Lime mousse Tart

[Laurentien2]

I received my Dot connector this morning and when to look at the recipe first. I know there is more important article but what do you want, I love cooking . I read that you didn't find a substitute for a Key lime pie Laura, maybe this one will inspire you.

This amazing healthy recipe from this book http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-World-Recipes/dp/0060793554 that we are currently exploring will get the thumbs up from every one.

Lime mousse tart
Whit coconut macadamia crust
Makes 4 small tarts or 1 big.

From Raw food real world book recipe;

The mousse can be served in bowls on its own if you don’t feel like making the crusts. Nobody ever guesses that the main ingredient in the mousse is avocado. The coconut butter(coconut oil) can be omitted from the mousse- it’s in the recipe to provide stiffness ( as coconut butter become solid when chilled) but it is not critical. This recipe uses a lot of stevia; using too much of a liquid sweetener will make the mousse runny.

For the tart crust:
2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1 cup shredded, unsweeted dry coconut
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoon lime juice
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean, or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 packets stevia
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon macadamia oil, or other nut oil
1- Place the nuts and the processor bowl in the freezer to chill for a few minutes. Once chilled, place all the ingredient EXEPT THE OIL in the processor bowl and pulse until combined, but still a bit chunky. Be careful not to overprocess or the nut will become oily.
2- Lightly oil four 4-inch tart shells with removable bottom with the macadamia oil other nut oil. If using tart shells without removable bottoms, line the pans with overhanging plastic wrap (saran wrap), and skip oiling them. Divide the dough in four parts and press into the tart shells. When the shells are filled, wrap in plastic and place in the freezer to chill until firm.

Note from me: You can use a 9 inch tart plate and leave it in. This procedure is for presentation so if you don’t have 4 inch shells, it will be as delicious in a 9 inch one but, you leave it in shell and cut piece and serve them like any others tart. That is what we did and the pieces hold together very well when you cut them into individual portion. As for not using coconut oil, I don't know what will be the result, we use it because we love it taste and it great nutritious properties as stated in many article on Sott.

For the lime mousse:
5 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup packed lime zest (from 6 to 8)
¼ cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons coconut butter (melted if solid)
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean, or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
10 packets stevia (or to taste)

1- In a bowl of a food processor, process all the mousse ingredients except the stevia until smooth. Add stevia to taste and process.
2- Use the overhanging edges of the plastic wrap to carefully pull the tart from the shells ( or push from the bottom if using shells with removable bottoms). Fill the tart shells with the mousse, cover with wax paper, parchment, or plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator or freezer. Do not leave the tart uncover for to long or the surface may discolour a bit.
Again, you can leave the tart in it shell and cut piece from it.

The first time we did it, we didn't have 4 inch tart shells, so we use as I wrote a large one and left it in it. Tomorrow I will make them in the 4 inch shells and see if they unshells easily. A trick that they give to unmold them is to soak a clean kitchen towel im hot water and hold it around the molds for a bit- the ring should then easily slide off. Logical since the the heat will melt the coconut butter a bit and free it from the shell.

Bon appétit.

P.S. this recipe is dairy and gluten free as well.

 

[Nawd]

That sounds yummy! Any substitutes for macadamia nuts? As I am alergic to that specific nut. :(

 

[D Rusak]

I'd imagine you could use most any nut, probably almonds would be my choice as they are reasonably neutral tasting and cheaper than say, pecans. If you are allergic to nuts in general, I am wondering what you could use...maybe some sort of ground or crushed seeds?

 

[Josi]

Sounds really yummy, but I would replace the agave nectar with zylitol or maple syrup. Agave nectar has healthy claims, but is a highly processed fructose sugar not too unlike high fructose corn syrup.

Just saying.....

 

[Laurentien2]

Sounds really yummy, but I would replace the agave nectar with zylitol or maple syrup. Agave nectar has healthy claims, but is a highly processed fructose sugar not too unlike high fructose corn syrup.

Just saying.....

http://www.allaboutagave.com/

make the agave nectar, sap is extracted from the pina, filtered, and heated at a low temperature, which breaks down the carbohydrates into sugars. Lighter and darker varieties of agave nectar are made from the same plants. Because of the low temperatures used in processing many varieties (under 118°F) raw foods enthusiasts generally regard agave nectar as a raw food.

Especially in the last century, the western diet has become increasingly dominated by refined sweeteners such as granulated sugar and corn syrup. The problem with these substances is their high glycemic index and glycemic load - both measures of the relative impact that foods have on our blood sugar. Foods that raise blood sugar quickly trigger the release of the hormone insulin. Excessive releases of insulin and, more specifically, chronically high blood sugar and insulin levels are linked to Metabolic Syndrome (also called Syndrome X), which is a complex of health disorders. Associated ailments include insulin resistance and type II diabetes, abdominal weight gain and obesity, problems with blood lipids (raised triglycerides and cholesterol) and high blood pressure.

One of the most health-promoting properties of agave nectar is its favorable glycemic profile. Its sweetness comes primarily from a complex form of fructose called inulin. Fructose is the sugar that occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables. The carbohydrate in agave nectar has a low glycemic index, which provides sweetness without the unpleasant "sugar rush" and unhealthful blood sugar spike caused by many other sugars. Agave nectar is a delicious natural sweetener that can be used moderately - by dieters, some diabetics, and health conscious cooks - to replace high-glycemic and refined sugars.

