Recipe: Frozen Yogurt Tahini Banana Bites :: MMM (Must Make Monday)

July 24, 2012 by Laureen Fox | 20 Comments

I have been a collector of recipes for as long as I can remember but I never manage to find enough time to try all the recipes I collect and that was the reason my MMM (Must-Make-Monday) series was born. The idea is to force myself to choose at least one recipe from my Must-Make-List each week. I will post the results on my blog. Solid idea, or so I thought, but with my recipe collection growing faster than the speed of light, I could use a month of Mondays and still not get to half of the recipes in my collection(s). That’s the other thing, since I started this blog, my collection has become plural. It started with the Must-Make-Page on my site but I also have a Must-Make Board on Pinterest.

My MMM (Must-Make-Monday) series, is good in that it forces me to follow through and use recipes from my collection(s). After using a recipe, I check it off and add it to Made-This (TAB). You can view archive postings from my MMM (Must-Make-Monday) series, by clicking here.

To start things off this week, here are a few recipes, that I’ve come across recently. I’ve categorized them but listed them in no particular order. These are recipes that I would love to try but haven’t gotten around to yet. They are to become the newest additions to my Must-Make-List.

Important *** I have not tagged these recipe links as Gluten, Grain, Sugar, Dairy, Egg or Nut Free, nor have I labelled them as Vegan or Vegetarian. Please review and confirm the recipe meets your dietary requirements before you begin.

Sweet:

Coconut Orange Macaroons by Nourishing Treasures. This recipe is without refined sugar, which makes me feel better about giving in to my weakness for Coconut Macaroons.
Cinnamon Dolce Latte Marble Cake by The 21st Century Housewife. [[not GF]] OMG, you have no idea how much I love Cinnamon Dolce Latte!! When I first saw a picture of this cake on Facebook, I bumped my noggin trying to get at it.
Strawberry Bliss Cookies by Daily Bites. I’ve never tried adding fresh strawberries to cookies. I would like to give this recipe a try.
Irresistible Coconut Oil Chocolates by Beyond The Peel. Yum! These chocolates do indeed look irresistible.
Homemade Fruit Leather by Penniless Parenting. I’ve never made fruit leather. It appears surprisingly easy to make.
How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries by Gluten Free Homemaker. I just picked up some fresh strawberries…yum, maybe I should try a few of them dipped in chocolate
Vanilla Toasted Coconut Bars by Kelly Brozyna of The Spunky Coconut on the Balanced Platter. These no-bake bars look like a perfect treat to have on hand for a quick gluten free pick me up.
Florentines by Jule’s Gluten Free. These lacy cookies look wonderful.
Gluten Free Blueberry Mango Crisp by The Baking Beauties. I don’t know why I’ve never thought to try a blueberry mango combination. This is one crisp I can hardly wait to try!
Orange Blueberry Pecan Cake by That’s So Vegan. [[not GF]] As you can probably tell, I am craving fresh local blueberries!
Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts by Simply Gluten Free. These baked doughnuts use a basic quick baking mix from Carol Kicinski’s latest cookbook Simply Gluten Free Quick Meals. Quick home-baked doughnuts…Yummers!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies by She Let Them Eat Cake. I love a lemon and poppy-seed combination.
Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Bark by Free Coconut Recipes. These are like no-bake chocolate bars. Yummy!
Alyssa’s Quinoa Coconut Macaroons guest post on Simply Sugar and Gluten Free by The Queen of Quinoa. As mentioned above, I have a weakness for coconut macaroons and I’m loving quinoa these days. I can hardly wait to give this recipe a try.
Lemon And Blueberry Cake GF SCD by Gluten Free SCD and Veggie. Oh my goodness, this loaf cake looks absolutely delicious! I picked up some fresh blueberries so I can make this tomorrow.

