VEGAN DIRTY MASALA CHAI AFFOGATO

October 18, 2016 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments 

http://thefirstmess.com/2016/04/27/vegan-dirty-masala-chai-affogato-recipe/
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SERVES: 6

2 very ripe bananas, sliced and frozen
1 1/3 cups unsweetened dairy-free creamer (1 full package of original unsweetened nutpods)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground cardamom
3 orange pekoe or other plain black tea bags
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup freshly brewed espresso, or other strong coffee that you love

First things first! Make sure your bananas are fully frozen and ready to go.

In a small saucepan, combine the creamer, cinnamon, ginger, sea salt, cloves, and cardamom. Place the pot over medium heat. Once the spiced creamer is at a simmer, drop in the tea bags and stir. Keep the creamer and tea simmering for 3 full minutes. Take the creamer off the heat, and remove the tea bags. Transfer the spiced creamer to a new bowl, and place it in the freezer to chill for 5-10 minutes.

Retrieve the spiced creamer mixture from the freezer and pour it into a food processor. To the food processor, add the sliced frozen bananas, maple syrup, vanilla, and olive oil. Run the motor on high until you have a creamy and thick consistency.

-making method 1: Transfer the masala chai ice cream base to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Ice cream-making method 2: Pour the masala chai ice cream base into clean ice cube molds (preferably small ice cubes). Then, freeze the ice cream solid in the molds. Once frozen, let the ice cream “cubes sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then, place the ice cream “cubes” back into the food processor and run the motor on high until you’ve “churned” the ice cream. It should look like soft serve at this point. Serve ice cream immediately or transfer the ice cream to a dish for a hard freeze.

Ice cream-making method 3: Place the masala chai ice cream base into a dish and transfer to the freezer. Set a timer for 1 hour. When the timer beeps, retrieve the ice cream and manually “churn” it up with a spatula, breaking up the hardened chunks at the edges. Return the ice cream to the freezer. Repeat this process 3-4 times. This method almost guarantees you a few ice crystals, but the mixture is still pretty creamy overall. Perfect for “low tech” types that may not be super fussy on texture 😉

To serve: portion the masala chai ice cream out into 6 serving bowls or glasses. Divide the hot coffee amongst the bowls of ice cream, carefully pouring it over top. Serve immediately.

NOTES: If I was serving this for a dinner, I’d pre-scoop the ice cream and lay the scoops out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, I’d slide the baking sheet into the freezer. When dessert time comes, just portion out the pre-made scoops into your serving vessels, brew the coffee, and voila! Also, I note some options in the recipe if you’re working without an ice cream maker. Last thing: start freezing some bananas now if you plan to make this recipe in the next day or two. If you already have some sliced ones in your freezer stash, you’ll need roughly 240 grams-worth.

Persian Matzo Ball Soup

October 1, 2016 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6

  • 2 yellow onions
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chickpea flour
  • 1 pound ground chicken, turkey or tofu
  • 12 cups homemade chicken or veggie stock
  • 1 large carrot or 6 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed)
  • 2 cups loosely packed fresh dill, parsley or cilantro
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Lime wedges for serving or add in the juice
  • optional: a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves (Note: Louisa doesn’t call for any greens, but I can’t help myself. I love wilted greens in soup!)

At least 4 hours before you want to eat, or even the night before you want to serve the soup, prep the matzoh balls. Get out your food processor and puree the yellow onions. Scoop pureed onions into a large mixing bowl and whisk in egg, minced garlic, cardamom, turmeric, grapeseed oil, 2 teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Finally add chickpea flour and ground chicken. Stir to combine. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 4 -24 hours. You’ll need the batter to be chilled in order to form the balls later.

After adequate chilling, go ahead and form little round dumplings with your hands. First, wet your hands with cool tap water, then pinch off walnut-sized pieces and roll to make your “matzoh” balls.

In the meantime, in a large stockpot or Dutch Oven, heat 12 cups of broth (with 2 teaspoons sea salt) until it reaches a rolling boil. One at a time, carefully lower dumplings to the hot broth. (I found that I had more dumplings than I needed or that would fit properly into pot, so I saved a batch to make more soup the next day. I think you could also freeze any extra dumplings.) Cover the pot, turn the heat to low so that the broth simmers and let the dumplings cook for 50 minutes. When the dumplings are done, they will be firm in the center.

Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked dumplings from the broth and briefly set aside. Add sliced carrots and chickpeas to the hot broth. Bring liquid to a boil, then lower heat, simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes until the carrots are tender. Add fresh lemon juice just before serving, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

For each serving, place 3-5 matzoh balls into a bowl. Add a handful of baby spinach, if that appeals to you. Ladle the soup over the top. Top with plenty of fresh herbs, squeeze on fresh lime and add a little salt or pepper to your liking.

 

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