Creamy lemon ice cream (made in Ninja Creami)

As a person that makes kidney stones, I follow a low sodium, low added sugar and low oxalate diet to avoid making them. I also try to minimize saturated fat and added trans fat. The recipes that I make and share will fit these criteria. Because many commercial products are high in added sugar and sodium and often contain foods that are high in oxalate, it's pretty hard to find snacks that fit my diet goals. So I've developed copycat recipes for snacks and other foods I like that had been off limits. I hope you'll find my tried and true recipes as enjoyable as I do.

There are 2 different sized pints that come with Creami machines: 2 cup pints and 3 cup pints. This recipe is for the 2-cup sized pint.

Servings: 4

Prepare some lemon zest from one of your lemons and set it aside. Zest is high oxalate, but with so little used and with all the calcium, I'm not worried about it and it really boosts the lemon flavour.

subheading: In a bowl or 4 cup measuring cup add:

275 gm non-fat plain Greek yogurt (~1.25 cups)

80 gm fresh squeezed lemon juice (~⅓ cup/juice from 2 lemons)

1 Tbsp heavy cream (optional, but I find it adds richness)

Stir to mix.

subheading: In another bowl add:

4 Tbsp sugar or dry sweetener of choice.

For a creamy result, add stabilizer such as ½ tsp guar gum -or- better yet: ¼ tsp guar and ⅛ tsp xanthan gum. The xanthan is stronger, so if used, you don't need as much guar.

You can add a pinch of salt, but it isn't necessary.

Stir the sugar mixture well then slowly add it to the wet ingredients, stirring well after each addition. You don't want the stabilizer to clump. The technique of adding the stabilizer to the sugar and incorporating a little at a time works well.

subheading: Final steps:

Add up to 2 gm (¾ tsp unpacked) fresh lemon zest (to taste, but be careful as too much can be bitter). I add a very small amount, stir and taste. If lemony enough, stop, if not, add a little more.

Whisk to combine and taste after each zest addition.

Pour in pint.

If the mixture isn't at the fill line, top with milk (I use Non-fat).

Stir.

Freeze.

Process on sorbet.

This is really lemony, creamy and low fat. If using a sugar substitute, also low calorie.

(I developed this recipe before kidney stones were an issue, but now that they are, I haven't had to modify it, other than I don't bother with the pinch of salt any more. I always did the 50/50 mix of sugar and no calorie sugar. I've read that zest has oxalates, but so little is used, it really adds to the lemon flavour, and the calcium will offset it).

Makes 4 ½ cup servings

Per ½ cup serving (With the cream, without the salt, and using ½ real sugar and ½ zero calorie sweetener. You could reduce the added sugar to near zero by using all zero calorie sweetener.)

Calories 93, protein 7.9g, fat 1.3g, sat fat .8g, trans fat .1g, carbs 19.9g, fiber .8g, sugar 10.8g, added sugar 7.5g, calcium 113.8, sodium 49.8mg, potassium 154.3mg, Oxalate 2mg + whatever is in zest.

Servings: 4

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