Chocolate Velvet
Yield: 1 1/2 cups (3 servings if used as a pudding, 6 servings if used as a sauce)
This sauce is velvety smooth and creamy and will feed the soul of even the most ardent chocolate lover. The secret ingredient, avocado, makes it thick and rich, but it cannot be detected in the flavor by even the fussiest foodie! Serve Chocolate Velvet on its own as a pudding or as a topping for Bananas I Scream (see recipe below); layer it with strawberries and bananas for an amazing parfait, use it as a chilled dip for fresh fruit, as a fabulous filling for Chocolate Tart with Strawberries and Bananas.
1 ripe avocado
6 tablespoons unsweetened raw cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave syrup, maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup purified water
Optional
Frozen Fruit Ice Cream (see recipe below for Bananas! I Scream)
Strawberries and sliced bananas
1. Combine the avocado, cocoa powder, agave syrup, evaporated cane juice, 2 tablespoons of the water, and the vanilla extract and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth.
2. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water and process again until well blended. The more water you add, the thinner the sauce will be.
Bananas! I Scream
Yield: 4 cups (3 servings)
This ice cream tastes rich and delicious, but it is 100% fruit, nondairy, and guilt free! It's perfect for children and adults alike. Serve it with Chocolate Velvet or any blended fruit sauce and you'll have the perfect ice cream substitute!
5 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen (see note)
1. Run the frozen bananas through a Champion or Green Star Juicer fitted with the homogenizing plate. Alternatively, break the bananas into chunks and process them in a food processor fitted with the S blade until smooth.
2. Serve immediately. Stored in a sealed container in the freezer, Bananas! I Scream will keep for several hours before it freezes solid, making it impossible to serve. Once frozen solid, it will need to thaw slightly before serving.
Zucchini Pasta with Basil Pesto
Yield: 3 cups (3 servings)
Spiralized zucchini looks and satisfies like pasta. Its flavor is neutral, like traditional pasta, yet it's so much faster to prepare. Paired with fresh sweet basil, pungent garlic, and the richness of walnuts, this pasta with pesto sauce is to live for!
Zucchini Pasta
4 zucchini
Basil Pesto
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1 1/2 teaspoons light miso
1 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 clove garlic
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup walnuts
Garnish
3 tablespoons Vegan Parmesan Cheese (optional)
1. For the pasta, transform the zucchini into noodles using a spiral slicer.
2. For the pesto, place the chopped zucchini in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth. Add the basil, oil, miso, nutritional yeast flakes, garlic, and salt and pulse a few times to coarsely chop the basil. Add the walnuts and process until the desired consistency is achieved. Do not overprocess or the oil from the walnuts will separate and the mixture will become too oily. The texture should be creamy, with tiny specks of walnuts throughout.
3. Add the pesto to the Zucchini Pasta and toss lightly. Serve topped with the optional vegan Parmesan cheese.
Cherie Soria Bio:
Cherie Soria is the founder and director of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, and has been teaching the fine art of gourmet raw living foods for over 15 years and vegetarian culinary arts for more than 35 years. Cherie is also the author of several books, including the classic Angel Foods: Healthy Recipes for Heavenly Bodies, and the newly released, Raw Food Diet Revolution: Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger! Cherie has personally trained many of the world's top raw food chefs and instructors and is often referred to as the mother of gourmet raw vegan cuisine. Cherie and husband Dan Ladermann own and operate several raw food businesses besides the culinary school, including a raw vegan cafe, a retail store providing gifts for chefs and products for healthful living, and a historic eco-friendly inn, all located on the beautiful Mendocino coast of northern California. They also host the Vibrant Living Expo, a raw food and healthy lifestyle conference at Living Light Center every August. Cherie and Dan have received numerous awards and accolades for Living Light International, which is recognized as one of the leading raw food businesses in the world. Living Light Café received an award from VegNews as one of the top 10 vegan cafés in the country. Cherie will do a "Northern Lights" tour of Canada this fall with stops in Vancouver B.C., Calgary Alberta, Toronto Ontario, and Montreal Quebec.
