I Tried a Dairy Free Panna Cotta!

This weekend I decided to try a new recipe for panna cotta.  I still plan on trying one that will be equivalent to homemade yogurt in terms of nutritional value but the recipe that I tried was perfect for using the almond milk that I had on hand as well as for finishing the amaretto and Kahlua I still had on hand.

I often find the need to adjust recipes based on the likes and dislikes of whoever I am feeding at the time.  When I am cooking and portioning meals, I keep the nutritional value of the meal in mind.  By keeping portions in mind when you are cooking you actually tackle a whole host of considerations.  To name a few, portioning meals/snacks helps you -

1. Maintain your food budget.
2. Keep your food portions in line with your nutritional goals.
3. Resist less healthful and more costly food choices.

The recipe I tried was the Toasted Almond Dream Panna Cotta from Garlic and Zest located at https://www.garlicandzest.com/toasted-almond-dream-panna-cotta/ 

I would recommend making sure that you take at least 15-20 minutes for step 2.  In my second batch of this recipe, I added the sugar in step 2 because I really wanted to ensure that the sugar was dissolved without adding additional time to the recipe.  Heating the almond milk on low and stirring occasionally to ensure that the gelatin and the sugar are both truly dissolved.  I topped my panna cottas with fresh berries that I quartered and chilled so that they created their own sweetly fresh sauce.  

Something to note is that this really was a nice dairy free creamy option for a dessert of snack.  I am looking forward to trying it with yogurt and coconut milk. 

Time for More

I have been away for much too long.  As I enter the home stretch of finishing my doctorate degree, I am looking forward to jumping into whatever the future holds.  During my absence I had my own experience with mortality, my father died, my sister died, a relationship ended, my furbaby died and life just continued in ways that were desired as well as undesired.

I am determined to get myself physically and mentally triathlon ready again.  Some great events include looking towards purchasing a new home, the retirement countdown, and the many wonderful people that are in my life that I call friends.

An unexpected upside of all the loss has been an opportunity to be open to new things.  Life will not look the way that I had thought but perhaps it will be better.

~Rosa