Frozen Bananas Chocolate Ice Cream

Try as you might, you always end up having over ripe bananas. They are great in smoothies or banana bread. I started freezing them whole with the skin and all to be used up for a banana bread 2 months later. I can thaw them and remove the skin and then use it in the bread. For use in ice creams though, it is better to peel and slice and then freeze. It comes in handy in the summer months when you crave for frozen treats but want to skip the store bought ice cream with all its additives and heavy cream.

This is absolutely a 3-4 ingredient recipe. I made my own condensed milk by reducing the milk and adding only the required amount of sugar or you can skip the sugar and add none at all as the ripe bananas are pretty sweet by themselves.

Recipe in pictures below. Very quick and easy, you can use store bought condensed milk for even faster results. Replace with almond milk for a vegan version

In a sauce pan, boil the milk till it thickens, once thickened add the cocoa powder, sugar and mix it well and turn off the heat.
Pour in a container and set in the fridge to chill. Take the frozen bananas in a blender and blend to smooth.
Add the chilled condensed milk and mix it well in the blender.
Pour the banana - milk mixture into a freezing tray and let it freeze for 2-4 hours and then serve.

A guilt free treat when you feel like it.

Frozen Bananas Chocolate Ice Cream
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Condensed Milk Cooking Time:30-45 minutes
Ingredients

1. 4 frozen bananas
2. 1 cup of whole milk reduced to 1/3 or (1/3 cup of store bought condensed milk)
3. For Vegan: Use 1/3 cup of almond milk or any milk of choice
4. 1 tbsp cocoa powder
5. 2 tbsp of sugar (skip the sugar if using store bought condensed milk)

Method

1. If making your own condensed milk, take the whole milk and keep cooking till it reduces to a third, keep stirring so it does not stick.
2. Add the cocoa powder to the thickened milk. Mix the cocoa in some hot milk prevents lumps. Remove and chill.
3. Take the frozen banana in a blender and blend to smooth, now add the cocoa condensed milk and mix it into the banana puree.
4. Pour into a tray and freeze for 3-4 hours and then serve.

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Stuffed Peppers with red rice and black beans (Farm to Plate) (Vegetarian)

During spring, summer and early fall we eat mostly what is grown in the farm. Fall is when everything is finally done for the year and we are harvesting what produce is left before the frost and freezing temperatures hit.

So I harvested all the peppers and the beans that I could before our frost hit in early October. I had a variety of peppers and the one I chose to do this stuffed pepppers is what I thought was Poblano peppers but these were bright green and long so they might have been some other kind of bigger milder eating peppers.

Recipe will work fine with bell peppers, banana peppers, poblano peppers or any slight larger and not so spicy peppers.The biggest find of this season was growing black beans. While dried black beans which we all are very familiar taste pretty good, freshly shelled black beans elevates it to a different level.

I tried a few different kinds of beans this season and to shell and cook these fresh beans right away is a pleasure for me as well as our taste buds :). The special thing about this recipe is that most of the ingredients that went into it travelled less than 25 steps total. They were all grown in the farm.

I am using a Srilankan red rice called Madathawalu which when cooked is slightly nutty. You could use brown rice or wild rice or any rice that is nutty and has a bite to it.

Recipe in pictures.

Cut the pepppers in half vertically and remove the seeds and ribs.
Brush the back of the peppers with oil and spread them in a layer on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
Set the roasted peppers aside. Cook and drain the black beans.
Prep the ingredients for the tomato sauce. Set a pan and add oil and when hot add the onions, peppers and garlic.
Get the tomatoes ready. Let the onions and garlic get some color on them.
Add in the tomatoes and let it completely disintegrate. Add coriander leaves, salt and cumin and red chili powder if needed. Set most of the sauce aside.
To the sauce left in the pan, add the rice and beans and mix it in gently.
The rice is ready for being stuffed. Grease a baking dish.
Add some of the rice and bean mixture into each of the roasted peppers and arrange them in the dish.Pour the saved tomato sauce on top and sprinkle the cheese.
Bake in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes or till the cheese melts on top.

The process sees elaborate but it is fairly a simple straight forward process
Once done, cut into squares and serve with wedges of avocado and some sour cream.

