by Ezra Cohen Montreal

Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butters are good for a lot of things, including breakfasts, baking, late-night snacks, and as healthy swaps in classic favorites. But did you know that you can also use them to create dairy-free “nice cream”?

Nice cream is a delicious frozen treat that looks like ice cream and tastes like ice cream without any of the not-so-nice ingredients that make this summer staple such a guilty treat. It’s the perfect choice for when you’ve got a sweet-tooth craving but don’t want to undo your day. Heck, it’s even perfect as just an ice cream alternative in its own right. Better yet, it’s endlessly customizable—just follow the basics and mix up your nut butter and your toppings to create your very own nice cream recipe.

For our nice cream, we go sweet and salty with our Salted Caramel Cashew Butter. Here’s how to make it.

Salted Caramel Cashew Nice Cream

This nice cream recipe starts with just four simple ingredients: frozen bananas, non-dairy milk, nut butter, and vanilla. We love using our Salted Caramel Cashew Butter here because it’s a wholesome spin on traditional dessert flavors already, but you can sub in any Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butter of your choice (Maple Cashew Butter and Praline Pecan Butter would both be an excellent pick).

Ingredients:

4 frozen bananas, chopped into chunks
½ cup oat milk
½ cup Ezra Cohen Montreal Salted Caramel Cashew Butter
2 tsps vanilla extract

Optional additions:

¼ cup roasted cashews, chopped
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup unsalted pretzels, roughly chopped
¼ cup dried apple, chopped

Topping ideas:

Homemade whipped cream
Melted chocolate drizzle
Fresh banana slices
Fresh pear, chopped
Freshly popped unbuttered popcorn
Granola
Dried cherries or blueberries

Directions

1. Take bananas out of the freezer and let thaw for 10 minutes. Then place banana chunks and oat milk in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Stop and scrape the sides as needed to make sure that you get a super smooth consistency all around.
2. Add Salted Caramel Cashew Butter and vanilla extract and process until combined.
3. Add any desired mix-ins and pulse just a few times to disperse throughout.

This nice cream can be enjoyed as a soft serve right away, or you can transfer to a dish and place in the freezer for four to six hours for a more solidly frozen treat. Because it tends to get quite hard when frozen, take it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you’re ready to dig in. Then add your toppings and enjoy.

Looking for more healthy sweet treats? Check out our Chocolate and Sea Salt Almond Butter Bars and Vegan Cashew Butter Cheesecake!

Suite à la crise sanitaire mondiale de la Covid-19, presque tous les secteurs ont été impactés, y compris celui de la restauration qui, pour sa part, a connu un grand bouleversement. Partout dans le monde, les restaurants ont été fermés et ne proposaient plus les services de restauration sur place. A Montréal, ils ont repris du service depuis le 22 juin dernier, mais dans le respect strict des règles de distanciation sociale. A moins que les clients viennent d’un même foyer, ou soient séparés par un support physique, une distance de deux mètre est à observer.

De ce fait, les restaurants ayant une terrasse sont parmi les privilégiés. Ezra Cohen vous propose son top 5 des meilleurs restaurants à Montréal, pour déguster des plats en plein air cet été.

Bevo Pizzeria

Chez Bevo Pizzeria, vous avez la possibilité de manger en terrasse en étant seul ou accompagné. C’est l’endroit idéal pour siroter un bon café ou un cocktail pendant l’été tout en profitant du soleil et du beau temps. Dans ce restaurant, la cuisine italienne est tout à l’honneur. Dégustez sur place des pizzas préparées à l’ancienne, avec plein de recettes originales. Savourez également d’autres mets typiquement italiens, comme les spaghettis. Bevo Pizzeria est ouvert tous les jours de la semaine pour vous accueillir en terrasse comme en intérieur. Prêt pour renouer avec la vie en société ? Situé dans le Vieux-Montréal, Bevo Pizzeria n’attend plus que vous.

Vieux-Port Steakhouse

S’il y a bien un restaurant que vous devez visiter dans la rue Saint-Paul du Vieux –Montréal, c’est celui-ci. Créé depuis plus de 30 ans, le Vieux-Port Steakhouse vous propose un coin chaleureux où vous pouvez vous poser le soir comme en journée. Ce restaurant, qui se retrouve à la deuxième place de notre classement est réputé pour la viande de qualité qu’il sert à sa table. Venez expérimenter la douceur et la tendresse de cette viande de bœuf choisie avec soin et vieillie de 30 jours.

Précisons que la terrasse du Vieux-Port Steakhouse n’est pas une terrasse ordinaire. C’est une terrasse-jardin où vous pouvez respirer l’air frais et naturel provenant des fleurs et de l’herbe fraîche.

Taverne Gaspar

Si vous êtes à la recherche d’un coin cosy où vous vous sentirez comme à la maison, la Taverne Gaspar est tout indiqué. Dans un décor à la fois classique et moderne, savourez du vin et des spiritueux en accompagnement de bons mets chauds. En été, dégustez une pinte de bière locale en terrasse entre amis ou en famille pour des moments de détentes exceptionnels. Taverne Gaspar propose un brunch, des repas à midi, au souper et des desserts pour accompagner.

