Chocolate Mousse Dip

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I was creating a recipe to use local Southbrook Vineyards‘ Bioflavia, an organic red wine grape skin powder loaded with antioxidants. Beginning with wine-waste—the leftovers from crushing grapes for wine—the skins are dried, separated, and milled into a fine powder. This dip is an antioxidant powerhouse, with both Bioflavia and cocoa powder as main ingredients. Enjoy as a fruit dip, use as a pie filling, or simply eat it with a spoon (I choose the latter). You can nix the Bioflavia if you can’t get your hands on it; it will taste the same.

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Chocolate Mousse Dip

4 small to medium ripe avocados
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder, sifted
1/2 cup agave nectar, pure maple syrup, or coconut syrup
2 scoops (20g) Bioflavia*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 to 8 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk

Put the avocados, cocoa powder, agave nectar, Bioflavia, vanilla extract, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, adding nondairy milk as necessary. Refrigerate overnight before serving for best flavor. It will thicken in the refrigerator; thin with additional nondairy milk before serving if desired. Serve with fresh fruit, or enjoy as a pudding/mousse.

*Bioflavia comes with a little scoop inside the container.

chocolate mousse

Those little tiny blackish bits in the mousse are the grape skin pieces, but it doesn’t taste gritty (or like anything) at all. Just smooth, silky, deliciousness.

Grilled Tofu with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

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Pressing tofu gives it a meatier texture, and when followed by chargrilled crust, well, it’s a combination that’s hard to pass up—especially when it’s slathered by a tangy homemade barbecue sauce. If you like your barbecue sauce really sweet, add additional maple syrup to taste.

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Grilled Tofu with Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 heaping cups finely chopped rhubarb (about 4 large stalks)
Juice of 1 large orange
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons tamari, gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 (350g-ish) block tofu, cut into 12 slabs, pressed of excess moisture, seasoned with salt and pepper

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a shallow saucepan with a lid. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute. Add the rhubarb, orange juice, tomato paste, maple syrup, tamari, yellow mustard, chili powder. Mix well, cover, and simmer, about 10 minutes, until rhubarb is softened. Use a handblender to puree until smooth, or transfer the mixture or a heat-safe blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning—depending on your brand of tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos, you may want to add a pinch of salt.

Put the tofu in a shallow baking dish and cover with the sauce (you may have some leftover). Marinate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat a grill to 400F. Generously oil the barbeque grate. Put the tofu on the grate and grill for about 5 to 7 minutes (flipping it too early will cause it to stick). Transfer it to a plate, re-oil the grate, and grill on the other side for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Serve warm, either on its own or in a sandwich, with additional sauce if desired.

Grilled Radishes and Asparagus with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

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Simple and flavorful, roasting radishes gives them the trademark grilled exterior with a creamy, smooth interior.

grilled radishes and asparagus with dill

Grilled Radishes and Asparagus with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

2 bunches radishes, ends trimmed (about 3 cups)
1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 recipe Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette (follows)

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Toss the radishes and asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put in a grill basket. Grill for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until cooked through and lightly charred. Remove the asparagus, and continue to cook until radishes are tender, about 5 to 8 more minutes. Toss with the vinaigrette, adding to taste.

Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

1/2 cup fresh dill, packed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1 teaspoon liquid sweetener, such as agave nectar
1 shallot
Zest from 1/2 lemon zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Put the dill, lemon juice, mustard, agave nectar, shallot, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Combine until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while blender is running; process until combined. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

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