Stuffed Peppers with black beans and rice
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:35 minutes
Ingredients

1. 15 -20 small to medium sized long green peppers, slit in half vertically and the seeds removed
2. 1/2 cup of Red Rice (Madathawalu Rice) or any slightly nutty rice works
3. 2 cups of black beans (I used fresh) if using dried soak for at least 4 hours
4. 1/2 cup of chopped red onions
5. 4 cups of chopped tomaotes
6. 2 jalapenos chopped
7. 4 garlic cloves chopped
8. handful of chopped coriander leaves
9. 2 tsp cumin powder
10. 1-2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste
11. 1-2 cups of grated cheese (I used Pepper Jack)
12. salt to taste
13. 2 tbsp of oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven (airfryer works just as well) to 350F. Brush a cookie sheet with oil and layer the pepper cut side up and roast for 15-20 minutes till the outside starts to blister.
2. In the meantime cook the black beans, they should hold their shape.
3. In a pan heat oil and when hot add the chopped onions, jalapenos and garlic and saute them till they turn translucent.
4. Add in the tomatoes and cook them till they turn mushy. Add salt and check to see if it is hot enough and add the chili powder if needed. Add the coriander leaves.
5. Spoon out most of the sauce into a separate bowl and leave about 1/4 cup in the pan.
6. Add the cooked rice and the cooked and drained black beans to the sauce and mix it well. It should not be watery. It should have a drier texture like fried rice.
7. Grease a baking dish, spoon about a tbsp of the rice mixture into the roasted peppers and layer them in the baking dish, slightly touching each other and tightly packed.
8. Add the tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.
9. Bake in the 350F oven for about 8-10 minutes or till the cheese melts.

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Spiced and Pureed Chard with Red Beans - Chard Saag with Beans - Chard Masiyal with Beans

Growing Chard in the cooler months should be easy but for some reason Chard is picky. I sow them late winter in the high-tunnel hoping to harvest in Spring but they seem to wait till the next winter to bear good quality leaves. The heat and the summer bugs don't seem to agree with them. This is the time when there are no local fresh vegetables so I do not complain much. I have used chard to saute as a poriyal/stir fry, with addition of coconut, in sambhar or in a simple dal.

You get the idea, chard leaves can be used just like spinach leaves. My brother on the other hand thinks that to taste the real vegetable you have to cook it by itself so this recipe was born because of that. Nothing exotic just a recipe that has been used with other kinds of greens. Having tried it realization hit that this way of cooking indeed makes chard tastes fantastic.

While just the spiced and pureed chard can be eaten as is, the addition of beans makes it a fancy side dish. Paneer, potates are all good additions. They make a great side dish for any kind of soft Indian breads.

I grew shelling beans because I am fond of fresh shelled beans. I picked up Jacob Turtle Beans one summer and have been in love them ever since. I collect seeds and plant them every year. Hoping to grow a bit more this year. But I have never been disappointed. I prefer to shell them fresh and freeze but some of them which dry out are saved as dried beans. Both taste the same when cooked but with the fresh ones being a bit more special.

I cook the chard in a pressure cooker to speed up the process but it can be cooked on a stove top as well.
Here is the recipe in pictures,

Cook the bean for about 6-10 minutes till fully cooked.
Cut the chard leaves, onions and green chilies.
In a pressure add oil and when hot add cumin powder and pepper powder, onions and green chilies. Saute till the onions start to turn brown. Add tomatoes and saute till it gets soft.
Add chard leaves, salt and saute till it becomes soft.
Puree the chard leaves. Add in the cooked beans and let it cook with the puree for a few minutes.

Goes well with rice or any kind of bread.

Spiced and Pureed Chard with Beans
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of fresh or 1/2 cup of dried beans(I used Jacobs Turtle Beans)
2. 3-4 cups of chopped chard leaves (more or less is ok)
3. 1/2 cup of chopped red onions
4. 2-3 green chilies
5. 1 chopped garlic (optional)
6. 2-3 small tomatoes chopped
7. 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
8. 1 tsp of pepper powder
9. salt to taste
10. 2 tsp of oil

Method

1. Set the beans to cook while you get the chard ready. Remove the stems if a bit mature and then cut the leaves into strips.
2. In a pressure cooker heat oil add the cumin and pepper powders and immediately add the onion, garlic if using and green chilies.
3. Saute the onions till it starts to brown ad bit and add the chopped tomatoes and cook till it turns mushy.
4. Now add the chopped chard, mix it in well, add a couple of tbsp of water, salt and cook for 2 whistles or about 10-15 minutes if not using pressure cooker.
5. Once the pressure is released puree the cooked chard. Turn on the heat, now drain the cooked beans and add it to the chard puree. Check for salt and turn off the heat.

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