Chocolate-Banana Quiche Makes 1 8-inch Quiche
The rich taste and velvety texture of this intensely chocolate "crust-free quiche" belies the low-fat, easy-to-make recipe. Use any seasonal fruit to vary the taste and presentation.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 15 minutes

1  1/4 cups cherry juice (or any berry juice)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon agar flakes (a sea vegetable that substitutes for gelatin)
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons powdered maple sugar or Sucanat
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kuzu (a root that substitutes for cornstarch) dissolved in 2 tablespoons juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 banana, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup all-fruit orange marmalade or apricot preserves, melted
1/3 cup finely chopped, toasted almonds, pecans or walnuts

1. Pour cherry juice into a medium saucepan and sprinkle agar flakes onto surface of juice but do not stir or heat. Allow agar to soften 10 minutes.

2. Cover and, over low heat, bring juice to a slow boil, cooking until agar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add soy milk to juice and whisk in cocoa powder and salt, stirring until smooth. Add sweeteners and cook over low heat for 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

3. Whisk the dissolved kuzu mixture into the hot chocolate mixture, add extracts and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until mixture thickens and bubbles.

4. Pour chocolate mixture into a lightly oiled quiche dish or pie plate. Cool 10 minutes. While chocolate cools, slice bananas or fruit of your choice into a shallow dish, toss with melted jam and set aside. Refrigerate chocolate quiche until set, about 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Decorate top with preserves, fruit and optional nuts. Slice and serve directly from the quiche dish.