Frozen:

Blueberry Ice Cream by Diet, Dessert and Dogs. As soon as our local blueberries are ripe, I am going to make this Ice Cream!
Raspberry Swirl Coconut Ice Cream SCD-GAPS-Paleo by Real Food Forager. I feel we might be in for a hot Summer after having such a cold Spring. Time to make some refreshing frozen treats.
Banana Split Popsicle by The Nourishing Home. A healthy twist on a classic flavour combination.
Watermelon Lavender Sorbet by Farm Flavor. I bet I can use this recipe to make a wonderful, refreshing summer beverage!
Creamsicle Popsicles Dairy-Free Refined Sugar-Free Paleo GAPS Friendly by Maid in Alaska. My favourite Popsicle as a kid was definitely Orange Creamsicles. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to recreate some at home?
DF Real Food Ice Pops by Real Food Forager. Red, White and Blue ice pops made with real fruit, no added sweeteners or food colouring.
Simply Delicious Mango Sorbet by Mexican Wildflower. This looks sooo good!
Watermelon Popsicle With A Hint Of Mint by Spice Roots. Perfect timing for me to try this recipe. I have some watermelon in the freezer solely for making popsicles or sorbet and I happen to have some fresh mint on hand.
Cherry Cheesecake Popsicles With Shortcake Crumb by Spa Bettie. Wow, Cherry Cheesecake Popsicles! I’m hoping this will be a long hot summer

Beverage:

Ginger Lime Fizz With Blueberries by Vegetarian Times. This summer drink looks so refreshing. I’ll take mine sans vodka please.
Nojitos – Non-Alcoholic Mojitos by The Blender Girl. Mojitos are my favourite cocktail but these days I prefer to go alcohol free. This fresh lime and mint recipe by the Blender Girl sounds like the perfect blend!
Velvet Ginger Lemonade by Tess, The Blender Girl on the Balanced Platter. A lemonade that uses the entire lemon, skin and all. I’m for sure going to try this refreshing beverage.

Bread:

Gluten Free Bread That Tastes Like Wheat by Whole Intentions. This bread looks really good. I need to use up some of the GF flours in my pantry. I like idea of making pull-apart buns out of the dough.
Brioche Buns by A Sage Amalgam. These buns look like they would make perfect gluten free burger buns!
Almond Flour Cinnamon Rolls by All Day I Dream About Food. I really love cinnamon rolls but have found they are a bit tricky to make gluten free. However, I’ve never tried making them with almond flour.

Breakfast:

Coconut Granola by Everyday Vegan Girl. This Granola is sweetened with dates, bananas, has coconut and is free of sugar and oil!
Grain Free Waffles a Guest Post on Real Sustenance by Against All Grain. I love waffles but I haven’t had any since going gluten free over a year ago. These grain free waffles from Danielle look soooo good!
Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa by Pastry Affair. Yet another way for me to get quinoa into my diet.

Salad:

Quinoa and Chickpea Salad With a Tahini Balsamic Dressing by Taste Space. For me, this salad recipe has it all. I can’t wait to try it.
Arugula Grapefruit Avocado and Shaved Fennel Salad With Macadamia Nut Dressing by Gluten Free For Good. I’m always on the lookout for different salad combinations and this one with the Macadamia Nut Dressing sure sounds tasty.
Red White Blue Quinoa Fruit Salad With Vanilla Honey Vinaigrette by From The Little Yellow Kitchen. This sweet fresh fruit and candied almond Quinoa dish looks perfect!
Roasted Carrot Lentil Sunflower Salad by Daily Bites. Somewhere in the Fox Kitchen, there’s a newspaper clipping for a tomato, rice and lentil salad. It was one of my favourite salads but it’s been years since I last made it. Hallie’s recipe reminded me of how good lentils are in a salad.
Black Quinoa Salad With Mango Avocado Tomatoes by Two Peas And Their Pod. Mango, avocado and quinoa? Sounds perfect to me.
Tahini-Tamari Dressing by gluten free girl and the chef. I think everything tastes better with a little Tahini!

