Vegan chocolate semifreddo, two ingredients only

This is intense and delicious, and yes, only two ingredients are required (well, plus water...). It tastes quite a bit like nama choco, an amazing Japanese chocolate which is made with cream, but there is no cream here, and it is also incredibly easy to make.

Inredients

200 g dark chocolate (dairy free, and the best you can find)

100ml water

the liquid from a can of chickpeas (aquafaba)

Break the chocolate and place into a bowl with the water, and then onto a pot of boiling water to melt at bain marie. If you heat the water and the chocolate together they will mix perfectly. 

In the meantime beat the aquafaba until you get stiff peaks. 

When the chocolate is melted beat it with an electric beater until it cools down.

Add a spoon or two of aquafaba to soften, and then, spoon by spoon, add the chocolate to the aquafaba mixutre, folding well.

Pour into an ice cream container. It will look quite pale and have the consistency of a 'runny' mousse, but it will turn back into a strong dark chocolate colour while freezing.

Freeze for a few hours, then remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving, wait for the edges to melt a little and then cut into slices and serve. This is really, really good!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Tofe con friarielli (cime di rapa) - and Lewis Road Creamery Strawberry Ice Cream with Matcha

For the first time in my life I planted friarielli (cime di rapa), I got the seeds from Slow Food Auckland and I was so excited that I didn't wait for Autumn but I planted them straight away. Auckland is hot and wet, so they grew fast and started flowering quickly, I had to pick them before they seeded even if the tops were small. But they were delicious. I also have to confess that I ate some as salad, when the leaves were very young, and they are probably one of the best alternative to rocket salad around.

After I got my first batch I cleaned it and then cooked in a pan with olive oil, garlic and salt. You can add chilli, but I prefer to taste the friarielli rather than the chilli. Simmer them slowly with a lid for 20-30 minutes stirring often, if they are fresh you don't need to add water (mine came directly from the veggie garden!). The best pasta to have them with is orecchiette, but I didn't have any so I used some tofe, which are close enough in shape, but different in flavour! Still, they were great, or maybe it is just me, happy with my new crop of friarielli!

And now for the bouquet of the day from my garden!

and for dessert....

Lewis Road Creamery Strawberry Ice Cream with Matcha

Well, I didn't really make this, but it is a great idea and so I am sharing it: sprinkle a little matcha (Japanese green tea powder) over strawberry ice cream, the two flavours go beautifully together and it looks pretty too!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Instant mango and coconut yogurt vegan ice-cream, and how to make more coconut yogurt from your bought jar to save money!

I have tried a couple of brands of coconut yogurt and it is quite nice, although I am not sure 100% if I can call it Vegan. One of the two labels it as Vegan, but the live bacterias (a part from being 'live', if you see what I mean) could come from dairy products, as usually lactobacillus originally do… so if you know more about it just tell me, I really like to find out!*

Another thing that I have noticed is the price of coconut yogurt… so expensive!!! Around $10! So before finishing the second jar I have filled it up with a can of coconut cream (only about $2.50) and after two days in the hot water cupboard followed by two days in the fridge I got my own coconut yogurt (albeit a bit more runny than the bought one). I am trying the second lot with a thicker coconut cream and I'll let you know if it works.

The ice-cream

One cup of frozen mango

Half a cup of coconut yogurt

Blend with immersion blender

I am glad I remembered to take a photo before they gulped it all up: it was delicious!!

And of course it could count as sugar free, gluten free, and possibly raw vegan*.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Quick passion fruit semifreddo

Today is the first day of the Italian Festival Season in Auckland and I am getting ready to go to Andrea Bocelli in Concert! I have been so busy with the Festival that I don't have time to blog, but I can always find time for a super quick dessert! This one is cute and three ingredients: Passion fruit, sugar and cream. Take two passion fruits, cut them in half and scoop the pulp out. Put the shells in the freezer.

Mix the pulp with sugar to taste and let it stand for 30 minutes so that the sugar dissolves, then fold into just enough whipped cream to fill the passion fruit shells. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes then serve.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

I like to enter this post for Sweet New Zealand #38, the blogging event open to every one blogging in NZ, and all the Kiwi bloggers living overseas! This month of September is hosted by mummy do it. Click here to enter! And let me know if you are keen to host Sweet New Zealand in October!

Strawberry and Banana ice-cream: sugar free, gluten free, raw and vegan

You just need two ingredients: 2-3 bananas, sliced and frozen, and 2 punnets of strawberries, cut and frozen. It is actually better if both the banana and strawberries are quite ripe - jam quality!

