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Gold Potato and Bacon Croquettes with Jackpot Beer Cheese Sauce

September 16, 2014

Gold Potato and Bacon Croquettes with Jackpot Beer Cheese Sauce | Fake Food Free

The challenge? Come up with a potato recipe that can be classified as Potatoes: Vegas-style! We go to Las Vegas every year so I started thinking of all the words I associate with that sparkly, shiny town.

Gamble – Maybe a little too negative and not something you really want to take with a new recipe.
Strip – As in the street, but it still leaves a little too much to the imagination.
Winner – Maybe.
Jackpot – Now you’re talking.

So I started thinking about what I would consider a jackpot of flavors. You can never (and I mean, never) go wrong with potatoes and bacon. And sharp cheddar, of course. Cheddar then makes me think of beer, as in beer cheese. I tossed around ideas of how to put it all together and finally decided on some crispy, crunchy baked croquettes that resembled playing chips with their disk shape. It has to be gold potatoes, by the way, because there are few cities as golden and shiny as Las Vegas.

Continue Reading…

Frozen White Russian Cocktails

September 12, 2014

Turn your White Russian cocktail into a spiked frozen treat with this recipe!

Frozen White Russian Cocktail | Fake Food Free

I like to keep my desserts and my cocktails separate. I’m rarely tempted by the spiked dessert shakes or fancy frozen drinks that show up on restaurant menus.

But that is when I’m dining out. This? This is when I’m at home. No way am I passing up a frosty combination of spirits and ice cream at home. It’s a lot more fun to be creative with frozen cocktails in your own kitchen than to pay someone else to do it for you. At least that is how I feel about it.

I love both Black and White Russians, which is no surprise considering that I am a huge coffee fan. So with some coffee ice cream in the freezer and a few warm days lingering from summer, I thought a frozen cocktail would be a welcome addition to a rather long week.

Frozen White Russian Cocktail | Fake Food Free Continue Reading…

Goat Milk Ice Cream, Baobab, Pre Run Snacks and Coconut Flour: Four Favorites September

September 10, 2014

Laloo's Deep Chocolate Goat's Milk Ice Cream - Four Favorites September | Fake Food Free

 

It’s time for Four Favorites, the September edition! I say that like there have been previous editions. Well, there haven’t.

You see, I’ve come across so many cool specialty foods and ingredients over the past year. Some I buy myself, others are sent to me for review. Many have become regular staples in my kitchen, others are treats that I think you must try.

In the past, I haven’t felt comfortable sharing about some of my favorite finds because they aren’t all ingredients. Having a blog called Fake Food Free that is focused on eating fewer processed foods has pressured me for a long time to show that I make just about everything we eat.

The truth is, I don’t make everything. I used to make a lot more when we lived in Kentucky, but in the Bay Area I have access to so much. I’m finding foods that are equally, or more, natural, unrefined, delicious (whatever term you want to use) than I can even make myself.

Don’t worry. I plan to keep on cooking and making things from scratch as I have for the past several years. I value that. There are some things that I really want to share, though, because the products are great or the companies are doing great work. And sometimes you can use a good gift idea!

I love browsing favorite thing posts from other bloggers so I thought it was time I start my own. Just once a month and hopefully you’ll find something fun you haven’t tried before.  Continue Reading…

Savory Profiteroles with Asparagus and Goat Cheese Recipe

April 16, 2014

Back in early March we vacationed in Antigua. It was our second trip there and I highly recommend it — gorgeous island, friendly people and outstanding food and drink. I did a post on the food highlights from our last trip, but this time I brought back some ideas to recreate in my own kitchen.

We’re no strangers to digging into the local foods, but often the resorts where we stay come up with some delicious things as well. I spotted these profiteroles on the menu our first night and I was bound and determined to try them before the trip was over.

Not only did I want to try them, I knew as soon as I spotted them (and I’m pretty sure I said it out loud to my husband) – that’s what I’m making with the goat cheese!

Right before we left for the trip, I received a package overflowing with products from Redwood Hill Farm in Sebastopol, Calif. A Certified Humane goat dairy, Redwood Hill Farm is a small family farm that has been producing goat milk products since 1968.

