Err on the side of Chocolate

Straight away, Happy New Year! We're really in the thick of it now aren't we? Time to get serious about resolutions, commitments, accountability whatever you call it. Even if you resolve to thwart all resolutions that's a commitment of sorts isn't it?

Personally, I feel like I want to take on challenge. It's a matter of honor and change is good. Can I commit to a year of no meat, low sugar, low fat, low cholesterol, no dairy and the like. What does that leave exactly? Seafood? Beans? Greens? Green Beans? And what of Chocolate? Chocolate is part of survival it would be inhuman to remove it completely from any diet.

Carob is a healthier alternative but it's basically chocolate with the stuff that makes dogs and allergic humans react poorly taken out of it. The essence of it, the stuff that makes chocolate taste good, and us feel good has gone missing in Carob. I'm not ready to say no chocolate but rather find a way to make it work.

To start, I had a little help from Alton Brown with his Mooless Chocolate Pie Recipe.
It's made with Tofu and it's a little slice of heaven if I do say so myself.I used the lowest sugar chocolate cookies for the crust that I could find and Kahlua for the coffee liquor. It's a grand finale to my veggie pizza. It's not eating, it's living, and live we shall, it's nearly 2010 afterall.

I haven't felt this good since I was a teen waitress vowing to turn the world on to whole wheat bread after smoking a joynt in the basement of the restaurant where I was employed. It's going to be an adventurous year for me in the world of food and I'm ready for it. Bring it on I say, I'll figure it out but I must know that every so often there's a chocolate for me to savor.

Cheers to you all and do yourselves a favor. If you haven't read 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquirel then do it. It's one of the best books in the universe and you'll read it time and again, each time like it was the first.

All the best, Kate

Mooless Chocolate Tofu Pie- Alton Brown

2 cups chocolate chips,
1/3 cup coffee liqueur
1 block silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1 prepared chocolate wafer crust
Directions
Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and coffee liqueur in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

Combine the tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey in the blender jar. Liquefy until smooth.

Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the filling is set.

Veggie Pizza

Whole Wheat Crust (I purchased on, Mama Mary's brand)
Tomato Sauce ( garlic, onion, diced tomatos, tomato sauce, basil, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar if it's too tomatoey and chili powder)
Spinach ( saute in garlicky olive oil until just beginning to wilt)
Tomato slices
Olive slices
Veggie Shreds- A handful or so. (I like the Parmesan/Romano type)

Bake it at 450 until done to you likeness.

P.S. Veggie Shreds don't melt very much so don't wait to pull it out of the oven.