Egg-free Banana Mousse

Most mousse recipes call for eggs, but my poor little 9-year-old sister-in-law is deathly allergic to them. I've come up with an egg-free mousse that has a slightly denser texture, but otherwise will satisfy your cravings. 

Bananas are in season so I decided to make an eggless banana mousse. I love bananas because they have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. Fruits, however, add more water content to a mousse than chocolate does, so you need to counteract that with another ingredient.  I used a sweet mascarpone base with the pureed bananas. If you are making an eggless chocolate mousse, there is no need to add the mascarpone cheese.

Sharbat (Indian Milk Drink made with Rooh Afza Syrup, Cardamom Seeds, Almonds, Cashews and Pistachios)

Sharbat is a very common drink during our family gatherings. It's a sweet chilled dairy drink mixed with Rooh Afza syrup, cardamom seeds, almonds, cashews and pistachios. Sharbat is a popular ethnic pink drink in India and Pakistan. Sharbat gets its characteristic pink color from Rooh Afza.

I'm still unclear of its composition but here's what I've learned from Lulu's aunt: Rooh Afza is made out of fruit (Watermelon) extracts, coriander seeds, flower petals like Gulab (Rose) and herbs.

It's very good, sweet, very filling and addictive.  The high calorie combination of sugar and nuts is an energy drink by itself.  It's great fuel for an evening with family and friends.

Mina's Pistachio Almond Cardamom Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

If you've been to an Indian buffet, you've probably had some kheer. This kheer is a regular rice pudding made with Indian spices. Cardamom, almond and pistachio are common flavorings in Indian desserts. It was flavored at the end with kewra water. You can also add a touch of saffron water to give a yellow color to the dessert as well.

Every culture that uses rice as a starch has some form of rice pudding. In France, it's called le riz au lait. In Vietnam, it's chè đậu trắng, a black eyed pea sticky rice pudding. And of course, there is good old American rice pudding, usually topped with nutmeg, mace and cinnamon.

Mina is Lulu's cousin. We had a potluck going on this weekend and she brought desserts. And as a food blog addict, I had to post it.

Chocolate filled Sticky Rice Balls with Coconut

I made some coconut flavored sticky rice balls but instead of making the traditional split mung bean filling, I stuffed the dumplings with chocolate. I steamed them then rolled them in freshly grated coconut. They're delicious and cholesterol free.

Vegetarian Tom Yum Thai Soup

Today was a very cold and rainy day in Northern California. The Asian New Year is coming but I don't think the family is going to attend any of the festivities because of the weather. A couple of the girls are sick and I thought a warm broth would do them good.

Thai soup is a very good first course if you want to do an Asian-themed dinner. It's light and very tasty. The soup is an amazing contrast of spicy, sweet, savory and sour flavors. Enjoy!