The first time I discovered Hotel Chocolat was when my friend, fellow book worm, tea enthusiast, and impromptu hogging fest companion ND and me collapsed into a warm cosy corner of the beautiful Hotel Chocolate cafe’/ shop at Borough Market ( why not read about what we did, what we ate and discover the sights and sounds of our visit with my blog posts here?)

It was love at first taste for me and ever since I have adored the fabulously creative chocolates from Hotel Chocolat. But did you know that they also make a whole range of delicious products like spreads, drinking chocolates, pasta, pesto, sauces, and even chilli oil all infused with cocoa and chocolate? There is a whole world of both sweet and savoury dishes that can be prepared by adding an extra touch of elegance and decadence with Hotel Chocolat products.

I was sent a bottle of the Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic packaged in a  beautiful bag for review.

I made a filling, colourful wintery salad using some fresh ingredients and the result was this gorgeously delicious salad!

Here is my easy recipe for :

Pomegranate,caramelised Walnut and baby Kale salad with Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. 1 small red onion sliced lengthwise
2. 5- 6 smoked ham sliced fine
3. 1/2 a pack of baby kale leaves
4. 1/2 a pack of baby spinach leaves
5. 1 small or 1/2 a big avocado
6. 2 heaped tbsp pomegranate seeds
7. a small handful of walnuts
8. 2 tsp heaped Gran Luchito Chilli Honey
9. Generous sloshes of Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic
10. 1 small juicy red tomato sliced into circular discs
11. A handful of cherry tomatoes
12. Smoked Austrian cheese
13. 1 boiled egg

Feel free to substitute the smoked ham with shredded chicken or chicken sausages, for a vegetarian version why not add boiled baby potatoes halved instead of meat?

Method:

• In a small vessel add enough water to place the egg into to boil.
• Heat a pan on medium heat, when the pan is hot add the chilli jam and throw in the walnuts and stir with a wooden spatula to coat the melting chilli jam on the walnuts. Reduce the flame to a minimum, DO NOT allow the chilli jam to smoke or burn. The caramelised walnuts are done in under a minute. Set aside to cool.

• Remove the egg from the boiled water, and hold it under running water, when the eggshell has cooled, peel it, halve and set aside.
• Chop the red onion lengthwise, and the tomato into circular discs and halve the cherry tomatoes.
• If the baby kale and baby spinach leaves are not washed, add them to a sieve and wash them under running tap water.
• Then put the leaves in a huge salad bowl and add generous sloshes of Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic.
• On a huge plate or platter place the seasoned leaves and then place the smoked ham and cheese slices.
• Then place the avocado slices, tomato discs and cherry tomato halves.
• Scatter the pomegranate seeds and the caramelised walnuts on top.
• With a wooden spatula, scrape off the remaining caramelised Gran Luchito chilli honey and scatter on the salad.
• Again drizzle the Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic on top of the salad and serve immediately.

The tender roasted cocoa nibs soaked in Italian balsamic vinegar, create a rounded flavour that’s fabulous with avocado, tomatoes, smoked ham and smoked cheese. The caramelised walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds give this winter salad a great crunch and the chilli honey plays hide and seek with your taste buds. The baby kale leaves have a mild and pleasant taste and the spinach works as the good stuff for blood purification thanks to its high iron content.

This salad is fresh, wholesome and healthy as kale is associated with a whole host of health benefits. It contains Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fibre and carotenoids and 45 — different flavonoids with a variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Now for the fabulously FESTIVE GIVEAWAY OF A GOODY BAG  FROM HOTEL CHOCOLAT

One lucky winner gets a  beautiful Hotel Chocolat gift bag with the following products:

• Hotel Chocolat Chilli and cocoa oil
• Hotel Chocolat cocoa pasta
• Hotel Chocolat cocoa pesto

Hotel Chocolat Chilli and cocoa finishing oil

A special recipe used by Hotel Chocolat chefs in their Boucan restaurant in Saint Lucia – extra-virgin olive oil rounded by rich notes of cocoa nibs and beans, with a kick of red chilli. Shake to wake the chilli flakes, then drizzle and dress lightly over chicken, fish, pasta, pizza and roast vegetables. Try crushing the cocoa for some fabulous bread-dipping.

Hotel Chocolat cocoa pasta

Durum wheat penne with unsweetened cocoa, as made by chefs at our Boucan restaurant in Saint Lucia and recommended by Nigella Lawson. Ideal for adding a thrill to dishes both savoury and sweet. As used by Nigella Lawson in her chocolate pasta with caramel and pecans recipe, and Hotel Chocolat’s very own Chocolate Pasta with Pesto recipe.

Hotel Chocolat cocoa pesto

Outstanding with pasta, risotto, salad, blinis, crusty bread, cold meats or straight from the jar as a dip: rough-chopped basil, crunchy pine nuts, Italian cheese and nutty roast cocoa nibs. A favourite from Hotel Chocolat’s Boucan kitchen in Saint Lucia.

How to enter the giveaway:

You too could WIN a GOODY BAG from Hotel Chocolat PACKED with exciting products from the cocoa cuisine range, all you have to do is :

1. Like my Facebook page and leave your Facebook name as part of your comment.
2. Follow me on Twitter – @manjirichitnis
3. Tweet out the following – #HOTELCHOCOLATGIVEAWAY #WIN @HotelChocolat GOODY BAG with @manjirichitnis, winter salad recipe bit.ly/1smP3Kv
4. Leave a comment below telling me which type of chocolates do you like most and your Facebook name used to like my FB page. I will find you on Twitter via the hashtag so it’s not required for you to mention your Twitter handle in the comments. Do not share your email id in the comments, please.

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

• Winners will be picked using Random Number Generator.
• The deadline for entering this contest is 8th January 2015 midnight GMT.
• Entry is open only to residents of the U.K except for Scotland and Ireland.
• All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
• One lucky winner will be chosen using a random number generator.
• The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post. Neither Hotel Chocolat nor I are liable for any damage to the hamper and/or its contents in transit.
• Please allow a minimum of 25 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later. The goody bags will be sent directly by Hotel Chocolat.
• The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available.
• I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the 3 steps mentioned above.
• The winner will be notified on 9th January 2015  on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the winner on Twitter via their Twitter id. If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and Hotel Chocolat to contact you via email id to arrange for the goody bag to be sent out to you.
• If the winner fails to respond by 15th January 2015  then another winner will be chosen via Random Number Generator.

CONGRATULATIONS to the LUCKY winner of this fabulous GIVEAWAY of a GOODY BAG from Hotel Chocolat PACKED with exciting products from the cocoa cuisine range !!!

AND The lucky winner is *DRUMROLLS* …….

Mark Johnson – Twitter id @tubbyjpin

Please get in touch with me at fruitsnveg@yahoo.com

THANK YOU to everyone who participated and keep following my posts for more exciting competitions!

*With thanks to Hotel Chocolat and the  PR team for arranging the fabulous gifts and beautiful Hotel Chocolat goody bag and sending me a sample of Hotel Chocolate Cocoa Balsamic for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. References Wiki & Herald Tribune.

While you are here why not have a look at the other giveaways on my blog and increase your chances of winnings cool freebies!?!

• CLOSED Win one of TWO Goody Bags from KNORR packed with 2x of EACH Knorr flavour pots and stock cubes to participate click here – CLOSED
• CLOSED Win a box of Chef Inspirations Saveurs Du Monde Box of 16 chocolates from Godiva, to participate click here– CLOSED
• CLOSED WIN 5 delicious sauces from the WORLDFOODS Asian Fusion Flavour Sauces, to participate click here CLOSED