Coconut Pinkcherry Frozen Yogurt

For Christmas 2008, I got an ice cream maker from one of my favorite dancers and David Lebovitz' "The Perfect Scoop", an incredible ice cream cookbook, from my favorite Mel! Let me tell you, I have since put both to good use!

If you have an ice cream maker you NEED this book (and if you don't have one, consider purchasing one...I have this Cuisinart model). So far I've made Toasted Coconut, Vietnamese Coffee, Tiramisu, and Butterscotch Pecan.

I have also made Coconut Pinkcherry frozen yogurt which is adapted from the book on Smittenkitchen.com (my favorite blog!).

This recipe and the Vietnamese Coffee recipe are both relatively light. The other two, not so much. But the good thing about making your own ice cream is that you can't make very much at a time (my machine makes 1 ½ quarts = 6 cups = 12 ½-cup servings) and you have total control over the ingredients. You can limit the sugar (and fat sometimes), and there are no crazy additives, artificial colors and flavors, or preservatives. And you can use all organic ingredients like I did.  Gotta love it!

Another good thing...you really have to work for this ice cream. You have to freeze the churning bowl for 24 hours (although mine stays in the freezer…ready to go at all times!), buy the ingredients, make the ice cream base, and then freeze for 30 minutes in the machine. You won't do this all of the time...only for a "special treat".

I eat ice cream in a small bowl...its a visual thing. A ½ cup serving (or maybe a little more…) looks like a lot more in a small coffee cup than in a big soup bowl.

By the way, this frozen yogurt is good...I mean really good! I hope you have an ice cream maker and can enjoy it as much as I do.

Coconut Pinkcherry Yogurt
adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Makes about 1 ¼ quarts (or 10 ½-cup servings)

3 cups Greek yogurt or strained yogurt*…fat free or not (I’ve used both)
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup cherries, pits removed and roughly chopped (I used frozen…and ended up using the whole 10oz bag)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used full-fat, but lite would probably work as well)

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, almond extract, cherries, and coconut milk. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

* To make 1 cup of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth (I use coffee filters), then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups of plain yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, set the strainer over a bowl, and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Make sure you use all-natural yogurt (I like Dannon), because if there are any additives, the yogurt might not strain as well.

Per ½-cup serving…using fat free yogurt (117g**) - 150 calories, 5 g fat (4 g saturated), 20 g carbohydrates, 18 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 8 g protein, 7%DV calcium (exchanges: 1 fat, ½ dairy, 1 starch)

Compare to Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Frozen Yogurt:

Per ½-cup serving (100g**) - 160 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 22 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 4 g protein, 15%DV calcium

INGREDIENTS: Skim Milk, Water, Liquid Sugar, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cherries, Cream, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Egg Yolks, Coconut Oil, Natural Flavors, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cocoa, Carob Bean Gum, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Caramel Color, Red Cabbage Juice Extract (For Color), Milkfat, Soya Lecithin, Yogurt Cultures

Compare to Dreyer's Slow Churned Yogurt Blends Black Cherry Vanilla Swirl:

Per ½-cup serving (60 - 65g**) - 100 calories, 3 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 17 g carbohydrates, 13 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein, 10%DV calcium

INGREDIENTS: skim milk, sugar, cream, cultured skim milk, corn syrup, maltodextrin, whey, mono and diglycerides, milk minerals concentrate, natural flavors, guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, Blue #1, annatto color, Red #40

**Note the serving size weight. With the slow churned you are eating the same volume but about half the weight; basically you are eating a lot of air which has no calories...that's why the Dryer's has about 50 calories less than the other two.

What I Eat (Day 1)

Where, oh where have I been?  Has it really been nearly 2 months since the last time I blogged?  Um, yes it has!

I promise I have a good excuse (or actually several)!  First of all it’s summer and I have been completely out of a routine.  The recital came and went, followed by 2 weeks R&R (which I definitely needed), apartment hunting, and packing.

At the end of June we had a family beach trip.  It rained just about every day we where there (needless to say, I didn’t get very tan and need a second trip asap).

After the 4th of July, I got back to Baton Rouge and summer classes began at the studio.  I taught 2 weeks worth of kids cooking classes at Whole Foods and moved into a new apartment.  I’ve had Saintsation practice weekly (can’t wait to be back in the Dome!!), choreographed and taught 2 competition routines for a studio in Mississippi, and made a trip to Houston.

