CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY & BRANDY MOUSSE: free of fat/egg yolks, skinnier, no-bake, make ahead, indulgence

Dieters' Delight dairy & yolk-free chocolate mousse...but healthy doesn't mean insipid!

updated 7/23

Light but intensely chocolatey mousse with raspberries in brandy;
 sweet pastry biscuits and berry cream are optional

In a lifetime of great food, the most memorable is a sensational dark chocolate mousse with raspberries crushed in brandy.  OK, part of what made it so mind-blowing was the private dining room of the Royal Opera House with a platonic companion, one of the 'great and good'.  But the mousse sparked a life-long love affair with high-end chocolate.

This Fathers' Day recipe is especially for Granddads.  It's a healthier version of that glorious concoction, though no less delicious and silky.  It's dairy-free, has no egg yolks and only a small amount of added sugar.

That doesn't mean it's healthy -- there's too much chocolate for that -- but it's so rich, portion control is easy.  And you don't leave the table feeling you need to waddle away.  

Most people find the mousse fabulous completely unadorned.   But for special occasions, accompany with a bowl of sweetened whipping cream rippled with berries plus rows of Sweet Pastry Biscuits ( Slightly Healthier Sweet Pastry ). 

The mousse is easily put together and can be made a day in advance.

Cost: around £8.00ish (7/23) PLUS costs of biscuits & cream
Feeds: a group

Ingred:
   
    150gm/5.2oz 70% dark chocolate (67 likes M&S for this)
     
     6 egg whites (keep 4 yolks for pastry biscuits; the remainder will freeze)
     pinch of salt
     1/4 tsp lemon juice

     1 tsp vanilla extract

     35g caster sugar
      
     150-200gms raspberries

     min 1 tsp sugar, to taste

     2-4 tablespoons good brandy (orange juice for kids)

Garnishes: Whipping cream or plant or dairy yoghurt, Sweet Pastry Biscuits (link above)

    

Method:

BROCCOLI 'VICHYSSOISE': vegan, easy, kid-friendly

Perfect for a Dads' Day celebration: lovely and mellow, hot or cold...

Mellow, smooth Vegan Broccoli 'Vichyssoise':
 thoroughly green treat alongside Cornbread with bell pepper & green onions

The blogger has an inordinate fondness for broccoli.  It's the taste of it and the health benefits.  Whether it's hot in stir fries, steamed or floating in soups as a garnish, or in substantial salads it's easy to get through a lot in a lifetime.

Broccoli Soup however has been problematic.  Most broccoli soups involve cheese and/or potato or rice, both of which are on the blog's proceed-with-caution list.  

This soup, inspired by the BBC's Good Food site, hits all the right buttons.  It's green through and very tasty with a lovely mellowness.  For art's sake, a swirl of dairy or vegan yoghurt or cream prettifies it nicely.  But essentially, it's a dieters' delight.  

It's a great opportunity to use up broccoli stems and any green bits in your vegetable drawer.  67 included leftover cucumber and mange tout with no ill effect.

Cost: £2'ish (2020)

Serves: 4, multiplies easily

Ingred:

    1/2 tablespoon olive oil

    1/2 med to large onion or the well-washed greens of 6 spring onions

    med garlic clove, grated (opt)

    200-300gr/7-10.5oz broccoli,

        flowers & peeled stems

    100gm/3.5oz frozen peas 

    100 gm green leaves: chard, lettuce OR mange tout, snap peas or green beans 

    2/3 litre good stock (granules or cubes are ok)

    1/2 teaspoon sumac (or lemon zest)

    juice of half a good-sized lemon

    plenty of salt & pepper

Garnish: peas, mushrooms or croutons; yoghurt or cream; smoked paprika  

Method:

LIGHTER PICNIC FOOD: PICKLED VEGETABLE CRUDITES, Vegan

Get ready for a picnic treat -- low-sugar moreish pickled vegetables 

first posted Dec 2017

This 67goingon50 recipe for ultra-healthy people-pleasing crudités can be freely eaten by all members of the picnic party.  Despite taking only an hour to prepare, the veg are crisp and crunchy with bold flavours -- perfect for dining outdoors.   

The method is simple: a bit of veg trimming, a quick blanch in boiling water and a soak in hot pickling liquid made from general household ingredients.  

Refrigerate a few hours and you have a stunning collection of colourful, sensationally tasty vegetables.

