I absolutely love chocolate, and there's rarely a day that goes by where I don't have at least one square. Whilst I'm partial to a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk or Galaxy, my favourite chocolate has to be dark chocolate. And, for me it always has to be a minimum of 70% cocoa solids.
Dark chocolate contains magnesium and antioxidants, with the latter helping to protect against oxidative damage which can promote inflammation.
To make my dark chocolate treat even more nutritious, I use this chocolate bark recipe to help make getting plant foods in easier. Research suggests that eating a diverse diet with lots of plant foods is linked to having a healthier gut microbiota.
Ingredients
100g 70-80% dark chocolate
30g almonds
30g dried apricots
5g pumpkin seeds
Recipe
Melt the dark chocolate, either in a microwave or in a glass bowl over a saucepan. Always keep an eye on your chocolate as it melts, to prevent it burning.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the almonds, and dice the dried apricots into small cubes.
Line a baking tray, or flat surface, with greaseproof paper.
Once the chocolate is melted, spread the dark chocolate over the greaseproof paper to form a rough rectangle. It doesn't need to be perfect, and don't spread it too far, or your bark will be too thin to pick up.
Sprinkle over the chopped almonds, dried apricots and pumpkin seeds.
Leave at room temperature to set.
Once set, break apart and enjoy. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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