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Easiest Chocolate Mousse Ever!

February 15, 2012 · by · 8 Comments

I’ve been meatless for so long that sometimes I forget to mention some of the simple things. This recipe is one of those. I made this last night for my sweetie and remembered just how much I love this stuff!

If you’ve already made a silken tofu mousse before, then you can move along. There’s not much new to add. However, if you’ve never made one before and are new to the wonders of silken tofu be prepared to be wowed.

This is my favorite impromptu dinner party dessert. It takes about 10 minutes and then all you do is stick it in the refrigerator for about an hour to thicken up.

You can make this mostly sugar-free by using grain sweetened chocolate chips, or use unsweetened chocolate and add your favorite sweetener like stevia or agave. There will be sugar in the liqueur, so you can use an extract instead to keep it sugar-free.

This is gluten-free with Amaretto, but it would not be if you choose another liqueur that has gluten.

Make sure to check out the rest of my Valentine’s dinner over at my post on Key Ingredient’s blog. I think my not-quite souffle turned pretty good too.

The Easiest Chocolate Mousse Ever
Serves 4
gluten-free (with Amaretto)

  • 1 package (12.3 ounce/349g) silken tofu
  • 1/2 cup sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Amaretto or other liqueur

Puree the tofu in a food processor, stopping a few times to scrap down the sides. When you are finished it will be silky smooth.

Melt chocolate chips on the stove top in a double boiler (or in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds).

Add melted chocolate and liqueur to the food processor and process until thoroughly mixed, scraping down the sides and processing some more.

Put in serving cups or martini glasses and stash away in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let it thicken up.

Filed Under: Dessert, Gluten-free, Not Slow Cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Meatless Hot and Sour Soup

January 20, 2010 · by · 3 Comments

It’s cold and flu season. When I’m feeling under the weather I crave Hot and Sour soup. It’s not easy to find a vegetarian version at a Chinese takeout so I have to make my own. Since I’m cooking it in the slow cooker I can go back to bed and get some rest so I can get better fast!

This is also a good soup to make when you just don’t feel like going out. Most of the ingredients I keep on hand in my pantry or freezer. I love Trader Joe’s frozen cubes of garlic, ginger, cilantro, and basil for just this sort of thing. And silken tofu keeps for almost a year in the packaging that Mori-Nu uses. Check the date when you are stocking up.

Slow Cooker Meatless Hot and Sour Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8  hours

  • 1 package silken tofu, cubed
    (use regular tofu if you don’t have any silken)
  • 2 cups No chicken broth
    (vegetarian – you can substitute regular veggie broth and add a tsp. of nutritional yeast)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tb Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base, Vegetarian
    (I know it seems redundant, but this paste adds extra richness and depth)
  • 1/2 package of sliced button mushrooms
  • 8 dried shitakes
  • 1 can bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips
  • 3 garlic cloves. minced or crushed
  • 2 Tb fresh ginger, minced or grated (do not use ginger powder!)
  • 2 Tb soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chili paste
  • 2 Tb rice wine vinegar
    (Use apple cider vinegar in a pinch)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) peas

The night before: Slice mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Mince garlic and ginger. Cube silken tofu. Store in fridge to use in the morning.

In the morning: Add everything except peas into the slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours.

Before Serving: Add the peas to the slow cooker, and add more vinegar and chili if needed. Pour a few drop of sesame oil on top of each serving. If you like it milder and your friends like it hot, serve chili paste on the side.

Filed Under: Cooking Time 8 hours, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Protein Packed Pumpkin Lasagna

January 12, 2010 · by · 8 Comments

This is a twist on the heavy, fat laden traditional lasagna.

One of the questions I get as soon as I tell people I’m a vegetarian is ‘How do you get protein?’. We don’t need as much protein as they thought we did in the 50′s. But sometimes when you are switching your diet adding a little extra protein can help you feel less  hungry.

This is a perfect dish to serve at a dinner party. It’s easy to make and hearty. Just add a nice spinach salad with a balsamic vinaigrette and you’re all ready for company.

Slow Cooker Protein Packed Pumpkin Lasagna

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 -8  hours

  • 1 batch Pumpkin Tofu “Ricotta” – recipe below
  • 3/4 package of whole wheat lasagna
  • 1 jar organic marinara sauce (homemade works fine too!)
  • 1-16 0z can cooked white beans (low or no salt is best, and organic if you can find it)

Pumpkin Tofu “Ricotta”

  • 1 container tofu (silken, soft or firm – they all work fine)
  • 1-15 oz. can cooked pumpkin (or the equivalent cooked fresh pumpkin)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (give it a try adds a more cheesy flavor)
  • 1 Tb. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 3 sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated and minced
    (pour boiling water over them and let them sit for a few minutes)
  • salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor blend the olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes until you have a paste. (It’s ok if there are still some lumps in it). Add the rest of the ingredients, blend until creamy. Add a little water if you need to thin the mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings.

The night before: Make the pumpkin tofu ricotta and store in the fridge until morning.

In the morning: Spray the crock with olive oil so you won’t have a nightmare cleanup on your hands later on.

Break off the corners of one side on each piece of the lasagna noodles so that they fit snuggly in the crock pot.

  • Spread thin layer of sauce covering the bottom of the slow cooker
  • Put in a single layer of whole wheat lasagna noodles
  • Now spread some of the cheese pumpkin mixture
  • Spread another thin layer of sauce
  • Sprinkle some of the white beans on top of that

Repeat those steps ending with a last layer of lasagna noodles and top that with sauce.

Cook on low for about 8 hours. It’s ok to leave it longer if you need to.

Filed Under: Cooking Time 6 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,