Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

There is a reason why food stylists get paid so much.  They are the fashion designers of the food world.  And I merely dress my food like I dress myself-- simple and utilitarian.  No fuss, no special lighting, no airbrushed effect or dreamy background blur while the food lounges about on robins egg blue plates.  Nope.  Its in a bowl, with a spoon, and it tastes really good.  Thats the way I roll.
This is my new favorite dessert discovery.   I have always been a fan of brownies and cakes and cookies.  For some reason, I can fool myself into thinking that it is a better dessert choice because they have flour and flour is kind of like bread (In one of Bill Cosby's greatest bits, he makes a similar rationalization and feeds his children cake for breakfast under the guise that it has milk, eggs, and flour-- much to his wife's horror).  So I have stayed away from mousses because in my head a mousse contains butter and cream and eggs which leaves me NO room for the health food rationalization I use.  This mousse is different.  It is made with silken tofu, peanut butter, bittersweet chocolate, and maple syrup.  And it takes roughly 10 minutes to make-- tops.  As far as desserts go, is the best bad choice you can make, and it tastes really wonderful and smooth and creamy.  You can make a small serving go a long way by eating small bites with a baby spoon (which is how I eat most of my spoon-needing desserts).  It has a nicely intense taste that doesn't require drowning yourself in dessert.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse (adapted from Spork-fed)

1 1/2 cups bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chips
1 block silken tofu (14 oz) (you can find this at most grocery stores, and all asian markets-- pretty cheap)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash sea salt

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over a small  pot filled with an inch or two of simmering water. Let chocolate melt for about 3 minutes, then stir until all the chips are melted.  Remove from the stove and set aside.
In a large food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.   Add in the melted chocolate and blend a little more until the chocolate is fully incorporated and the mixture is uniform.
Transfer mousse mixture to a bowl and refrigerate at least a couple of hours or overnight for a thick consistency.  Or consume now...
Serve to your adoring crowd and enjoy!  Or eat it all yourself over the course of a week...in small doses.

Butternut squash bisque

This is one of my all time favorite soups.  It is perfect for autumn.  It has loads of good stuff in it-- butternut squash, carrots, apples and a little bit of kick from some cayenne.  I make mine without any cream, so the end result is very healthy and flavorful. Its BUTTERnut squash we are talking about here, it does not need any cream! And if you use vegetable stock, the soup is vegan.  I just roast the squash in the oven while I cut up and simmer the rest of the ingredients.  When the squash is tender, it is really easy to scoop out the flesh and just add it to the softened vegetables.  Then you just use an immersion blender and voila!   Bisque! And without the cayenne, it makes pretty kick butt baby food (I'm just saying...)

Butternut squash Bisque (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 TBSP canola oil
1 large butternut squash, seeded and roasted with the flesh scooped out
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced into chunks
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
3-4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp nutmeg (or more to taste)
1/8- 1/4 tsp cayenne, depending on your level of heat
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the squash in half, lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and place the squash, cut side down, on a baking pan and fill with about half an inch of water.  Roast for about 35 min or until the squash is tender.  Scoop out the flesh and set aside.

While the squash is roasting, saute the onion in the oil over medium heat until the onion is tender.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the squash and salt and pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender (about 20-25 minutes ?).  When the vegetables are tender, add in the roasted squash.  Simmer for another 5 minutes or so and then puree with an immersion blender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, or more cayenne or nutmeg.  If you want, you can add cream...if you like that sort of thing.