Chocolate is also surprisingly versatile. Brownies, cakes, candies, cookies, drinks, fondue, frosting/icing, frozen yogurt, gelato, ice cream, pudding, sauces, and truffles can all be made with chocolate. And yes, I know truffles are a type of candy. In my opinion, truffles are candy nirvana - candy cannot be better than truffles. And that is why they get a separate mention. Because they are the best.
If that is not enough "diversity" for you, chocolate can also be incorporated into savory dishes. Even Paula Deen says so. Now, Paula Deen annoys me in many different ways. The main way she annoys me is she doesn't seem real to me, she seems like a character versus a real person. Fakeness annoys me. Another way is her banana pudding recipe calls for boxed pudding. WTF Paula? A third is something that may not be entirely her fault, but she does nothing to stop it so I blame her anyway. And what is this terrible, awful offense you may ask? People give her credit for gooey butter cake. Paula may make gooey butter cake, but she did not repeat did NOT come up with gooey butter cake. Some baker from St. Louis made a fortuitous mistake and the world was gifted with gooey butter cake. Toasted ravioli have a similar creation story, but that is clearly off-topic. I believe in giving credit where credit is due.
Even though Paula irks me, I cannot deny that some of her recipes are worthwhile. For example, Southwestern Chocolate Chili. At first glance, this may seem very bizarre, but when you think about it, it makes sense. Mole sauce is made with cocoa. Chocolate with cayenne pepper is delicious. And as it turns out, Southwestern Chocolate Chili is quite tasty.
The original recipe says it makes 8 to 10 servings. I decided to cut the recipe in half for three reasons:
1) Roommate and I are only two people;
2) Our fridge is currently stuffed to the gills with produce we got at amazing prices, leaving very little room for leftovers;
3) We only bought half the amount of meat and beans the recipe called for.
You start with a boneless chuck roast, some poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, and garlic. Trim and cube the meat, mince the produce:
I find the process of cutting a uncooked roast into cubes extremely time-consuming (I also felt a little bit like Dexter...), so I think that the next time I make this I may brown and cook the roast whole and then cut/shred it, since a properly cooked chuck roast just falls apart. Either way, you brown the meat in some oil in a Dutch oven, remove the meat, and then saute the vegetables in the remaining oil. Then you add the meat back in, add in the beans, beef broth, tomato sauce, cocoa powder, and spices:
Now, at this point the instructions say to cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. And normally, that is what I would do. Instead, I got distracted, and casualties ensued. The first casualty of my distraction was my photography: the above photo was the last one taken. The second casualty was the chili itself. Fortunately, this was not a fatality as the chili was only maimed, but it was a casualty nonetheless. I forgot to stir the chili. When this happens, especially on a gas stove top, chili has the tendency to burn. And burn it did, but not horribly, so the chili was rescue-able. The non-burnt portion was transferred to another pot, additional beef broth was added, and dinner was saved with a only sightly discernible charred flavor. However, I do not think the char improves the chili, so if you make it, do not get distracted!
For the record, my distraction was justified. I got distracted by a neighbor who was in the process of getting me a job. A grown-up job at that. A weekdays only, weekends and holidays off job. A job that is not super exciting but one that I will be able to do quite well. And did I mention I get weekends off?
Southwestern Chocolate Chili
From Cooking With Paula Deen, January/February 2011
Serves 8 - 10 people
2 T vegetable oil
1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 poblanos, seeded and minced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) carton beef broth
2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 T ground cumin
2 T chili powder
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T ground ancho chile pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 T fresh lime juice
Garnish: fresh cilantro (we also used sour cream, cheese, avocado, and chopped onion)
1. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove beef from Dutch oven, and set aside. Add jalapenos, poblanos, onion, and garlic to Dutch oven; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Return beef to Dutch oven. Add broth, pinto beans, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, cocoa powder, ancho chile pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occaisionally.
2. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Garnish with cilantro (and other toppings) if desired.
The Verdict:
Don't burn it, and it will be wonderful. Serve with cornbread. Chocolate goes with everything.
Bonus Round!
Because it is Valentine's Day, I feel compelled to offer something sweet and heart-shaped. Therefore, I give you...
Nutella Brownies!!!!!
Nutella is another wonderful food item that comes to us from the fabulous world of chocolate. It is a delightful chocolate-hazelnut spread. It is lovely on bread or a bagel. It compliments fruit quite nicely. And, when combined with an egg and some flour, it makes delicious bite-sized brownies:
Nutella Brownies
From Lemon Drop who got it from Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients
1/2 cup Nutella
5 T flour
1 egg
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 12 mini muffin cups with paper or foil liners or spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together all ingredients until smooth. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling cups 3/4 full.
3. Bake 9-10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove brownies immediately from pan and let cool on a rack.
NOTE: I used heart-shaped mini muffin cups, and they must be smaller volume-wise, because it made 24. I still cooked them for 9 minutes, probably could have done it in 7 or 8 because they were just slightly dry, but all in all, not bad for a 3 ingredient, 3 step brownie recipe.
Happy Valentine's Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment