coconut mint ice cream

coconut mint ice cream / loveandlemons.com

Let me start by saying that mint chocolate chip has never been my top choice. It’s always been my sister’s favorite, I was more of a cookies & cream kind of girl. But this blog makes me try things I might have otherwise not… For example, I bought turnips the other day at the farmers market just because they looked cute. When I saw this green mug, I craved just one thing: Mint ice cream.

To my surprise (and Jack’s too), mint ice cream made with fresh mint is amazing! It’s a completely different ice cream flavor altogether. First off, it’s white, not green. The green from the mint doesn’t really rub off and there’s, of course, no food coloring in here. The flavor is so fresh and springy… It tastes like I picked a bunch of mint from the yard and made ice cream out of it. (which is what I did).

It’s made with coconut milk, because that’s just the way we do ice cream around here.

I also whisked together this chocolate sauce using dark baking chocolate, coconut oil and a bit of agave syrup. As a happy accident… it’s vegan magic shell.

Go to the recipe “coconut mint ice cream”…

creamy tortilla soup

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I have this tortilla rotation… I buy (or make) fresh tortillas, and freeze the ones I don’t use within a day or two. I’ll use those frozen tortillas for awhile (reheated directly on the gas stovetop). But before that batch is gone, I’ll inevitably acquire new ones. Soon enough, I have a random assortment filling my freezer, all at various stages of pre-freezerburn.

And then I make this soup.

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There are two types of tortilla soup: the thin brothy kind (usually with chicken), and this creamy version where corn tortillas are cooked into the base of the soup as a thickener. They bring a nice earthy flavor that works especially well with the bold spicy flavors that are in here. And if you’re not tortilla-d out by now, I suggest topping the soup with crispy tortilla strips, and serving it with warm tortillas (fresher ones) on the side.

Go to the recipe “creamy tortilla soup”…

austin food & wine festival

Austin Food & Wine // Love & Lemons

Just wanted to share some of our highlights from the Austin Food & Wine Festival… an eating extravaganza that Jack and I were so excited to attend last weekend. We had an absolute blast sampling food from so many fantastic chefs.

These snapshots are from Friday night’s Taste of Texas, the late night party Sips & Sweets, and Saturday night’s Rock your Taco event.

Special thanks to C3 Presents and Food & Wine for inviting us to be official 2013 AFWF Lifestyle Ambassadors. 

(bottom left kimchi grilled cheese photo credit Cambria Harkey)

spring kale panzanella

spring kale panzanella

This very green salad couldn’t be more timely. Jack and I spent all weekend tasting inhaling food at the Austin Food & Wine fest. And then we spent last night in some sort of food coma. Overall, I think we showed pretty good restraint… That is until Saturday night’s “Rock your Taco” event. We rocked tacos alright… And then a few tacos rocked us.

But no regrets… kale to the rescue. A big bowl of it. This salad is part marinated kale and part and panzanella. Two of my favorite salads, together as one. Kale, fennel slices, peas and feta are all tossed with a lemony dijon vinaigrette. With ciabatta cubes to soak it up.

This is great as a light dinner on it’s own, or perfect alongside some grilled salmon.

spring kale panzanella

Go to the recipe “spring kale panzanella”…

cinco de mango

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We celebrated Cinco de Mayo a little early this year with a mango fiesta. You should too because mangoes are on sale (like, $1 something) at Whole Foods until the end of April.

I brought home muchos mangoes last weekend and mixed up this sweet & spicy salsa. Then (from the same salsa recipe), I made black bean tacos and an avocado-mango salad.

And, of course, no fiesta is complete without tequila. I made a lighter version of a margarita – a mango margarita spritzer. Cheers!

Go to the recipe “cinco de mango”…