And now it is August and Fall classes start at Tari’s tomorrow.  I can’t wait to get back on a normal schedule!  And football season is so close!

As part of returning to a routine, I am going to try to blog EVERYDAY for a MONTH!  Mostly about what I eat each day…to clear up some confusion I’ve heard recently about how “perfect Blair eats”.  I get it all the time:  “you eat _______?” as someone asks me about a food that they perceive as unhealthy or off limits. 

Part of what I hate about being a dietitian is that people think I’m the food police and don’t like telling me what they eat because they think I will judge them.  My sister-in-law (Jess…also a dietitian) even does it!  But I don’t eat perfect…what is perfect anyway?!?

Sunday August 1st

• pre-run snack: 1/2 a mango
• 3 mile run
• post-run breakfast: the rest of the mango, 1/2 of a Starbucks iced coffee with a splash of 1/2&1/2 and a little condensed milk (I love Vietnamese coffee)
• lunch: from Maxwell’s…an entire West Coast sandwich (turkey, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, balsamic vinaigrette, on white French bread) and water
• snack: the rest of the iced coffee with a few bites of Seeduction bread from Whole Foods
• dinner: from Whole Foods…half of a broccoli cheese cake, half of a artichoke lemon fritter, and a salad (spinach, white beans, roasted cauliflower, quinoa, bell pepper, balsamic vinaigrette) and water
• dessert: about 1 cup of mango buttermilk ice cream (yep, I made it myself)

Dad was in town this weekend and was staying with me.  So after a quick workout this morning we went and had lunch and then ran some errands.  The sandwich was great!  And I was HUNGRY (I guess that’s what happens when you don’t eat enough breakfast!).  Notice the white bread…example #1 of me not eating “perfect” all the time.  I buy whole wheat bread at the store, so that’s what I eat 99% of the time, but let’s face it…this sandwich would not have been the same if it was on anything but crusty white French bread!

I needed to do my grocery shopping for the week, so after church that’s where we headed.  I love the prepared food at Whole Foods.  Makes a last minute dinner so easy!  I picked the broccoli cake and artichoke fritter because I knew I would be sharing with dad (example #2…I usually don’t get fried things when I eat out, but I will eat them).  To lighten up the meal, I made a salad at the salad bar with lots of yummy things and then added a homemade vinaigrette once we got back to the apartment.

Oh and the dessert?  Example #3…I eat dessert!  Not every night for sure (I try to do fruit on most nights).  If you have an ice cream maker, you should give it a try…2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and whatever fruit you want (about 1 1/2 cups added at the end of churning).  Low-fat, but delish!  A great way to use up leftover buttermilk.  I think next time I’ll try cutting back a little on the sugar/syrup…it was a little sweet for me!

Latte e Miele

Did you know that Baton Rouge has a gelateria (a place where gelato is served)???? I was just flipping through 225 magazine (check Hil out on page 31!) and read this article about Latte e Miele (Italian for "milk and honey") and got soooo excited! Apparently it has been open since April (how am I just now finding out about this?)

Gelato reminds me of big cities...Houston, NYC, LA...not Baton Rouge! But it's here and I will be sure to visit soon!

Here are two blog posts about Latte e Miele: First Bite and Cuisine Rouge.

Latte and Miele is located on Highland at I-10 (near CCL) and is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 10 pm. If you aren't into gelato (and really, you should be) you can also get cappuccino and espresso...or gelato topped with a shot of espresso!

Latte e Miele, I'm on my way!

Craving Coffee

A little over a month ago, a marketing rep from Community Coffee contacted me to see if I would like to sample and review some of their products...Of course!!! They must have known that I was (and still am) on a huge coffee kick! Honestly, iced coffee has worked itself into my diet every day this week!

A few days later I received this package in the mail: 3 types of ground coffee (House Blend, Pecan Praline, and Cafe Special) and a travel coffee cup...how exciting!

I hardly ever drink coffee in the morning...I'm more of an afternoon cup-of-coffee girl. But when my dad is in town, he does make a pot of coffee when he wakes up and he happened to be staying with me right after the coffee came in the mail. He decided to use the Pecan Praline, which made the kitchen smell like heaven.

It was good, but I have to be honest - I try not to do artificial flavors/colors/sweeteners/etc and this one was artificially flavored. So while I wouldn't buy it for myself, the flavor was very praline-like and my dad loved it!

