Made to Order: "inner child" Red Velvet cake

Rich red velvet cake with whipped cream and cream cheese frosting bejeweled in a fantasy of sweeties doused with nonparallels and edible glitter.

RECIPE: Avocado ice-cream

I am possibly the HUGEST avocado fan on the planet... especially the Fuerte varietal. The best part about it is they are pretty much available all year round, with specials like 3 for R10 at Rodgers Fruiterers, who wouldn't be a permanently stoked avo fan? Just one avo provides a source of monounsaturated fat and omega-3fatty acids, antioxidants, including Vitamin E, fiber, Vitamin K and folate and many essential minerals including potassium, thiamin, iron, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and manganese and zero cholesterol!

Soft and buttery scooped with a spoon is the best way to go for me - with a dash of sriratcha for a bit of a kick, a squirt of lime juice and a crush of garlicy hummm, in salad, on pizza, in a smoothie... so why not put it in ice-cream? I PROMISE you will be pleasantly surprised by this creamy, almost guilt-free treat!

Supplemented photos from: http://www.laventel.com/, http://www.yuppiechef.co.za/, http://www.tastespotting.com/features/avocado-smoothie-recipe

Avocado ice-cream

adapted from two peas and their pod 

Makes 1 litre

Ingredients: 

3 medium ripe avocados

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream (i like the double tick one from Woolies)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Pinch of salt

Slice open the avocados, remove the pits, and scoop out the flesh. Put the avocados in a bar blender/ food processor/ stick blender. Add the sugar, sour cream, cream, lime juice, and salt. Blitz until smooth.

I churned mine in my sorbetiere then in the freezer for a firmer texture - if you don't have a sorbetiere/ ice-cream machine,just put it in the freezer and give it a stir periodically to break up the ice crystals. 

 This ice-cream would go well with a citrus tart, something chocolatey, dollop on a summer gazpacho - endless possiblities.

RECIPE: Banana Smoothie

There is nothing I love more than a banana smoothie to get my energy flowing...
Bananas are packed full of potassium, manganese, B6 and vitamin C and naturally fat, sodium and cholesterol free! Whenever I do the 5am shift at work I have my smoothie as a pre-breakfast breakfast or as a boost before dance class.

For one portion, blitz one banana, a dollop of Greek yoghurt (my favourite is the double thick) and some milk using a stick/bar blender and voila, done!

There are so many different variations you could make:
*Raw honey and almond
*a sprinkle of oat bran
*a handful of berries or other soft fruit
*swap Greek yoghurt for flavoured yoghurt
*replace the milk and yoghurt with soy milk or fruit juice for a dairy free option
*a dash of cinnamon or cardamom
*a dollop of peanut butter or other nut butters
*a scoop of ice-cream or nutella for something naughty
 

Made to Order: Dark chocolate cake with creamy ganache

Delicious chocolate cake coated in creamy chocolate ganache topped with sweet strawberries!