GINGER, SAFFRON & VANILLA ICE CREAM

 
Ice cream is my nemesis – it never stops tasting good and my stomach seems to have a virtually limitless capacity for it.  Check out this healthy version with an exotic twist for a holiday treat that won’t decimate your diet, courtesy of world-class super chef, Jen Nickle.

(Makes about eight ½ cup servings)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cans full fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp. saffron threads
1 ½ Tbsp. grated ginger
3 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean, scraped
1 ½ tsp. arrowroot starch
½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, saffron, ginger, honey, vanilla extract and vanilla bean. Warm this mixture over medium heat and when warm, remove from heat.

2. Place ½ cup of the coconut milk mixture in a small bowl with the arrowroot starch and whisk until smooth; pour the new mixture back into the saucepan, whisking as you go.

3. Squeeze out/remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture into a food processor or blender; add the yogurt and salt and slowly blend until thick and frothy.

4. Ladle ½ cup servings of this “batter” into muffin tins (if you’re like me and can’t trust yourself with portion control) or load the whole mixture into a loaf pan. Freeze it and when you’re ready to eat, remove the ice cream from the freezer twenty minutes beforehand to let it soften.  Enjoy!

Nutrition facts per ½ cup serving:

Calories: 140
Fat: 12g
You can cut fat and calorie content by using low or non-fat coconut milk, but you’ll wind up with less creaminess and more iciness – plus, a moderate amount of plant-based fat isn’t a bad thing!
Carbs: 9g
Sugar7g
Protein 2g

Dani, #FableticsMaster

Originally published December 2015