Tips from gaining health

When youre in the midst of a week of high-90s days, as New York City is now, it is very easy and tempting to have all meals catered by The Messrs Ben and Jerry.

“Theres no cooking,” you say. “Im saving electricity and gas by not turning on my stove! And ice cream has dairy and protein and dark chocolates antioxidants!”

I cant find it in my heart to counter any of those arguments, mostly because ice cream is so dang delicious. But whats one of the cardinal rules of eating green? Make it yourself!

Lucky for us, with our hotness, frugality, and environmental consciousness, there are plenty of frozen treats that can be made simply, cheaply, and to healthy and delicious effect. Even without a real ice cream maker.

Id like to introduce you to my new favorite thing: my $1.74 clearance shelf popsicle mold.

In the last few weeks weve been through many adventures. Coconut milk and maple syrup. Arnold Palmers (thats lemonade and iced tea, my boyfriends brilliant idea). Strong Earl Grey, coconut milk, and a little simple syrup. Pureed honeydew melon and mint. The possibilities for healthy, delicious, homemade pops are nearly endless, and Im looking forward to a summer of popsicle experimentation.

(And yes, these are all entirely no-heating-up-your-kitchen, because you can make simple syrup in the microwave: 1 part water, 1 part sugar, microwaveable measuring cup; microwave until the sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes, stirring every so often.)

But so far – my favorite – the biggest hands-down, most glorious success: Cherry Chocolate "Ice Cream" Popsicles.

Food processor “ice cream” recipes abound on the internet, usually featuring frozen fruit, heavy cream, and sugar. Lately, Ive been sort of obsessed with substituting coconut milk – a rich, lactose-free stand-in full of healthy fats - which tastes good just about any way you can conceive to use it. I find you don’t need the extra sugar, either, since the frozen fruit provides enough sweetness.

Variations on the food processor/fruit/coconut milk idea are infinite. Try changing the fruit. If youre down with dairy, use regular cream. If your fruit is tart or your sweet tooth is strong, add a little simple syrup. A flavorful honey might bring some magic to, say, a peach variation.

This particular mixtures creaminess gives a great texture to the popsicles but also makes it a little trickier to remove. Leave pops out at room temp for five minutes, or run the molds under warm water. Pull the sticks *gently*. If they dont come out, give them some more time. If you’re not down with that, the recipe can be served like ice cream, either straight out of the food processor or after 20 minutes or so to firm up in the freezer.

Granted, the end product isnt quite ice cream, but its delicious, healthy, cheap, and puts a little less strain on the planet. Which is important to keep in mind, even when that damn planet and her damn seasons are putting so much strain on us.

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If you like the idea of this, you might also enjoy pondering:

• Plums With Orange and Mint
• Strawberry Mousse
• White Sangria

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Chocolate Cherry “Ice Cream” Popsicles
Serves 4, at least by my popsicle molds.

8oz frozen cherries
½ c canned coconut milk (a type with emulsifiers, like guar gum, will actually do you better)
1/3 c dark chocolate chips (vegan, if thats your style)

1) Put cherries and coconut milk into bowl of food processor. Process until smooth and ice creamy.

2) Add chocolate chips, and process until mostly broken up and dispersed. (A renegade full chip never hurt anyone.)

3) Pour into molds. Freeze at least 4 hours.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
132 calories, 7.2g fat, 1.7g fiber, 1.2g protein, $0.81

Calculations
8oz frozen cherries: 147 calories, 0g fat, 2.7g fiber, 1.3g protein, $2.40
½ c coconut milk: 111 calories, 12.1g fat, 0.6g fiber, 1.1g protein, $0.50
1/3 c chocolate chips: 268 calories, 16.8g fat, 3.3g fiber, 2.4g protein, $0.37
TOTAL: 526 calories, 28.9g fat, 6.6g fiber, 4.8g protein $3.27
PER SERVING (total/4): 132 calories, 7.2g fat, 1.7g fiber, 1.2g protein, $0.81

In the two years following college, I lived semi-large with three ladyfriends in a medium-sized Brooklyn apartment. We had starter jobs, very little money, and an unnatural obsession with singing Jock Jams in Ross Perot voices. (Try it! Its fun.) We were also not very interested in cooking, except for K.

Born in upstate New York, K was the only one who actually used our pots and pans. She bought things like “produce,” and “dairy products.” A few times, she whipped up this Saltine-butter-chocolate dessert that I can’t even think of without salivating all over my desk. (Seriously, Saltines? Who knew they didn’t have to taste like drywall?) One of her favorite concoctions, which I had never heard of at the time, and now order/make at every opportunity, was the lassi.

Essentially a thick Indian yogurt drink, lassis are intended to calm taste buds during a spicy meal. But, much like its fruity cousin the mango lassi, the sweet lassi is also delicious on its own.

While there were a bazillion options online, the recipe attached below is adapted from the Whole Foods website. It seemed simple enough, and turned out well. Only changes: I used low-fat yogurt and cut out the rosewater, since, uh, I don’t know what it is or where to find it. (I will rectify this situation for next time.)

Nowadays, K is married to a wonderfully awesome dude, who I am sure is benefiting from her years of experience and experiments. I wish I had appreciated it more when we were roomies. (Besides the Saltine thing. I appreciated that constantly.)

P.S. Just to clarify - this is NOT a milkshake. It is a yogurt drink. If you do not like yogurt, you will vomit profusely.

Sweet Lassi
Serves 2 (12 oz each) or 3 (8 oz each)
Adapted from Whole Foods.

2 cups plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 ice cubes

1) Blend yogurt, water, sugar, and cardamom together until smooth. Add ice cubes and blend again, until mixture is smooth. Serve cold.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
2 servings: 248 calories, 3.8 g fat, $0.65
3 servings: 165 calories, 2.5 g fat, $0.43

Calculations
2 cups plain lowfat yogurt: 309 calories, 7.6 g fat, $1.15
1/2 cup cold water: negligible fat and calories, $0.00
1/4 cup sugar: 186 calories, 0 g fat, $0.06
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom: negligible fat and calories, $0.08
6 ice cubes: negligible fat and calories, $0.00
TOTAL: 495 calories, 7.6 g fat, $1.29
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 248 calories, 3.8 g fat, $0.65
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 165 calories, 2.5 g fat, $0.43