Kyo Bar

Ce restaurant vous emmène directement au pays du soleil levant à la découverte de sa cuisine riche et variée. Que vous soyez amateur de saké ou de sushi sous toutes ses formes, le Kyo Bar Japonais saura répondre à vos attentes. Pour passer des après-midi d’été agréables dans le Vieux-Montréal, profitez de la douceur du vent en terrasse en dégustant des vins de bonne qualité et pas chers.

Modavie

Avec l’ambiance d’un bistrot français, ce restaurant est l’endroit idéal pour prendre un brunch en toute tranquillité. Faites-y une pause à la fin de votre service pour dîner et prendre un bon dessert. A la carte de Modavie, vous retrouverez également une belle liste de vins de grande qualité à déguster.

We sure do love our almond butter here at Ezra Cohen Montreal, and not just for spreading on toast! Almond butter can be used in all different sorts of savory and sweet preparations, from our vegan and paleo Almond Butter Bars with Chocolate and Sea Salt to our unbeatable Almond Butter Beet Dip with Lemon and Chili. And today we’re back with another great almond butter recipe: our slightly sweet, slightly spicy almond butter noodles topped with roasted almonds and tons of delicious veggies.

Almond butter noodles might just be one of the most versatile dishes around. Eat them warm or cold and customize them to your preferences with any veggies and/or protein options of your choosing. Once you’ve got the base recipe down, the sky’s the limit so far as what you can do with them.

Ready to eat? Let’s get cooking.

Ingredients

For the almond butter dressing:

• ½ cup Ezra Cohen Montreal Natural Almond Butter
• ⅓ cup of rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tbsp sambal oelek or sriracha (or less, if you don’t want it too spicy)
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, grated

For the noodles:

• ½ pound soba noodles
• 3 bell peppers (we like to do one red, one yellow, one orange), diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• ¾ cup shelled edamame
• 5 scallions, white parts chopped and green parts set aside for garnish
• ½ cup almonds, lightly roasted and chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cook your soba noodles according to package directions. Once done, drain in a colander and then immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry.
2. Add cooked soba noodles and veggies to a large bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.
3. Whisk together all almond butter dressing ingredients until smooth. If it’s a little too thick, add water a teaspoon at a time until the dressing has reached your desired consistency.
4. Pour almond butter dressing over noodles and veggies and stir to combine. Garnish with leftover scallions, chopped almonds, and sesame seeds.

These almond butter noodles can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days, though we doubt they’ll last that long! For a complete meal, top with crispy baked tofu or serve alongside your favorite potstickers.

Looking for even more recipe inspiration? Visit our recipe blog and discover tons of other inventive ways to use Ezra Cohen Montreal nut butters in healthy meals, snacks, and desserts!

The all-natural Almond Butter from Ezra Cohen Montreal is great for a lot of things, including these deceivingly healthy Paleo Almond Bars! Non-bake and oh-so-simple, they’re as perfect for breakfast as they are for dessert, with a chocolate layer that provides a delicious bite next to the smooth and creamy almond butter base. Best yet, they’re Paleo, vegan, and dairy-free, with a ton of different ways to mix up the recipe and make it all your own while still meeting your diet and lifestyle goals.

Next time you’re craving a treat, whip up our awesome Paleo Almond Butter Bars with dark chocolate and sea salt. They’re a little sweet, a little salty, and a whole lot of goodness. We know you’re going to love ‘em.

Chocolate and Sea Salt Almond Butter Bars (Paleo and Vegan)

Ingredients

For the base:

• 1 ½ cups Natural Almond Butter from Ezra Cohen Montreal
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup almond flour
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the dark chocolate and sea salt topping:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
• ¼ cup chopped almonds
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine almond butter, maple syrup, almond flour, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. The texture will be a little bit sticky. Press into your prepared pan and place in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. While your base is setting, mix together chopped almonds with sea salt and set aside. Then melt your dark chocolate (you can melt the chocolate on 30-second increments in the microwave; stirring in between). When the base is ready, pour melted dark chocolate on top and use a spatula to evenly spread it out. Sprinkle the top with your chopped almond and sea salt mixture. Place in the fridge for at least two hours.
4. Cut into bars and enjoy. Bars can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Other Topping Ideas

Want to sprinkle your bars with something a little bit different? These Paleo toppings will all go deliciously on top of your dark chocolate layer:

• Shredded unsweetened coconut
• Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Dried fruit, such as cherries, mango, or blueberries

If you love this recipe and want to see more great Paleo and vegan options, check out the Ezra Cohen Montreal Recipe Blog, where we share tons of great healthy meals, snacks, and sweets, all of them made with nutritious nut butter—including our un-“beet” able Almond Butter Beet Dip!