Every year I come up with a new ice-cream idea. Last year I had made this peanut butter ice cream, however, my boyfriend is not a big fan of peanut butter and turned down the idea for making it again quickly. I had also enjoyed making these chocolate covered bananas as an ice-cream alternative and these were definitely a favourite. We find ourselves wanting something fresh during hot summer nights, so I like to stock up on some homemade wholesome goodies to keep us company.

Delicious!

This ice cream was divine and enjoyed by everyone, including my father who is not into healthy desserts. The compliments I received from people trying this ice cream are a guarantee of this recipe’s success. I truly suggest anyone try this out as the recipe is easy and delicious and will surely impress you and your guests.

Why vegan?

Unless you are vegan, you would question vegan ice creams. Whilst this ice creams can be enjoyed by vegans, it is also great for anyone including people suffering lactose or dairy intolerance. If you don’t have any special dietary requirement, it is also a great alternative to dairy or soy ice creams. Being milk-free it will be better processed by your gut leaving you happier. Another great thing about this is that normal ice-cream usually makes people bloated or flatulent, these things won’t happen with vegan ice creams!

 

This is how you make #icecream without an ice cream machine. Just stir the mixture every 30 minutes and place back in the freezer. 🍦🍨 🍧 Behold, the most delicious ice cream recipe coming up soon! . . . #vegan #lactosefree #dairyfree #Paleo #coconut #hazelnut #summer #dessert #nomnom #recipe #allnatural #natural #organic

A post shared by Rody (@rodysheartycorner) on Jul 29, 2017 at 2:30am PDT

I came across this recipe by skinnyms on Pinterest and immediately liked it because it can be done in 5 minutes.  My colleague made it for us and it was such a pretty dessert. Thus I decided to have my go at slightly modifying this recipe to have less sugar. I also experimented with different fruit. This dessert felt like having a mini cheesecake. The base is made with nuts, coconut oil and coconut sugar and then it is topped with yoghurt and fresh fruit. It is also gluten free and Paleo.

This dessert is fresh to have and doesn’t require any baking making it perfect for summer. I hate heating up the oven or cooking in summer because it warms up the house! Since this dessert needs to be kept in the freezer, it will feel like having an ice cream. A great way to accompany hot summer days.

Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments section below.
 

 

 

Easy summer dessert

2017-07-10 09:45:46

Yields 6

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Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

5 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts
2. 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
3. 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
4. 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
5. fresh fruit to top (peaches, berries, banana, strawberries)
6. 6 muffin silicon molds

Instructions

1. Mix the hazelnuts, coconut sugar and coconut oil in a food processor or a bowl.
2. Distribute this mixture evenly over the bottom of 6 muffin silicon moulds and press to create a base similar to a typical cheese cake.
3. Top each muffin case with about two tablespoons Greek yoghurt.
4. Top with fresh fruit. Use fruit which does not turn icy when frozen. I like peaches or any berries.
5. Freeze until ready to serve.

By Rody

Adapted from skinnyms.com

Adapted from skinnyms.com

Rody's Hearty Corner http://www.rodysheartycorner.com/

I made these date treats for my colleagues on my Birthday. The idea was to make something which doesn’t take too long to prepare, is a healthy snack with clean ingredients and is appreciated by everyone.

Medjool dates

Medjool dates are enjoyed by anyone who tries them. I have not yet heard of anyone who tried Medjool dates and hated them. They taste like soft chocolate or caramel and have nothing to do with the traditional dates. Thus even serving them on their own is a good idea, but having them with an almond inside and chocolate outside is, of course, a big plus. They will also fix any sweet tooth. 

When I bought myself a bag of organic popcorn kernels I had not yet come up with this awesome recipe. I thought I would use the conventional method of making popcorn in a pan, however, this idea is much easier and hassle free! All you need is some oil, seasoning and a microwave safe bowl. You also need to cover the bowl with a microwave safe lid.

This recipe does not compare to the conventional popcorn. First of all, the ingredients are much more healthy without hidden preserves, artificial flavours or additives. Secondly, you could use organic, non-genetically modified pop corn kernels and thirdly it is so crispy!

Enjoy, and please do write your comments in the section below :)

 

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

2017-05-10 12:11:43

Serves 1

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Prep Time

1 min

Cook Time

3 min

Total Time

4 min

Prep Time

1 min

Cook Time

3 min

Total Time

4 min

Ingredients

1. Organic popcorn kernels
2. 1 teaspoon olive oil
3. salt (optional)
4. sweet paprika (optional)

You will need

1. one microwave safe bowl ideally with lid (like this one)

Instructions

1. Layer the bottom of a bowl or plate with some pop corn kernels. Do not overlay as there won’t be enough space for all the kernels to pop.
2. Place olive oil or another fat on top of the kernels, close the bowl and shake well to distribute the oil evenly.
3. Add seasoning like salt and paprika and then shake the bowl well again.
4. Place the lid loosely on the container and do not seal the bowl completely.
5. Microwave for 3 minutes and enjoy.

