Clean Eating Nutella Ice Cream

Oh yes I did!  Now you can eat clean AND enjoy the occasional Nutella ice cream.  Unlike the original, this contains no soy and no refined sugars!  It’s also vegan, gluten free and paleo.  It has a very rich taste, much like real ice cream.  If you don’t have an ice cream maker, I highly suggest getting one.  You will make your money back within a few batches and you can customize your own creations!

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Most organic store bought ice cream costs an arm and a leg.  Sadly, a good percentage of them still contain carrageenan, which may be linked to cancer.  I personally don’t feel comfortable eating it and that is why I got the ice cream maker.  This recipe is really easy and only took 30 minutes!  I used my Homemade Nutella Recipe to make this.  I just had to add extra milk to thin it out more.  I think about 1/4 cup extra milk.  I just eyeballed it.  You want the Nutella to be the consistency of hot fudge so it can blend with the milk in the ice cream maker.  If you really want to try this and you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can add it to my 5 Minute Banana Ice Cream!

Clean Eating Nutella Ice Cream

1 cup Homemade Vegan Nutella or your favorite hazelnut spread
1 can coconut milk (I can’t seem to find the thick coconut milk in anything other than a can.)  :(
2 T maple syrup or other liquid sweetener

Make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 18 hours. I try to always store mine in the freezer so I can make ice cream on a moments notice. I mixed all the ingredients in the ice cream bowl itself and attached it to the machine immediately. I used a Cuisinart.  It should take about 15-20 minutes. The ice cream will be like a soft serve consistency, so if you like a harder ice cream, put it in the freezer for about an hour or so. That’s it! Enjoy!

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Italian Herb Dressing

When I asked you awhile back about what kind of dressing recipes you would like to see, a popular answer was Italian dressing.  I had already created a Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Now time for Italian.  So here it is!

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This one is super easy to make as well.  I used dried herbs, because that is what I had on hand.  Feel free to use fresh ones as well.

Italian Herb Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup (I used honey)
pinch salt

Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl.  Mix all the dry in another.  Add wet to dry and whisk until combined.  Another way you can mix is to throw everything in a covered container and shake well.  Keep in mind that since this is a homemade dressing, the oil will try to solidify in the fridge.  If you plan on using the dressing, just pull it out a few minutes before you need it and then shake well before using.  I got close to 1 cup of dressing.  It should last in the fridge a couple weeks.  Enjoy!

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Clean Eating Peanut Butter Cups

Let’s face it.  We all need a little something sweet every once and a while.  Who says you need to give up peanut butter cups?  While I will never eat Reece’s version again, I will have a homemade one every now and then!  I calculated these to be about 164 calories.  Not bad for the size!

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I made these with homemade peanut butter and also almond butter.  Both worked out well, but I think I liked the peanut butter better.  Most homemade peanut butter cups call for powdered sugar.  This does not.  I just dropped some freshly made peanut butter in the middle of these.  So much better that way and also much less sugar too!  The chips I used are from Enjoy Life.  You can also make your own chocolate with 1 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup cacao powder and a few tablespoons of liquid sweetener.  Or you could melt a couple of bars of dark chocolate with a bit of milk.  Any way works. The Enjoy Life chips have a pretty clean ingredient list and are gluten free as well.  They do contain a bit of processed sugar which is why I gave some other options.  I have tried the chips and the coconut oil chocolate.  I chopped one of these up and ate it in my 5 Minute Banana Ice Cream.  OMG!  Best.Thing.Ever.

Clean Eating Peanut Butter Cups

1 bag chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life gluten and soy free chips)
3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
Roughly 3/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter

Get out a couple of muffin tins and line them with paper or silicone cups.  I used standard sized muffin pans, but the mini cups would work well too. Using a double boiler, melt the chips and milk in a glass bowl, stirring constantly to get the lumps out. It makes a great arm workout. :) Once the chocolate and milk have combined and are smooth, pour a little bit of chocolate in the bottom of each muffin cup. Place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set. When they are hard, pull them out and put a dollop on nut butter on top of each one. Fill the remaining cup with chocolate. Repeat until all the cups are filled. Place back in the freezer. I would give them a few hours to set. Actually, I store mine in the freezer as well. I think they would get too soft in the fridge. That’s it!

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