Flexible Ice Cream recipe

  I'm calling this ice cream flexible for a few reasons. First, the ingredients are flexible. You can basically use any fatness of milk and cream because I've found that the egg yolks are really the key to a good texture. Of course, if you use whole milk and whipping cream, you will get the creamiest, dreamiest texture, but skim milk and half and half work just fine, too. I haven't tried to make this with soy milk, so I can't really say if that would work out well or not. The add-ins are also flexible-add melted chocolate (white, dark, or milk chocolate), fruit, caramel, etc. The vanilla ice cream is perfect on its own and ideal as a base for other flavors. 
  The preparation is also slightly flexible because, if you choose to use whipping cream, you can whip it and add to the mixture to make it even smoother and dreamier. 

This is the base recipe to start out with:

Ingredients: 

2 cups half and half

2 cups skim milk

2 cups store brand Splenda for baking

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 egg yolks

Directions: 

1. Add the half and half, milk, salt, vanilla, and 1/2 of the Splenda in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles form around the edge of the pan. 

2. In a mixing bowl, use a mixer with a whisk attachment and mix the egg yolks and the other 1/2 of the Splenda. Blend well. 

3. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk blend, whisking constantly with the mixer. Mix at low speed, then whisk on high until soft peaks form. 

4. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill. 

5. Transfer to ice cream maker and mix about 20 minutes. 

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Cherry Ice Cream

Flexible option 1: Use any fatness of milk-skim, 1%, 2%, or whole. 

Flexible option 2: Use any fatness of cream-half and half, heavy cream, whipping cream, etc. 

Flexible option 3: Add in fruit, cherry pie filling (my favorite), melted white chocolate, dark or milk chocolate chunks, or swirled caramel to taste. 

Flexible option 4: If you are using whipping cream in the recipe, save it out for the very last. Whip it into soft peaks with a mixer, then fold into the ice cream before transferring to the ice cream maker.

Cherry pie filling is one of my favorites, and it's so good with ice cream.

7-1-12: Coconut would be really good in this recipe, too! Just thought of this today, wanted to share. :)

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

  They've created a monster. The same day that I bought my manual ice machine, I also got an electric ice cream maker, which I've been wanting for at least a year. I got to play around with it this morning and tried out my idea for frozen yogurt, yum. This recipe is so good, it has some nice flavors from the strawberry jam and the vanilla, and also has that great yogurt flavor and bite to it from the plain yogurt. Of course, it's low in sugar and fat. Enjoy! 

 

Ingredients: 

3 cups plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup sucralose (Splenda) store brand sweetener

1/4 cup strawberry jam

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients and stir together with a spoon. 

Transfer the ingredients to an ice cream maker and mix for 15 minutes until thickened and frozen. 

Put the finished fro-yo in a container with a lid and and store in the freezer. 

National Ice Cream Day

  Today is National Ice Cream Day. This tasty treat can be healthy, too. Here are a few options. 

  First, be aware of portion size. Overestimating the serving size can easily double or triple the calories in a dish of ice cream. Have 1/2 cup and measure how much your ice cream scoop holds, or use portion controlled ice cream cups.

  There are also many varieties of lighter ice creams with reduced sugar or reduced fat, so pick the one that you enjoy the most. Just compare the total calories per serving to choose the best one.

  Frozen yogurt or fruit sorbets are also great alternatives to heavier ice creams, and my Frozen Dessert recipe is another yummy option. 

Frozen Dessert

Today I made a quick and easy frozen dessert with pudding and Cool Whip. It has a nice frosty quality, a little different than ice cream. Since it's made with skim milk, it's also good for you, and it can be portioned out into individual servings to control the calories and total carbs.


Ingredients: 
Large box instant sugar-free pudding mix
3 cups skim milk
Large container Cool Whip or store brand

Directions:
Whisk together pudding mix and milk. Add softened Cool Whip, and whisk until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze.

 

How to Make Healthy Nachos

As a dietitian, I'm always looking for ways to make foods healthier and to add extra vegetables to meals. Nachos are actually one of my favorite foods, but the typical nachos with salty cheese sauce would definitely be considered junk food. Preparing foods at home, rather than eating out, is a great way to reduce calories and improve the nutritional content of meals.

Start with tortilla chips, which are lower in saturated fat and sodium than most chips, just be aware of the serving size. Then add an assortment of your favorite vegetables, such as black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Top them off with part-skim mozzarella cheese, which is the lowest fat natural cheese. Add salsa for another serving of vegetables. You can microwave each plate of nachos, or heat the ingredients in pots on the stove top when serving a group. Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro for extra flavor. I like to add a side salad with fresh greens and ranch dressing, as well.

Greek Yogurt

Yogurt is ideal for a snack, or a healthy option when you're craving sweets. Sometimes I get bored with the same old yogurt, so I recently tried Greek yogurt. It has a thicker texture than traditional yogurt, and a slightly stronger taste. Greek yogurt is still low in saturated fat (the bad fat), and has about twice the protein of regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is lower in calcium, but at 15% of your daily value, it is still a good source. 
The extra protein can help you stay full longer, and it is great for a post-workout snack. After exercising, eat a combination of carbohydrates and protein to help your body re-fuel and build muscle.   

Banana Pudding

This is a traditional banana pudding topped with meringue, but the sugar has been replaced with sweetener for baking. Use sucralose (in the yellow package). The name brand is fine, but the store brand works well too and is much cheaper. 

Bananas are plentiful this time of year, and the price is almost always low. Use ripe or slightly over-ripe bananas. 

This recipe also uses real butter, regular vanilla wafers, and egg yolks because they are all used in moderation. There is just a small amount for the entire dish. Using skim or 1% milk cuts out saturated fat, while still providing calcium and vitamin D.  Stick to about a 1/2 cup portion for serving size.

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp. (separated) sucralose sweetener for recipes (the yellow package)

1/4 cup AP flour

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups skim or 1% milk

2 eggs-separated

1 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

33 vanilla wafers

4 bananas

Instructions:

Combine sweetener, flour, and salt in a medium sauce pan.
Stir in milk and cook until thick. 
Separate egg yolks into a small mixing bowl, and set aside the whites at room temperature for later. 
Beat yolks, and stir mixture into them. Then return entire mixture to sauce pan.
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, then add butter and vanilla. Continue stirring over low heat for 1 minute until butter is melted and vanilla is well mixed. 
Layer in a 2 quart glass baking dish. 
Place first layer of vanilla wafers in pan on bottom and around sides. 
Then add 2 sliced bananas, and then 1/2 of pudding.
Repeat second layer with remaining wafers, bananas, and pudding. 
Beat egg whites until foamy, then add 2 Tbsp. sweetener. Beat to stiff peaks for a meringue. Top the dish with meringue. 
Bake at 425 F for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown. 

For serving, let the pudding set for a few minutes and serve warm. It is also wonderful the next day served cold. 

Portion control

I love ice cream, but it's tempting to eat large portions when I'm just scooping it directly from the container.  A great way around this is to buy packs of ice cream in pre-portioned cups. Each portion is 1/2 cup, which gives you about 100 calories depending on the brand. Usually, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or swirls are available.  

You also get some calcium with ice cream, as you would with any dairy food like milk or yogurt.  These are quick and easy for kids, too!   

I think it's snack time.