Monday, November 02, 2009

Creamy Spinach Pasta and
Three New Purely Decadent Flavors!

I'm really loving my McDougall cookbook. Even though there are more than 300 recipes to explore, I tried some recipes that we enjoyed so much, I'm already making them again. One of these is this simple, yet very delicious Creamy Spinach Pasta. (In the link, it's called Spinach Pesto Fettucine–4th recipe from the top.) I made it with Mrs. Leeper's Corn Rotelli for my gluten-intolerant friend, Meryl Ann, when she was visiting me a couple of weeks ago. I think corn pasta is the best-tasting pasta around. And although it's expensive, I discovered that a 12-oz bag will go as far as a 16-oz box of semolina pasta. I know, it still costs a lot more, but I think it's worth it—especially for those who are wheat-intolerant, or if you're like me. I can't eat wheat pasta without feeling terribly weighted down and lethargic, so I avoid eating it.


Look how bright and colorful this dish is! And if you love pesto, this recipe is packed with creamy basil and garlic. But it's also low fat, because it's made without any added oil!

After such a delectable dinner, I wanted to treat myself to an equally tantalizing dessert. I treated myself to a small taste of the three new Purely Decadent Made with Coconut Milk frozen desserts. I had a spoonful of each!


The Chocolate Brownie Almond flavor was light, creamy, and chocolatey, just like the chocolate coconut milk flavor, but with tasty bits of almonds and brownie pieces. Cherry Amaretto had lots of nice big hunks of black cherries in a marzipan-like creamy base. It made me dream of how heavenly a pistachio-cherry coconut milk ice cream would be. Oh, Turtle Mountain, could you please do this one small thing for me?

My favorite flavor of the three is Turtle Trails. I surprised myself with this one, because it's not my favorite soy flavor. But the chocolate-coated pecans and caramel sauce blended beautifully in the coconut milk ice cream. It tasted light, fluffy, and rich, and I think my tongue left my mouth and took a short trip to nirvana.

Mark on the other hand, can stand to gain a few pounds, so he can always treat himself to as much ice cream as his heart desires. He chose Chocolate Brownie Almond for his first round. And as you can see from the photo, it's a chocolate-brownie-lover's dream!


So here's a new contest: Visit the Turtle Mountain website, and check out all of their amazing flavors. Come back here, and leave me a comment telling me what your dream flavor is. One creative person will win 3 VIP coupons good for any of your favorite So Delicious or Purely Decadent products! I can't wait to read your responses! Good luck!

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never had pistachio cherry ice cream, but I sure would love a pistachio coconut milk ice cream! Ever since they stopped making the pistachio almond soy flavor, I've been craving a really good vegan pistachio alternative. I think it would be amazing in coconut milk!

Anonymous said...

A malted vanilla peanut butter cup flavor would be delicious!

Kendra said...

Lemon poppyseed coconut milk ice cream!

veganimal@hotmail.com

dotted lines said...

I REALLY want to try the Coconut Milk Raspberry Yogurt. I haven't seen it yet in Canada, and yogurt is the one thing I haven't found a decent substitute for!

Vegiegail said...

From what I've read, because of Canadian regulations on fortified foods, Turtle Mountain doesn't know if or when their yogurt will be available in Canada. :(

JLink52 said...

I would love to see a green tea flavor come out. I love getting that at Japanese restaurants and it would be awesome if there could be a version my lactose intolerant/gluten-free friends and I could all love. Think of the antioxidant bonus Turtle Mountain could talk up! And, they'd be leagues ahead of the other icecream brands that never put out a green tea flavor at all : )

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

I'm not gluten-intolerant either, but my favorite pasta is quinoa pasta. I'm not sure if you've tried it, but I prefer it to the corn pasta.

I really did not need to know that there are new Purely Decadent flavors! ;) My dream flavor would be one that tastes exactly like I remember Nutella tasting.

nora said...

My dream flavor would be peanut butter/brownie/cookie dough!

Vegiegail said...

Wow! These are some yummy ideas! JLink52, did you know that Turtle Mountain already makes a green tea ice cream? I love it, and I have some in my freezer right now! You can view it here:

http://turtlemountain.com/products/its_soy_delicious_green_tea.html

It sure would be awesome if they came out with a green tea coconut milk flavor, though!

Abby Bean said...

If they could just take their reigning Peanut Butter Zig Zag and fill it with dark chocolate peanut butter cups and vegan reese's pieces (that yet to exist) that would be phenomenal. PB hearts chocolate.

Erica said...

You know what my dream flavor would be? Espresso mint! :D

pahavit@yahoo.com

newsie15 said...

A good orange creamsicle would be amazing! I know another company makes this flavor, but it doesn't taste that great. If Purely Decadent made it, it would be creamy, refreshing and so fabulous!

Angel said...

