Sugar Free Vegan Strawberry FroYo! GF, Vegan, SCD, & Paleo!!

Hey Happy Tummies!

My goodness, I am so sorry for not posting in a while.

Things have been beyond insane here. 

I actually battled the flu for the better part of last week/weekend. Being away from home when you're sick is never fun.



Here's what I ate during that time...I may have been hallucinating from the fevers but I was able to whip up some homemade organic vegetable soup! I'm not 100% sure, but I believe there's some zucchini, orange pepper, green beans and garlic in there :) I can't be sure, I was in a daze. I actually slept 8 of the 12 hours I was awake one day. Glad that's over.



So the day after I began to start feeling better, I had a callback for a film. And it's a good thing I willed myself out of bed because.....I booked the role!



Yep, I'm excited to announce that I'll be playing the role of Ally in the film Come On! We'll be filming in August. I can't wait.

 



So one of the "trendiest" foods now a days is FroYo. I swear, I can't walk half a block without seeing someone walking and eating from a pinkberry, red mango, 16 handles, or other frozen yogurt cup. I'd be lying if I didn't say I secretly long for FroYo.

But, a gal that's a SCD Vegan (which includes being sugar free, y'all!) conventional FroYo is not an option. There are "vegan" versions, but they're not sugar free, and there are sugar free versions, but they're not vegan. They must think that if you take out the dairy and sugar that all you'll be left with is air!

Well friends, that is positively NOT the case! How do I know? Because I DID IT!! 

I made Sugar Free Vegan Strawberry FroYo!! And it was INCREDIBLE! I thought it was the perfect cool treat to kick off the summer! I can't decide if I'm more excited about this recipe or the Cauliflower Hamburger Buns from last week!

This recipe is...Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (serves 1)

6 dates

8 whole frozen strawberries

1/4 cup cashews

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut butter

1/4 cup cashews, pulverized (garnish)

Couldn't be simpiler: Put 1/4 cup cashews in to the food processor and blitz until they resemble "sprinkles." Put in a small bowl and reassemble your food processor. Put everything else in the food processor, and process until thick, creamy and smooth! Freeze for 25-30 minutes. Garnish with blitzed cashews!

Oh my gosh where to begin with this amazingness?!? First of all, the flavor was magnificent. It was sweet and fresh and just bursting with strawberry flavor. But it wasn't just "strawberry" like you imagine an artificial strawberry ice cream. Now this was complex strawberry. The coconut butter combined with the dates gave the strawberries a deep sweetness that had some weight to it. Sounds strange but that's the way my brain processes things:)



and then the texture was marvelous! It was super creamy and rich! The coldness was so refreshing on a hot day. I also loved the crushed cashews on top too. They gave a slight crunch that went perfectly with the luxurious and thick ice cream.



This was such a treat. I am so excited to share it with you guys. Hopefully you can enjoy some this weekend!

Just a quick reminder! You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

No Kindle Needed! Just download the free app, here! 

Gluten Free & Vegan Mac and Cheeze!

One of the things you crave when you eliminate dairy from your diet is…CHEESE. The comfort and richness of cheese that just warms the belly and soul.  However, for people with Ulcerative Colitis, dairy is a big “no no” as it inhibits healing of the intestinal lining. But enough about that…lets talk CHEEZE!!

This cheeze gets its creamy and satisfying texture from ground up cashews and…butternut squash!! You roast them and grind them up in the food processor! Sounds super crazy and not very likely to be a winner, but oooh, quite the contrary.  This was a two thumbs up recipe. It had that deep belly satisfaction that shoots warmth through your entire body. The texture was much like…dare I say…Stouffers?

mac and cheeze pleaze!

This fabulous recipe I found from Oh She Glows. In her recipe, she uses Earth Balance, or margarine. I’m trying to stay clear of processed, unhealthy ingredients like margarine, so I used her cashew based cheeze sauce found here and then added in the roasted butternut squash and almond milk. This was seriously so yummy.

I toasted up some GF bread crumbs with parsley and 1t EVOO. mmmmm

Enjoy this treat for your taste buds and tummy!

Chef's tip: Breaking down a butternut squash can be tricky - and dangerous - if you're not careful! And the key is a good knife! They say that the most dangerous tool in the kitchen is a dull knife! 

To break down a butternut squash, I cut off the top and tail, to create a flat surface, so it's stable. I stand it on its end, and take my knife and peel it. Once peeled, I carefully slice it in half lengthwise (still standing on its end) and then dice it up. The knife I use is a Wusthof knife. A chef's knife is definitely an investment, but if you're going to be doing some cooking, it is absolutely worth it. You don't need to buy a whole set of amazing knives - I suggest just a chef's knife and a pairing knife. Here's the knife I have and LOVE: