Raw Chocolate/Banana Soft Serve Ice Cream

I have seen recipes before using frozen bananas as the base for the ice cream, always been sceptical, until I decided to try it out. WOW! Was it one of the best tries ever, so creamy and rich, never what I would have expected of a frozen banana ice cream. So here is my recipe, please try it out, even if your like me...a little sceptical at first.

You will need: (makes 1 large serving or 2 small)

2 Ripe Bananas

2 tbs Raw Cocoa Powder (dark european style)

1-2 tsp Raw Vanilla Sugar (use a few drops raw vanilla essence if vanilla sugar isn't available)

Optional: 1 tbs Golden Syrup or Raw Agave Nectar/Syrup

• Cut the bananas into slices and spread them in a single layer in a freezer bag or between two layers of cling film. Leave them in the freezer for 1-3 hours.
• Once your bananas are frozen add them and the rest of the ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
• Serve straight away!
• Enjoy.

This ice cream can be altered into all different flavours, try adding chocolate chunks or fresh berries.

Blueberry Muffins w/ Brown Sugar and Vanilla

Blueberries are one of my favourite berries, or come to think about it, probably my all time favourite berry actually. Tasty and packed with great vitamines. A big plus is that they absolutely cover the ground of the forrests here. 

In Sweden we have a law called "Allemansrätten", meaning right of public access to the wilderness or the right to roam. So the nature belongs to the swedish people and we have the right to use it as long as we show respect to nature, wildlife and other humans. So a great law when it come to picking all sorts of berries, mushrooms and other wild growing yums.

You Will Need:
(for 9-12 muffins, depending on your muffins cup size)
5 dl/ 2 1/4 cup Plain Flour
2½ dl/ 1 cup Brown Sugar
1 tbs Baking Powder
2 tsp Vanilla Sugar
100 g Margarine
350 ml Dairy Free Milk  (I use Alpro Soya Natural Milk)
250 grams Blueberries

• Melt the margarine and mix it with the soy milk.
• Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Add your margarine and milk mix and whisk with a electric beater to combine well.
• Gently add and combine your blueberries into the batter mix.
• Fill the muffin cups with 2/3 of batter.
• Bake your muffins in a oven preheated to 200C / 390F for 15-20min. 
• During the baking time check your muffins with a wooden tooth pick. When they are ready the tooth pick will be clean after poking the middle of your muffins. (Try not to poke straight into a blueberry as that will always be wet)

Baked Tomatoes w/ Crispy Filling

These tomatoes are baked in the oven and served as a nice side dish to your lunch or dinner. Crispy filling!!! Don't worry if you would make way too many they are superb sliced on to a sandwich the day after.

You will need:

4 Large Tomatoes

1 cup Bread Crumbs (I recomend using Pankos)

2 tbs Fresh Mix Herbs (for eg. Parsley, Thyme and Rosemary)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

2-4 tbs Vegan Cheese (optional)

½-1 clove Garlic (optional)

• Cut a hole in the top of your tomatoes and take out the core.
• Mix the bread crumbs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Also adding the fresh herbs and also garlic and cheese if those ingredients are used.
• Now add olive oil to the bread crumb mix, just until it all combines.
• Fill your cored tomatoes and bake them in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 390F.

In this photo the tomatoes are served with New Potatoes, Mushroom Cream Sauce, No-Meat Pattie and a Side Salad w Roman Baby Tomatoes and Spinach.

Seeds and Greens With The Vegan Swedes

A while ago I posted "Growing Seeds With The Vegan Swedes" and here is my update. The seeds have grown into nice strong, green plants with small fruits and flowers. Not ready for picking yet, but well on their way.

Unfortunatly our broccoli didn't make it. But looking at the garden beds now, I don't really know where they would have fit. Guess I will have to buy broccoli from the shops this summer too. 

Our black and red tomatoes have grown into big and robust plants with lots of flowers, soon to turn into ripe tasty tomatoes. Even the green vines just smell so good, like sunny summer.


(Back: Red Tomato Plants. Front: Lettuce Mix Leaf)

The leeks are still on their first stage and won't be ready until late autumn, so they look like grass but taste like spicy onion springs.


(Left: Red Onion. Right: Leek)
















Potatoes and red onions are growing with lots of power and will hopefully be ready with in the coming few weeks. (Below: Potatoes, 2 Varieties)

Zucchini / Summer Squash

Pineapple-Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

Greenhouse Cucumber

Eggplant / Aubergine

Carrot

Last but not least, the garden greens mentioned in the title. I love flowers, berries, rhubarbs, apples and all things growing. So here are just a few photos from our backyard.
Enjoy!

Gooseberries

Black Currants

Red Currants

Yellow Plum Tree

Oak Tree with a Growing Acorn

Lily

White Peach Leaf Bellflower

Verbena

Orange Trollius, Chinese Globeflower

Foxglove

Glass Apple, Transparente Blanche

White & Pink Hanging Oriental Lilies

Columbine

Double Million Bells

This is just a small ammount of the lovely flowers, greens and trees growing in our backyard. For tips, questions or ideas please comment or email : theveganswedes@gmail.com

© Photos By The Vegan Swedes