In the Kitchen with Meghan West
Airdrie Food Bank Community Kitchen
What is summer without our favourite summer treats? These dairy-free ice cream sammies are perfect to share with friends, family or keep all to yourself! Being mindful when selecting your ingredients and using gluten-free cookies or wafers for the base can give you a dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan and nut-free treat that can meet all your summer entertaining dessert needs.
Dairy-Free Ice Cream Sammies
3 bananas, frozen
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup-½ cup coconut oil
1 box (250 g) cookies of your choice, not sandwich cookies
Tools:
Food processor
Parchment paper
Loaf pan
Freeze bananas. Allow to freeze at least overnight.
Line loaf pan with parchment paper.
Pulse cookies in the food processor until they become finely ground crumbs. Add coconut oil to the cookie crumbs and pulse until a smooth paste is formed. Divide into two.
Rinse and clean food processor.
Place bananas and vanilla in food processor; blend until smooth, approximately three minutes.
Spread one half of the cookie paste into the bottom of the loaf pan. Gently spread banana mix on top of cookie base. Spread remaining half of cookie paste on top of banana layer.
Freeze at least four hours. Slice with a serrated knife, serve and enjoy!
(Sidebar)
Summer gatherings and getting seasonal
Simplify your menu
Hosting a big crowd can sometimes mean there are multiple dietary restrictions or allergies of which to be aware. Try to find recipes that can work for everyone’s needs so that you don’t need to make multiple versions of the same dish! If barbecuing you can provide a variety of individual options from the grill but make all of your side dishes or dessert items something that everyone can enjoy.
Get outside
Suggest meeting at a public park space for a potluck and lawn games instead of having someone host at home. It is a chance to get together without someone being left with the clean-up!
Have a plan for your produce
The abundance of fresh produce can be overwhelming this time of year, especially after a long winter! Bring a list to the market to stay on track. If there is a new ingredient you are interested in trying out, find a recipe before the next time and then pick it up. By having a plan to use your produce items, you’ll reduce the number of wasted food dollars from ingredients that go bad in the fridge and never make it onto your plate.