My generous package contained — Chèvre (including roasted chile chèvre!), Bucheret, Camellia (camembert), raw milk feta, goat milk yogurt in flavors like apricot mango and mango orange pineapple kefir. I also received some lactose-free products from their sister company, Green Valley Organics – yogurt, kefir and sour cream.

The kefirs have made a delicious addition to breakfast and those aged goat cheeses have been a true treat for the cheese plates my husband and I like to snack on over the weekend. But let’s talk about this chèvre.

First of all, I have not seen it in re-sealable packaging like this, and I love it! Usually I’m dealing with the log wrapped in messy plastic that is a pain to store in the fridge. This makes it so much easier to keep the fridge stocked.

Unlike the other treats that have been a joy to eat and drink as they are, I wanted to make some with the chèvre. When I saw those profiteroles on our trip, I knew that was it. I had the goat cheese and we were coming into asparagus season. Perfect.

These profiteroles are the answer to the traditional finger sandwich. I would take this light, puffed pastry filled with goat cheese over a roll with ham salad any day. They are also easy to make. I know puffy baked things can be intimidating, but even with my past baking challenges, I can make profiteroles without fail. They are not at all as complicated as they seem. Promise.

Redwood Hill Farm chèvre is ideal for this recipe because it has a creamy, almost whipped texture. It blends well with the steamed asparagus. Speaking of the asparagus, be sure to steam it until it is almost mushy and then chop it before adding it to the food processor. This will ensure the asparagus purees and blends into the goat cheese so you have a smooth filling.

Savory Profiteroles with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Makes: 12 profiteroles

Ingredients:

Profiteroles
1 cup water
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 cup white whole wheat flour
4 eggs

Filling
6 stalks asparagus, steamed and chopped
8 oz. chèvre
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add the water, butter and salt to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

As soon as it comes to a rolling boil, stir in the flour and reduce the heat. Continue to stir vigorously until a smooth dough is formed. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the eggs. Stir quickly until they are completely mixed in and the mixture returns to a soft dough.

Use a tablespoon to scoop and drop the dough onto the baking sheet to make 12 large profiteroles. You can also use a pastry bag to pipe the dough onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown. Let cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the asparagus and chèvre in a small food processor. Pulse until combined into a smooth green spread. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chives, salt and pepper.

Use a serrated knife to cut open each profiterole like a bun. Spread an even amount of the goat cheese filling inside each profiterole and serve.

Disclosure:  The products mentioned in this post were provided by Redwood Hill Farm. I was not required to post about them and received no compensation for doing so.

 

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out. 

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie and McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream Sandwiches

February 14, 2014
This hearty, whole grain chocolate cookie is best served with a delicious ice cream. One of my new favorites is McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream based in Santa Barbara, Calif. 
 
Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie Recipe | Fake Food Free

My first New Year’s Eve in California was spent in Santa Barbara. It was just last year and we were on the fourth day of our five day cross-country move. Knowing that we didn’t want to spend that particular night in a roadside hotel, we drove a few extra miles to the beach.

It was a short trip with two pugs along so we didn’t see much of the city, but since that little taste, I’ve wanted to return. I thought I had plenty of reasons for wanting to go back, but a few days ago I found one more.

This ice cream…

I was introduced to it through the Winter Fancy Food Show that I attended last month. You can order it online, but I fully support using it as an excuse to visit California.

Despite my endeavors to make most of the foods we eat, occasionally you come across something that you simply cannot master as well. You can’t make it any more delicious or natural. This ice cream is that for me.

McConnell’s has been making their ice cream since 1949, but I have yet to come across a company that uses such great ingredients or creates a product that tastes as good as this. I know. It’s ice cream. But the texture and flavor of McConnell’s is truly outstanding.

The ice cream is made from raw milk and cream from California grass-fed cows that is pasteurized and homogenized in-house. It’s then combined with cage-free organic eggs, some pure cane sugar and all kinds of natural, local ingredients like organic fruits and nuts.

