When Sandy Awari messaged me about participating in the 2013 Avocados From Mexico blogger campaign, I knew that I wanted to make something different – but what? I happened to mention my challenge at our last book club meeting and found exactly the different I was looking for…
Friends of ours, whom I love to cook for, have chosen to eat vegan. For a fearless foodie like myself, I can’t imagine having to spend every day trying to avoid so many of the foods I love. Nonetheless, to honour their courageous journey, I invited them to dinner then set about trying to figure out what to serve. I stood in the produce department of our local grocery store and spun in circles. It’s easy to prepare fruit and vegetables but try doing it without the luxury of adding eggs, cream or cheese.
After a few runs up and down the veg aisles, I decided on starting with Mexican appetizers then moving on to a fresh baby artichoke risotto complete with a vegetable stock and no parmigiana. Once all that was decided, all was well because my friend Brenda Stanley, book club hostess extraordinaire had given me her avocado chocolate pudding recipe.
Knowing that the pudding needed to be vegan, I made a few adjustments and created Vegan Chocolate Mousse using only ripe avocados, maple syrup and Dutch processed cocoa. I did cheat a little for the photographs by adding a plop of whipped cream and a bit of nougat. This is art after all!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
adapted from my friend Brenda Stanley’s recipe
Serves 4
2 ripe avocados from Mexico, peeled and pitted
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Put avocados in food processor chop.
Add maple syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla extract and process until smooth.
Chill then serve.
THE LOVE: Make sure the avocados are really ripe!
one year ago: lemon thyme ice cream
two years ago: vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce
Thanks for reading.
18 comments
you take beautiful photos – and that is some extraordinary light you got there. is it a lightbox or sunlight?
Thank you! I use a Nikon Speedlight flash…
I completely understand your statement that we forget is eggs, cream and cheese are “luxury” to us. To a strict vegan, it’s forbidden. I made a vegan chocolate frosting as one of my very first posts made with avocados for a friend (who’s vegan) and I must say, I tip my hat over to her and those who follow through religiously, sort to speak. Trying to find recipes, ingredients, and of course making it flavorful can be a challenge. But in the end, when you are able to get it, there’s nothing more gratifying to know you can make this for others to enjoy and appreciate it as much as you do.
So true! I was nervous that the combination of avocado and chocolate would be nasty but I loved it!
They look yummy, Michelle. Avocado and chocolate are two of my favourite foods but I never imagined combining them. Can you taste the avocado or is it there mainly for the texture?
The avocado provides the texture and the cocoa provides the flavour. Try it – so cool!
As the grateful recipients of your hard efforts we can tell you (and everyone reading) that the meal was nothing short of spectacular. We very much appreciate you, your cooking, your passion and your determination to be an ‘inclusive’ chef! THANK YOU. And ‘andmorefood’ is right – you take fabulous photos!
Smoooch!
I would love to know by REALLY ripe, does that mean still green on the inside or is some brownish discoloration okay?
Mine had a little discoloration. The avocados should be soft to the touch…
Sounds wild! I might just give it a try and not tell the girls what’s in them.
Had I not made it myself, I might not have tried it. Delicious flavour!
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Thanks for the ping back!
Just FYI, there IS such a thing as vegan whipped cream, both for purchase and recipes to make it. Just google! There is also such a thing as vegan nougat as well, usually for purchase in the from of a candy bar though there may be recipes on the web for making your own. So, with some extra labor, you wouldn’t have needed to “cheat” for the purpose of the pictures!
Thank you! The little town I live in is a bit short on vegan options but I’ll be on the look out now.
If you’re in the US, then there’s mail order, for example http://www.veganstore.com/product/644/vegan-cheese-and-dairy-alternatives (and the same store has another couple of options for whipped cream).
There very well could be mail-order here as well. Thanks for the info!