Like I said, I drink coffee in the afternoon for a little pick-me-up treat. And during the summer, iced coffee is the only way to go. I've mentioned in the past that I make my own cold-brewed iced coffee. So good, and so much cheaper! Needless to say, I've made several batches (with the House Blend)...Perfection! I've posted the recipe below.

Another use for brewed coffee in my kitchen is the most FABULOUS coffee ice cream ever! The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz has not failed me yet! The recipe for Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream caught my eye because it doesn't call for heavy cream, only uses 1/2 cup of half & half, and there are no egg yolks involved...must be healthy right? I made a few changes to cut the sweetness.

Cold-Brewed Ice Coffee
adapted from smittenkitchen.com (my favorite site)

makes 4 drinks

1/3 cup ground coffee
skim milk (optional)

To a jar, add the coffee and 2 cups of water. Top with the lid and shake to combine. Let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter. Rinse the jar and lid and pour the filtered coffee back into the jar.

In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk (I actually mix equal parts of coffee concentrate and milk, and leave out the water).

The concentrate will keep for at least a week without losing its flavor, so feel free to double or triple the recipe!

Other additions I like: a little sweetened condensed milk (60 cals per 1 tbsp), vanilla or almond extract, a spoon or two of half & half (40 cals per 2 tbsp)

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
adapted from The Perfect Scoop

makes a little more than 1 quart (about 5 cups or 10 1/2-cup servings)

1 14 oz can sweetened condense milk (I used fat-free)
1 1/2 cups brewed espresso or very strongly brewed coffee*
1 cup half & half

Big pinch of finely ground dark roast coffee (optional)

Whisk together the condensed milk, coffee/espresso, half & half, and ground coffee (if using). Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

* To brew a very strong coffee use 2 cups of water and 3/4 cup of ground coffee...this should yield about 1 1/2 cups of very strongly brewed coffee.

Per serving (using fat-free condensed milk) - 144 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein (exchanges: 1/2 dairy, 1 starch, 1/2 fat)

Notes - I didn't care for the coffee grounds in the ice cream, so next time I will probably leave them out...or substitute chopped chocolate covered espresso beans!!!

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

Thursday, I went to check out the new mid-week farmer's market in Baton Rouge.  I love the Saturday market but don't always have time to go, so I was excited when I found out they would be open in a closer location on Thursday mornings.

I bought the most gorgeous coral/peach snapdragons (these were my mom's favorite colors and they reminded me of her, so I had to buy them!), a pint of blackberries, and 3 pints of strawberries.  

What was I going to do with all those strawberries?  Make ice cream of course!  I wanted to try and keep it light so I decided to use low-fat buttermilk as the base.  I've made peach buttermilk ice cream before and it was delicious...I knew this would be too!  Low-fat buttermilk is nutritionally similar to 1% milk (110 cals, 2.5 g fat), but it's creamy and tangy and makes this ice cream almost have a cheesecake-like flavor.

I don't have a pic for you, however.  Somebody put the ice cream in the fridge after she fixed some and it completely melted!  I refroze it but didn't have good results.  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to make it again!  

Whenever I have ice cream I serve it in a really small dish (such as a small ramekin or coffee cup), so that the ½-cup serving (okay, sometimes I have more!) doesn't seem so small.  Portion control is key, and using smaller plates/bowls/cups/etc. can help.  

Give it a try...perfect for summer!

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

recipe by me

Makes 11 ½-cup servings

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 tablespoon sugar

3 cups low-fat buttermilk

½ cup sweetened condensed milk*

1 teaspoon vanilla

zest of 1 lemon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sliced berries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the fruit is juicy.

Meanwhile, whisk buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.  Pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the sliced berries. If necessary, place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up before serving.

Per ½-cup serving - 86 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 14 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein (exchanges:  ½ dairy, ½ starch)

*Notes - Sweetened condensed milk comes in 3 varieties original, low-fat, and fat-free; I used the original...I think a little fat balances out the sugar.  But just so you know, per 2 tablespoons:

Original - 130 calories, 3.0g of fat, 23g sugar

Low-fat - 120 calories, 1.5g of fat, 24 g sugar

Fat-free - 110 calories, 0 g fat, 24 g sugar

Make sure you use well-chilled milks...I put mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes.  If the mixture isn't cold enough, it won't freeze well in the ice cream maker.