Here’s another recipe (the first two were Baked Rainbow Chard With Apricots & Walnuts and Sri Lankan Cashew Curry) given with kind permission by Dr Rupy Aujla, taken from his new book “The Doctor’s Kitchen: Eat to Beat Illness” – out now from Harper Thorsons. Read on for how to make Dr. Rupy’s wonderful treat: Orange-Zested Chocolate Bark with Berries!
Chocolate has been promoted as a healthy ingredient for a variety of reasons, including its flavanol content, which can have a positive effect on heart health. However, simply adding your favourite chocolate bar to your regular diet and expecting it to benefit your health is misguided. Chocolate may have been found to have some marginal benefits, but it’s your overall lifestyle that determines health outcomes.
That being said, I eat a small amount of good-quality dark chocolate as a treat. The bitter notes of chocolate with 75 per cent (or higher) cocoa content can be overwhelming for those used to the average high-street chocolate bar, so I’ve introduced other sweet notes into this bark recipe, which will help ease you into appreciating the deep flavours of dark chocolate. Makes one large piece of bark.
The Doctor’s Kitchen -Orange Zest Chocolate Bark with Berries
Ingredients:
- 200g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
- 16g shelled, salted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 5g walnuts, roughly chopped
- Grated zest of small orange
- Small pinch of ground cinnamon
- 160g blackberries or a selection of seasonal fruits such as nectarines, pears, apples or raspberries
Preparation:
- Spread the melted chocolate over the tray to a thickness of about 3mm
- Scatter all the remaining ingredients (apart from the fresh fruit) evenly over the melted chocolate and place in the freezer for 25 minutes to harden
- Snap and enjoy with seasonal fruits
