Oatmeal Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce

I don’t remember what first made me think, “I bet Oatmeal Ice Cream would be good,” because rational thought ceased to exist the minute I put this lusciousness into my mouth.

It’s creamy oatmeal with a hint of cinnamon & nutmeg—only it’s the cool and decadent city cousin not the old-fashioned, warm-hearted country cousin. That’s why it’s topped with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce instead of warm milk and brown sugar.

Still, it’s like a big bowl of the warm stuff—sweet, creamy and lightly spiced—only cold and refreshing. And, creamy. Oh yeah…I already said creamy. Twice. But it is and that’s so very nice.

You’re probably going to want to share it with the kids—minus the boozy sauce. OK, OK. They’re going to beg you to share it with them and you’ll give in because there will finally be a little quiet in the house since their mouths will be working on this ice cream and not on their rendition of Screaming Broccoli. Just don’t tell them it’s got some redeeming nourishment or you’ll blow your chance to eat yours in peace.

♫ I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream. ♫

I’m a big fan of  Mojito Mint Chip, Lemon Basil, and my all time favorite—Very Chocolate Gelato.

More gluten-free, dairy-free ice creams to scream about—or just eat:

Maple Roasted Banana Ice Cream - Gluten Free Goddess

Almond and Hemp Milk Strawberry Frozen Yogurt - Lexie’s Kitchen

White Nectarine Ice Cream - The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Mint Chip Ice Cream - Diet, Desserts and Dogs

Oatmeal Ice Cream with Maple Rum Raisin Sauce

Oatmeal Ice Cream

Inspired by Oatmeal Ice Cream by Bruce Weinstein

Combine in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil:

1 ¼ cups unsweetened hemp milk

Carefully add to the milk:

1/3 cup GF rolled oats

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

½ teaspoon vanilla

Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the oatmeal is thick and creamy—about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile combine in a mixing bowl:

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon arrowroot or corn flour

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the hot oatmeal mixing until the sugar is dissolved.

Allow the mixture to cool a few minutes and stir in:

1 ¼ cups coconut milk, full fat

Chill in the refrigerator in a covered glass or ceramic bowl overnight or long enough (maybe 4-6 hours) for it to become very cold.

Stir the chilled mixture, and if desired add about ¼ cup golden raisins. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

This recipe makes about a pint and half of ice cream.

Rum Raisin Sauce

Place equal parts maple syrup and dark rum—4 ounces each—in a small saucepan. (Makes enough for about four servings.)

Add about 1/3 cup golden raisins.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat stirring constantly until the sauce reduces by half.

Cool until just warm and pour over the cold ice cream.

If the sauce has reduced too much (meaning it’s too thick) you can stir in additional rum, a teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency in reached. Of course this is not a sauce for the kidlets!

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Simple Summer Squash & Bean Soup

The CSA is abundant this time of year and I have more veggies than I can handle. It’s a good thing to have so much organic food at my fingertips but it challenges me—how do I use all of this healthy food before it wilts or turns or isn’t fresh anymore?

The way the CSA works is that I ride up to the farm every other week and pick up two, maybe three, huge bags of vegetables. The tables in the harvest room are neatly organized and piled high with organic produce. Each shareholder gets a specified amount of each type of vegetable: 1 lb. cooking greens, 3 beets, 1 1/2 lbs. summer squash, etc.

Then it’s home to sort it, put it away and plan how to use it all—what needs to be used first so it doesn’t spoil, what can be stored for awhile, what items can be used together. That’s the challenge—not wasting one lovely organic green or herb or succulent veggie. You have to love cooking because you do a lot of it when you belong to a CSA.

When I saw Tongues of Fire beans last week I had to have them. They’re so appealing with their red and ivory candycane-like appearance. The 3/4 lb. that was allocated yielded maybe a cup or so of beans. Not a lot. But, it’s only me and the hubs since the kid went back to school so it seemed like the beans would make us just enough soup for a light dinner.

The beans are paired with garlic, a small onion, a small green squash, and a tomato. I could have stopped there because that mix alone would have been a nice side dish. I wanted soup. I’m a soup kind of girl.

As soup goes, this one was fresh and light. Simple. Delicious. It made a nice warm dinner for a chilly end-of-summer evening.

Simple Summer Squash & Bean Soup

¾ pound Tongues of Fire beans*
olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 small onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 ½ cups tomato sauce
1 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
salt and pepper

Prepare the beans

Shell and rinse the beans. Place them in a medium pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the beans are soft. Remove the pan from the heat and set the whole thing aside to cool while you’re making the soup base.

Make the soup

Put a few turns of olive oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Smash the garlic and fry gently in the oil.

Meanwhile medium dice and add to the pan: onion, zucchini, and tomato. Sauté about 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

Add the chopped parsley, tomato sauce, and water. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer over a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Rinse the cooked beans and add to the pot.

Warm through and serve drizzled with olive oil and minced basil.

Makes about four servings.

Notes: *Tongues of Fire beans are similar to cranberry or borlotti beans so go ahead and use them (or another type) if that’s what you have. You could also use canned beans (1 small can) if you don’t have fresh beans—cannellini or small white navy beans would work well. Dried beans would also work—prepare according to the directions on the package.

This recipe, like most soups, is even better the next day.

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