Summer time is a time for ice cream, I love ice cream. It is so creamy and sweet and there are so many flavors! I would love to eat ice cream every day but I know that the high sugar content and far content make it a special treat so what do you do when you are looking for a healthy alternative that is just as creamy and delicious without all of the preservatives, calories and fat? You make nice cream! So what is nice cream exactly?

Nice cream is essentially - not ice cream. It is made from frozen bananas, when the bananas are blended in their frozen state they release pectin which in turn creates a creamy frozen treat. Bananas are a good source of B6, Vitamin C, potassium, biotin and copper. They prevent high blood pressure, keep your cholesterol levels low and of course are low in fat. They have also been shown to improve digestion and enhance athletic performance.

Overall, bananas are an awesome addition to your diet and are super inexpensive. I usually buy a large bunch of bananas and if they start to turn throw them right in the freezer. Therefore I am always prepared for nice cream or smoothie making.

The best part about nice cream is that you can add whatever additions you would like, from chocolate to fruit to nuts to herbs, the only limit is your imagination!

Nice cream is also versatile based on your ice cream preferences, if you like soft serve you can eat it right away, if you like hard ice cream you can through the nice cream back into the freezer for an hour or two and scoop away.

Decorate with Peaches, Walnuts, and Mint

The other day I picked up my first peaches of the season and they inspired this delicious summer treat. This pie is a simple raw, no bake delight that comes together in 15 minutes plus an hour or two for freezing. Each element of the pie only has a few elements; the crust is simply walnuts and dates, the peach ice cream consists of peaches, bananas, and vanilla extract and the date caramel adds a natural sweetness. A food processor makes quick work of the blending and then the freezer does the rest of the work. I hope that you enjoy!

Raw Vegan Peach Ice Cream Pie with Salted Date Caramel and Walnut Crust

1 1/2 cups Walnuts

26-28 Dates

1/4 cup Hot water

5 Bananas, Frozen

2 Peaches

1 tbs Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Chopped Walnuts, 1 peach, and mint leaves for garnish

In a food processor add the walnuts and 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Turn the machine on and add 6-8 dates one at a time. You want the dough to stick together when pressed but not be too wet. After 6 dates check the consistency and add more if needed. Press the walnut dough into the bottom of a 8in. springform pan, smoothing so it is even throughout. Place in the freezer while you prepare the date caramel.

Soak 20 dates in hot water for 10 minutes and then drain. Add the dates and 1/2 tsp sea salt to a food processor. Blend, slowly adding hot water until the dates are broken down and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides frequently. Spread the caramel over the walnut crust and then return to the freezer while you prepare the peach ice cream.

In a clean food processor, add the frozen bananas and vanilla extract. Blend until they start to get creamy, add the 2 peaches in piece by piece until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Pour over the date caramel and distribute evenly. Freeze for one hour, garnish with chopped walnuts, sliced peaches and a sprinkle of mint leaves (I used chocolate mint). Return to freezer and freezer for one more hour. Eat now or freeze it over night, just let it sit for 5 minutes before consuming. Enjoy and healthy eating!

I have been doing some experiments with balls lately, I know I know, what a ridiculous and unclassy word. You would think that we could come up with a more sophisticated term for this small, round, bite sized delights!

Essentially my morning started with banana bread protein balls followed by the creation of various versions of a vegan 'meatball'. I am not one of those people who enjoy creating or eating meat substitutes. I do not buy fake bologna, soy sausages, or chik'n but a friend of mine had asked if I had any really great quinoa 'meatball' recipes that could be used as an appetizer and that spurred 2 afternoons of mixing, blending, cooking, pureeing and experimenting.

My first foray produced two very different options; sweet potato, quinoa and sage balls and the kale, quinoa and chickpea balls. Although the sweet potato balls were quite delicious the texture reminded me of potato puffs. They would be a delightful appetizer but were not quite meatballish, thus the kale quinoa and chickpea versions won out.

These balls are hearty, flavorful and dense, they have a slightly Asian flare but could be easily adapted to an Italian version by using oregano and basil as opposed to ginger and garlic. I can definitely say that I will be eating them with zucchini noodles and a fresh tomato sauce later this week. As I was aiming for appetizer worthy balls I had another decision to make, to fry or not to fry. My preference, for health reasons of course is to bake them but frying them did have its pros - yes I did do two batches, one fried and on baked. Good thing that these freeze well!

The fried balls retained more moisture than the baked version although I did like the somewhat drier texture of the baked balls. Either way works well so I will leave it up to you as to what you prefer. The fried version definitely had that appetizer like feel while the baked version seemed like it would pair best with a noodle of some sort although I did enjoy both versions with the sesame soy dipping sauce.

Don't forget that cooking is supposed to be fun, so invite some friends over, give the recipe a try and have them decide if the fried or baked version is better. Enjoy and healthy eating!

Kale, Quinoa and Chickpea 'Meatballs' with Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

Makes 18-20 balls depending on size

1 15oz can Chickpeas

1/2 small onion

2 large Garlic Cloves

2 in piece of Ginger, peeled

2 cups of loosely packed Kale (about 4 large leaves)

1 Thai Chili Pepper

1 cup Quinoa, cooked

1 Egg

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

1 tbs Sesame Tahini

2 tbs Soy Sauce

1 tbs Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tsp dried Ginger

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Cook the Quinoa according to the package directions, usually 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. Set aside to cool. In a food processor add the chickpeas, pulse to break down into a crumbly texture, do not puree. Add to a large bowl.

In the food processor add the kale, onion, garlic, chili pepper and ginger, pulse a few times to break down and combine. Add to the chickpeas along with the quinoa and stir to combine all of the ingredients, add salt to taste. Add the egg and thoroughly mix until your 'meatball' dough is formed.

With damp hands, roll the mixture into balls, I made two sizes, 1 in. for the fried version and 2 in. for the baked version. If you are going to bake them, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 to brown all sides. If you are going to fry them, heat olive oil or coconut oil in a large pan until shimmering. Add a few of the balls, turning frequently to brown all side. Remove and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and cayenne stirring to combine.

To serve, use toothpicks or lemongrass skewers and arrange with your dipping sauce. Enjoy!