The Unabashed Kitchen Wench: Dark Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

I have been away from home the last 2 days in meetings, for work. I wasn't really looking forward to going, but it turned out to be very interesting and worthwhile. I came away with some unexpected but excellent tools that I can't wait to put into practice. Another thing I really enjoyed was the chance to be in a town that had some different eating opportunities. On a friend's recommendation, I tried a fairly new restaurant to Bismarck - MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill & Pub. I was not disappointed. Turns out this chain started in Montana but has branched out a little to Idaho, Washington and Bismarck, ND. The decor is built around a hunting/fishing/outdoorsy theme encompassed in a lodge setting. The atmosphere was fun, the service staff really seemed to enjoy their work and the food was amazing! I had one of their small homemade pizzas (which was not small at all). One of the things I liked was that my waiter, seeing that I was having a hard time deciding between a few different types, quickly pointed out that I could split the pie in half and get 2 different ones. Beautiful! I chose the Thai Pie and the Caribbean Chicken, and couldn't have been happier, although the Thai chicken was my favorite, hands down. It had a lovely peanut sauce, Thai-spiced chicken, mandarin oranges, peanuts, mozzarella topped with fresh cilantro. One bite and I was in heaven! If you ever get a chance to eat at one of these fine establishments, I definitely encourage you to do so. It also boasts some unique microbrews for the specialty beer lovers.

By the time I got home tonight, my husband had supper made and on the table. I'm not going to lie, I almost swooned. It was a quarter to seven, my head was swirling with info from the meetings and I hadn't even contemplated what I would make, if he hadn't taken care of it. The only problem was that I needed something for the blog. I tried to think of something quick and easy with very few ingredients. Enter Dark Chocolate Ricotta Mousse. 4 ingredients, 5 minutes, and you have a rich and creamy dessert. It might not seem like it makes enough to serve more than 2, but because it is so rich, this is one of those desserts that you serve in very small portions - preferably with a good, strong coffee and a dollop of whipped cream.

Here's your Cast of Characters.

1 - 15 Oz. tub of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
3/4 Cup cocoa
3/4 Cup powdered sugar

In a small saucepan on medium heat, whisk cocoa and oil together until blended into a paste.