Cocoa caramelized onions, plus 10 ways to enjoy chocolate on Whole30!

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Cocoa caramelized onions with grainy mustard on chicken andouille, along with some lacinato kale and a fried egg.

Apparently, whether or not to give unsweetened cocoa the Whole30 seal of approval was a subject of debate. You can read a detailed discussion of the pros and cons here, or you can read an elegant summation in this comment. It seems that the final verdict is that cocoa is fine as a spice, but not if it is used to duplicate chocolate desserts, even if said sweets are made using Whole30 compliant ingredients like fruit. Personally, I am crazy about chocolate, and I love learning to enjoy it as an ingredient that adds richness and depth to entrees instead of relegating it to dessert. Given that a lot of folks are doing a January Whole30 to ring in the new year, I present you with a new recipe, along with...

10 Ways to Enjoy Chocolate on a Whole30

1. Cocoa caramelized onions (pictured above)
   I love the natural vegetal sweetness of caramelized onions. They take a while to cook, so sometimes I'll make a big batch on a Sunday to have around and add to eggs, meat, and other dishes. They marry perfectly with cocoa powder. You can serve these on a spicy sausage like I did, or they'd be great on steak, pork chops, burgers...pretty much anything!
   
   Directions: Just halve an onion pole to pole and thinly slice both halves. Heat a bit of coconut oil or ghee in a skillet on medium heat and add your onion. Sprinkle it with salt, cook until onions begin to soften, then turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until dark brown and sticky. When done, turn the heat to high, deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water, then add a teaspoon of dark cocoa powder. Stir well and serve!
2. Slow cooker chicken moleMake a big batch of shredded chicken meat, then keep it around to eat on taco salads, with Mexican "rice", or in fiesta bowls. 
3. Chocolate Chili from The Clothes Make the Girl
   
   I've made this recipe dozens of times, and it never disappoints. Instead of simmering on the stove top, I put it in the crock pot on low, and just start with less liquid.
4. Cocoa toasted cauliflower, also from The Clothes Make the Girl
   
5. Brewed chocolate
   
   I found this when I was looking to cut back on my caffeine consumption but still wanted a hot coffee-esque drink. Brewed chocolate is to hot cocoa as wine is to grape juice. It's cacao nibs and husks brewed in a French press for a complex chocolatey flavor. It is NOT sweet, thick, and creamy like Swiss Miss, it's much more subtle. It's especially nice with a bit of coconut creamer. I've had Crio Bru but you can also buy it from Choffy or Chocolate Alchemy.
6. Cocoa chili rubbed scallops with chocolate citrus vinaigrette
   
   If I made this as a meal instead of an appetizer, I'd probably just serve them over a salad instead of making endive boats.
7. Cacao nib crusted steak
   
8. Mixed green salad with whole citrus and cacao nib vinaigrette
   
9. Seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice rub
   
10. Cocoa-infused sweet potatoes from PaleOMG
    
    If, like me, you don't really do sweet potatoes, I'm sure you could substitute some kind of orange squash.
11. This is #11 because it is too close to a dessert to be Whole30 approved, but it is a nice "sensible indulgence" to have after the fact: frozen bananas pureed with cocoa for chocolate banana "soft serve"!

Posted in: side dish