I’m in that phase of day dreaming of a really, really good ice cream. The type that makes you wanna go nuts and scream. Cause that’s what Iscream is made for! I’d also like to feel the pleasure of tasting real flavours and textures without artificial sugars and if possible, dairy. Am I asking for too much London? A good, decent, vegan ice cream? I think not.
So, I went on trying some in town. My taste buds were very happy in Barcelona, as you can read here, however, I couldn’t find something that satisfied me in London. Everywhere I go I am pointed to the sorbets. Please, please, dear ice cream makers take us dairy-free people into consideration. We will be eternally grateful. We like being acknowledged and feel worthy of your attention. And in return we’ll become your most faithful customers. Because we are tired of plain flavors, especially at the price they come per scoop. Every single time I get a sorbet it’s just way too watery and sweet, but fake sweet. Why can’t you be more creative with your flavors? Hint: Berlin got it! And Barcelona! Wink! Update: And Budapest. And Vienna.
Why dairy free ice cream? Well some of you may be intolerant and you get stomach upset if you eat it or it triggers a skin reaction and your face gets covered in spots. Or you may have chosen to quit dairy products, but ice cream is still a hard one to give up. Technically, we shouldn’t even consume dairy. Firstly because we can barely digest it as adult. Secondly, because it’s full of growth hormones naturally for the baby calf to grow, but also artificial ones and antibiotics due to the farming methods. Thirdly, it’s not natural to drink another species milk. I don’t want to get too grim about it in this email. If you want to get to know more about this subject you can watch a documentary called “Cowspiracy“. Plus, the sugar overload would send you to the moon and then crash and contribute to more inflammation in the body.
Well, tired of daydreaming of other summer cityscapes I decided to take matter into my own hands. Oh boy, little did I know what was going to follow! Addiction?! Ultimate guiltless pleasure? Keep reading…
Some of you may know, some not, but I used to live in Berlin. Come May Ice Cream season was ON and the varieties are simply mind blowing. I am still drooling over those times. The other day after finding a bargain of a box of mangoes for a £1 and pulling a muscle from over shopping at the market I remembered that one of my favourite flavours at Naschkatze Berlin used to be cucumber. Guess what I had in my bags?! Yes indeed.
I peeled all the mangoes, chopped and froze them and patiently waited for the next day. It was so worth waiting for!
You have the recipe below. You can simply make just the mango flavour, or go crazy and add some chocolate, chili, etc. The secret is in the blender. As much as I am saying that a Vitamix is not needed at the beginning and any blender is great as long as it makes you drink green smoothies and gets you in the flow, I am so thankful for this machine! I suppose with a bit of patience you can get the same results in a regular high street blender or a food processor. Just go for it!
Till then, live with passion and eat rainbows!
Much love,
Denisa
- 1 Large Frozen Mango
- 1/2 frozen Banana
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 1 Spoon Raw Cacao
- 10 Leaves Basil
- 5 Leaves Mint
- 1/2 Tsp Rose Peppercorns
- Cacao nibs
- Goji berries
- Grated Nutmeg
- Add the frozen mango and banana, peeled cucumber, basil and blend until it reaches a smooth, but chunky consistency. You will need to make use of the tamper if you have it. If your blender is not designed to crush ice, it won't break the mango so use a food processor. Have patience. Adding liquid will ruin the consistency.
- Once you have your desired texture, scoop out a few spoons in glasses or cups.
- On top of the remaining mix add the cacao powder, rose peppercorns, mint and continue blending.
- Scoop on top of the mango mix and decorate with cacao nibs, goji's and grated nutmeg. Or anything you have on hand for that matter.
- Enjoy!
- You can either buy frozen mango and banana or freeze it the day before cut in chunks. The smaller, the easier for your blender to process. Especially if you're not using a high speed blender.