Dark Chocolate Orange Tofu Mousse

Non-dairy, creamy, rich, dark chocolate orange mousse. Yes, it does exist. 

I feel like tofu can be really divisive. There's the "I love tofu" camp, and the "that's the ickiest food ever" camp. A lot of times people are turned off by its texture - and hey, I get it - it's white, slimy, and flavorless - it's not the snugly teddy bear of foods. But those qualities can be a total plus - it's a blank slate! You can marinate it, and give it whatever flavor you want. You can grill it or bake it, and change the color and consistency. You can blend it into drinks and desserts to add a creamy texture without messing up the flavor. See? Glass just went from half empty, to half full.

I just joined a really cool group of health-focused bloggers called the Recipe ReDux. Each month, we're all given a theme, and we each create a different recipe based on that theme. We post them on the same day every month, so you get a lot of recipe options to choose from - all of them designed to be both delicious and healthy. This month, the theme was a chocolate recipe in which the chocolate complements other heart healthy, "good for you" foods. It was thought up by the lovely ladies over at Meal Makeover Moms. My recipe includes tofu (heart healthy soybeans) and oranges (a fruit with lots of fiber), and excludes cream (high in saturated fat). Dark chocolate itself has antioxidants that fight free radicals, which cause cell damage, and may help lower blood pressure. One study showed that milk may interfere with how your body absorbs those antioxidants, but you don't have to worry about milk in this recipe - we use tofu to get a creamy consistency. Topping with whipped cream is up to you, but this recipe could be easily non-dairy by omitting the whipped cream, or using a vegan alternative. 

As you know, I love a good presentation, so I scooped out the center of an orange, used the juice for flavor, and spooned the mousse inside. As the mousse chills, it takes on even more of the orange flavor. 

Dark Chocolate Orange Tofu Mousse 

(makes 2)

Ingredients:

2 navel oranges, hollowed out & juice reserved

12 oz silken tofu, drained

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

whipped cream (optional) 

orange peel shavings to garnish (optional)

1. Melt chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir to dissolve the last bits.

2. Puree 12 ounces of drained tofu with 2 tablespoons of reserved orange juice, melted chocolate, and vanilla extract. A mini food processor is great here, but a blender or immersion blender will work too.

3. Spoon mousse into orange cups and refrigerate, at least one hour.

4. Before serving, top with whipped cream (optional), and garnish with chocolate shavings and orange peel shavings (optional). 

Grilled Chicken Strips with Dipping Sauces (in 6 minutes)

Kids love to dip food, and let's admit it, so do adults. This chicken dinner is like what you'd find at a McDonald's drive through, except you get to control the ingredients. Instead of breaded nuggets, you make grilled chicken strips. Instead of mystery sauces, you choose your condiments. Instead of six minutes in your car waiting for them to hand you a warm paper bag, it's six minutes in your kitchen waiting to sit down for a family meal. This recipe isn't gourmet or genius, but it's fast, easy, and fun.

Dinner doesn't always have to be a complicated recipe or a lot of ingredients - that's for days you have extra time (and I know for a lot of you, especially with kids, those days are few and far between!) Since this is a simple weeknight dinner, you can have fun with the presentation. Set the table. Pour everyone a glass of water or milk. Try putting the sauces in fun serving bowls and give everyone their own cup of chicken strips wrapped in parchment paper. As long as you're all sitting, and eating together, you and your kids will reap the benefits. You will be able to pay attention to eating, making it less likely the food will be gone between commercials without your realizing it. For your kids, the benefits are practically endless. Research shows that kids who participate in family meals eat more fruits, vegetables, grains and calcium-rich foods, do better in school, and have higher self esteem than their peers. They are also less likely to be overweight, and less likely to smoke, drink, and take drugs. Chicken strips are pretty powerful.

Grilled Chicken Strips with Savory & Sweet Dipping Sauces 
(serves 3-4 depending on how big the chicken breasts are - adjust as needed)
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 dipping sauces of your choice. Try BBQ sauce (look for one without high fructose corn syrup), spicy mustard, ketchup, and honey.
Vegetable of choice

Place chicken on a grill (like a panini press or Foreman grill) and cook until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about six minutes.

While the chicken cooks, prepare your vegetable. Either heat up frozen vegetables or microwave fresh vegetables. To microwave a vegetable, cut it into bite size portions, place in a microwave safe bowl with about 2 tablespoons of water, cover with a plate, and microwave for about 4-6 minutes, until tender. The timing will depend on the veggies - check out this resource for more information.

When the chicken is done, let it cool slightly, and then cut into strips at a diagonal. 

Asian Salmon Dinner with Honey Lime Vegetables

I am so excited to tell you about this meal. MEAL is the operative word here. You put rice, chopped up veggies, fish, and Asian sauce in a tinfoil pocket, bake it for 20 minutes, and then you have an entire meal. No timing anxiety (how do I get the vegetables and rice done at the same time as the fish? What if they get cold before dinner?). No extra pots to clean up (except one small pot for the rice). Just you, ingredients, tinfoil, balanced meal. Boom.

To add extra vegetables to your dinner, try a side of blanched carrots and broccoli with honey-lime sauce. You serve them cold or room temperature, so make them whenever you have time and serve later.

This is also a great meal to make with kids. If they're too young to chop, let them arrange the tinfoil packets- they can fold the foil, add and stack all the ingredients, and help you fold the tinfoil nice and tight. 

This is a home run from the Moosewood Cookbook.

Asian Salmon Dinner (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home) 
Ingredients
2 farm fish fillets or steaks (5-6 oz each) or 1 large fillet (10-12 ounces), cut in half.**
1 cup cooked rice
2 cups coarsely chopped mustard greens or bok choy
2 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
chili oil (optional)

**Just about any fish works in this recipe (if you're at a market with a fishmonger, have a conversation with him - he'll give you some great ideas). Consider mahi mahi, scrod, turbot, haddock, or salmon, among other firm fish (you don't want to use cod, for example, which will get too soft).

Recipe:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Fold two large sheets of aluminum foil in half to make a double-thick square. Brush oil in the center of each square.
3. Spread half of the rice on the center of each foil square and then layer the greens, mushrooms, fish, and scallions on top of the rice.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a few drops of the optional chili oil. Pour half of the sauce over each serving. Fold the foil into airtight pockets.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully avoid the steam that will be released, open a packet, and check for doneness. (Try flaking the fish with a fork).
6. To serve, carefully open the foil and slide the meal onto a plate or bowl.

Side of Carrots and Broccoli with Honey Lime Dressing (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)
Ingredients
2 Carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 Stalks of broccoli, heads cut into florets (small trees), and stalks peeled and sliced on the diagonal

Dressing
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
dash of chili oil, Tabasco, or other hot pepper sauce (optional)
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Recipe
1. Bring about 2 inches of water to a rapid boil in a covered pot. When the water boils, add the vegetables and cover. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until tender, but firm.
2. While the vegetables cook, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
3. Drain the vegetables, plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water. Drain again, and chill until ready to serve or serve at room temperature.
4. Just before serving, toss the vegetables with the dressing.

Asian Salmon Step-by-Step Photos: 

Layer rice, greens, mushrooms, and fish on the foil square

Top the fish with chopped scallions and Asian sauce

Create an airtight seal around the meal

Carefully open the packet to reveal your delicious dinner