Vanilla Beet Ice Cream

This past week was sort of crazy for me, I felt like I was on autopilot much of the time due to being busy at work and coming back after the holidays.  I was so glad to finally make it to the weekend that I felt like making something crazy and out of the ordinary to celebrate.  I work in a deli, and I don't know how many times this week I have heard "I need to detox" or "I am on a diet" of some sort, or "I am trying to eat healthy for my New Years resolution".  Way too many times...and the sad thing is how many people will fall off the wagon and go back to their old ways.  Well, I try to eat well all the time, and I love my beets.  I have noticed that since many new claims about how healthy they are for you we have been selling a lot of them at my work.  Which gave me the crazy idea to make a shocking pink ice cream out of them. 

Crazy, yes! But disgusting, no.  Many other people have used vegetables in ice cream, myself included. I mean what really makes squash or pumpkin so different than a beet in ice cream?  Maybe I was partially doing this for the shock value, or because I was finding such a thing amusing after a stressful week, but whatever the case the result was delicious!  I combined beet puree with a coconut vanilla bean base, and what you could mostly taste was the vanilla with a little bit of a floral aftertaste from the beets.  It was so beautiful, I would make this just to look at it!  If you would like to add a bit of crazyness to your ice cream, try this out.  You will be glad you did, and the pretty pink ice cream will make you smile!

Vanilla Beet Ice Cream

Makes about 4+  cups

Ice Cream Base:
3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
1 cup cooked red beet puree
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
seeds of one vanilla bean
1/2 tsp sea salt

To make base, combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Pour into a freezable container with a lid and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.