Vegan Everlasting Fruit Salad

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! I have a recipe for you today that is perfect for holiday gatherings because it can feed a small army and it's delicious. When you hear fruit salad you may think of a menagerie of cut fruits, but growing up, this is what I knew it as. Of course the original recipe calls for heavy whipping cream, for which I have two different substitutes that both have the same end result. The first time I veganized this recipe of my mom's, I used silken tofu. The only drawback is that there is a slight tofu aftertaste that may not be appealing to you or your omni friends/family. 

I tried out an alfredo recipe last month that called for full fat canned coconut milk. I was a little leery that I would end up eating a tropical pasta dish rather than the salty-savory-creamy-dreamy one that I had been fantasizing about for weeks. I tried it straight out of the can and was so surprised that it tasted and felt exactly like heavy whipping cream! The special thing about whipping cream is that it coats your mouth with a delectable softness and the coconut milk did just that. It's obviously the winner in my book. [I have coconut haters that really like this.] If you decide to go that route, do make sure that you get the canned full fat stuff. Boxed coconut milk is not the same. You can generally find this in the Asian aisle of the market and there is a reduced fat version- so be careful of what you pick up. Also, this is a recipe that you'll want to make a day in advance to let all the flavors settle and mix together.


Ever Lasting Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1-16 oz box of large ring noodles
• Grapes [I like a lot!]
• 1-2 large apples depending on preference, cut into chunks
• 1 can of crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cans full fat coconut milk or 1 pint heavy cream substitute [recipe to follow]

Dressing

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• Juice of 2 lemons (5 Tablespoons)
• Egg Replacer  equivalent to 4 eggs [I used Ener-G Egg Replacer: 8 T of warm water + 2 T of replacer]

Heavy Cream Subsitute

• 1/2 block silken tofu (extra firm)
• 1/2 cup soy milk

Blend all ingredients in a blender (do not use a hand mixer) until thick and creamy and there are no more lumps.

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions

Add all dressing ingredients to a medium sized pot and cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly (about 10 minutes.) Make sure not to let it burn.

Drain noodles when done. Put in extra large bowl. Add fruit. Toss with dressing once cooled. Add coconut milk or heavy cream substitute to salad, mix, and refrigerate overnight to meld flavors. It may seem runny, but it will all thicken up once settled in fridge.

Enjoy!