Count me in on a coconut milk pistachio cherry flavor, too! I'd also love a coconut milk raspberry brownie flavor.

Niche Topics said...

Thanks for the link! I'm a big fan of coconut milk too :)

Helen said...

I'd love to see banana walnut bread, carrot cake, cinnamon bun, or vegan egg nog flavors.

The Vegan said...

I've had this pasta before and love it. The dish you made with it looks delicious!

The flavor "ice cream" I would like to see would be a coconut based, vanilla chocolate ripple. This would be vanilla with lots of fudge strips throughout it. But the key is LOTS of fudge ripples!

Ice Cream Forum said...

My dream flavor would be a truly dark, dark chocolate... as dark as my evil little heart! Hehe :) I would definitely try the chocolate flavors, should I win any coupons!

Pam Holt said...

My dream flavor would be banana fudge! :) YUMMY!!!!!

Purely Decadent is SCRUMPTIOUS!

Thanks for all you do, Gail!

pam@buddhadog.com

VeganMarr said...

Wow, I 2nd the idea of MANY of the suggested flavors: PB/choc, eggnog, cinnamon bun, banana fudge, creamsicle, expresso mint. What's nutella?? OK, MY dream flavoe would be like my fave Evolution fresh juice: MANGO-PINEAPPLE-ORANGE!! :-)

And, Gail, that pasta dish looks SOOOO yummy. And the very attractive plate adds to the colorfulness! You have the coolest plates!!!

All 3 new flavors sound delish, first one I'd like to try is Cherry
Amaretto. I'll have to see if it's in stock next visit to Whole Foods!

Chris said...

How about a vanilla butter cream coconut milk ice cream? Is that even possible? Well, a girl can dream, can't she? I can't wait to try the Turtle Trails flavor. It sounds incredible!

vegancuisineisgreen@yahoo.com

indiacarless said...

Yum! Blueberry Cheesecake - I want to try that!

Emily said...

I would love to see a vegan chubby hubby... so, something like: vanilla base ice-cream, with chocolate and peanut butter swirls and (chocolate-covered?) pretzel bits. Mmmm...

Sarah said...

I cannot top the wonder that is their snickerdoodle!! <3

Quiet Lady said...

My dream flavor would be the Peanut Butter Zig Zag with tofee chunks and caramel.

Anonymous said...

I would love sink my spoon into some cinnamon bun ice cream!

Snoozer von Grimlock Bumblebee 3 said...

I'd like a Peanut Parfait with layers of peanuts, fudge, and butterscotch between layers of vanilla coconut-based ice cream. Then, I'd eat it with one of those long spoons out of the container and pretend I was at the Ice Cream Shop :)

Teresa said...

I really really want to try the Cherry Amaretto. I have high expectations so I hope they are met!

As for a "dream" flavor. I'd have to go with Pumpkin Pomegranate Chip (the chip part being flecks of chocolate).

Anonymous said...

Peach cobbler - big chunks of peaches and ribbon of agave peach syrup with buttery flavor coconut bits as the cobbler topping in cake batter flavor coconut milk ice cream.

Lori J. Bayne said...

Believe it or not, my dream flavor is simply their Vanilla. I make it into my dream banana split. As a gluten & dairy intolerant raw foodist, I rarely venture into cooked food, but I make the occasional exception for this stuff! I take 2 scoops of the "ice cream", split a banana lengthwise and place a piece on either side of the scoops and pour homemade strawberry syrup on one scoop (raw strawberries and agave, if they aren't already super sweet, and I mix those in my Vita-Mix. Then I shake up raw cacao powder, agave and water in a jar to make a chocolate syrup, and top the other scoop with that. Last, I sprinkle raw, chopped pecans on top, and place a bing cherry on each scoop. HEAVEN! That's my Friday Night Dinner sometimes. I guess if you had banana flavored ice cream (or banana chunks in vanilla), strawberry and cacao ribbons/swirls, plus cherry and pecan pieces throughout, you'd have my ideal banana split ice cream!

Courtney said...

Coconut milk vanilla ice cream with smashed up chocolate peanut butter cups! Like reeses but a million times better!

Paul said...

I think my dream flavor would have to be coconut milk ice cream with coffee, pistachios and smooth pieces of dark chocolate.

Tracey said...

I would love a Toasted Marshmallow flavor with chunks of toasted marshmallows!

mvegan said...

I love Soy Delicious, my favorites are; Turtle Trails, Peanut Butter Zig Zag, and the Peanut Butter Chocolate half/half large size. I would love an almond raspberry chocolate chip flavor... yum!!!!

Unknown said...

I would love either a Coconut Almond Joy (coconut flavor ice cream, with coconut, toasted almonds & chocolate chunks), or a Dastardly Mash type flavor (chocolate ice cream with toasted almonds,raisins, pecans, & chocolate chunks)... either one would make my day!!