Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream

Always a little rusty and out of practice at the beginning of ice cream season, the first batch out of the ice cream machine always seems to be a dud in my kitchen. Nothing changed with the kickoff of this year's ice cream adventures, either. I'll spare you the details.

But the second batch? That's when things start to flow... or chill.

I was quite smitten with peanut butter and jelly ice cream made from a coconut milk and peanut butter base layered with jelly, because it tasted just as I had planned — like peanut butter and jelly. Success, I thought! But the boy said no thank you, because it tasted like peanut butter and jelly. Hmm...may I suggest only lovers of peanut butter and jelly partake.The coconut milk ice cream base I stumbled upon with coconut chocolate ice cream, and have used since in Chick-O-Stick ice cream, has quickly become my favorite ice cream base for a few reasons: (1) there are no eggs and milk involved, two ingredients I don't like to keep in the house, and (2) there is no cooking of custard involved, making the base pretty foolproof, and (3) whether you use whole fat or low fat coconut milk, the results are always rich and creamy.

Yes, there is a slight coconut flavor in coconut milk based ice creams, but the main ice cream flavor — in this case peanut butter — will always be the main player. Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream
makes about 1 quart

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
2 cups coconut milk (regular or low fat)
10 ounces jam (I used raspberry)

• Heat water and sugar in a medium saucepan until sugar is dissolved.
• Add peanut butter to the syrup and stir until peanut butter is completely melted.
  
• Remove from heat, and stir in coconut milk. Chill for a couple hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
  
• Freeze in ice cream machine.
• Working fast since the ice cream is soft, layer half of the ice cream in a container. Then add the jam on top of the ice cream, spreading as best you can (fingers worked best for me). Add the remaining ice cream as the final layer.
• Freeze 12-24 hours, or until ice cream is firm.
  

Yellow Lentil Soup: Boring Name, Exciting Flavors

It's still cold out there, huh? How 'bout some soup?

Posts and pictures of soup never get me giddy with excitement, jumping up to make them on the spot (I take that back; this one did), but I always wish the featured bowl of soup were sitting right in front of me -- kinda like soup on demand.

Ummm...this soup? I don't have much to say other than curry, coconut milk, and lime are some of my most favorite flavors, and they're all in here. And some lentils, of course. Also, make the soup thick and it's awesome spooned on top of rice. This soup makes me happy. I hope it does the same for you.

Yellow Lentil Soup
adapted from Food Network Canada
serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups yellow lentils, soaked overnight
1 can coconut milk
4 limes, (juice only)
2 small red chilies, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable broth (plus some to thin soup)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
limes and cilantro (garnish)

• In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and cook for about 3 minutes.
  
• Add cumin, coriander, curry poder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and soaked lentils, and cook for 3 minutes
• Add coconut milk, lime juice, red chilies, vegetable stock, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
• Simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until lentils are very soft.
  
• Place half of soup in blender, and puree (or blend soup in pot with immersion blender). Add blended soup back into pot.
• Adjust seasonings to taste, and add additional water or vegetable stock to thin soup if too thick.
• Serve garnished with cilantro and a healthy squeeze of lime juice.
  

Thai-Style Chicken Soup

The Thai-style chicken soup featured in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Cook's Illustrated Magazine is my new favorite soup! I’ve made it three times already! (Well, my partner made it twice, and I made it once.)

Mushrooms and chicken (seitan) swim in the rich, creamy, coconut-based broth infused with lemon grass and lime. Red curry paste and chiles add a pleasant spiciness.

The first time we made the soup, we followed the recipe to a tee, with the exception of substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth, seitan for chicken, and soy sauce for fish sauce to make the dish vegetarian.

The second time, we added thin rice noodles to the soup for bulk.

The third time, we added rice. We also substituted low-fat coconut milk for whole coconut milk, and green curry paste for red curry paste.

I liked the addition of rice the best. Low-fat coconut milk is obviously not as rich as whole coconut milk, but does not compromise the soup. Pick your favorite curry paste. I have no preference for green or red curry paste, so enjoyed them both equally.

Thai-Style Chicken Soup
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
serves 4

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 lemon grass stalks, bottom tender 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
3 shallots, chopped
8 sprigs of cilantro, chopped coarsely
3 tablespoons soy sauce (originally fish sauce)
4 cups vegetable broth (originally chicken broth)
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
½ pound button mushrooms, sliced
1 pound seitan, sliced or cubed (originally boneless, skinless chicken breast)
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

Garnish
½ cup cilantro leaves
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
2 scallion, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

• Heat oil in a large saucepan and add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Cook over medium heat until softened, 2-5 minutes.
• Add vegetable broth and 1 can of coconut milk; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Return broth to saucepan.
• Add remaining can of coconut milk and sugar to broth and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook 2-3 minutes.
• Add seitan, and cook for another 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl; add to soup.
• Garnish individual soup-filled bowls with cilantro, chiles, and scallions. Serve soup with lime wedges.