Only make enough for the number of expected guests; the vegetable pickles are best eaten on the day they're made.    

Cost: £2.50'ish, depending on your eg drawer (6/25)
Serves: 4 as a starter or on a buffet table

Ingred:

   1 large carrot, in sticks (see photo above)
   generous handful cauliflower florets, slightly thicker than carrot sticks
   1/3 medium pepper, de-seeded, in finger size strips

   bowl of ice water large enough to take the above

The following are left raw:   
   handful mushrooms, quartered
   handful peeled celery in strips the size of the peppers
   handful cucumber sticks, de-seeded 
   50 gm/2oz radishes, trimmed
   50 gm/2 oz sugar snap peas or mange tout, strings removed  (opt)

Pickling liquid:
    min 4.5 tbsp, max 6 tbsp sugar (67 used 4 1/2)
    140 ml red wine vinegar (or white or cider vinegar if you haven't red)
      10 ml reduced-salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
    150ml cold water or cold blanching water from veg
    1 tbsp grated ginger
    1 tbsp grated garlic
    1/2 star anise

pepper& salt

Method:

SIMPLE PICKLED VEG, Chinese style: Vegan, frugal, 'plain' opt

Get ready for a treat -- picked veg in under an hour!

Pickled crudités - some crispy & crunchy; some al dente
 (and Yes, I did forget the cucumber!)

''Wow!' 'Delicious!' 'I normally detest cauli but love these!' Tasters

I first encountered pickled veg at a central London hotel popular with foreign correspondents.  The basic recipe was astonishing -- super quick, tremendously easy with delicious punchy results. 

It's a simple method, made to be consumed on the day.   

There's a bit of veg trimming, a quick blanch in boiling water and then soaking in hot pickling liquid.  Results?  A colourful collection of people-pleasing crudités.  Definitely not run-of-the-mill.  

And they're not expensive, using ingredients found in most store cupboards. 

This recipe is 67's own blend.

Cost: £1
Serves: Many as a starter or on a buffet table

Ingred:

   1 large carrot, in sticks 
   generous handful cauliflower florets, slightly thicker than carrot sticks
   1/3 medium pepper, de-seeded, in finger size strips

   bowl of ice water large enough to take the above

The following are raw:   
   handful mushrooms, quartered
   handful peeled celery in strips the size of the peppers
   handful cucumber sticks, de-seeded 
   50 gm/2oz radishes, trimmed
   50 gm/2 oz sugar snap peas or mange tout, de-stringed

Pickling liquid:
    min 4 1/2tbsp, max 6 tbsp sugar (67 used 4 1/2)
    140 ml red wine vinegar 
      10 ml reduced-salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
    150ml cold water or cold blanching water from veg
    1 tbsp grated ginger
    1 tbsp grated garlic
    1/2 star anise

pepper& salt

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil; add carrot sticks & cauliflower; reduce heat to med high; after 2 mins, add strips of pepper.  At the 5 minute mark, remove veg with slotted spoon or spider (saving blanching liquid), and plunge veg into ice water.  Leave a few mins; drain
2. Mix pickling liquid ingred in a saucepan; place over med high heat until steam rises from the surface and bubbles appear around the edge
3. Arrange cooked and raw veg in the bottom of a heatproof dish that will hold most of the veg in one layer
4. Pour hot pickling liquid over the veg
5. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until all is at room temperature 
6. Drain, reserving liquid
7. Arrange veg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, pepper & a little salt 
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve
9. Have cocktail sticks and plenty of serviettes on hand

Comments:

• 'They're delicious!.  I like the mushrooms best.  I don't normally like celery but the pickling makes them edible.'  Hospital governor + local council candidate
• 'Wow!  Incredible.  The snow peas are my favourite but the cauliflower is amazing.'  Wonder Woman Office Administrator
• 'Mmm..mmm! All the veg are delicious.  I am doing this for Christmas Day.  Normally I eat crudités as a chore but I love the cauliflower and I normally detest cauli!'  Political Agent

Tips:

• the leftover pickling liquid can be re-used once within 3 days
• a lighter pickling solution can be achieved by mixing 2-3 tbsp sugar, 75 ml white vinegar and 75ml cold tap or blanching water with your own choice of herbs and spices

                                            
                                       For more sides, go to NavBar/Recipes II/Sides...

Any questions or comments, please go to the Comments box at the bottom of this page

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.