This sweet and wobbly delight of your childhood gets a well-deserved vegan makeover. It’s vegan because it nixes gelatin, an extract that comes from the protein collagen found in the connective tissue of animals. (That’s right, gelatin is kind of gnarly stuff, once you think about it).

This recipe, though, embraces plant-based agar-agar instead. Infused with fresh strawberry juice and sweetened with maple syrup, this is the healthiest Jell-O recipe you’ll ever find!

Agar-agar is derived from seaweed and has a gelatinous texture when dissolved in water, thus making it a worthy fill-in for regular gelatin for all kinds of cool snacks and desserts. In addition to the use of agar-agar, this Jell-O recipe is preservative and additive-free. Instead, it’s compiled with the most basic and pure ingredients available.

The best part about this Jell-O recipe is that you can alter it according to the fruit flavor you crave. Instead of strawberry juice, use grape juice, apple juice, or any other fruit juice. The possibilities are endless!

Vegan Gelatin-Free Strawberry Jell-O

Serves two

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon agar-agar powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup freshly-squeezed strawberry juice (two cups strawberries will make about once cup juice)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Fresh strawberries for garnish

Directions

Add the agar-agar to the water and stir until dissolved.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the juice, maple syrup, and agar-agar mixture. Whisk until the mixture is evenly combined and smooth.

Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for about two minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the Jell-O mixture into individual glass cups, molds, or tray. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Garnish with slice fresh strawberries or with a dollop of vegan whipped cream on top.

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The post Vegan Gelatin-Free Strawberry Jell-O Recipe for a Guilt-Free Wobbly Treat appeared first on EcoSalon.

That purpose: to be enjoyed and eaten.

The video below is a cute and, honestly, kind of sad representation of what happens when we leave food in our fridge. Let’s not deny strawberries their life purpose — or their apparent love for limes.

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The post Don’t Deny this Strawberry its Life’s Purpose [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

Strawberries are out in full force, and we bought a flat from the farmer’s market over the weekend. We were mashing the strawberries to make jam when we realized that a Dutch Baby pancake was clearly in order for Sunday brunch.

The “Dutch Baby” originated in Germany, and is made of eggs, flour, sugar and milk. This egg-rich pancake is cooked in the oven and puffs up at the last minute to make a beautiful airy “cake” that’s really more like a popover. It’s also the perfect compliment to fruit.

The secret to the Dutch Baby is to first let the eggs come to room temperature. (You can expedite this process by placing the eggs in a bit of lukewarm water.) After blending the ingredients, wait 15-30 to minutes to ensure the batter is also room temperature before baking.

You will want to have fruit on hand, as well as some fresh whipped cream or plain yogurt to serve with the pancake. This time I included some of the freshly mashed strawberries on top. Delicious!

Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large eggs (room-temperature)

6 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

6 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. 2. In a blender, whirl eggs, flour, sugar and milk until smooth. Let sit 15-30 minutes.
3. 3. Place 3 Tablespoons butter in Dutch oven or heavy skillet and place in oven to melt. When melted, remove from oven and swirl butter around the bottom and edges of the pan.
4. 4. Pour in batter. Bake about 15 minutes or until puffed and browned around the edges.
5. 5. Cut into 4 wedges and serve with sliced fruit such as strawberries, bananas or peaches along with whipped cream or plain yogurt. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serves 2 – 4

The post Celebrate Strawberry Season with a Dutch Baby Pancake appeared first on EcoSalon.