By Rody

Rody's Hearty Corner http://www.rodysheartycorner.com/

The easy strawberry jam I made was so good that I wanted to accompany it with something great. I had it with some crackers, hard cheese and also in the chia pudding, and it was delicious. However, I decided to bake a cake, since my birthday was coming up. I tend to make multiple layer cakes for occasions only and my birthday is of course one. I feel special having this cake at home and sharing it with just a few people. This makes snack time much more interesting and enjoyable. Cakes usually require some effort, which makes you appreciate them more.

This sponge cake turned out to be very soft and it does not feel that it is a healthy cake or grain free which is a plus considering it has only a few clean ingredients. Everyone who tried it agreed that it tastes delicious and similar to a conventional sponge cake. 

Serving Suggestions

There are many ways on how you can serve this cake and I always love to learn from readers, so do comment if you find other useful ideas. My ideas are below:

1. Layer strawberry jam in the middle and cover cake with fresh strawberries
2. Layer strawberry jam in the middle and top cake with Greek yoghurt and fresh strawberries
3. Layer strawberry jam in the middle and cover cake with cashew cream frosting which will feel like white chocolate
4. Serve with a side of fresh strawberries and greek yoghurt which will feel like ice cream
5. Layer with any other jam
6. Serve as shortcake with Greek yoghurt or coconut whipped cream in the middle together with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries

Other cakes

If you are looking for other very good multi layer cake check out this paleo chocolate cake or this carrot cake.

Sponge cake with strawberry jam

2017-04-28 05:13:26

Serves 10

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

1. 6 eggs at room temperature
2. 1/4 cup honey
3. ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
4. 65g melted coconut oil
5. 70g coconut flour (fine)
6. pinch of salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8. 1 serving strawberry jam (this recipe)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170 °C if fan assisted oven otherwise 180 °C.
2. Gently mix wet ingredients in a food processor until smooth taking care not to over whisk the eggs.
3. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Pour into greased baking dish. If you have two same size dishes, it would be ideal to split the batter between the dishes.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. The cake will be ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clear.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
7. If you baked one cake, slice the cake into two even layers using a long knife.
8. Cover the bottom half with strawberry jam. Close the cake and dress with some strawberries, more jam, or Greek yoghurt.
9. Once the cake is ready, it is best to serve immediately. Otherwise, it is best to cover the cake when ready to serve so that the cake doesn’t get wet.

Adapted from supernaturallyhealthy.org and busycreatingmemories.com

Adapted from supernaturallyhealthy.org and busycreatingmemories.com

Rody's Hearty Corner http://www.rodysheartycorner.com/

A really simple but delicious cheese cake recipe that can be made in no time if the ingredients are prepared in advance. This cake is vegan, Paleo, raw, gluten free and lactose-free, making it great for everyone!

 I loved how this raw cake turned out. The sweet strawberries created an ice-cream like, cake that we really enjoyed eating. The cake can be made with any berries but since strawberries are in peak season right now in Malta, I thought it was the best time to try this.

Feel free to comment in the below section for any feedback or to comment on how this cake turned out for you!
 

 

 
Below is a picture of the cashew nuts before soaking in water:

After soaking, the cashew nuts will look like this:

Base layer after storing in the freezer:

Cheese cake ingredients before mixing the strawberries:

Cheese cake mixture before setting:

Strawberry Cheesecake

2017-04-18 09:36:54

Serves 8

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Prep Time

30 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

30 min

Total Time

30 min

For the base

1. 1 cup dates (145g)
2. 1 cup sunflower seeds (140g) or any nuts
3. 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds (16g)

For the ‘Cheese’ layer

1. 2 cups pre-soaked cashews
2. 1 packet creamed coconut (200g)
3. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4. 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup for vegan
5. 3 cups fresh strawberries (450g)

Instructions

1. Soak the cashew nuts in water 8 hours. Leaving overnight or longer is ok.
2. When starting the recipe soak the dates in some hot water to soften if needed.
3. Start making the base by blending the sunflower seeds or nuts until powdered. Then add in the dates (drained) and flax seeds and mix until well combined using a food processor.
4. Layer the base ingredients at the bottom of a loose base cake tin and press using hands until an even layer is formed. You can dampen your hands with water to create a smoother surface.
5. Place base inside the freezer to set.
6. For the ‘cheese cake’, drain the cashew nuts from any excess water and place inside a clean food processor. Blend the cashew nuts until smooth.
7. Add in the creamed coconut, vanilla and honey and blend until well combined.
8. Add in the strawberries and blend until the red strawberry colour is well incorporated.
9. Place the cheese cake layer on top of the base and store for a further 4 hours inside freezer until solid. Then store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
10. For longer preserving store in the freezer and defrost inside fridge on the day of consumption.
11. Enjoy :)

Notes

1. If the strawberries are not ripe, you might want to add more honey or maple syrup.
2. Medjool dates are the best kind of dates for a sweet cake. These do not need soaking in hot water.

