The medicinal chef's chocolate avocado pots

By Dale Pinnock

OK, I know avocado and dessert don’t sound as though they belong in the same sentence. But trust me – when making healthy desserts, avocados can be your best friend. They provide a creamy texture without the need to add any nasties, and happen to be packed with heart-healthy nutrients to boot. These chocolate pots are also incredibly quick to make… 

Nutty chocolate avocado pots

Prep: 5 min + chilling

Serves: 2 

1 very ripe avocado 

1tbsp almond butter 

1tbsp maple syrup or ½tsp stevia 

1–2tbsp cocoa powder, to taste, plus more to serve (optional)

1 Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients with 1–2tbsp cold water. 

2 Process on full speed until all the ingredients have mixed into a smooth chocolatey dessert. 

3 Spoon the mixture into ramekins and chill in the fridge for 2–3 hr before serving, sprinkled with cocoa powder, if you like.

Per serving:

217kcal

3.9g protein

19.1g fat

3.8g saturates

7.3g carbs

5.2g sugar

4.7g fibre

0.1g salt

35mg calcium

1mg iron

LOW SALT

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

This recipe is taken from Dale Pinnock’s book Heart Disease: Eat your Way to Better Health (Quadrille, £14.99), out now. 

How to make jam with chia seeds

We’ve reached the end of our chia-fuelled week, and we saved our favourite recipe for last…

This raspberry and chia jam is taken from Green Kitchen Travels by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant; £20), and it’s as delicious as it is simple to make. Three ingredients and a quick stir is all it takes – that’s right, no cooking! We’ve been enjoying it spread on toast and dolloped on top of fat-free Greek yogurt. Why not whip up a pot ready for a Valentine’s day breakfast treat…   

RAW RASPBERRY AND CHIA JAM

PREP 5 min, plus chilling

SERVES 12tbsp

250g raspberries, thawed if frozen

2tbsp chia seeds

2tsp maple syrup or runny honey

1 Put the raspberries in a bowl and crush with a fork. Stir through the chia seeds, then add the maple syrup or honey and mix to combine.

2 Pour the jam into a sterilised jar, then chill for at least an hour for the jam to thicken. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Per tbsp

20kcal

0.7g protein

0.8g fat

0.1g saturates

2.6g carbs

1.5g sugar

1.6g fibre

0g salt

22mg calcium

0.4mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SALT

HIGH FIBRE

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE