Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse

Valentine's Day has come and gone but I made this dessert for my honey. It's really easy and didn't require a lot of time on my feet. Just a few more weeks and I can have my ankle back. I can't wait. Okay, back to the task on hand.... Chocolate. I've made mousse before but this is the first time that I didn't make it with eggs and butter. Oh yes, there is a recipe out there with all of that as well. This one just has cream, chocolate, vanilla, and stevia. It requires a bit of patience but not a lot of work. You might ask why the recipe serves 3. It's because there are 3 people in my family. You can spread it to 4 by giving each bowl a little less. If there's only 2 in your household, then save the third helping to share for the next day or save it to eat by yourself with lunch

Chocolate Mousse

Serves 3-4

2 cups heavy whipping cream (I used 36% fat)
5 oz unsweetened chocolate squares- divided
Stevia equal to 1/2 cup sugar or 10 packets
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In heavy saucepan, heat cream on medium heat. When it's just warm but not bubbling, add 4 ounces of the chocolate. Stir constantly. You want the chocolate to melt into the whipping cream. You don't want the mixture to boil. It may get a few bubbles along the edge of the pan but not a full boil.

Add the stevia. Keep stirring until all of the chocolate is melted into the cream. It should look like rich hot cocoa. Once all the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat. Pour most and put into a glass bowl. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill. You should have about 1/2 cup of chocolate cream left in the pan. Add the remaining oz of chocolate, turn the heat back on and melt into the cream. This will look much darker than the first part. You can add another packet of stevia if you want a sweeter sauce. Once it's melted, set aside. Do not chill.

The bowl in the fridge should be cold to the touch all the way around and the mixture should also be cold. When it is, then whip the cream until it's light and fluffy. Do not over whip or you will have chocolate flavored butter. Add to serving dishes. Get the darker sauce from earlier. This is called a ganache (Pronounced gah- nahsh). Spoon some over the top in each dish. Store in fridge until dessert. Yes, you can wait that long. Besides you have a bowl, a pan, and the beater to try it all out with.

Cream of Mushroom for One

I'm the only one in my house that even likes Cream of Mushroom soup. I used to make a pot of it to share with a friend but she has moved away. So now I just make it for me. It was really easy to convert this recipe to gluten free. I think it actually tastes better. Sometimes when I used wheat flour, it had a grainy mouth feel to it. The new and improved recipe is made with tapioca flour and is smooth as silk. I might just have to double the batch next time. I make mine with white button mushrooms, garlic, onion, chicken stock and heavy cream. I like to see larger pieces of garlic in this soup but also like loads of flavor so I crush it a bit by laying the flat of the knife blade against the slices and hitting it really quick with the heel of my hand. You can also use the handle of the knife if you're not sure you want to hit the blade with your hand. The recipe adjusts as needed for your diet. I like the flavor from the butter but it's good with straight olive oil too. Once upon a time I used to use all butter. I prefer almond or coconut milk over soy when it comes to making it lactose free or dairy free. Vegans can add whatever milk or stock that they choose. Adding a cashew cream will make it a little thicker. I prefer mine to be a little thin but I'm including amounts for a thicker soup as well. Spoons at the ready.........

Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup for One
Serves one

1-2 garlic cloves; thinly sliced and slightly crushed
1/2 small onion, minced
4-5 white button mushrooms, sliced very thin
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon tapioca flour (for thin soup) 2 Tablespoons (for thicker soup)
1/2 cup organic stock (I used chicken)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Lunch is Served....

I'm so excited. I was able to go out to lunch with my family yesterday to a restaurant that offered things everybody wanted and wasn't a Chinese restaurant. We went to Third Coast Spice Cafe' in Chesterton, Indiana. The chef was very accommodating to my dietary needs. They have several bread options, including a gluten free bread. The taste? It was wonderful. I was so happy to have a sandwich that wasn't served on tasteless rice flour bread. My friend has given me a recipe that I can't wait to try. I'm hoping to make it later this week once I get the big cast off. Right now it's a little harder to get around the kitchen. So back to my lunch. Third Coast Spice Cafe offers cage free eggs. They utilize organics and local ingredients whenever possible. The food is fresh, looks great and tastes wonderful. I even caught my husband scraping his plate clean. I tried the Farmer's Market sandwich which had hummus and avocado as a spread instead of mayo. It had grilled fresh portabella mushrooms, fresh spinach and tomato. There were roasted red bell peppers and provolone cheese. I was in heaven. Side options were your choice of chips, French fries, or carrot sticks. I opted for the carrot sticks. They came along with a side of freshly prepared ranch dressing. I was also able to try out their Bloody Mary cream which is a tomato based mayo. It tasted faintly of blue cheese as well. I will definitely have to get that again. If anyone local wants to go try it out, I will be happy to meet you for lunch as soon as I can drive again. I've included a link to their menu. Trying a new place is nicer if you know what they serve ahead of time.All links are on the bottom of my blog. Just scroll down to view.