GRILLED PEACHES & NICE CREAM

WHAT’S IN IT

  • 4 medium fresh peaches or nectarines

  • 2 medium bananas

  • 3 T chopped fresh basil

  • 2 T pure maple syrup

  • 2 T chopped toasted pecans

  • Optional - Small basil leaves for garnish

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. Thinly slice two of the peaches

  2. Peel bananas and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place peaches and bananas on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze 2 to 4 hours.

  3. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine frozen peaches and bananas with chopped basil. Cover and process until smooth and creamy, stopping processor a few times to scrape down sides. Add 1 T maple syrup if needed for sweetness, more to your taste. Note – if you prefer firmer nICE cream, freeze for 1 to 2 hours.

  4. Cut the remaining two peaches in half; remove pits. Grill peach halves cut sides down, uncovered, over medium-high 6 to 8 minutes or until tender and lightly charred.

  5. Place grilled peach halves cut sides up in bowls. Add scoops of nice cream. Sprinkle with pecans and, if desired, small basil leaves. Drizzle with the remaining maple syrup.

  6. Serve immediately for soft-serve, or for a firmer ice cream, transfer mixture to an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze 1 to 2 hours.

WHY IT’S HEALTHY

For starters, nICE Cream is dairy free and has no added sugar. Bananas are a great source of fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and potassium. Bananas are also a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that produces serotonin, one of the “happy hormones” as well as antioxidants that help with the release of dopamine, another mood-enhancing hormone. The potassium and magnesium in bananas support heart health. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure to prevent excess strain on the heart muscle. Peaches display strong antioxidant properties that have long-term implications for fighting disease and ridding the body of free radicals. Because they contain the powerful antioxidants like lutein, peaches also help to protect your eyes and keep them healthy. The carotenoids build up in the macular tissue of your eyes and help prevent macular degeneration, an age-related cause of blindness and blurred vision caused by damage to macular cells. Maple Syrup has high levels of beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

 

inspired by Shelli McConnell