I got four varieties to try:

Olive Oil & Salted Almonds – Mild and creamy. Vanilla lovers will enjoy its simplicity.
Milk Chocolate & Raspberry Jam – Smooth chocolate meets fresh raspberry swirl.
Eureka Lemon & Marionberries – It’s like California and the Pacific Northwest came to a party in my mouth.
Oaxacan Chocolate – A flavor so rich and complex (with hints of cinnamon) that you’ll keep taking bites just to analyze it some more.

While I was completely intrigued by the Oaxacan Chocolate, I decided that the Eureka Lemon & Marionberries was my favorite. It was tough to choice!

This ice cream needs nothing more than a spoon, but I thought I would use it in a Valentine’s Day dessert. I tested out a cookie recipe with whole grains, raw cane sugar and California butter to complement all the natural ingredients in the ice cream. The goal was a mildly flavored cookie that’s sweetness or flavor wouldn’t overpower the ice cream. These were perfect.

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie Recipe | Fake Food Free

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie and McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream Sandwiches

Makes: 6 ice cream sandwiches

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup raw sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
½ cup raw sugar for rolling the cookies
1 pint Eureka Lemon & Marionberries McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream (or your favorite flavor)

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for about 2 minutes or until well combined.

Reduce the speed to medium and mix in the egg. Mix in the cocoa powder. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Mix in the cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour, a little at a time. Mix just until all ingredients are combined.

Scoop out the dough and roll into generous golf ball size portions. Roll in the raw sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Place only 6 to 9 cookies on each baking sheet. Press the cookies slightly flatten them.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and centers of the cookies are somewhat firm. Cool for 1 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Place six of the cookies bottom-side up on a flat surface.

Top with a generous ¼ cup of ice cream. Place the remaining six cookies on top, bottom-side down, to create the sandwich. Gently press the cookies so that ice cream spreads to the edges. Depending on how generous you are with the ice cream. You may have some leftover. I suggest eating it.

Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Whole Grain Chocolate Cookie Recipe | Fake Food Free
 
 
 
 
If you are looking for more ways to use McConnell’s Ice Cream, check out Salty Sweet Life’s Pear, Gorgonzola and Thyme Galette!
 
 

Disclosure:  I received this product for review purposes. I was not required to blog about it and I received no compensation for doing so. All thoughts and content here are my own. It’s really good ice cream!

Green Tea-Sesame Butter from Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer

April 22, 2013
 Green Tea-Sesame Butter over chilled soba noodles | FakeFoodFree.com

Cream, salt and a special marble go into a sealed cup. Then shake until arm cramps, and then keep shaking. Finally, after what feels like hours to your arm, you end up with creamy butter. I can still remember the grade school experiment, as well as how good that butter tasted.

Then along came the junior high years, an obsession with the scale, and many false accusations directed at real food. This was followed by a growing interest in nutrition and fitness. Next, the work toward my degrees in nutrition.

And through all of this, there was no butter.

I wouldn’t touch the stuff. I even convinced myself that I liked dry biscuits and pancakes. I can still remember family cookouts and preparing those foil packets filled with potatoes for the grill. Knowing I was partially in charge, my grandmother would make sure I heard her say, “I want mine with butter. REAL butter.”

Now, the thought brings a smile to my face. Oh, if she could only see how much I’ve changed.

As you know, I am now a believer in real food — grassfed and pastured meats, garden grown vegetables, and yes, sweet butter. No trans-fat filled imposters make it into my kitchen and biscuits and pancakes have never tasted so good.

Naturally, when I was given the opportunity to review a cookbook all about butter, I jumped at the chance. Flavored Butters by Lucy Vaserfirer celebrates the simplicity of butter while showing how exciting we can make it. 

The book is filled with simple (yet taste-bud thrilling) recipes that can turn a pat of butter into the highlight of your breakfast, brunch or dinner. Curry Butter and Coffee Butter were two that immediately caught my attention.

Then I saw the Green Tea-Sesame Butter! Despite my love of Matcha, I had yet to see it in butter. I promise you, a dollop of this gorgeous green, shaken cream will completely transform a meal.