Savoury:

Dairy Free Gluten Free Almond Crackers by Create Play Teach. With only 4 ingredients, these crackers look so easy to make and I bet they’re yummy too.
Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters by Kim Maes of Cook It Allergy Free on the Balanced Platter. Kim says these zucchini fritters are ones that even zucchini haters will love.
Stir-Fried Asparagus with Ginger and Garlic by Remedial Eating. Yummmm, love asparagus! Stir fried with ginger and garlic, sounds perfect.
Lasagna With Homemade Grain Free Noodles by Against All Grain. Love Lasagna! Who doesn’t?
Almond Chicken by Aunt B on a Budget. No flour needed, the ingredients used to make these chicken strips, are naturally gluten free.
Coconut Lime Chicken Bites by Daily Bites. I love this idea of adding lime to my coconut chicken nuggets.
Perfectly Cooked Coconut Rice Without a Rice Cooker by Steamy Kitchen. I’ve never had Coconut Rice but I like the idea of it. This recipe along with some grilled halibut…yum!
How To Prepare Horseradish Photo Tutorial by Daily Bites. I love some good strong sinus clearing horseradish. Hallie’s tutorial sure makes it look easy to make.
Chile Lime Roasted Chickpeas by This Chick Cooks. These sound like a perfect summertime snack.
Honey Sesame Mushrooms by Beyond The Peel. YUM! I love mushrooms. These look like they would go perfectly with a grilled chicken breast.

Miscellaneous:

Need some healthy salad ideas? Visit Debbie each Sunday as she hosts the Summer Salad Sundays event at Easy Natural Food.
Gluten Free Ratio Rally – Bread hosted by Karen at Cooking Gluten Free. The Gluten Free Ratio Rally started a year ago with some talented bakers who are gluten free bloggers. Each month, the bloggers are challenged to develop recipes by ratio. In June 2012, they tackled the topic of gluten free bread.
Basic Eating Strategies For Energy and Granola-Style Energy Bars by Melissa McLean Jory of Gluten-Free For Good on the Balanced Platter
Herbs and Spices Summer Series Schedule on Gluten Free SCD and Veggie. Check out the articles on this Summer series of herbs and spices. The posts cover topics about the healing powers of herbs and spices, how to grow them and how to use them.
Gluten Free 101 Cheat Sheet Comparing GF Flours by The Daily Dietribe. I’m bookmarking this page for sure! It is the perfect companion to go along with my Gluten Free Flours A to Z.
101 Summer Salads by Daily Bites. Oh my!
The Easiest Way To Preserve Herbs by Whole New Mom. Good tips for preserving fresh herbs.
Weekly Gluten-Free Roundup by Maura at Celiac Kitchen Witch. Interested in more Gluten Free Recipes and Reviews? I love browsing through the weekly roundup that Maura compiles. You should sign up to receive it.
Good news for my Canadian readers, via Glutenfree Vancouver. The Canadian Celiac Association recently started a Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP).

To see a text listing of my gluten free recipes, click here, or if you prefer, you can visit my recently updated Recipage.

Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. ~ Steve Jobs

Here’s a look at what’s been cooking in the Fox Kitchen lately…

Watermelon Arugula and Feta Salad by A Muse In My Kitchen. A simple salad that is as delicious as it looks. We absolutely fell in love with this salad! I think I made it three or four nights in a row. Just writing this has me craving it now.

The only changes I made to the original recipe was to use an organic baby spring mix instead of the arugula and I was short on lemons, so I used a lemon/lime mix in the dressing. I wouldn’t change anything, except maybe add some protein to make a full meal. I’m thinking grilled tofu, chicken, prawns or halibut would be lovely additions.

Quinoa Bites by Squash Blossom Babies. Don’t you just love that blog name? I sure do. Anyways, you bake these quick, nutritious little quinoa bites in a mini muffin pan. I loved the look and flavour of these but mine didn’t stick together very well. Still, I definitely plan to try again. Maybe add some psyllium husks, or GF Bread Crumbs? Fry instead of bake? I’m thinking about adding a mild West Indian Curry and then serving them with some plain unsweetened yogurt. Hmmm something to think about.

As soon as I saw this post for Gluten Free Dairy Free Vegan Rich Chocolate Ice Cream by Shirley at Gluten Free Easily, this is what I said

I’ve decided there’s no such thing as too many Chocolate and Ice Cream recipes! As soon as my bananas ripen, I’m going to make this ice cream

Well my bananas ripened, so I dug out the Ice Cream Maker and made us some Rich Chocolate Ice Cream. Feeling impatient and being a person who treats recipes more or less as a suggestion, I forged ahead despite the fact that I didn’t have any [**gasp**] coconut milk in the house.

