Desserts

Kick-Ass Carrot Cookies

Vegan, Dairy-Free

Makes 3 dozen cookies | 65 calories per cookie

1 cup rolled oatsMMGF

1 cup white flourNGF

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powderMMGF

½ teaspoon baking sodaMMGF

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup grapeseed oil

1 cup grated carrot

½ cup dried cherriesPT (see note)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In one bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the syrup and oil.
4. Add the carrots and dried cherries to the wet mixture and mix well.
5. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and gently combine. Do NOT overmix, or the cookies will be rubbery.
6. Drop 1-teaspoon portions of the mixture on a grapeseed-oiled baking sheet, 2 inches apart. (These cookies only bake well if they are small.)
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, as they burn easily.

Notes: For the picky eaters in your home, sneak a little carrot into their diet with this amazing cookie recipe. • For a fun variation, dried cherries can be replaced by currants, raisins, dried blueberries, or dried cranberries, or a combination. –Chef Philip

Seared Watermelon with Feta & Prosciutto

Gluten-Free

Makes 2 servings | 75 calories per serving

8 (½-inch by ½-inch by 2–3-inch-long) rectangular solids (like square logs), cut from the heart of half a watermelon, avoiding seeds

4 thin slices prosciuttoPT

2 teaspoons crumbled feta cheese

1. Place a medium-size frying pan over high heat.
2. When the pan is quite hot, spray it with nonstick cooking spray and place four of the watermelon logs in the frying pan.
3. Turn the logs to sear each of the four sides. If the pan is hot enough, it is about 30 seconds per side. (You want them just to sear a bit, no more.)
4. When the first four watermelon logs have a smidge of black on all sides, remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining four watermelon logs.
6. To plate, neatly place two pieces of prosciutto on each 8-inch plate and then stack four watermelon logs (two on top of two) per serving on the prosciutto.
7. Garnish each watermelon tower with a teaspoon of feta.

Notes: This is a really fun dish to make with your dinner company watching you. Everyone always seems surprised that you can cook watermelon. • The caramelized taste of the watermelon is unique, and the combination of all the ingredients is light but savory. • One could use crumbled tofu or sprinkle nutritional yeast instead of the feta if you are dairy-free. –Dr. Jamie

Poached Pears with Tea & Vanilla

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 4 servings | 163 calories per serving

1 quart water

2 vanilla beans, split in half

3 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

2 cloves

½ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons jasmine tea leaves,PT or 4 jasmine tea bagsPT (oolongPT can be substituted)

2 large pears,PT halved and cored

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, syrup, and tea.
3. Cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the tea (if you have not used tea bags, strain to remove the loose tea leaves).
4. Bring back to a simmer.
5. Add the pears, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Notes: The fruit absorbs liquid as it is being poached and becomes very tender. • Poaching is a great way to add lots of flavor to fruit, and a good poaching liquid is vital, as the fruit will take on its flavor. • Wonderful by itself, but even better served with ice cream or sorbet. –Chef Philip

Banana Pistachio Ice Cream

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 8 servings | 150 calories per serving

½ cup raw pistachiosPT

2 cups water

½ cup maple syrup

4 ripe bananas

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and purée until totally smooth.
2. Transfer the purée to an ice cream maker and churn until frozen according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Notes: Going vegan became easy when I learned how to make ice creams out of nuts. • As a vegan chef, I find cashews to be a solution for many culinary needs. • Raw cashews provide a great deal of fat yet very little flavor, thus making them ideal for sauces and ice creams and many other applications. • However, for reflux diets, cashews may be a trigger, so we have replaced them with pistachios in this recipe. As nuts go, pistachios are an uncommon reflux trigger, so this ice cream may be suitable for most people on the detox diet—I consider this only a minor cheat. • This handcrafted vegan ice cream is a signature of my underground restaurant and catering menus, often surprising and even shocking many of the omnivore diners. –Chef Philip

Caramelized Bananas

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 4 servings | 110 calories per serving

¼ cup palm sugar

¼ cup water

2 bananas, halved lengthwise

1. In a small frying pan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the bananas, cook for 5 minutes, and then turn over and cook another 5 minutes.