By Rody

Rody's Hearty Corner http://www.rodysheartycorner.com/

Malta is blooming with lemons right now so I thought it was the perfect time to look for a new recipe to make use of some lemons. There are many options around, however, I was intrigued with this recipe for lemon bars since it looked easy. The outcome is similar to that of a lemon meringue, without the top part. The fact that it contains no refined sugar and no flours is, of course, a big plus. I loved it and will definitely make it again! This is also a great option for my lactose-free and gluten free friends.
 

Paleo Lemon Bars

2017-08-24 13:57:12

Yields 9

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

For the crust

1. – 1/2 cup ground almonds
2. – 1/2 cup tapioca flour
3. – 3 tablespoons honey
4. – 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
5. – Zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)

For the filling

1. – 5 large eggs
2. – 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3. – 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
4. – 1/2 cup honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. To make the crust, mix the almond flour, tapioca flour, raw honey and zest together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Press into the bottom of a 8×8 glass baking pan with your fingers. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.
2. To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix the lemon juice and tapioca flour together in a small bowl until fully combined, and then whisk in with the eggs, being careful not to over-whisk. Whisk in the raw honey and then pour the mixture over the crust. Place in the oven and bake for another 23-27 minutes or until just set (firm one the outside but slightly wiggly in the center). The bars will continue to firm up as they cool.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate until full set, or about 4 hours.

By Paleo Cupboard

Adapted from Paleo Cupboard

Adapted from Paleo Cupboard

Rody's Hearty Corner http://www.rodysheartycorner.com/

This three layer cheesecake is quick to do and requires no baking. You would need to soak the cashews in advance, which is the only effort required :) For best results, soak the cashews in the morning if you wish to prepare the recipe in the evening, or overnight if you wish to make the recipe in the morning. Extra soaking time won’t effect the recipe outcome so don’t worry if your timing is not precise, but for the cashews to become creamy they need a good soak. You wouldn’t have the same outcome if you used dry cashews. If you have leftover soaked cashews you can also try this delicious vegan cheese to accompany savoury dishes.

 
This raw cake requires storage inside a refrigerator, making it a great summer treat. But not only, the weather in Malta is still hot right now, and I found this cake perfect for snacking or breakfast. It would also make a great Sunday dessert, if only it lasted that long! ;)
As for the top layer, you can be creative and use any favourite fruit of your choice. I have used mixed berries but you can use just strawberries, mango, blueberries etc.

Vegan Paleo Cheesecake

2016-10-28 04:58:26

Serves 8

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Prep Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

For the base

1. 1 ½ cup dates
2. 1 cup freshly roasted almonds

For the cheese layer

1. 2 cups soaked raw cashews (minimum 4 hours soaking, the longer the better)
2. 1/3 cup coconut oil
3. 2 tablespoons maple syrup
4. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5. some powdered vanilla
6. pinch of salt

For the top berry layer

1. 2 cups frozen berries
2. 1 banana
3. lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-soak the cashews overnight or at least for four hours prior to starting the recipe.
2. Soak the dates in plenty of hot water unless you are using soft medjool dates. The water will soften the dates making it easy to work with.
3. Start preparing the base layer first by blending the almonds in a food processor. You can either finely grind or leave to a chunky consistency depending on your liking.
4. Add the dates to the ground almonds and blend until well incorporated.
5. Layer the base mixture at the bottom of a loose base tin (I used an 8 inch pan) and press with fingers to layer evenly. Place inside the freezer for the time required to finish the next process.
6. Meanwhile blend the cashew cheese layer inside a clean food processor until smooth. Then layer on top of the date mixture and place inside freezer again.
7. Without cleaning the food processor from the cashew mixture, add the berry layer ingredients and blend until pureed. Then layer this mixture on top of the cashew cheese.
8. Freeze for at least one hour for the cake to set. Alternatively store in fridge for a couple of hours or until ready to serve. You can top with some lemon zest for added decoration and taste.
9. It will keep fresh for 5 days if stored in the fridge.
10. This recipe can also be frozen, which is especially good if you make a double batch and want to extend the consumption life. Always remove from the freezer at least one hour before serving.

Notes

1. Recipe yields 8 good sized portions.

By Rody

Adapted from prettypies.com

Adapted from prettypies.com

Rody's Hearty Corner http://www.rodysheartycorner.com/