“Is it anybody’s birthday this week?”
There was a hopeful tone to the question that had a surprise treat for anyone that said yes. Apparently, celebrating your birthday during your stay at Mountain Trek health spa and fitness retreat – included not just fabulous hiking, detoxification and education – but DESSERT! Except that like any other food during a week of (delicious) calorie-controlled spa cuisine, even dessert is healthy.
Think chocolate mousse…. but with a twist.
For as long as I can remember, chocolate mousse ranks at the pinnacle of my dessert preferences. Nothing else comes even close to the same satisfaction of a rich dark chocolate that melts on your tongue, with an occasional chunk of decadence thrown in for good measure. It is the one treat that I struggle to say “no” to – even if I know I should. Granted, not all chocolate mousses are created equal – especially when contrasted against my mom’s recipe (well – technically my grandmother’s recipe)… but a healthy chocolate mousse recipe? Could it possibly be as good?
Since there were no birthdays during my week of life-changing transformation at the lodge – overlooking the serene Kootenay Lake – the chocolate mousse became our urban myth. Guests just the week before had sampled it – raving about the creamy richness. Instead I contented myself with cocoa infused teas as an after dinner and after evening workout treat.
So I had no choice but to try to make it myself once home…because I could not just let rumors of healthy chocolate mousse waft about in my head.
The results were… not surprisingly…decadent. Even my almost ten-year old chocolate mousse aficionado smiled from ear to ear when she first licked the spoon. Although I was tempted to make her believe that the mousse was just your everyday dessert, I opted instead for listing the ingredients – that at first glance sounded more like a fruit plate – so that she could learn that healthy can still be delicious.
Although we all agreed that yes, a chocolate mousse detective would be able to detect non-traditional ingredients – the substitutions made the dessert taste light and healthy while still being a sweet ending to a meal.
Mountain Trek Chocolate Mousse
The secret to the Mountain Trek recipe being so healthy is simple: fruit and avocado. This vegan chocolate mousse (no dairy/no soy) dessert is easy to make with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- 2 small bananas (I like them to be on the riper side)
- 1/2 small ripe avocado
- 3/4 cup very ripe mango
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1/3 cup Coconut milk
- 3/4 cup Good quality dark chocolate chips melted
*Makes 5 or 6 small servings (about 1/2 cup each)
To make the vegan chocolate mousse:
Blend the ingredients together well in blender (have I mentioned that I love my Vitamix?). Portion into small ramekins or cups and refrigerate. Serve with fresh berries.
What I love about this ingredient list is that there are no extras. No sweeteners. No fillers. Just pure ingredients that left to their own devices – make this dessert worthy of all that talk around the dinner table.
Wellness travel factor:
I love being able to bring home healthy recipes to try from my travels – whether they come from a wellness retreat or a foodie kitchen in my favorite city. One of the great things about experiencing the Mountain Trek health spa and fitness retreat is the binder of educational information and recipes that comes home with every guest….plus the fabulous kitchen staff sends any recipes that were used during the week (not already in the recipe book) to those that want them via email.
Read more about my experience at Mountain Trek health spa and fitness retreat:
3 Months Later– Do wellness retreats really work?
A life changing experience in British Columbia
Healthy breakfast secrets unveiled: Make your own spa food for breakfast
Wellness Inspired Healthy Chocolate Mousse appeared first on Live.Do.Grow by Elena Sonnino