3 Delicious Meals That Include Chocolate
A delicious celebration of one versatile standout ingredient. This month: dark chocolate, whose profundity makes it an ideal dinner companion.
Recipes created by Liz Pearson
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Warm Spinach Grain Bowls with Ricotta, Toasted Quinoa, and Raw Chocolate
Dark chocolate isn’t just a sweet indulgence—it can also add depth and richness to savory dishes. (Mexico's mole-makers have long been aware.) When buying, opt for a cacao content of 70 percent or above; anything below that likely won't be as complex.
Get the recipe: Warm Spinach Grain Bowls with Ricotta, Toasted Quinoa and Raw Chocolate
Tip: Chocolate should be stored at around 65 degrees in a low-moisture environment; if it's going in the fridge, wrap it very tightly in layers of plastic.
Fun fact: The first part of the scientific name of the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, is Greek for "food of the gods."
Get the recipe: Warm Spinach Grain Bowls with Ricotta, Toasted Quinoa and Raw Chocolate
Tip: Chocolate should be stored at around 65 degrees in a low-moisture environment; if it's going in the fridge, wrap it very tightly in layers of plastic.
Fun fact: The first part of the scientific name of the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, is Greek for "food of the gods."
![mole chicken tacos mole chicken tacos](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/2017/01/201702-omag-mole-chicken-tacos-poblano-escabeche-949x534.jpg)
Mole Chicken Tacos with Poblano Escabeche
This savory, smoky chicken taco filling tastes even better after a day or two: The gentle heat of the mole and the tang of the escabeche only increase with time.
Get the recipe: Mole Chicken Tacos with Poblano Escabeche
Fun fact: Dark chocolate has up to 600 distinct flavor compounds.
Get the recipe: Mole Chicken Tacos with Poblano Escabeche
Fun fact: Dark chocolate has up to 600 distinct flavor compounds.
![choc puddle choc puddle](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/2017/01/201702-omag-chocolate-puddle-pudding-smoothie-bowl-949x534.jpg)
Chocolate "Puddle" Smoothie Bowl
The pudding-smoothie hybrid contains little added sugar, and is a good source of potassium and healthy fats.
Get the recipe: Chocolate "Puddle" Smoothie Bowl
Fun fact: Countries that consume more chocolate tend to have more Nobel Prize winners. Coincidence? We think not.
Get the recipe: Chocolate "Puddle" Smoothie Bowl
Fun fact: Countries that consume more chocolate tend to have more Nobel Prize winners. Coincidence? We think not.
From the February 2017 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine