76. Spinach mousse

Spinach mousse topped with furikake

This recipe is for my blogging pal, Mochachocolata-Rita, who mentioned that she couldn't find the recipe for spinach mousse in my posts. Oops, Rita, sorry I forgot to post it. Rita has been advised by her doctor to eat soft foods and this dish has absolutely no crunch in it, except if you top it with sesame seeds then there is a slight crunch.

Spinach and tofu are low in calories, so I figure spinach mousse is South Beach friendly. Spinach has a high calcium content and is rich in folic acid and iron.

Spinach when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, and several vital antioxidants.

Tofu is rich in iron and calcium, contains beneficial amounts of iron and has no cholesterol.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh spinach
1 tube of silken tofu
A couple of tablespoons of ginger, minced
A piece of green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil


Method:

1. Wash the spinach and drain.
2. Heat wok. Add the spinach and cook it with the water clinging to the leaves. Keep turning the spinach over to cook it. Cover with lid, if necessary. This should take a couple of minutes. The spinach should be starting to become limp and a bright, green colour. Don't worry if the spinach is not completely cooked.
   
3. Put spinach in a colander and run cold water through it.
   
4. Squeeze as much of the liquid from the spinach or wring it out like a towel.
5. Dry the wok. Heat wok and oil, swirl the oil in the wok. Add ginger and shallot, stir fry a bit.
6. Put the wrung out spinach, ginger and shallots into the food processor.
   
7. Cut the plastic tube in half and squeeze the tofu into the processor. Give everything a whirl.
8. Fill small ramekins or bowls with the mousse. I got 4 little containers full.
   
9. Wash wok, place steaming rack inside and pour boiling water to cover the rack.
10. Put pots on rack. Cover and steam for 15 minutes.
11. Remove ramekins and cool on a rack.
    
12. Invert ramekin on plate and top with sauce of your choice.
13. Enjoy

By hand - After step 5, use a cleaver or mezzaluna and chop the spinach, ginger and green onions. Put in a bowl, add the tofu and use a wooden spoon to beat everything together. Continue with Steps 7 to 13.

Spinach mousse topped with sesame oil vinagrette

Note:

1. The cooked mousse needs to be cooled a bit before unmolding. I was impatient and turned it over immediately and the whole mousse collapsed.
2. I wasn't particularly imaginative with the topping. When I am making it again, I would top it with a bit of shrimp salad or chopped chicken with a bit of sauce. A bit of caviar would be nice too. For a vegan/vegetarian version, I would top it with creamed mushrooms or to take the spinach to the nth degree, creamed spinach.
   

This is my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging the brainchild of Kalyn of Kalyn's kitchen. This week WHB is hosted by Jai and Bee from Jugalbandi.