This set here:
You know how you sometimes wish there could be something that's really really good in the yummy sort of fatty sense, but that could still some magical way be healthy? And you know what? There actually are such foods and dishes available -like this raw chocolate mousse! It's an avocado based dessert that has a super luxury chocolate feel to it, and is very easy to make. It's not calorie free, but just full of good calories. But who counts calories these days anyway - it's mostly about the quality of the food nowadays.
For about two persons you will need:
One avocado
5 dried dates, if the bigger kind (medjool). If smaller ones double up.
1,5 dl cocoa powder
2-4 table spoons of agave syrup
1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil (optional, I often leave it out)
Now for the how-to:
Soak the dates until they are soft and moist. Mix the dates with the avocado and agave (and coconut oil if you added it) to a smooth mousse. Today I also added a couple of dark dried apricots to the mix. Sometimes I've tried it with a few soaked raisins in there as well. If you don't have agave you can use honey instead, or perhaps try with maple syrup. (Agave is however available from most bigger stores over here nowadays and it's not totally un-affordable.) Add the cocoa to the mix and stir. Add more agave if the mix is not sweet enough for your taste. Then it's ready to serve!
The mousse is rather heavy; I feel it's best enjoyed with some fresh fruits or berries.
You can try some variations, like adding cocoa nibs or coconut flakes to the mousse, or a dash of cinnamon or chili. I once made this with a little less cocoa powder but some bits of melted raw chocolate instead (cocoa butter + raw cocoa powder).
You can also put this in the freezer for a few hours and it turns into chocolate ice cream, sort of. You need to take it out and stir a couple of times to fluff it up in between.
Note that the avocado batter is hard to get off bowls and such if it dries so make sure to wash your utilties up as soon as you have emptied them.
I know for some the words vegan and raw before something you eat will be an immediate yuck-factor. Or a question mark. But that is only if you are not familiar with such foods (and/or have an attitude). There are lots of things that are vegan, and also raw, that everybody eats, without thinking that much about it. No yucks there then. Also the thought of having avocado in a dessert may freak some people out, but it is actually a very useable fruit due to it's consistence and mild taste. Avocado is a perfect "smoothifier" in smoothies and milkshakes too, as well as (raw) pie fillings.
I cook a lot of vegan and raw recipes, but I also enjoy traditional -vegetarian- cooking (as in warming up my food and having bread, I love bread :) and traditional desserts. Man I love cake. But now as I am aiming to get as close to my pre-pregnancy waist as possible I have been more strict and it's been less cake and lots of raw food in different forms instead. (So far I've lost 15 kilos -or maybe ten, as I guess around five came out with the baby- so I'm getting there. 10 centimeters to go!)
