A Salacious Stumble

It was the only truck without a line when lunch started, so I headed to Molly Moon's to sample my favorite food group: ICE CREAM! I sampled flavor after flavor throughout the generous two hour lunch that IFBC afforded us to visit the trucks. All of the flavors were captivating, filling my mouth with creamy bursts of balsamic and strawberries or lavender and honey. The final trip to Molly Moon's meant waiting in line and while waiting, another blogger found herself balancing two flavors on sticks that were too small for the servings.

Caramel.

Salt.

Olive Oil.

Ice Cream.

She mushed them together to save them from the gravel below. This accidental combination captured in a digital moment was an inspiration for the cup I was about to purchase. Let me tell you that THIS is the way to go. Salty, sweet, creamy goodness that unravels and changes bite after bite. I may have to move to Seattle... or ask Molly Moon's to drive that blue truck down to San Jose!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream and Olive Oil Ice Cream from Molly Moon's

Vanilla Bean Plum Frozen Yogurt

5 small-medium Red Beauty plums
1 tablespoon sage honey
2 cups non-fat plain yogurt
1 organic Tahitian vanilla bean

Dice plums and stew covered with honey for 15 to 25 minutes over low to medium-low heat. You want the plums to breakdown but still be slightly chunky. I prefer to keep the skins on. If you dice small enough, the skins just cook into the plum stew, leaving the color vibrant and the nutritional content at it's fullest. Chill after finishing.

Scrap the contents of one vanilla bean into your yogurt. Stir and chill for several hours. I buy my vanilla beans from the Organic Vanilla Bean Company. The prices are reasonable and the customer service has been great.

After chilling for several hours, blend plums and yogurt together. You will want to let this mixture set for a few more hours. This is optional but I feel as if the flavors marry together in that resting time.

Following the instructions on your ice cream maker, proceed to make your frozen yogurt.

Makes approximately 6 half cup servings at 65 calories, .3 grams of fat, .8 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.

*****

I am entering this in this week's Blogger Secret Ingredient challenge hosted by LK over at Health Delicious.

I also want to share this with the Ice Cream Social hosted by ScottySnacks, TangledNoodle and SavorTheThyme!

Strawberry Basil Sorbet in a Sweet Rice Ring

When I read the ingredients for the Royal Foodie Joust (strawberries, basil, whole grain), I knew immeadiately I wanted to make a strawberry-basil sorbet. However, my sorbet is not really sweet, so when considering the grain to pair with the sorbet, I chose a sweet steamed rice cake (also known as puto). I cut the rice cake into a ring and filled it with the sorbet.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet

2 cups diced strawberries
1 cup chopped basil
5 cups water
2 tbsp honey
1 lemon

Bring strawberries, water and honey to a boil. When the liquid begins to boil, remove pot from the heat. Add basil and juice the lemon into the pot. Chill. Once chilled, blend ingredients. Follow directions on your ice cream maker to turn mixture into sorbet.

Sweet Steamed Rice Cake aka Puto

2 cups rice
2 cups light coconut milk
4 packets Truvia*
dash of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
4 tbsp water

Grind rice into powder. You can use rice flour but I prefer to grind my own so it is still a bit chunky. Mix ingredients together and let sit for ten to thirty minutes. Pour into a tin and steam for 20-25 minutes. Cut into rings and let cool slightly. Fill with sorbet and serve immeadiately.

* I chose to use Truvia because I wanted to use a low calorie natural sweetener. You can sweeten the cake with your favorite sweetener, just taste it before you add too much!

I am entering this recipe in the Leftover Queen's Royal Foodie Joust!