Chocolate Banana Pie with Oreo Graham Coconut Crust

After my son's most recent birthday, I found myself with a bunch of leftover Oreo crumbs (the asphalt on a race track cake) and some silken tofu that was about to expire. So I went searching on food.com, adapted a couple of recipes, and came up with this easy and yummy dessert. I wouldn't call it a health food, but it's certainly healthier than a regular cream pie. Enjoy!

Don't hold the poor food photography against the pie. It did its best.

Chocolate Banana Pie with Oreo Graham Coconut Crust

Crust:

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker and Oreo crumbs combined (you can go all one if you like or combine however you like)
1/4 cup ground almonds (easy to make by running raw almonds through the food processor)
1/4 cup coconut
1/3 cup melted butter or, for extra coconut flavor, melted extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbsp sugar (optional if you want  it less sweet, especially if using a lot of Oreo crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine ingredients in a bowl and then press into a 9" or larger pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (10 oz) box silken tofu (I had a 14 oz container and threw the extra in an egg salad that was about 1/2 egg, 1/2 tofu.  I used an egg slicer so the pieces looked identical to egg whites and they were indiscernible from each other. Smoothies are also a good option for your leftovers if you have any.)
2 large very ripe bananas, sliced
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp raspberry vinegar (apple cider and red wine vinegars are also good options)

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.

Place tofu and 1/4 of banana chunks into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, scraping down as necessary. Add the rest of the bananas in batches and process until smooth. Add vanilla, brown sugar, salt, and vinegar and blend. Add melted chocolate chips and puree until smooth and uniform, still scraping the sides as needed. Adjust brown sugar to taste.

Pour filling into crust and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!


Rosemary

Asian BBQ Marinade

I found this one on another food blog and have LOVED it! It has been delectable on pork, chicken, and tofu (more on that later). Here's the original recipe and link.


Asian BBQ Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)
 

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.  Optional:  garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip:  When I make this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade.  I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/asian-bbq-chicken/

Now, as I promised, here is more on the tofu. We are a tofu eating family. We haven't always been, but I've been trying to incorporate it for some time. At first, it just wasn't coming out well. But my techniques have improved and now the results are turning out fantastic. Tonight I made up two 14-oz packages of extra firm tofu and there was barely enough left for hubby's lunch. My 3-year-old loved it as much as the adults did. The 9-month-old can't give much of an opinion on the grilled tofu but she did have some silken tofu which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Why tofu? Tofu is inexpensive and good for you! It's also very versatile. It can be used as a meat alternative; just don't expect it to have the exact same taste and texture any more than you'd expect an egg (another meat alternative) to have the same taste and texture as meat. Silken tofu is great for smoothies, desserts, and more. So don't let all of the bad tofu-based meat substitute products put you off. When you take tofu on its own merits, it can be wonderful!

For great tofu "steaks", buy extra firm tofu. Drain the water from the tofu (most tofu is water-packed) and freeze. Freezing helps give the tofu a meatier texture. When you thaw the tofu, wrap it in a clean towel (tea towels are best) and place between two plates or cutting boards with weights on top. This presses out excess liquid so that the tofu is ready to take on the marinade flavors and, again, have a meatier texture. Once thawed and pressed, slice tofu into desired size and shape of steaks (I first cut mine in half to make it thinner kind of like you would a layered cake then cut in half width-wise to give 4 steaks per 14 oz package). Place steaks in an airtight bag with the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes; the longer the better.  Grill for 5-6 minutes over medium heat. Enjoy!

Rosemary

I'm a fan of Food Network. Alton Brown is probably my favorite celebrity chef because he gives loads of great information on his show and he's silly to boot. But recently I discovered another Food Network personality that I have completely overlooked. She's a registered dietitian, so once I found that out, I had to check her out. She's Ellie Krieger and, while she uses the same catch phrases an awful lot, I really like her recipes. Here's one of my favorites so far. It's ever-so-yummy (as good as any pudding I've ever had) and also rich in antioxidants and the goodness of soy.

The original recipe can be found here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe/index.html

You can also find a video for it on the Food Network website "Fabulous tofu  chocolate mousse" and on Hulu. The amounts she gives on the video are a little different, so I'll have to try it that way next time and tell you if I like it that way better.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

• 1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu, drained
• 3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon brandy (I use water or juice)
  
• 1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar
  
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 teaspoons shaved chocolate

Directions

In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu until it is smooth.

Put the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup water and brandy in a saucepan or heat-proof bowl fitted over a pot containing 1-inch barely simmering water. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in 1/2 cup of sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.

Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Whip the cream with a beater. When the cream is almost completely whipped, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and finish whipping. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and serve.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size 1/2 cup of mousse, 1 tablespoon whipped cream and 1/4 teaspoon shaved chocolate)

Rosemary