Healthy Wednesday #10: Chocolate Balsamic Strawberry Dessert

I always find that as the seasons change so does my taste for certain foods, and this spring is no exception. Coupled with the warmer weather and winter thaw comes an abundance of fresh flavors that I cannot wait to cook with and eat. I start to crave fresh, bright, crisp, and light flavors. I shift away from slow cooked braised dishes and begin to favor raw salads and minimally cooked vegetables instead. Spring means lanky asparagus, ruby red strawberries, and creamy new potatoes.

This dessert is one of my all-time favorite spring recipes. It is as light and refreshing as the season itself, and is the perfect way to end a spring meal. Juicy fresh strawberries are sliced up and marinated in a sweet chocolate balsamic sauce for a few minutes before serving. They are then layered in a glass and topped with light and fluffy coconut whipped cream and toasted cacao nibs for crunch. This dessert is nearly effort free and sure to impress!

If the thought of chocolate, balsamic, and strawberries is throwing you for a loop I encourage you to still give it a try. The Italians have been pairing balsamic and strawberries for years and if we know one thing about the Italians, it is that they can cook! Chocolate is a more modern addition, but the way I see it adding chocolate can never be a poor decision. This just might become your new favorite flavor combination.

Chocolate Balsamic Strawberry Dessert

Serves: 2-4

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, greens removed and sliced

1 tablespoon aged chocolate balsamic*

2 teaspoons maple syrup or more to taste

Pinch salt

1/4 cup coconut whipped cream**

2 teaspoons cocoa nibs

Directions:

1.In a medium bowl combine strawberries, chocolate balsamic, maple syrup, and salt. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or until the strawberries have released their juices.

2.Add the cocoa nibs to a small nonstick skillet. Toast the cocoa nibs over medium heat until they have become fragrant and have darkened in color. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

3.Spoon the strawberries into serving dishes. Top with coconut cream and sprinkle with cocoa nibs and serve.

Notes:

*If you can’t find aged chocolate balsamic, try substituting ½ tablespoon balsamic syrup, an extra teaspoon maple syrup, and one teaspoon cacao powder.

**Oh She Glows has a great tutorial on how to make coconut whipped cream.

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About Laurel Cornwell

She is the voice behind Catching Seeds. A dream-seeking twenty-something self-proclaimed foodie living in the Inland Northwest. She has a passion for creating whole food recipes that not only taste amazing, but have a positive impact on our health. Check out her blog here.