence a bit more and includes Alter Eco Mint Chocolate that has been melted down and swirled through the ice-cream so you get chunks of chocolate in each spoon.
Both resulted in a great ice cream, each delicious in their own right. So i'll give you the instructions for both.
Serves 3 bowls of icecream
What you'll need:
For the ice cream base:
1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
3/4 c raw unsalted cashews (soaked overnight and drained)
1/2 c plant based milk - (I used unsweetened Ripple milk) but almond milk is also a great option
1 scoop of E3 Live Brain On powder
For the mint chocolate chip:
2 tbsp cacao nibs
A few drops of organic peppermint extract
OR
40 g Alter Eco Mint Chocolate (equivalent to 1/2 a standard block)
What to do:
In a Vitamix or high speed blender/food processor pulse you pre soaked cashews until broken up
Add your frozen cauliflower and pulse until blended together with the cashews
Add in your plant based milk and monk fruit sweetener and blitz on high for 3 minutes.
This process should make your mixture completely smooth and airy.
At this point the mixture reminds me of marshmallow fluff.
Add the E3 live and blend on low until your mixture turns a blue green color
Transfer mixture to a lined ice cream tin and place in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours
This allows your mixture to freeze just slightly, before removing from the freezer and returning it to the blender to get more air into your mixture.
If you're going the indulgent route with the Alter Eco mint chocolate, melt this down on a double boiler with 1 tsp coconut oil
Once chocolate has melted and you have a glossy chocolate sauce, remove from the heat and allot to cool down - set aside.
Once the 1 1/2 hours are up remove the ice cream from the freezer and place back into your Vitamix, blitz on high for 2 minutes to get as much air into it as possible.
If you're using the cacao nibs option add these to the mixture now with your peppermint extract and blend on low for less than a minute to allow the cacao nibs to break into smaller pieces
Transfer to your ice cream tin (this time it doesn't need to be lined) and if you're using the melted mint chocolate option add it to the mixture now by the spoonful, making swirls at the same time for a nice effect.
Place back in the freezer to set for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
*This is the ideal time, if you need to leave it overnight, remove ice cream form the freezer 30 minutes before you would like to serve to allow it to thaw down.
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