Now we can all scream for a scoop of ice cream, not just the lacto-tolerant
As the Autumn leaves begin to fall, and the Southern Hemisphere's weather begins to change, picnics in the park are replaced with movie dates cuddle up to a crackling fire. Most of us are pushing our tubs of ice cream to the back of the freezer and making space for frozen soups and stews.
I'm a little different.
My bed-weather snack of choice is gelato. Kind of like how tea cools you down on a hot day, ice cream warms you from the inside when it's cold outside. In the past, being lactose intolerant meant one of two things - either I sat alone round the Monopoly board while my siblings ran after the ice cream truck, or I hazarded a triple scoop and had to deal with the crippling digestive pains and trapped gas that would inevitably come a few hours later. Before I stumbled upon dairy-free alternatives for cheese, milk, cream and gelato, my food choices were limited.
I spent 2013 and 2014 vegan, and I remember spending hours scowering vegan chat rooms for plant-based curry recipes and meat substitutes. Coming from a traditional African family that wasn’t quite learned in my dietary condition was quite challenging too.
Bless @TreeHugger2012 for sharing that bananas and avocados often formed the basis for his dessert dishes. After a number of failed attempts, I managed to perfect my DAIRY FREE blueberry cheesecake gelato recipe that I’m now happy to share with all of you. This recipe requires minimum prep, and the ingredients are extremely affordable, but it will treat you to a litre of crisp yet utterly indulgent ice cream.
Ingredients
7 large ripe bananas - frozen
1 tin coconut cream
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1 cup blueberries
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
1. Peel frozen bananas and cut into quarters
2. Blend bananas in food processor or blender until smooth
3. Introduce coconut cream (shake tin before opening as the cream separates)
4. In a separate dish, add lemon juice to ¾ of the blueberries
5. Blend to a smooth paste
6. Add blueberry paste to banana and coconut mixture. Use a fork or wooden spoon to achieve creative swirl
7. Add remaining blueberries and mix
8. Place gelato mixture into airtight container
9. Let it set in the fridge for 5 hours, or overnight
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Gaining confidence in the kitchen has never been easier. There are a number of simple recipes I've posted that will have you spending more time over your stove or the oven. Start with my Death by Chocolate Muffins for a Autumn/Winter treat. My Honey Granola recipe will be a welcomed addition to your breakfast cereal options too.
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