Escapees July-August 2023

(Un)traditional Popsicles I never have enough room in my RV freezer to make granita so I’ve turned to the next best thing: popsicles. Juice alone will yield ice cubes. Use a bit of sweetener and puréed fruit, something creamy, or a little dribble of booze to render a soft-enough-to-bite popsicle. Silicone molds work best; wooden popsicle sticks are perfect. Mix and match the fruit, juice and sweetener as you wish. • 1 can full-fat coconut milk (or an equal measure of Greek yogurt) • zest of 2 limes (always zest fruit before squeezing) • ¼ c lime juice (or try mango juice) • ¼ c honey (can sub maple or agave) Combine all ingredients, pour into molds, freeze and eat. Brazilian Bombshell Bowl Down in South America grows a nutritious, delicious, dark berry, the açaí. (Interestingly, in addition to producing this superfruit, the Açaí Palm is also the source of hearts of palm.) While it might seem expensive in the grocery store, it’s a steal compared to what you’d pay at a café or juice bar. Açaí bowls are multi-layered, parfait-style treats. The work is in the preparation. Use ingredients you love, making it a custom concoction. Perbowl • ¼ pint frozen açaí • peanut butter • honey (in a squeeze bottle) • chopped fruit (mango, strawberry, banana, etc.) • roasted nuts and seeds (almonds, hazel nuts, pumpkin, sun fl ower, etc.) • toasted coconut • granola • 1 Brazil nut (as a topper) In an ice-cold bowl, begin with the açaí and layer ingredients, creating three layers (they do not have to be identical), occasionally using the back of a spoon to compress. Top with the Brazil nut and enjoy.

Blender Iced Cream Before you read the ingredients and judge, I want you to know this tried-and-true recipe is beloved by all I’ve served it to. Incredibly diverse and consistently delish, I always have a frozen pack of sliced bananas at the ready. Once blended, you should have a

The Recipes

soft-serve-style iced cream. • ¼-½ c plain Greek yogurt • 1 tbsp honey or 4 large seeded Medjool dates

• ½tbsp fl axseed (optional but so healthy) • 3 frozen, sliced bananas (you must peel and slice these before freezing) Flavor It Up CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER: add1/8c unsweetened cocoa powder and 1½ tbsp peanut butter. Top with cacao nibs. STRAWBERRY: Add a large handful of frozen strawberries (or any frozen fruit you prefer). Add ingredients to a blender (in the order listed) or food processor and whizz until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add more yogurt, a splash of milk (dairy or non-dairy), or a dribble of juice. Serve up in ice-cold bowls. I recently came across a recipe using cottage cheese, sweetener and fl avorings blended together, chunky mix-ins added, and then frozen for two to four hours. They say this protein-rich version tastes a bit like cheesecake, yum. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on the list.

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July/August 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine