Vanilla Bean & Orange Blossom Panna Cotta

 Panna Cotta in a Italian translates to "cooked cream". This recipe is loaded with vanilla bean seeds and orange blossom. It's a decadent, crowd pleasing dessert that you could just about top with anything. Chocolate, hazelnut sauce, strawberry compote- let your imagination take you wild. 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Half & Half

2 T Cold Water

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 cup Sugar

1 T Unflavored Gelatin

Seeds of 1 Vanilla Bean

2 T Orange Blossom

Directions:

Pour half & half and gelatin into a small bowl and stir. In a saucepan heat heavy cream and sugar to a soft boil. Once heavy cream mixture is at a soft boil, pour it over the half & half gelatin mixture. Cook for 1 minute on low heat and add in vanilla bean seeds and orange blossom. Grease small ramekins or serving bowls with canola oil and fill up to desired amount. Only grease the serving bowls if you plan on removing the panna cotta out of the mold for plating purposes. Let panna cotta cool and cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 5 hours or over night. 

Vegan, Carrot Coconut Bisque

This soup is light, creamy and a little sweet in all the right kind of ways. 

Ingredients:

7 medium sized carrots

1 t minced ginger

1 T garlic

2 cups vegetable stock

1 can coconut milk 

2 T olive oil 

salt 

Start with steaming your diced carrots in a pot with 2 cups vegetable stock, 2 T olive oil, ginger and garlic. Cook until carrots are soft enough that a fork can easily move through them. Add your can of coconut milk and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Blend until smooth and season with salt to liking. For a thinner soup add more stock while blending. 

Top with chopped chives and olive oil drizzle.