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.

Favorite Summer Salad: Quinoa, black bean, and avocado

Why is this my new favorite summer salad?  Simply, its a chilled salad.  And it hits the right spot on hot days where the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove or oven.  I would also consider it the superman of salads because everything you need is in one bowl:  it has quinoa, beans, tomatoes, avocados, and red peppers tossed in a lime cilantro dressing.  It is a complete protein with healthy fats and lots of veggies.  And you can make it in less than 20 minutes!! What more could you ask for (a whole watermelon...not shown because I ate it!).  I will be making this at least once a week for the duration of the hot season (anything above 80 degrees feels like Death Valley in Seattle because no one has AC).  I would pair this meal with a good popsicle!  Enjoy.

Quinoa, black bean, and avocado salad (adapted from "Womens Health")

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups halved grape tomatoes or coarsely chopped regular tomatoes
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp lime zest
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt

To make the quinoa: Just combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water or broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.  Set aside or chill until ready to use.

Combine quinoa with black beans, tomatoes, peppers, and avocado.  In a food processor, combine all the dressing ingredients: cilantro, lime, olive oil, zest, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pulse until combined.  Pour over salad ingredients, toss to combine, and chill until ready to eat.

Hummus, the cheater way

 

Hummus is one of my favorite dips.  I am a serious late-night snacker, so it is important to have good snacks on hand or else I go crazy and just carry around a bag of chocolate chips and an open cereal box (preferably those sugary ones that portray themselves as being part of a balanced breakfast).  For the past few months we have been gorging on Costco hummus, but we can go through a carton of that in about two days, so I decided I would start making hummus again to save money, and because its nice to act on a craving of hummus at 11 pm without having to go to the store.  Hummus is intimidating for a lot of people because of a little ingredient called "tahini" which is exotic and expensive.  But what to do if you have no tahini?  I have found a near perfect cheater ingredient that I always have on hand and that makes fabulous hummus-- peanut butter.  Since tahini is just sesame seed butter, a good natural peanut butter makes a remarkable substitute, especially in this recipe which calls for garlic, lemon, and cumin (nice strong flavors).

Cheater Hummus

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBSP natural peanut butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP olive oil

throw all ingredients in a food processor and whirl away until nice and smooth.  You can adjust the ingredients to taste or add more or less olive oil to control the fat count.  If it is too thick, stream in a little water and puree for a few more seconds.

The Best Chili (Vegan or not!)

I have been reading this awesome book "Eat and Run" written by Scott Jurek an ultrarunner.  It is the story of his path to greatness in both food and feet.  He intersperses his personal account with vegan recipes and running tips.  I highly recommend it.  I have just started testing his recipes out, and this first one completely "bowled" me over.  In his book he cites this recipe as the one that convinced him that he could be a happy vegan.  It is a vegan chili made with a myriad of chunky vegetables, three kinds of beans, bulgar wheat (which makes it feel especially "meaty"), and lots of warm spices.  It tastes fantastic.  I dare you to take it to your next chili cook-off.  I bet it could beat the pants off of any of those plain jane chilis.

Minnesota Winter Chili

2 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
8-10 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry bulgar wheat
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Add the oil to a large pot and saute the vegetables until tender (about 10 minutes).  Add the spices and saute for another minute or so.  Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for about 30 minutes.  Stir and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.  Watch it disappear!

My favorite soup: crock pot split pea

This is the best soup I have ever made.  I crave it, and it is split pea soup for goodness sake.  And seriously, when I make it for other people, they always want the recipe.  That shows how much confidence I have in it, that I will make it for company.  It is that good.  But I almost feel like its cheating to take credit because it requires almost no effort-- so it is a really good soup for any family where you don't have a lot of time and want a good, comforting soup to serve.  And it is chalk (chock, chaulk?) full of protein and fiber, and requires absolutely no ham, hamhocks, or pigs of any kind.

1 lb dried split peas (I don't sort or rinse or anything...kind of lazy that way)
1/2 onion diced
2 potatoes diced (I don't peel potatoes)
3-4 carrots sliced (or really as many as you want)
2-3 stalks of celery sliced (or diced, depending on the kind of chunks you want)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika (or more if you like it)
2 bay leaves
6-8 cups of hot chicken stock (I just use boiling water and bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice, and olive oil (optional)

Just layer in a crockpot, in the order listed, and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  You don't even need to stir until after it is all done cooking, at which point the peas have softened so much that it is has turned into an almost creamy mixture.  I like to drizzle a little olive oil onto the raw vegetables because I generally don't trust fat free concoctions and I think a little olive oil is healthy.  Also, I like to squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the soup after it is all done cooking because I think it gives it a nice bright flavor!  Again, you can follow the directions according to taste, making modifications as necessary (or adding more water if it is too thick).  It is fool proof!