Go Dairy Free

August Announcements

Respond Now to Win The Ice Dream Cookbook ...

Reply to this newsletter with the answer to the question below by noon (EST) on Thursday, August 14, and you will be entered to win one of two autographed copies of Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz's new book, The Ice Dream Cookbook. This collection contains 80 recipes with more than 200 variations for delicious dairy-free coconut-based frozen desserts and gluten-free, naturally sweetened cookies, fruit compotes, and sauces. With practical tips for shopping, stocking the pantry, and modifying recipes, The Ice Dream Cookbook is a gold mine of info that makes it easy for even the novice cook to churn out mouthwatering desserts for family and friends. The two winners will be announced on Friday, August 15 on Go Dairy Free, so reply now to the following question for your chance to win:

What is your favorite ice cream or frozen dessert flavor?
(Reply Now to enter to win!)

News Highlights & Food Bites

Chocolate Is Now a Delicious Reality for People with Food Allergies July 30, 2008

Enjoy Life Foods has launched a revolutionary new allergy-friendly chocolate -- boom CHOCO boom bars -- the first dairy-, nut- AND soy-free chocolate bars, available nationally at Whole Foods Market® and other select natural food and grocery stores ... Read More

How to Make Whoopie Pies … of the Vegan Variety July 28, 2008

Hannah Kaminsky, author of My Sweet Vegan, has taken her first step toward television with a baking demo she recently shot for Everyday Dish. In the video, Hannah walks us through the creation of her popular Whoopie Pies, a recipe from her latest cookbook … Read More

All About Lemonade July 12, 2008

Lemons may technically be out of season, but we are definitely in the height of lemonade season. Whether you have managed to snag a bag of ripe lemons, or you are left with the bottle juice, Levana Kirschenbaum, author of Levana Cooks Dairy Free, has a lemonade recipe for you … Read More

Got Milk Allergy? What the Labels (and Docs!) Don’t Tell Us July 1, 2008

According to CNN and a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Immunology, milk allergy is the most common food allergy, having established itself in the #1 position in the last 10 years. Interestingly, a new protein was introduced into the American milk supply just over ten years ago … Read More

View All News / View the Milk-Free Blog

What's New in Product Reviews

Cookbooks ~ Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Alternatives, Cheese ~ Teese Vegan "Cheese"
Alternatives, Other Dairy ~ So Delicious made with Coconut Milk Yogurt
Cakes & Pies ~ Shabtai Gourmet Desserts
Cereal ~ Artisan Inspiration Granola, Cinnabon Cinnamon Crunch Cereal, EnviroKidz Penguin Puffs Cereal
Cookies & Brownies ~ Molasses Bakery Organic Cookies and Brownies
Frozen Desserts ~ Purely Decadent made with Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert
Meatless Meats ~ Beef-flavored Un-Steak Strips

Number of Product Reviews on Go Dairy Free to Date: 561 - Browse All Product Reviews

Featured Recipe: Basil Ice Dream

For a sneak taste of The Ice Dream Cookbook, Chef Rachel provided this quintessentially summer, sample recipe. Not only does it address those cool treat cravings, but it also makes good use of the season's abundance of fresh basil.

"Experiment with different kinds of basil. For instance, Italian basil imparts a slight anise-like scent; lemon basil has a citrus flavor; cinnamon basil and anise basil add a slightly spicy flavor; then theres Genovese basil . . .

This recipe pairs well with sliced strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, or a sauce made from any of these fruits. One of my friends and recipe testers, Heather Wolcott, served this flavor over my Squash Pudding Pie for Thanksgiving. Two young children licked their dessert plates clean."

Hands-on: 30 minutes / Churning: 20 to 25 minutes / Yield: 5 to 6 cups; 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups (two 14-ounce cans) unsweetened, preservative-free coconut milk (regular, not lite), divided
1/8 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup cool or cold filtered water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or agar agar powder (not the flakes)
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar; additional 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed)
Zest of 1 lemon, preferably unsprayed, rinsed and patted dry, optional

Preparation:

Combine 1 cup coconut milk with the sea salt in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Stir in the basil leaves and remove from heat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 1/3 cup water to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2 minutes until it softens and dry spots disappear. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring, until gelatin or agar agar dissolves. Add honey and stevia and set aside.
Process the basil coconut milk mixture in a blender or Vita-Mix until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides with a spatula. Pour the milky mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard the bits of basil.
Return the strained milk mixture to the blender with the gelatin-sweetened mixture. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk. Process until smooth. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia and/or 1 tablespoon honey. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed. For a lemon flavor, stir in the zest of 1 lemon. (Refrigerate the unused lemon in a covered container and use within 3 days.)
Pour into one or more wide mouth jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning.
Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturers instructions.
Serve immediately or spoon into several 8- or 16-ounce containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.
Soften solidly frozen dessert in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Variations:

Lite Basil Ice Dream: Replace half of the coconut milk with lite (reduced fat) coconut milk. Alternatively, use 100% lite coconut milk, but plan to use the batch immediately or within 24 hours before it becomes hard and icy.

Chocolate Chip Basil Ice Dream: When Ice Dream reaches the soft-serve stage, add to cup bittersweet dark chocolate (70 to 73%), grated or coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces. Run the machine for 1 or 2 more minutes.

1 serving, about 3/4 cup (regular): 243 calories, 2 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat, 78 mg sodium

1 serving , about 3/4 cup (half lite): 182 calories, 1 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 62 mg sodium

Number of Recipes on Go Dairy Free to Date: 823 - Browse All Recipes

Photo Credit: "Ice Cream" Shot by Hannah Kaminsky