Today we have a very special and very delicious guest post for you to enjoy. Due to a number of personal events I have had to take a little time off from recipe creation and writing, but I will be back soon with lots of excitement! In the mean time, enjoy this awesome post from one of my wonderful AIP blogger friends! – Samantha
I read somewhere that inspiration strikes when you least expect it, and for me it struck on a hurried trip to the grocery store.
Living in Dubai, all of our big grocery stores have these amazing bulk sections that I love to wander through. Now, you might be thinking, why would someone who follows the AIP diet enjoy the bulk sections of grocery stores – I mean it’s all flour and nuts and legumes, right? Well… not in our stores. There are tons of nuts and seeds (because in most middle eastern cultures every home would always have bowls of nuts and seeds to munch on sitting around the living room). BUT, the part that I love is all of the dried fruit (figs, raisins, pineapple, kiwi, mango, dates, dates, dates, and more dates) and row after row of brightly colored spices (both whole and ground). Need a couple of dates, a fig or two and a cinnamon stick…. no problem.
So, the other day I was walking from the produce section to the butcher and walked past the bulk area and listened in as various customers placed their orders. One man asked for 1/2 kilo each of walnuts, pistachios and almonds. Another man asked for 200 grams each of about 20 different things. And then came my favorite….the woman who was already placing bag after bag of various spices and seeds into her overflowing cart, when she asked for 1 kilo each of every variety of date they have. I so wished that I could have seen the spread she’d be putting out at her home that weekend. It looked like it would be an epic event.
After watching all of these customers I knew that I needed to buy something. I asked for a few dried figs and started for the checkout, thinking that these would just be emergency snack foods. I find a dried fig to be the perfect treat, and especially love the crunch of the tiny little seeds inside the fruit.
And then, I spotted them out of the corner of my eye… fresh figs. I don’t often buy them fresh since they’re crazy expensive and are such delicate fruits (and I’m not really a very delicate person), but I decided to take the risk and bring some home. Now, what would I do with them? Roasted figs with some coconut whipped cream, use them in my fig & bacon meatloaf topping, add them to a salad?? The choices were limitless.
As I drove home, I remembered the bananas that I had cut up and put in the freezer the night before for ‘1 ingredient ice cream.’ Hmmm… what if I combined the idea of roasted figs with the banana ice cream? Could it work? I just might be onto something…
Let’s just say that the speed at which I devoured this ice cream was proof that not only could it work, but it did. Do yourself a favor….buy some figs and make this ice cream! It just may become your favorite summer treat.
No Churn Roasted Fig Ice Cream
{AIP, Paleo, Fruit Sweetened, Dairy Free}
Time: 15 minutes + chilling time
Serves: 3
Ingredients:
2 bananas – ripe (turning brown)
4 figs – fresh or dried
2 dates – pit removed
pinch of cloves
1/8 t cinnamon
3/4 cup water
1/2 T balsamic vinegar
Directions:
on the day before you want to eat it:
– slice bananas and place in the freezer
make the ‘fig caramel’
– cut the tops off the figs and quarter them
– place figs, dates, spices and water in a small saucepan and allow to simmer over low to medium
heat for about 8 minutes (until water has evaporated and dates have dissolved) – if you use dried figs, you’ll need a little more water and a few more minutes simmering for them to soften completely
– add the balsamic vinegar and allow to cook over low heat from another minute
– spoon the caramel mixture into a small food processor and pulse until it forms a smooth paste
– store in the fridge over night
about an hour before you want ice cream:
– place banana slices in your food processor and process until smooth and creamy
– add caramel mixture and stir through – either swirl it through, or mix in completely – both are equally tasty
– spoon ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze for one hour before serving
– best made right before serving (although I find if you let it thaw a bit it’s good a few days later too)
About Bethany:
Bethany is the blogger behind “Adventures in Partaking” and she is managing her spondylarthritis, uveitis and endometriosis with the AIP diet and lifestyle. Her food philosophy is that everything should be an adventure – from trying new foods, to figuring out what works for you on your healing journey. She also uses the adventures she has had in her life (growing up in East Africa & the Middle East) to inspire her recipe development. When Bethany isn’t creating AIP recipes, she’s working as a children’s ministry director at a church in Dubai. You can find Bethany on facebook and pinterest and instagram if you want to follow more of her adventures.
