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Six Ways to Get Your Chocolate Kicks without Turning Up the Heat
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Chocolate is good for you... really! At least that is what the experts say. Chocolate is a wonderful treat, some even think of it as a splurge. But did you know that it is also loaded with heart-healthy, skin-healthy, brain-healthy polyphenols - along with over 300 other chemical compounds, many of which are good for our bodies? (Click here for a list of some of the health-promoting compounds found in chocolate.)
I was reminded of chocolate's many virtues earlier this week when I received Cal Orey's new book, The Healing Powers of Chocolate (Kensington Health, 2010). The health claims were re-enforced again when I read about a new study published recently in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. They found that many of the beneficial compounds found in chocolate, such as catechin and epicatechin, are metabolized more effectively when eaten with sugar! Although not a license to over indulge in the dark stuff, I think we should embrace what the experts are saying – especially when it comes to something as delicious as chocolate.
But, alas, summer is coming, and somehow that luscious bar of dark chocolate just doesn't seem that enticing when it is 90-degress and 90-percent humidity. To me, chocolate connotes cool crisp winter days; a hot cup of drinking chocolate in front of a warm fire, an after-dinner brandy aperitif with steaming chocolate soufflé, or a perfect piece of dark to accompany my demitasse of espresso. During the hot days of summer I am more likely to dream about a rag-top road trip down Route 66, a refreshingly cool Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, or a sockeye salmon burger grilling up on the Barbie - not a piece of gourmet chocolate. (Not completely actually... If someone offered me chocolate in the summer, I would not want to be rude...)
But what of those lovely phytonutrients that chocolate is so chock full of? Are we to forgo those healthful compounds - which help fight heart disease and cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol - just because it is hot outside? How do we "chocolatarians" get our daily dose of life-giving, age-reversing, mood-enhancing chocolate if our favorite bar can't take the heat?
My recommendation is to reach for a bag of Pernigotti or Valrhrona cocoa powder instead. Filled with all the same nutritional perks as bar chocolate - except for that nutrient called sugar – and there are so many quick and easy ways to get your beloved cocoa fix without the melt. Here are six ideas on how to inject some cocoa in your diet this summer, along with some recipes to get your creative cocoa juices flowing.
- Rub cocoa on your beef or chicken
The Chocolate Spice Rub was inspired by in this year's edition of The Saveur 100 (Saveur Magazine, January 2010). This version included ground coffee, which is optional.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chocolate Spice Rub
Cocoa and Curry Rubbed Chicken Salad
- Sprinkle cocoa on your vegetables
Cocoa tastes good on just about any veggie that can handle a heavier spice, like cinnamon or cumin. Here are two ideas, the first of which is one of Shaun Ahern's favorites – and mine too. The cocoa and smoked paprika combination is a great way to give a little kick to an otherwise nutritious but mild veggie.
Roasted Cauliflower with Cocoa and Smoked Paprika
Roasted Carrots with Cocoa and Coriander
- Add cocoa to your morning fruit smoothie
Summer is a great time to start a fruit smoothie habit, since there are so many fresh and local fruits to choose from. While you are at it, why not add a little cocoa powder into the mix? It is a get way to get your daily dose of fruit and chocolate all in one gulp. Here are two recipes from Gabriel Constans' new smoothie cookbook, Luscious Chocolate Smoothies (Libertary Editions, 2009)
Moon and Star Berries Smoothie
The Sweetie Smoothie
- Make cocoa part of your daily oatmeal routine
We sell amazing oatmeal – Organic Pinhead Oatmeal of Alford. Many of you habitual oatmeal eaters are already addicted to it. But, have you thought about adding a little cocoa to the mix? Add a little zip to your already healthy morning routine. It is so easy – and you can easily adjust the amount of sugar to meet your individual taste.
Chocolate Pinhead Oatmeal
- Cocoa-up your afternoon pick-me-up
Need a nip of coffee in the middle of the afternoon to get your through the day? Try making your own and save a few (star)bucks. Here are two slightly different iced coffee ideas to try. And remember, the better the cocoa, the better the outcome – really.
Iced Mochaccino
Mocha Granita
- Top off the day with cool cocoa dessert
Okay, so these might require a few minutes in front of the stove. And, surprisingly, although the ice cream only requires cocoa powder, the sorbet recipe requires a bit of dark chocolate to help give it that creamy texture. Once made, these chocolate delights are so easy to eat - and eat - on any hot evening. The chocolate sorbet is perfect for anyone who wants to avoid milk – like my son. Easy to make if you have the right equipment and so much better than the grocery store varieties.
Chocolate Sorbet
Basic Chocolate Ice Cream
Cocoa powder just might be the best cure for your summer chocolate cravings; no need to crack an egg, turn on the oven, or pay to fly your beloved bar chocolate cross country during the hotter months. Treat yourself – not UPS.
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Pernigotti and Valrhona – Cocoa Powder At Its Best |
Pernigotti Cocoa Powder
This dark, unsweetened cocoa powder is in a class unto itself. Pernigotti, the famed Italian chocolate maker, removes less fat from their cocoa (20-22% fat content), which results in a more intense and immediate chocolate flavor. This wonderful cocoa is Dutch processed and has a touch of ground vanilla bean.
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Valrhona Cocoa Powder
Valrhona's focus is solely on the chocolate to ensure the highest quality and optimum flavor. They grow their own cocoa beans, their own cane sugar, and their own vanilla on plantations all around the world. Now that's quality control.
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