Light tasters

Did some entertaining recently at home and here are 2 dishes which are easy to make and light...

Gnocchi with home made pesto.

Chocolate mousse.

The chocolate mousse is an easy tackle as it requires no baking, just some heating up and a good whisk:

Ingredients (makes 8 mousses):

1 tablet of a fine bitter black Swiss chocolate (100g)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

Kahlua and Grand Marnier (both or either)

1 sachet gelatine powder (7g)

Sugar according to taste

1 1/2 cup full cream milk

Infuse and melt the gelatine powder with some cold water/milk and set aside. Melt the chocolate over heated milk and incorporate the cocoa powder to form a thick chocolate sauce. Add the gelatine mixture to this sauce. You may add some Kahlua at this point for some kicks...

Beat the sugar and egg yolks until a creamy consistency, adding in a dash of Grand Marnier. Fold in the hot chocolate sauce, set aside.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks forming (like a meringue). You may add a tablespoon of icing sugar during the last cycle to stabilise the meringue. Fold this with the chocolate mixture and carefully pour into individual ramekins. Set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.