Recipe: Chocolate Mousse

Here`s a Valentine`s Day recipe that will boost your heart`s health.

Makes 10 servings

When consumed in moderation, this is a healthier version of the high-fat, high-calorie French delicacy. Chocolate contains the phenolic compounds gallic acid and epicatechin, which are important antioxidants for cancer prevention. Cornell researchers have found that cocoa has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup non dairy milk, such as soy milk or rice milk
2 packages (12.3 ounces each) low-fat silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust (optional)
10 strawberries, sliced
10 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Procedure:

Place chocolate chips and non-dairy milk in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Let sit for 2 minutes.
Place tofu, vanilla, and chocolate chip/non-dairy milk mixture in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer into a graham cracker pie crust, if using, or small individual serving dishes and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer. Serve topped with strawberries and garnished with mint, if using.
Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover Chocolate Mousse will keep for up to 3 days.
Variation: Add a chopped banana to the blender or food processor when you process the tofu and chocolate together.

Per serving:

125 calories
6 g fat
3.1 g saturated fat
43.5% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
6 g protein
14.1 g carbohydrate
10.5 g sugar
1.5 g fiber
75 mg sodium
63 mg calcium
1.4 mg iron
7.2 mg vitamin C
7 mcg beta-carotene
0.5 mg vitamin E