Yes I said CHOCOLATE! This Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole is amazing!

If you’ve ever eaten as a real authentic Mexican restaurant, you’ve probably seen something with “mole” sauce on the menu. I’ve got one book that says mole is a Spanish word meaning “mashed together” but I know it to mean (my own personal definition) - “very tasty, spicy Mexican sauce with dark chocolate in it!” How’s that for highly technical?!

I came across this recipe for chili mole in Extra Vegan Za and just about flipped. I LOVE mole sauce!!! This Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole is one of the best chilis I’ve ever made. We spiced it up by adding a whole habanero pepper (one of the hottest you can get) because I can’t make anything too hot for Rob’s tastes. If you haven’t ever used one - handle with gloves, throw out the seeds, and use about 1/3 of the pepper to start. You can always add more later, but if you make it unbearably hot you won’t enjoy the subtleness of the mole - or have any feeling left in your mouth.

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Popularity: 2%

We are always looking for healthy sauces and dips to make that are both tasty and multi-purpose, as well as being healthy. This Miso Lemon Tahini Sauce fits the bill perfectly. We both love miso and Japanese food in general, so this is a nice addition to our repertoire.

If you haven’t used or bought miso before, you can find it in your local grocery store in the Asian section. Once it is opened you need to refrigerate it, and never, NEVER boil it! Miso contains live enzymes because it is fermented soy beans or rice (depending on the variety you choose) and if you heat it to a boil you will kill all the enzymes and healthy “stuff” in it. I won’t get too technical, but miso has lots of health benefits including B12 and zinc. When you choose a miso, make sure it does not have MSG in it. Read Rob’s article on the Dangers of Hidden MSG to find out more on that.

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Popularity: 3%

I found this great sauce which is both healthy and tasty in the Vegan Planet cookbook, one of our favorites. You can use it as a spread, a dip or a sauce on just about anything. As you can see in the photo, we put it on lentil or bean burgers.

You need to either have soy mayonnaise or make your own (is easy, see below). Please do NOT use regular or even any of the no-fat regular mayonnaises available. In my opinion they are all crap and have so much preservatives, MSG (it is often hidden, so don’t be fooled) and salt that I wouldn’t eat it if you paid me.

Avocado Wasabi Sauce

1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsely
1 green onion, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp Braggs
2 tsp wasabi powder or to taste (I used double that cause I like it)
2/3 cup soy mayonnaise (see below) or use store bought Veggainaise

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer to tightly covered container and refrigerate. Is best used within an hour or so of being made.

Soy Mayonnaise

6 oz. of firm tofu
1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of natural sweetener like Stevia or Agave (optional)
3 Tbsp olive oil, sesame oil, flax oil or Udo’s oil - your choice base on flavor preference.

Place all ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the old in a thin stream through the feed tube until it is incorporated. Taste it and adjust seasonings to your preferences.

Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 4-5 days)

We found this avocado wasabi sauce great on bean burgers, or as a dip for raw carrots. The smooth texture of the avocado and the zip of the wasabi make an unsuspectingly great combination of flavors. We haven’t tried it on eggs yet - if you do, let us know what you think.

Enjoy. Bean burger recipe to follow shortly, stay tuned.

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Avocado Wasabi Sauce Photo Credit: Her View Photography

Popularity: 3%

Last week’s recipe was a St Patrick’s day green soup which is a favorite around our house. Continuing with our “green theme” for the month of March, in honor of St Patty, We’ve got Darlene’s favorite green smoothie recipe. Darlene is away in Vegas for a photographer trade show, so I’m posting for her (Rob). She likes fruit, and has no issues around mixing fruit and leafy greens in a blended drink, while I’m a bit more of a purist.

On a recent poll about what you choose as a liquid breakfast, only 11% of voters chose a green smoothie. I’d like to increase that number a bunch if I can. Smoothies allow for nutrients to be easily absorbed into the digestive system because we’ve taken the digestive load off the stomach. Your choices for fruits and vegetables are endless, so please don’t limit yourself to the items We describe here. Be creative.

I like big blended salad’s, but more so during the summer months when produce is fresh and available locally. Stay tuned for the blended drinks I come up with this summer.

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Popularity: 6%

I am posting this recipe for Super Green St. Patrick’s Day Soup a week early so you can get the needed ingredients and be ready on the 17th. Rob and I created this recipe from a combination of a few different ones and just made it up as we went along. We wanted it to be Super Green, super healthy, and super tasty. I think we have achieved our goal if you can judge that by how fast it disappeared from our fridge. I hope you enjoy this “green” recipe for St Patty’s.

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Popularity: 7%