The No-Nut, No-Machine !!! Chocolate Mousse Pie

Yep, you can just whip it up by hand and make no mess at all….fast track to chocolate heaven! :)
I just wish my grandma was here. This kind of pie would be a perfect way to celebrate her 86th birthday today! I love you so much, grandma! ♥

Avocados are one of the creamiest fruits and they:
- are a complete protein!
- are a great source of calories with healthy monounsaturated fats, which are easily burnt for energy
- have anti-inflammatory qualities
- are a rich source of B vitamins, including folate (B9), and vitamin C
- are an amazing source of pantothenic acid and minerals such as potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus
- are a good source of fiber

……All of which translates into their being a wonderful food for your skin, bones, heart-health, and supporting a healthy pregnancy.

With cacao being the second main ingredient, giving you loads of antioxidants and minerals, you can't go wrong with something so delicious, so good-for-you, and so quick and easy to prep...

Avocado Chocolate Mousse Pie

Ingredients:

(Makes 1 mini pie)

Crust

2 Tbsp coconut butter

2 Tbsp coconut flour*

2 Tbsp shredded coconut

maple syrup (as needed)

Filling

1 avocado

3 Tbs + 2 tsp cacao powder

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp coconut oil

vanilla

tiny pinch of salt (optional)

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Optional garnish: sliced fruit, dried fruit, chopped nuts, coconut flakes

*Feel free to use almond flour instead of coconut flour, if you'd like, or make a more common, nut & date (or any dried fruit) base, like the one here, for a cashew creme pie.

To Prepare:
1. Place the coconut oil in a dish that you can place in hot water and let it sit till it's melted (unless it's warm where you are and it is already in liquid form)
2. Mix the crust ingredients in a small bowl simply using a fork and press it into a tiny pie shell or a shallow bowl
3. Scoop out the avocado, mesh it with a fork and whip it into a smooth consistency as much as you can
4. Mix in the maple syrup and the coconut oil (make sure it's not hot) and little by little, add the rest of the ingredients while stirring it until you get a homogenous filling.
5. Taste test and add more sweetener, etc. to your liking
6. Pour the filling into your crust, decorate if you like, and place the pie in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving.

Note: this also goes for a chocolate pudding recipe so if you have extra filling you're in luck. Gooble it up right away or chill it for a treat later.

Sweet ♥

D.

An Event-Full Raw February 2014

Whew, what a month! February was about exciting events, birthday, emotional ups and downs, and a raw anniversary!

More than anything else, this post is about some amazing foods I was fortunate to try. As a aside-note, however, yes, I am an Aquarius, born in February, so it was my birthday and my 3rd anniversary of having lived the raw lifestyle!!! Yay! : )

I went down to L.A., Thousand Oaks and Costa Mesa in Orange County, to be specific, to attend and educate at two of my favorite events of the year: the Raw Living Expo, and the Longevity Conference. Yay, it was such an amazing two weekends back-to-back. Can't wait for next year's…

While I worked a lot at both, I did have some time to explore, listen to some wisdom being shared by speakers and enjoy a couple of special dinners.

At the Expo, I was invited to the VIP Gala Dinner prepared by the hotel staff trained by a chef from the Bay Area....and I managed to take some photos of the several courses we were all served...

On the menu was:

Sesame Flatbread, Garlic Herb Boursin, Hickory Honey Fig coulis:

Black Sesame and Hemp Crusted Teriyaki Mushroom Fillet with Cauliflower Mash:

Cacao Crusted Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Maca Rose Cream Caramel and Mulberries:

I must admit, even though I've never been into raw cheeses, of all the items, the Garlic Herb Boursin was my favorite!

And this was just the beginning…I also had a wonderful evening with a few friends at Au Lac. I had heard so much about this restaurant for years and I couldn't wait to try their food! The amazing dishes are created by Chef Ito, who came by our table to greet us in person!…What a sweet guy! We shared many dishes and, I must say, it was an memorable experience! Everything was incredible!….A welcoming atmosphere, wonderful people, nice servers, and very yummy food : )

I'm tempted to start with the dessert but I'll just show you what we had in order…

Song Salad….absolutely divine. I wouldn't eat at Au Lac without ordering it. How often do you get a chance to have a salad made of watercress? It is so delicious:

Kelp Noodle Chow Mein…as if it was cooked Chinese food….without the frying though! ; ) Incredibly soft "pasta". No crunchy kelp noodles that you might have had at other restaurants:

Curried rice….served over avocado. My goodness, it is so delicious. I highly recommend it:

BBQ Pizza….with macadamia nut cheese:

Cali Roll….of course, it is clean and delicious. It's so easy to make though that I would never order this in a restaurant. Here's how to make your own rolls, which I call "California Rawlls" (Rolls). 

And now, the desserts! If you feel full and there is just no way you could have any dessert after dinner, it might be a good idea to order some to go. They're just too special to pass on. 

Donut Holes….a MUST try! Warm, with the center melted…they're so incredible:

Chocolate to feed your soul (too). I don't think they were any special, but I make my own chocolate so, you know, what can be better than home-made?? They're still yummy, and the smeared-on decoration, colored with spirulina, etc (I'm guessing) is such a "PET" (pretty, edible thing) on the side.

…and, since there was a birthday-girl among us, we had to celebrate with a plate of cake! Again, order some if you can. They are all well worth it:

So, you get the idea…. It is a place to go visit!!! The good news is: I've heard that Chef Ito is opening up a second restaurant in Hollywood in about three months!  Yay, two of them to go to. Never too much of such yummilicious food created by such a kind man! : )

Alright, enough for now, I just thought I'd check in ; ) while I'm working on a surprise for all of you out there….

Have a rawsome day/night/time….till next time.
Lots of love,
D.