Chocolatifying the Holidays
Blog post by Lindsay Mustard, Holistic Nutritionist
The holidays are one of the best times of the year. Decorations are hung on every street corner, Christmas music takes over all of the radio stations and chocolate is available within arms reach. That’s the kind of world we want to live in everyday! In this blog post, we are going to be sharing our favourite holiday inspired recipes to help you infuse chocolate into everything that you make! We’re talking appetizers, mains, salads, cocktails and desserts. Before you discount us as being crazy for trying to interweave chocolate into a main dish, remember that dark chocolate has a host of nutritional benefits to offer. We’re talking about a powerhouse of antioxidants, a reduced risk of heart disease, lowered blood pressure, improved mood and cognitive function and nutrient rich source for magnesium, iron and zinc. With the holiday season coming into full swing, our bodies could use the extra nutrients, especially when you consider the plethora of other unhealthy offerings that are also on display for you to choose from to eat!
Chocolate and Appetizers:
Appetizers, along with desserts, are the easiest of the bunch. Over the last few years, charcuterie and cheese boards have become all the rage. It is a chance for you to try a handful of meats, cheeses, jams and jellies that you might not otherwise pair together. This year, add some chocolate to that board! We’re talking about a Chocolate and Cheese Board this year packed with your favourite dairy-based or vegan cheeses, Zazubean dark chocolate and fresh fruit. Another delicious, more savoury option would be to dip chips into dark chocolate and then set them on a baking sheet until hardened. A tray of chocolate drizzled popcorn and nuts would also work perfectly for this!
Chocolate and Mains:
This year, whether you’re eating a plant-based or meat-based Christmas dinner, barbecue sauce is common ground for both. Melt some dark chocolate, whisk it into your favourite sugar-free barbecue sauce and spread a thin layer over your roast or protein of choice! Infusing chocolate into your main dish this year, is as easy as adding a handful of Zazubean Dark Chocolate squares to your Mushroom Beef Carbonnade, Short Ribs roast or using it as a marinade mixed with barbecue sauce for your steak or tofu steak! We’ve seen our chocolate loving friends go as far as creating cocoa-crusted beef tenderloins for their guests! Anything that you can do with meat, you can make with tofu or tempeh - the options are endless this year!
Chocolate and Salads:
This is where the fun in the kitchen begins. Salads are a favourite of ours here in the Zazubean Kitchen. This year, serve up a Mozzarella Pomegranate Salad with a Chocolate Chai Vinaigrette! Simply melt a few squares of Zazubean dark chocolate, whisk it into your go to balsamic vinaigrette recipe and drizzle over your leafy greens! You can get as creative as you like with your salad combinations - another recipe we love is a tasty Chocolate Pear and Cherry Salad topped with Cashew Cheese. Can you say “yum?!”
Chocolate and Desserts:
Desserts are our speciality. Create everything from an Avocado Mousse, to a Pistachio and Pomegranate Chocolate Bark, to Chewy Chocolate Chunk Brownies, Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes, Trifle, Chocolate Cupcakes to White Chocolate Cranberry Snowballs. There are dozens of recipes on our blog and Instagram page to give you a helping hand in choosing what to make this year. Whatever you make, we know it's going to taste delicious if there is chocolate in it!
Chocolate and Cocktails:
We saved the best for last, but we’re biased! If you’ve never had a Chocolate Martini, we are going to have to change that this year… Similar to a Chocolate Martini, is the Chocolatini, which usings a mixture of chocolate liqueur and Irish Cream topped with chocolate shavings. Our more creative friends have even gone to the effort of creating White Chocolate Martinis and boozy Vegan Chocolate Milkshakes. Us on the other hand, are more a Dulce De Leche Cocktail lover! Get creative this holiday season with your beverages - try making a Irish Coffee and dropping a few squares of dark chocolate in the bottom and mixing it with the hot coffee. We promise you won’t be disappointed!
Make this year unlike any other with your chocolate infused menu. You guests will leave with the expectations blown away AND a craving for more chocolate in their life. That last part is a guarantee.