Decadent Raw Chocolate Mousse

Last night, I finally got around to trying a recipe that I’ve been excited about—The Blissful Chef’s (a.k.a. Christy Morgan) Heavenly Raw Chocolate Mousse recipe. I happened to have all the right ingredients from the Farmer’s Market anyway. I made it, and it wasn’t chocolaty enough for me, so made some tweaks. This recipe is quick and easy, and the only equipment necessary is a food processor.

12-15 large, sweet dates – pitted and soaked (preferably Medjool, or Halawy)

2 avocados

1/3 – 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1 tbsp. raw almond butter

1/3 – 1 tbsp. raw agave nectar

1 tsp. vanilla flavor

A pinch of sea salt

1. Soak the dates for at least 2 hours.
2. Blend dates into a paste in food processor. You might need to pour in a little of the soaking water if they aren’t blending properly.
3. Cut open avocados, remove pits, and spoon the meat into the processor.
4. Add in remaining ingredients.
5. Blend until smooth, stopping and scraping the sides with a spoon to include all ingredients.
6. Enjoy in moderation as is, or with berries on top.

Raw Hot Cocoa recipe

This Raw Hot Cocoa is something I started drinking as I began to try losing weight. I have a hopeless sweet tooth, and wanted to make something I could treat myself to often. This will satisfy your craving without the sugar crash or the heavy feeling from the dairy.

2-3 tbsp. Raw Cacao Powder (such as Navitas Naturals)

1-2 tbsp. Raw Agave Nectar

*8oz Water

*4oz Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk, Unsweetened Silk Organic Soy Milk (or either Silk Unsweetened Pure Almond Milk or Rice Dream Unsweetened for a lighter drink)

1 tsp. Raw Almond Butter

(optional) ¼ – ½ tsp. vanilla extract

(optional) a pinch of sea salt

*use more milk alternative and less water for a richer consistency/flavor.

Makes about 12oz

1. Heat water in pot to just below boiling
2. Whisk in cacao, immediately turn heat to low
3. Add remaining ingredients and whisk
4. Heat on low, whisking occasionally until fully blended
5. Pour into mug and savor slowly.

The World’s Greatest Food

We were going to highlight some great blogs that are dedicated to raw chocolate in all its healthful glory. Perhaps there arent too many around or we just got too hungry during our search and gave up too soon. The latter is undeniably true.

We also wanted to write something about chocolate, but, to tell you the truth, all we can do think about is eating it. So, the best option is to share a recipe from one of our fave and oft-visited raw food blogs, The Raw Chef. Oh, and a great book from David Wolfe thats dedicated to this widely adored, yet sometimes misused, food: Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the Worlds Greatest Food.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Torte with Whipped Cashew Cream

For the base

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup pecans
1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon melted cacao butter
1 teaspoon agave
1 teaspoon lemon juice

- Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until they bind.

- Press into a 9″ springform cake pan and place in the fridge to set.

For the filling

1 cup Irish Moss paste*
1 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups cacao powder
3 cups grated or chopped cacao butter which has then been melted
1 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and pour on top of the base.

- Leave in the fridge to set.

*Irish Moss paste can be made by soaking 1 cup Irish Moss in water for 3 – 5 hours and rinsing THOROUGHLY until rinse water turns clear (therell be a lot of sand in the moss). Then blend the rinsed moss with 2 cups pure water in a Vita-Mix until completely smooth. Leave to set in the fridge if not using straight away.

Chefs tip: Add 1 drop of peppermint essential oil to the filling mixture for a mint chocolate variation.

For the cream topping

1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons Irish Moss paste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon macadamia oil (optional)

- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

- Serve with chocolate torte and fresh berries.

Top 5 Eating Habits to Keep the Planet (And Your Body) Healthy

By Adria Vasil

Maybe it’s the half-Greek in me, but there’s nothing that makes me giddier then the sight of a table full of food (well, other than actually eating the food). Trouble is most of what we stack onto our plates isn’t just weighing on our hips, hearts and cells, it’s also bloating the planet with packaging, pesticides and climate-changing gases. How can you get your fill without, er, tipping the ecological scales?