Green Tea-Sesame Butter
In one of the beautiful photos by Lucy, the book shows this butter on top of grilled salmon, which I’m sure is delicious. I decided to take a little creative liberty and used it to top Japanese soba noodles which I plated as bite-sized appetizers. Either way you choose to have it, you’ll love this recipe, and the many more ways this book will introduce you to the amazing potential of butter.

GREEN TEA–SESAME BUTTER
Recipe © 2013 by Lucy Vaserfirer and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press

From the author: This green-hued butter is flavored primarily with matcha tea, which gives it a subtly sweet vegetal note that complements both sweet and savory foods. It pairs nicely with seafood—particularly salmon fillets—and steamed vegetables. But it’s also delicious spread on ginger scones.

Matcha is the powdered green tea traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony and can be found at tea shops, many Asian markets, and online.

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons matcha tea, sifted
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (use black sesame seeds if you want to see the speckles)
2 teaspoons sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1⁄8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions
Blend together the butter, tea, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and sesame oil in a medium-size bowl. Form into a log and refrigerate until firm before slicing and serving, or use another shaping method.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Green Tea-Sesame Butter over soba noodles | Fake Food Free

Disclosure:  This book was sent to me for review purposes from The Harvard Common Press. I was not required to write about it and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own, and I love butter.

 
 

Arugula and Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese Orange Walnut Dressing Recipe

February 6, 2013
You remember this garden, right?
Well, I had to leave that garden in Kentucky. I miss it dearly, but there are new adventures ahead. They might even be more challenging adventures that will teach me a lot. 
Why? Because this is our new garden.
Smaller, yes. But I’ve learned over time that it’s difficult to kill a plant that you stick in the ground. A plant in a pot is a whole different story. So begin my adventures in balcony and container gardening!
We started small with herbs, spinach, arugula, lettuce and chard, and I couldn’t resist trying out a few strawberry plants. (There’s also a new citrus tree, but I’ll save that for another post.) Everything is perky and green so far so I have high hopes. 
It’s doing so well that I decided to trim off a little arugula for a salad. The spinach has a ways to go so I picked that up at the Farmer’s Market this past weekend. And you just know that oranges had to be in there somewhere. 
Cheese is a requirement on my salads and the more flavorful and stronger the better. I like goat cheese. Well, some goat cheese. I seem to be getting pickier. If it’s mild in grassy flavor then I’m a huge fan. 
Instead of topping my salad with goat cheese, I blended it with the dressing. Wow, do I love this dressing – nutty, sweet, tart and creamy. It’s a thin dressing so if you prefer something thicker I’d suggest cutting back a bit on the orange juice or adding a little more cheese. 
Fingers crossed that there are more apartment garden salads to come!

 Arugula and Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese Orange Walnut Dressing Recipe

3 cups spinach
1 cup arugula
1 orange, peeled and sliced
¼ cup dried cranberries
Dressing
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chèvre (goat cheese)
1 clove garlic
Juice of one orange
Sprinkle of salt and pepper, to taste
Arrange the spinach and arugula on two plates, about 1 ½ cups spinach and ½ cup arugula on each. Top each plate of greens with half of the orange slices. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cranberries on each salad.
To make the dressing, place all ingredients in a small food processor. Pulse until the walnuts are ground fine and all ingredients are combined. (Makes about ¼ cup.) 
Drizzle each salad with half of the dressing. Makes 2 servings.

Watercress with Smoked Almond Goat Cheese Scoops and Grapes in Red Wine Syrup

December 4, 2012

  
Have you ever found a recipe that makes you want to have a party? You know, just so you can show it off to your guests? Not because it was a brilliant feat on your part, but because it was just that good.

I hadn’t. Until I found this.

This is Watercress with Smoked Almond Goat Cheese Scoops and Grapes in Red Wine Syrup.

This little salad-slash-starter is party worthy. It even felt like a party when I ate it alone for lunch yesterday. As mentioned above, it is just that good.

It came from what I now consider my absolute favorite cookbook of 2012 – Home Made Winter by Yvette van Boven. You might remember my review of Home Made last year. I assure you, things only got better.

