Summer is officially in full-effect! It's not only sweaty hot around here but the beaches are full of people, stores and parks are crowded, traffic is crazy and well, my taste buds are all over the place.
Instead of craving comfort food, I crave fresh produce, sweet coffee {really weird}, green drinks, watermelon, crunchy veggies, white wine and yes, ICE CREAM and popsicles.
Today I have decided to share a really flavorful, Summery but light dish followed by FRESH in-season banana fig ice cream for dessert. No dairy and not a lot of cooking.
Tempeh is one of my favorite vegetarian proteins because it comes from WHOLE fremented soy beans, not flour or soy milk. It's got a lot of protein and vitamins. It also has a really hearty taste. I like to cook it the same way I would cook salmon had I been cooking salmon or stir fry meat in a wok {which I don't eat}. By the way, did I mention, it's meat-eater approved?
Makes a great lunch or light dinner.
ORANGE TEMPEH & PEACH CILANTRO SALAD
serves 2 dinners, 3 lunches/snacks
1 package tempeh, chopped into chunks
1 peach, thinly sliced
1 large handful chopped cilantro
4 TBLS tamari
½ TBLS oil of choice
1 orange
1 avocado
In a small bowl combine tempeh, tamari and oil. Cut the orange in half. Set aside half the orange. Squeeze the juice over the tempeh mixture and using a grater or shaver, grate the orange peel into the mixture as well. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stirring a few times.
Meanwhile, in another larger bowl combine sliced peaches and cilantro. Using the other half of the orange, squeeze orange juice into the bowl.
Heat your stove to low/medium heat. In a frying pan, add the entire tempeh mixture. Let cook on one side until the moisture/liquid starts to harden and turn dark color {aka reduce the sauce}. After about 5 minutes of cooking on that side, using a metal spatula, scrape the pan and toss it again, coating the rest of the tempeh in reduction sauce. The tempeh should be pretty brown from the tamari, about 5 more minutes.
One a plate slice the avocado into long pieces. Arrange on plate. Top with the peach salad. Then top the salad with warm browned tempeh.
Enjoy!
Dessert is especially fresh and healthy. With only honey and bananas as a sweetener it's a perfect way to end the day or maybe even START the day. I love having cold ice cream for breakfast on a hot Summer day, especially one with in-season fruit, coconut and honey.
FIG NON-DAIRY ICE CREAM RECIPE
About 6-8 servings
4-5 fresh figs, sliced in half, skin on
1.5 frozen bananas
1 can organic coconut milk {creamy & full-fat}
1-2 heaping TBLS raw local honey {add more or less honey to taste}
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom, powder
½ vanilla bean
5 mint leaves, choopped
Chop 4 figs and break the frozen bananas in half. Add to a high speed blender. Open can of coconut milk and add that to blender as well. Mix on high until totally smooth and no chunks {you can keep chunks if you'd like}. Add honey and spices. Using a knife, cut open the vanilla bean. Scrape out the seeds in the inside. Use the sticky black seeds, and discard the shell.
Blend again on high until thoroughly mixed.
Add to your ice cream maker and follow directions. Should only take you 30-40 minutes of freeze time.
note: because we don't use dairy, the ice cream tends to take a bit longer to freeze in the ice cream maker. Be patient. If it doesn't completely get hard like traditional ice cream, you can put in freezer for another 10-20 minutes before scooping out.
Top each bowl with a mixture of fresh figs, finely chopped and fresh chopped mint.
Leslie Davis
I'm so into your blog it's crazy! I live in the South ... the deep south and am so excited to have/find all your wonderful recipes!!! Can't wait for the book!!!! - Or to try this post!
Kristin
Hi there, I am a big fan of your blog and was very excited to see this recipe for dairy free ice-cream. I'm from Melbourne, Australia and it's winter here, so no figs. Can you suggest an alternative? We are trying your cashew cheese mac and cheese tonight...looking forward to it x
Juli Novotny
Awesome Kristin. I'm so stoked you're trying the Mac cheese. Your kids might disapprove at first depending on their age and their diets. But keep trying. Starving them first helps a lot too 😉 (kidding)!
Anyways you can substitute berries in for this recipe. Not sure what is in season there right now (sorry). But just not citrus. Try just vanilla. To start?
Ok. Hope that helps. Enjoy.
Juli Novotny
Leslie, you are sweetest. We are so glad you're loving the blog. But most of all thanks for saying so!!!! That makes our jobs easier and us more motivated. Thanks again!!!
Kristin
Thanks for the advice Julie...I was thinking maybe strawberry would be delicious. My kids are used to healthy food, I bet they love the mac and cheese - and I actually DO starve them pre-dinner, lol (no snacks after 3.30pm)...this way I know they will gobble up all their veggies!
Dina
This is the prettiest ice cream I have ever seen! Cannot wait to make it! Ty!
Juli Novotny
Dina! Thanks.......it was good. Very unique in flavor. My kids didn't love it but it's because they aren't big into the fig thing yet. And the cardamom is sort of an acquired taste as well. But my kids love the tempeh. Anyways, thanks again for the comment.
--- Juli
Juli Novotny
Kristin - well, let me know how your kids like everything. Or maybe some suggestions as to how you got them to like their veggies 😉
Emily
I'm going to try the tempeh recipe tonight. And I can't wait to try the ice cream too! I'm curious why you choose to use tamari? I use Braggs Liquid Aminos for everything that calls for soy sauce or tamari. I just like to hear other people's thoughts.
Juli Novotny
Emily - oh, no reason. Tamari is just a wheat free soy. Normally I use Nama shoyu if it's a raw dish. But since it's not I just used tamari because it's what I had on hand. You can use braggs! I do think tamari is a bit richer and thicker too, which I like!