Freeze the fruit for a few hours (one day is better) then put in the food processor and blend. Eat immediately. Healthy and yummy!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

One pot quick and easy frozen mango yogurt

Nothing could be easier, and with only two ingredients (and yes, two of my favourite NZ products: Fresh As and The Collective Dairy). I used many different Fresh As powders and freeze dried fruit slices (you can find a few recipes here) in the past, but this time the choice was mango, as I like mango ice cream, and I guessed that mango frozen yogurt would be good too! I mixed 3 tsp of mango powder (btw, this is just 100% mango) to 450 g (half a jar) of Straight Up yogurt, and the put it in the freezer for two hours, stirring from time to time. The I whipped everything with an immersion blender (so I didn't even need to take the yogurt out of its pot) and served it. Easy as!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

A very easy semifreddo dessert for Sweet New Zealand

Because I am traveling in South America, I don't have an oven and I have very little time for cooking, but I really wanted to take part to Sweet New Zealand. So I am recycling an old recipe that never fails to impress, specially because it is easy to assemble and takes very little time. You will need two pieces of sponge cake/trifle sponge. Place one piece in a container and drizzle with your favourite booze. I used Frangelico because I needed to finish the bottle, it has a lovely hazelnut flavour. Other suggestions: Amaretto, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, rum....

Next, mix some vanilla ice cream with some preserved pitted cherries.

Spread the (now pink) ice cream over the sponge cake and cover with the second layer or sponge.

Drizzle some more booze on top, and cover. Place in the freezer for at least two hours. The sponge won't freeze, and it will cut beautifully!

Cut and serve. It really tastes quite professional, so don't tell anyone how easy it is!!! :-)

This recipe is for Sweet New Zealand, this month of April hosted by Monica of Delissimon. 
Please send me a message if you would like to host a month.

Photos and recipe by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Strawberries for Kiwis

I know that it will sound strange to the readers in the Northern Hemisphere, but now for me it is strawberries everyday! Mostly I have them just fresh or marinated with lemon and sugar, and I found that since I am very lazy at eating green kiwis, I have more if I add them to my strawberry salads.

If you live out west or drive by on your way to the West Coast beaches, stop at Lucy's (in front of Nola's) for a real fresh strawberry ice cream. Just be prepared to wait: it takes a while to make them! 

Last news for the day: check out the latest edition of Little Treasures Magazine for my refreshing and healthy fruit and vegetables recipes and ideas for the little ones, and also an article about Kiwi blogger Frances (The Bake Club) and her baby Tui. 

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Mango and banana ice-cream, only two ingredients, again!

Now I don't know which one tastes better: this one, or the berry-banana ice cream? Same principle again, but I used some Indian canned mango puree (this is sweetened, so I cannot say that this ice cream is actually 100% sugar free, but if you have fresh soft mangos they would be perfect too!). I sliced two bananas and froze them (keeping the slices separated by kitchen paper, so they didn't freeze together), I also froze about one cup of mango puree, directly inside the white container for my upright blender (this container has become my new instant ice cream machine, perfect dose for 4!). Then I added the frozen banana slices, blended everything, and this was the result! I think that you can guess how good it tasted just by looking at it! And once again, two ingredients, vegan, and very creamy!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

The easiest sorbet ever, almost an ice cream in fact, but vegan, sugar free, gluten free, basically just two ingredients!

This is so easy and simple that I wasn't even sure if it was worth publishing, but then the other day I was reading this post from Sue and I though yeah, why not! I have been making instant frozen berries sorbet for years, but at first I used to make it with the frozen berries blended with a little sugar. It was good, maybe a bit watery, but good. I also tried with yogurt, but still needed sugar. But then I tried to add a banana, and I never turned back! A banana makes the sorbet creamy like an ice cream, and you don't need any sugar! I made it a few times and then the other day I discovered frozen banana slices, and for this I have to thank Sue. Yes yes of course I heard about froze banana before, but the way Sue made her ice cream was inspiring and really made me think that maybe frozen banana slices were what I needed all along to 'upgrade' my recipe!

And yes, I can confirm that it is better to use frozen bananas! The sorbet/ice cream stays 'frozen' for longer, and it tastes amazing.

So, all you need is one big banana, cut it into slices and freeze it (try to keep the slices separate, do not freeze it as a block!). The put the slices into a container, add about one cup of mixed frozen berries, (or just frozen raspberries, or blueberries... your choice) and blend with an immersion blender. This is the result. It looks like an ice cream, taste like and ice cream, and can be eaten immediately. 

So thank you Sue, here is another entry for Sweet New Zealand!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

A very easy semifreddo dessert

This dessert is easy to assemble and takes very little time. You will need two pieces of sponge cake/trifle sponge. Place one piece in a container and drizzle with your favourite booze. I used Frangelico because I needed to finish the bottle, it has a lovely hazelnut flavour.

Next, mix some vanilla ice cream with some preserved pitted cherries.

Spread the (now pink) ice cream over the sponge cake and cover with the second layer or sponge.

Drizzle some more booze on top, and cover. Place in the freezer for at least two hours. The sponge won't freeze, and it will cut beautifully!

Cut and serve. It really tastes quite professional, so don't tell anyone how easy it is!!! :-)

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©