It doesn't sound so bad, maple syrup is processed at high temperature by the way but is considered natural too in the book, as long as it is 100% pure. They use also dates paste as natural sweetener and I often replace maple syrup by it. They sweeten to much for my taste and I often cut on quantity or use the date paste that I do myself.

 

[Josi]

It doesn't sound so bad, maple syrup is processed at high temperature by the way but is considered natural too in the book, as long as it is 100% pure. They use also dates paste as natural sweetener and I often replace maple syrup by it. They sweeten to much for my taste and I often cut on quantity or use the date paste that I do myself.

FWIW - Here is one article by Dr. Mercola on Agave syrup. Maybe psyche or dugdeep can shed more light on agave.

_http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx

Unfortunately, masterful marketing has resulted in the astronomical popularity of agave syrup among people who believe they are doing their health a favor by avoiding refined sugars like high fructose corn syrup, and dangerous artificial sweeteners.

And if you’re diabetic, you’ve been especially targeted and told this is simply the best thing for you since locally grown organic lettuce, that it’s "diabetic friendly," has a "low glycemic index" and doesn’t spike your blood sugar.

While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze -- that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
Most agave syrup has a higher fructose content than any commercial sweetener -- ranging from 70 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent.

 

[shijing]

I used agave for awhile when I thought it was a good sugar substitute, but the stuff is sweet -- I stopped using it after I became aware of the high fructose content. There is something from a diabetes thread that Psyche posted here:

Type 2 diabetes, and the prediabetic state of insulin resistance that precedes it, are caused by the following preventable factors:

1) excessive consumption of calories.
2) Inactivity; lack of exercise.
3) Consumption of “hidden sweets,” which are high glycemic foods that don’t taste sweet but make the blood sweet, e.g pasta, cereal, crackers.
a) Excess sugar, but even worse....high fructose corn syrup, and other sources of concentrated fructose: e.g. sugar, agave.
4) hydrogenated oils.
5) nutritional deficiencies of minerals, especially magnesium, chromium and zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids, as found in foods like flaxseed, walnuts and wild fish.
6) chemical exposures, including environmental pollution, e.g. pesticides, and drugs, e.g. various prescribed and over the counter drugs.

 

[Laurentien2]

Thank Shijing and Rhiannon for the input on agave nectar. I will make the tart tomorrow and replace the agave with maple syrup and/or zylitol and see how it react with the others ingredient. To be honest, it was the first time that we bought agave to cook with, we didn't knew about it and from the book we got little info. It won't make a big difference I think replacing it, I will let you know tomorrow.

That sounds yummy! Any substitutes for macadamia nuts? As I am alergic to that specific nut. :(

Maybe Brazil nut or hazel nut as they contain more oil but my guess is that it will work whit any nut. Whit a dryer nut, I would use some thing else to bind the mixture as coconut butter, maybe a tablespoon or two, melted and processed whit the rest of the ingredient.

Here is another recipe for tart crusts:

1 1/2 cups coarse almond flour
1 1/2 cups fine almond flour
3 tablespoons date paste
3/4 cup maple syrup powder
3/4 cup coconut butter
Large pinch of salt

To make your own almond flour, proceed as follow;

If you have a dehydrator, soak the almonds for at least 6 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse well and dehydrate for 12 hours. Pulse the almond in a food processor for a fine consistency, but be careful not to over-process ( you don't want almond butter). Strain the almonds through a strainer to separate the coarser pieces, leaving behind a fine almond flour.

To make your own date paste;

Soak pitted dates in water for 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the water. Process dates in a food processor, adding the soak water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, until you have the consistency of thick jam or butter.
P.S. I use dates for cooking to do my paste, they are harder so I soak them in hot water to soften them up.

I try this recipe once and it was way to sweet for my taste. You can replace maple syrup powder whit zylitol and reduce the quantity, in this recipe the coconut butter is the binder and will hold the ingredients together. I melted the coconut butter (oil) before mixing every thing in the processor.

If you don't have a dehydrator, skip that portion and process the dry almond nut. It may give a different taste but shouldn't change that much.

Most of the recipe contained in this book where the use of nut or seed are needed, ask to soak them first to remove the toxin contained in them and dehydrate them after. That mean that you have to start preparing days in advance some time but it is no big deal.

I hope that it will help you Dawn, remember that the filling can be serve whit out the crust in bowl, it is really yummy.

 

[Laurentien2]

I did the tart yesterday and replaced the agave nectar by maple syrup and zylitol. It tasted as good and the mixture hold well together. So, I used 2 tablespoons of zylitol and fill the rest of 1/4 cup with maple syrup and the filling wasn't to creamy. I still use a tart plate of 9 inchs instead of 4 inch one with removable bottom as we were a bit short in time. Every one at dinner enjoys it and they all want the recipe. It was a great success.

Next time, I will use xylitol only and stevia, I'm pretty sure that it will stay firm enough. My only concern is that the xylitol may not dissolve entirely but,I will add more stevia and cut on the zylitol.