k  Mint Chocolate Spirulina Mousse  k

k  With pistachio, cacao & almond crumb  k

Silky and intensely chocolate rich, this light as air mousse dreamily almost melts on the tongue. To call it incredible would perhaps be an understatement because it actually has magical hidden superfood powers. I mean how can something that tastes this unbelievable be actually good for you?

Look at this delicious video clip to see how heavenly it is…

The incredible fluffy consistency comes from chickpea brine – known as aquafaba.  The drained liquid from a jar of chickpeas basically acts an egg white substitute and within minutes of whisking you will have a stiff meringue like fluff.

Mind blowing I know, and for any sceptics out there you let me re-assure you it doesn’t taste of chickpeas at all.

Onto the super food element – fresh spirulina…The magical blue green algae (from Spirulina de Ibiza) www.facebook.com/spirulinadeibiza

It’s farmed locally, it’s biodynamic, organic, raw and better still it has no unpleasant  ‘pond like’ flavour that you can often get from powdered spirulina. It’s deemed one of THE most potent super foods on this planet with insane health benefits. It contains more protein than meat, it’s loaded with antioxidants, contains all essential amino acids, over 65 vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It has been said to reduce the risk of cancer, lowers cholesterol and is has powerful anti-aging properties.

To flavour the mousse I used a natural peppermint extract just because I love the chocolate mint combination (I guess if  you are using powdered spirulina it will help counterbalance its strong flavour). For a final flurry I added a nut crumb as an optional topping (raw cacao nibs, almonds and pistachios that also have superfood properties too). What you get is a gorgeous  multi textural crunch before you dip into velvet chocolate heaven.

I would marry this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)

125g (at least 70% cocoa) organic dark chocolate chopped into small pieces

1 tablespoons coconut oil

2-4 drops natural peppermint extract

Approx. 120ml aquafaba chickpea brine (from 570g jar)

2 tablespoons raw cane brown sugar (or coconut sugar)

15g (2 teaspoons) fresh spirulina

Optional Crumb topping

Tablespoon-shelled pistachios

Tablespoon almonds

Tablespoon cacao nibs

Dessertspoon agave syrup or maple

Dessertspoon coconut oil

Method

1. Gently melt chocolate and coconut oil in metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stir frequently until melted. Let the chocolate cool off for 10 min.

2. In the meanwhile beat the aquafaba with an electric mixer until stiff, add the sugar gradually teaspoon at a time.

3. Add the fresh spirulina and the peppermint extract to the melted chocolate and then very gently fold the minted chocolate into the aquafaba.

4. Spoon the mixture into 4 small glasses (or eight shot glasses) and refrigerate for least 4 hours.

To make the pistachio crumb

Preheat the oven to 180 and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Either blend the nuts in a food processor or chop them by hand. In a bowl add the coconut oil and syrup then use your fingertips to rub the oil into the nuts and combine all the ingredients.

Spread out on the baking tray and bake for 4-7 minutes until the crumbs near the edge of the pan are starting to brown. Allow to cool and add the cacao nibs. Store any leftover crumbs in an airtight container.