And by things I mean recipes I want to make, pictures I want to look at and tips I want to incorporate. Home Made Winter is all the warm, fuzzy, comforting feelings you look for in winter and the holiday season in cookbook form.

I am so inspired by Yvette’s style. It makes me want to take myself to the kitchen on a cold night and cook, bake and create for hours. There are wonderful do-it-yourself standards such as homemade cured beef sausage, butter, yogurt, apple cider and Irish cream liqueur. (What? Irish cream isn’t a standard necessity? I’m ready to make it one.)

Then things get fancy – fancy and completely do-able and tasty. Butternut Crème with Goat Cheese Cream and Sage, Whole Organic Chicken Stuffed with Pork, Veal and Sage Sausage and Guinness Fruitcake only scratch the surface.

The best part of the book is the introduction where Yvette announces that she’s already started working on a second volume – Home Made Summer! This winter edition proudly displays Irish influence, while Home Made Summer will show its French roots.  I can’t wait!

This book is full of holiday-inspired baked goods, and hearty meat and vegetable dishes, but I decided to pick something on the lighter side – a nice salad full of seasonal flavors.

The intro to the recipe suggests using fresh cranberries instead of grapes, and that is what I did, with amazing results! After stopping at two stores to find watercress, I finally settled on arugula. It tastes wonderful with the other flavors of the salad, but I’ll be trying it again with watercress as soon as I can get my hands on some.

I encourage you to give the recipe a try, but I offer fair warning.

You are going to want to have a party!

Watercress with Smoked Almond Goat Cheese Scoops and Grapes in Red Wine Syrup Recipe

Reprinted with permission from Abrams Books

An awfully simple recipe that looks very flashy. Instead of the grapes you could use fresh cranberries or quartered fresh figs. If you can’t find smoked almonds, you can use regular almonds.

½ of a 750-ml bottle red wine
½ cup plus 2 tbsp (125 g) turbinado or Demerara sugar
3 star anise
8 cardamom pods
5 oz (150 g) seedless red grapes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 oz (200 g) soft goat cheese
⅓ cup (50 g) smoked almonds
1 bunch fresh watercress, stems removed
Heat the wine in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then add the anise and cardamom and bring to a boil. Boil the syrup for about 25 minutes, until it’s slightly thicker. Reduce the heat to low and add the grapes. Warm the grapes in the syrup for about 7 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Divide the goat cheese into 12 equal portions. With clean hands, roll the portions into small balls.

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until coarsely ground. Roll the goat cheese balls in the almonds to coat them. Place the cheese balls on a tray or baking sheet, cover them, and place them in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.

To serve, wash and dry the watercress. Arrange some nice leaves over 4 plates. Arrange the goat cheese balls on top and spoon grapes in syrup around the cheese.


Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to write about it and received no compensation for doing so. It goes without saying, thoughts and opinions here are my own.

Borekitas: Hazan Family Favorites

May 21, 2012

When I received my copy of the Hazan Family Favoritescookbook I will admit I had to do some research. There is no doubt that this speaks to my lack of knowledge of Italian cuisine.  It made me think about how it is possible to feel affection for a cuisine without really knowing it at all.


There is no question that I love homemade pasta and marinara sauces, or that I believe they are 100% worth the time and effort it takes to make them. I enjoy bean soups and simple meat cutlets, and the other elegant offerings that come from an Italian kitchen.

What I think I have often overlooked is the simplicity. 

In case you have some more to learn about Italian cooking like I did, the book was written by Guiliano Hazan. He is the son of Marcella Hazan whose cookbooks are credited with introducing the United States to traditions and techniques of Italian cooking. 

The book is a collection of recipes rescued from a fifty-six year-old notebook. As you flip through it and see the pictures you can feel the history and importance of its pages.

What you also see when you read the recipes is simplicity. Most of the recipes use only a handful of fresh ingredients to create a stunning end product. It’s impressive, educating, hunger-inducing, and it makes you think – okay, I’m ready to begin mastering the art of Italian cooking. 

Or if you are like me, it may also make you think – okay, let’s book the trip to Italy!


