Coconut Vanilla Raisin Ice Cream

I have a couple other recipes I should be blogging, but they're a little more involved than this one, so I'll get to those later. Meanwhile, here it is! The recipe I had rattling around my brain when I created the fruity sorbet-ice cream recently.

2/3c raisins

2T± pure vanilla

~ check the label, it may contain alcohol
~ if that's a concern, find a good vanilla that is alcohol free

1/2c dark brown sugar

1/2c unsweetened shredded coconut

1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk

a shake or two of Himalayan pink salt

Soak the raisins in enough warm-hot water to cover in a flat dish - probably 1/3-1/2c - for at least a half hour.

While that's happening, stir together in a medium glass bowl, the coconut milk with the dark brown sugar until well combined and the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle on the salt and add the vanilla. After a half hour, using a silicone spatula, scrape this into your blender jar. Drain the raisins in a strainer for a few minutes, then into a freezer container.

Blend the milk-sugar-salt-vanilla for a minute or so. Pour over the raisins, stir everything together well. Freeze for a couple hours then stir to mix everything so the raisins don't stay at the bottom. Freeze another hour or two until it's scoopable.

This is the first ice cream I've made that didn't freeze rock hard after the first serving! . .Lin

Duck and Vegetable Soup

3 big carrots

4 ribs of celery

12 Brussels sprouts

2 big spoons of duck fat
1t-1T Lowry's Garlic Salt
1t black+cayenne pepper

1 big green pepper
3 seedless red mini peppers

6 sm.-med. Yukon Gold potatoes
6 big cloves of garlic
1 med. yellow onion
3 bay leaves

1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2c cooking Sherry
12oz. duck bone broth
24oz. fresh cold water
1/4-1/3c chicken Better Than Bullion
10oz. roasted duck meat

I melted a couple big spoons of the strange looking chartreuse rendered duck fat in a big heavy bottomed pot. (color is from the turmeric and oregano - although duck fat is also darker than chicken fat)

Sauté the  sliced carrots, celery and Brussels sprouts for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.

Add the second group of rough chopped vegetables, and about half the bone broth. Cover and simmer on low about 10 minutes.

Next add the final group of ingredients, cover and simmer another 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are done the way you like them. . .Lin

Celery Vegetable Soup

Every once in a while, when grocery shopping, I discover some awesome vegetable to build a recipe around. On Tuesday I found some celery that was spectacular! I picked 2 and probably should have bought more. This went together quick and was a fun soup to make.

Snip the celery greens off the stalks and set aside, with the garlic chives, to add at the end of the cooking time.

Chop the vegetables and sauté together in 2-3T of butter in a big heavy bottom soup pot.

1 big bunch of celery
1 lg. Vidalia onion
4 sm. red potatoes
8 lg. cloves garlic
8oz. mushrooms
2 carrots

Season while cooking with pepper, garlic salt and a good salt-free herb blend.

Add 2-3 quarts of water and enough vegetable based Better Than Bouillon to give the broth the flavor you want. 

Simmer this for 30-40 minutes until the celery and carrots are cooked the way you like. I did NOT use the cream of mushroom soup shown. Instead, I added about half a can of coconut milk.

Serve chunky, or blend with an immersion or stand blender. Shown with Dubliner Crisps. Biscuits or warm crusty garlic bread would be nice with this too. . .Lin