Notes: Everyone deserves a treat, and there’s certainly something that conquers images of the extravagant and the luxurious with this dish. • I’m sure Elvis would have enjoyed this as a snack! It goes particularly well on pancakes or crepes. • For extra flavor, add a split vanilla bean or a cinnamon stick to the sugar water mixture as the sugar dissolves. –Chef Philip

Watermelon Sorbet

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 4 servings | 15 calories per serving

4 cups watermelon purée

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1. Combine the watermelon purée and lemon zest and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Notes: It will be hard to find something more refreshing and quenching in the summer than this insanely simple-to-create dish. • Purée the watermelon in a high-speed blender. • Lemon zest is fine for refluxers; it’s the juice and fruit that cause problems, not the peel. –Chef Philip

Ginger-Carrot Ice Pop

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 2 servings | 160 calories per serving

2 tablespoons agave

2 cups fresh carrot juice

2 teaspoons fresh ginger juice

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into an ice pop mold. Insert sticks and freeze until set.

Notes: Late one evening, while chatting with my dear friend Chris about parenting, he mentioned a healthy and cheap alternative to buying store-bought ice pops for his two little boys. • I was intrigued, and inspired by the image of their little hands reaching into the freezer for a bright, multicolored selection of treats—so healthy that they can be enjoyed after breakfast. I decided to make them for my children. Instant hit! • You really need a juicer for this recipe; the juices should be fresh. • If you want to make more, you can obviously double or triple this recipe. –Sonia

Cucumber Cooler

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 4 servings | 20 calories per serving

2 cucumbers (preferably Japanese or Persian), peeled

4 quarts water

1. Purée the cucumbers in a blender with a little of the water until smooth.
2. Combine the purée with the rest of the water.
3. Pour over ice and serve.

Notes: A simple and very refreshing summertime drink! • Add rosemary sprigs or lime zest for some playful options. –Chef Philip

Cucumber Sorbet

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 4 servings | 50 calories per serving

2 pounds cucumbers (preferably Japanese or Persian), peeled

1 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional; this works without any sweetener)

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth.
2. Transfer purée to an ice cream maker and churn until frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Notes: This is a great summer refresher on a sweltering summer evening, as the cucumbers have an immediate cooling effect on the body. • The clean, refreshing taste of the sorbet also makes a great palate refresher. • For a fun serving idea, scoop the sorbet into hollowed-out lime halves. –Chef Philip

Natural Fruit Mold

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 4 servings | 70 calories per serving

2 cups water

1 cup fresh blueberry juicePT

2 teaspoons kanten (agar) powder

Fresh seasonal fruit, sliced

Seasonal berriesPT

1. In a saucepan, heat up the water and juice, then add the kanten powder and stir constantly with a whisk to dissolve.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
3. Pour the kanten mixture into a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
4. Decorate with fresh fruit slices and berries.
5. Let set for 2 hours, then chill before serving.

Notes: This is a very refreshing summer dish from Japan, and it is quite simple and inexpensive to prepare. • Kanten has an immediate cooling effect on the body and is also very good for digestion. • Multiple layers of kanten can be prepared for a very beautiful plate. After you prepare one layer, let it fully set and then prepare the second layer. • When doing this, use different juices with different colors so that each layer has a different color. –Chef Philip

Shaved Fruit Ice

Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 4 servings | 120 calories per serving

4 cups crushed ice

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons vanilla almond milk

2 cups diced seasonal fruits

1. Divide the crushed ice equally into four serving cups.
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon almond milk over each ice cup.
3. Top each with ½ cup diced fruits.

Notes: This traditional Taiwanese summer treat is traditionally topped with sweetened beans, taro root, and jellies and is drizzled with sugar syrup and condensed milk. • My favorite variation as a child was one made with sweet preserved plums, as the acidity balanced out the sweetness of the traditional treat. • Before I immigrated to the U.S., shaved ice using “milk ice” had just started to become popular in Taiwan. Milk ice makes a more finely shaved, cold fluffy goodness that looks like a cloud covered in jewels (fruits). • This healthier version replaces the traditional condensed milk and sugar syrup with vanilla almond milk and a bit of honey, but still offers a satisfying, cool, sweet reward on a hot day. –Sonia