Amid the Fettuccine with Orange, Fried Parmesan Cheese-Battered Lamb Chops, and the Peach-and-Strawberry Semifreddo, the Borekitas caught my attention. What’s not to love about spinach, feta and ricotta stuffed into a bite-size pastry? Absolutely nothing. These are delicious. 


Borekitas
From Hazan Family Recipes, reprinted with permission from Abram Books 
 
Time from start to finish: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Makes about 20 borekitas 

From the cookbook:
My parents and I went to my grandparents’ almost every Friday for Shabbat dinner. I can still
taste and smell the wonderful little pies my Nonna Giulia made, which she called borekitas.
She made them either with a dough shell or a phyllo shell. The fillings were spinach or cheese.
In attempting to replicate them, I used Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food as a guide.
Both the cheese and spinach fillings below are just like what I remember, and the dough shell,
my favorite of the two, is just as good as the one Nonna Giulia used to make.


FOR the dough
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR the spinach filling (I made the spinach)
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fresh spinach, washed
1 ounce feta cheese
2 tablespoons whole-milk ricotta cheese


Cut the butter into small pieces and allow to come to room temperature.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor with 1/4 cup water and run it until a smooth, homogeneous dough forms. If it crumbles when pinched, mix in a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is soft and smooth when pinched.

Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for about 20 minutes before using.

Spinach filling
In a pot large enough to cook the spinach, put about 2 inches of water, and place over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the salt and spinach. Cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.

Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze the excess water out and coarsely
chop. Place the spinach in a bowl. Crumble the feta and add it along with the ricotta. Mix thoroughly.


Assembling the borekitas
Preheat the oven to 350°F on the bake setting.

Take about a walnut-size ball of dough, place it on a counter, and press it with your fingers into a disk 2 inches in diameter. Put about 1 tablespoon of either cheese or spinach filling on the disk. Fold the disk over the filling to form a half-moon shape, making sure to pinch the open sides together to seal them, and place on a baking sheet, either oiled or lined with a nonstick baking mat.

When all the borekitas are assembled, bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.


Disclosure: A copy of this cookbook was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so. 

Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

March 2, 2012
Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt | Fake Food Free

 

I’m working on my added-sugar dependency. I don’t think I eat an exceptional amount, but when you consider that just about everything we eat has sugar in it, in one form or another – yeah, maybe I eat too much.

I cut sugar out of my coffee a couple years ago, and fortunately I haven’t gone back. My oatmeal, however, is a different story. I like honey and maple syrup. Not bad at all in my opinion, but worth reducing.

My main goal is to stop turning to sugar out of habit. This doesn’t mean that I don’t want something sweet. I also happen to disagree that cravings completely go away. Lessen yes, but go away, no; at least not for me, based on several experiments.

So added sugars are out, but fruit is still in.

I solved the problem with my oatmeal. I find a half smashed banana and blueberries or strawberries stirred in to be the sweet enough for me to enjoy. And by enjoy I mean I’ve had it every morning this week for breakfast.

With a big container of plain Greek yogurt in the fridge, I decided to try a no-sugar-added snack. I love the original or tart flavor at yogurt shops. Sadly, almost all the stores in central Kentucky have removed it because it isn’t popular. That leaves me to make it myself.

I still have blackberries in the freezer, and decided to sweeten the yogurt with banana once again. The blackberries I use can be tart, very similar to yogurt, so if you want to go a little sweeter I’d suggest something like blueberries and maybe another half of banana, but for me, this was the perfect treat.

Homemade Blackberry Frozen Yogurt Recipe with no added sugar | Fake Food Free

 

Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed (with liquid)
1 1/4 cup whole or 2% plain Greek yogurt 
1 banana

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. It essentially becomes a smoothie. Turn on your counter top ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl. Run until the yogurt is frozen, about 20 minutes.

Getting the right texture is tricky. I put it in the freezer to set up a little more and after an hour, it had gone way too far. I would suggestion eating it straight out of the ice cream maker, or allow it to set up for about 30 minutes, watching it closely. 

Blackberry Banana Frozen Yogurt with No Added Sugar | Fake Food Free

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free and Lori Rice unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

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