Instead, I used 1 1/3 cup of chilled almond milk, rounded the cocoa up to 3 Tbsp, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 large ripe bananas and for good measure, added a rounded Tbsp of almond butter. This all went into my food processor…which is broken by the way. Does anyone want to get me a late birthday present? Or an early Christmas gift?

Once blended, I gave it a little taste test, yummers. I then unceremoniously poured the lot into my Ice Cream Maker and sat back waiting for the mixture to churn into something frozen and as delicious tasting as I remember Shirley’s Ice Cream looking.

At the last-minute, I decided to add about a 1/4 Cup of almond slivers and then topped it off with some whole raw almonds. The final results were delicious. Hubby calls it “dangerous”. We will keep the fact that it is made with some healthier ingredients as our little secret…okay?

Shirley, if you’re reading this, I wanted to show you I’ve replenished my stock of coconut milk. I have a can chilling in the fridge ready for my next batch of Rich Chocolate Ice Cream. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with us

I’ve got another frozen goodie for you. A picture of some Frozen Yogurt Tahini Banana Bites first appeared here on the MMM (Must Make Monday) post for May 9th. Since then the recipe has evolved a bit but my love of these little treats has not wavered.

I almost always have a batch tucked away in the freezer for those times when I’m craving a special treat. With all the goodness packed into these little babies, I never feel guilty about reaching for one and it’s surprising how satisfying just one of them is.

The original recipe was vegan. If you follow a vegan diet then you’ll want to omit the yogurt or use coconut yogurt instead. You can also head on over to visit Gabby at The Veggie Nook. She’s got all sorts of other vegan treats there that I’m sure you would love to try. One thing to keep in mind, is although her recipes are wheat free, they may not always be gluten free but from what I’ve seen, Gabby is very good at giving options and marking the recipes that are gluten free.

I enjoy reading Gabby’s posts. Her recipes are always healthy. She is a student of Holistic Nutrition, who is very good at providing info on the nutritional benefits of the ingredients used.

Recipe: Frozen Yogurt Tahini Banana Bites

View Print Friendly Recipe Here

Summary: With all the goodness packed into these little babies, you’ll never feel guilty about reaching for one.

Based on recipe by Gabby at The Veggie Nook.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup cold pressed coconut oil, warmed until melted
1/2 Cup tahini, use raw unprocessed tahini if available
2-4 Tbsp honey, or agave for vegan, or equivalent sweetener of choice
pinch of sea salt
1/2 Cup plain unsweetened yogurt, for vegan or dairy free, simply omit, or use coconut yogurt
1 Tbsp raw sesame seeds (optional)
1 ripe banana

Instructions

This recipe makes about 24 mini treats. Prepare mini cupcake pan with liners. I have used both candy sized and mini cupcake liners. Both work equally well.
In a small bowl, combine melted coconut oil, tahini, sweetener of choice and salt. Mix until well blended. Note: it helps if these ingredients are slightly warm. You can warm them in a saucepan or heat in a microwave for half a minute.
Add yogurt and mix until well blended.
Spoon or pour a small amount of the Tahini mixture into each the cupcake liners. Set remaining mixture aside. Sprinkle cups with sesame seeds, if using, and then put pan in the freezer for a few minutes, to set.
Meanwhile, slice your banana into 24 slices.
Remove pan from the freezer, place a banana slice on top of each cup. Spoon or pour remaining Tahini mixture evenly over the banana slices. You can sprinkle on more sesame seeds, if desired.
Place pan back in the freezer for one to two hours before serving. Keep frozen, sealed in a freezer safe container or zip lock style freezer bag.
Serve frozen.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian | Vegan Option

Diet tags: Gluten Free | Sugar Free | Grain Free | Egg Free | Dairy Free Option

Number of servings (yield): 24

This posting is linked to the following events:

Make Your Own! Mondays hosted by Lea at Nourishing Treasures

Melt In Your Mouth Monday hosted by Jane at Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms

My Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya at My Sweet and Savoury

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays hosted by Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Traditional Tuesdays hosted by Melanie at Pickle Me Too

Fat Tuesday hosted by Jill at Real Food Forager

Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Nikki at chef in training