Photo: Magic Madzik/Flickr

To tweak a phrase: you never know what you’re gonna get from a box of chocolates. Believe it or not, you could even get dinner. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked our followers on Twitter to point us to some good, savory chocolate recipes. After all, some say chocolate’s now a super fruit – why save all that nutrition for dessert?

Here are some responses we got, plus a few findings of our own:

• EatingTheWeek said: “I’m thinking mole sauce recipes. Flexitarian Table ckbk has one for mole chicken or tempeh with masa (I’d do polenta).” We found the mole sauce recipe here – it’s adaptable for vegetarians and carnivores alike!
• ourcookquest tweets: “Maybe try doing a cocoa rubbed smoked meat? Low and slow for romance.” Her suggestion was this “smoky” rub for ribs.
• Cocoa is the secret ingredient in several chili recipes – we think this one from The Kitchn looks deliciously dark and meaty.
• The stars of this David Lebovitz recipe are three of my favorite junk foods – chocolate, sausage and pizza. I need to try this immediately.
• For an appetizer, Jacques Torres’ Savory Chocolate Napoleon is so strange and so easy that it practically demands to be made and tasted – once, if nothing else.
• For more savory recipes, check out NPR’s Kitchen Window, which includes dishes like Chili-Cocoa Mashed Acorn Squash.

What savory chocolate meals have you enjoyed? Are there any recipes you want to try out?