Are you sick of eating Easter eggs yet? Well, neither am I, but I am sick of my usual healthy eating taking such a a pounding (she says as she demolishes a box of luxury chocolate canapés) so I thought I would write down a few of the ways you can use up some of those chocolate eggs from friends and family!
White chocolate Baba Ghannouj Dip –
Smooth dip that uses mainly aubergines, great for dipping flatbreads or crudités for younger kids, it’s yummy and really easy to make.
Baba Ghanouj from saveur.com – ideal for dipping flat breads and a delicious smooth recipe for younger kids to dip carrot sticks etc in.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 4 medium aubergines, sliced in half lengthwise
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅔ cup tahini – health food stores generally have this and some supermarkets have even got a hold of it.
- 4 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
- 1½ tsp. ground cumin
- 1½ tsp. paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)
- Toasted pita bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven broiler on high. Place garlic and eggplants, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil until tender and charred all over, about 20 minutes for garlic, and about 40 minutes for eggplant. Peel garlic and peel, seed eggplants, and scoop out flesh from eggplant; transfer to a food processor with juice, tahini, chocolate, half the parsley, the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper; puree until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with remaining parsley and pomegranate seeds; serve with pita on the side for dipping.
Dark Chocolate Chilli Con Carne
Chocolate chilli con carne is devine, I promise you won’t ever want to go back to the old way. Taken from bbcgoodfood.com
Did Great Aunt Bessie send over a dark chocolate egg for your 8 month old this year? Well the chances are you won’t be feeding it to them and unless you have a hankering for eating a pile of dark chocolate yourself you will no doubt need to find a recipe for it. Well this is my new favourite way to do Chilli Con Carne. Its amazing – you will never go backwards!
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 500g lean minced beef
- 1 beef stock cube
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 410g can red kidney beans
- plain boiled long grain rice, to serve
- soured cream, to serve
- Prepare your vegetables. Chop 1 large onion into small dice, about 5mm square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the onion in half from root to tip, peel it and slice each half into thick matchsticks lengthways, not quite cutting all the way to the root end so they are still held together. Slice across the matchsticks into neat dice. Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.
- Start cooking. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob). Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, squidgy and slightly translucent. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Brown the 500g lean minced beef. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.
- Making the sauce. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Open 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g can) and add these as well. Tip in ½ tsp dried marjoram and 1 tsp sugar, if using (see tip at the bottom), and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt inabout 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
- Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
- Bring on the beans. Drain and rinse 1 can of red kidney beans (410g can) in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat.
- Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.
Dark Chocolate Classic Mexican Chicken Mole
Again taken from the fabulous bbcgoodfood.com and a favourite in my house. I usually get a ‘set’ of eggs if I get chocolate, and there is always that one dark chocolate egg that I wouldn’t let the kids eat whole as it is too rich. Perfect for using in a Mexican Mole.
A classic mexican dish that uses up the rest of that dark chocolate, this would be the ideal opportunity to try out a cultural evening with your kids (maybe lay off the chillies a bit if you are doing so though).
Ingredients:
- 2 chillies
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skins removed (in my family we tend to stick with breasts, you can substitute if you wish).
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 50g raisins
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 tbsp chipotle paste
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 25g dark chocolate (look for one with at least 70% cocoa solids)
- 1 small red onion, sliced into rings
- juice 1 lime, plus wedges to serve (optional)
- 150ml pot soured cream
- Put the chillies in a bowl and add enough boiling water to just cover. Leave to soften for 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, season the chicken, then brown on all sides. You may have to do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the dish. Remove to a plate. Add the onions to the dish and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the spices and cook for 1 min until aromatic.
- Remove the chillies from their soaking liquid, reserving the liquid, and discard the stalks and seeds. Put in a food processor with 4 tbsp of the soaking liquid, the garlic and raisins. Whizz to a paste, then tip into the dish. Add the peanut butter, chipotle paste, tomatoes and 400ml water (fill up the tomato can and swirl to get all the tomato bits out). Return the chicken to the dish and season. Cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hr.
- Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Using 2 forks, shred the meat and discard the bones. Return the chicken to the sauce, add the chocolate and continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 mins more. If the sauce looks like it’s getting a little too thick, add some of the chilli soaking liquid or some water.
Milk Chocolate Peanut sauce for Chicken Satay skewers
Chicken satay skewers are such a favourite in our house and this dip is great! Taken from dcdrecipes.com
My boys love satay chicken skewers, and since we have no nut allergies in our family I like to do a satay sauce every so often. Its ideal for dipping the chicken in and will use up some of that wall of milk chocolate eggs you now have in your kitchen!
Ingredients:
For the chicken skewers:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon BBQ rub
For the sauce:
- 1 lime, divided
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (rice wine or white)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon asian chili sauce
- 1 oz (1/2 bar) Milk Chocolate, melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 package wooden satay sticks/skewers
1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken with soy sauce, BBQ Rub and the juice from ½ of a lime. Marinate for 20-30 minutes.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, juice from remaining lime, water, vinegar, soy sauce and chili sauce. Heat at 20-second intervals, stirring in between until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in Milk Chocolate, and reserve.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Insert skewers into cooked chicken, transfer to plates, and serve with peanut dipping sauce.
Fab leftover chocolate recipes but what is this leftover chocolate you speak of?!
Fab leftover chocolate recipes but what is this leftover chocolate you speak of?!
I never knew you could put chocolate in all these dishes. Unfortunately I didn’t have any left over choc to try it out!
LOVE this, but we have no leftover chocolate here *whistles innocently* 😉 x
Haha I love it – we get an obscene amount so it lasts FOREVER!!! Hx
Love this…but what is this leftover chocolate you speak of, haha!
Ah yummy! What great ways to use up all the chocolate! This year all the chocolates were gone oops! x
Dark chocolate in chilli is amazing!! My friends partner makes the best chilli ever and I’m never happy with mine when I make it! And that peanut satay sauce looks delicious. Also one of my faves xx
I know! You would never think it though!? It’s epic! H x
That satay looks amazing! I like dark chocolate in cooking too, it really adds to the flavour xx
It does doesn’t it, like a hidden gem!
These all look good, but I love the sound of the chicken mole. We don’t buy many Easter Eggs now that the boys are older (they have cash instead!) so I just help them finish off any leftovers 😉
What fantastic recipes! They all look so good, I’ve bookmarked them to try!
This sounds really interesting but I think I’m a little to nervous to try these lol x
What awesome and inventive ways of using up the leftover Easter chocolate! I will admit, I had no leftovers 😆 but I’m happy to buy some more to try the milk chocolate peanut sauce and chicken mole recipes. They look lovely! x
Oh wow!! Everything looks and sounds amazing! I love the chocolate and peanut sauce for chicken, yum! I would never have thought of that. Thank you for sharing. xx
Thanks Sarah – it is so tasty! H x
Love these recipes Harriet. I have tried chocolate in chilli before, but have never had Baba Ghannouj Dip, and I think the chocolate in Satay sauce is genius! Will definitely be giving them a go. Pinning x
Thanks Sarah – they are soooooo good! H x
What a great post. I was actually looking at the Easter chocolate today and deciding what to bake with it but these are a much better idea. I always make my chilli with chocolate. We love satay too in this house so I’m definetly gonna try that recipe. It looks very tasty x
Thanks Kerry – give it a go and let me know how you get on! H x
Hey Harriet,
Another great post! I love using dark chocolate when I make my vegan chilli recipe because it makes it so rich and creamy. All of your ways to use chocolate are so inventive xxx
Thanks Emily 🙂 I want to try your vegan chilli! I love trying vegan 🙂 H x
Absolutely fantastic ideas! Unfortunately they would require me to have some chocolate left over from Easter and obviously that doesn’t happen 😉
Shhh I won’t tell if you go buy some more!! 😉 H x
Thanks for sharing this post. Good to know what to do with leftovers now.
Most welcome 🙂
This post left my mouth watering. They’are some really tasty recipes here.
Thanks for Sharing.
Thanks John!
Wow, well these are certainly unusual ways to use chocolate! Food for thought! (sorry) 😀 xx
Haha Fi you crack me up – I like it (Ba dum!) H x
I am guessing the reason I have never made any of these is because there is never any chocolate spare ha
Ha it’s infrequent in our house too Emma! H x
Oh wow – these are certainly unusual! They all look so delicious, especially the chilli. Kaz x
The chilli is my fave Kaz – give it a go 🙂 H x
Ohh these are such different ideas, I would haven’t thought of using chocolate in any of this! x
I know, I was really surprised – the chocolate chilli is my fave!
Ive been meaning to try chic chip chill for ages!! Thanks for reminding me
Do it it’s lovely!
I have never thought about using chocolate in savoury foods, this is a fab idea and going to give it a go.
I am not keen on chocolate as a whole so mine can go to some good use!
It’s lovely Sam – enjoy 🙂 H x
These look really good, I have never cooked meals with chocolate before! I am keen to try the chicken skewers! Although I have never heard the words chocolate and leftovers in the same sentence before haha doesn’t happen in this family
I love the chicken skewers!
i love these ideas! i need to try out that satay sauce. i am drooling right now
Thanks Nicol 🙂
Oh I love the idea of adding chocolate to satay – bet it gives it a nice depth and silkier texture x
YES! Thanks Samantha 🙂
Chocolate and chilli work so well together, I add a little in most of my chilli con carne dishes now as it really adds so much flavour! I love the sound of the satay sauce as well, sounds scrummy!
It does right? H x
Milk chocolate peanut sauce for skewers, why have I never thought of this before??? Yum!
It’s just so not something you would put together but its amazing!
I have a friend who always puts chocolate in her chilli, and it is lovely, I have never tried putting it in mine though. There are some lovely recipes here, if I find I have left over chocolate I will be trying these x
Dooooo it! It’s epic.
Never thought of using chocolate in recipes for anything other than cake. Will have to give one of these a go
Thanks Kara 🙂
Some great ideas! I was way more dull and just chopped them up and put in choc muffins! 🙂
Haha that would work for me too! H x
This post firstly left me feeling hungry! Secondly these look fab, I would have never of thought of putting chocolate with some of these although the dark chocolate and chilli is one I have tried before!
Thanks Charli 🙂