People are always amazed that you can do more than simply bake with chocolate.  You can may light, frozen desserts with chocolate and warm, comforting main courses with chocolate.  Chocolate can really be incorporated into your daily diet without you actually sitting there nibbling on a bar, although that’s nice too.  Surprise your friends with the Aztec Turkey recipe for Cinco de Mayo.  Really mix it up and serve the cooling Italian Chocolate Tortoni as a dessert.  No reason you can’t mix cultures.  Chocolate has touched almost every culture in the world.   I listed the Italian Chocolate Tortoni recipe first since it needs to freeze overnight.  This is a great dessert to have on hand during the upcoming summer months.

Italian Chocolate Tortoni with Chopped Almonds & Cherry

Italian Chocolate Tortoni

Serves 8

Ingredients:

* 2 egg whites
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 cups whipping cream
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
* 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted almonds

Directions:

1. With electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff.
2. Continue beating while adding 1/4 cup sugar.
3. In another bowl, whip the cream with 1/4 cup sugar and coffee powder.
4. Add the egg yolks and vanilla.
5. Fold into the egg whites.
6. Melt the chocolate  in a double boiler, and allow to cool slightly. Fold into the egg white mixture with the almonds.
7. Divide into 8 muffin cups placed in muffin tins or custard cups.
8. Freeze at least 6 hours or overnight.
9. Garnish as desired with whip cream, chopped almonds or chocolate curls

Aztec Turkey

Aztec Turkey

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 turkey breast
water
1 t sea salt
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 T chili powder
1 c. nuts (almonds, walnuts, or cashews) ground
2 oz Mexican chocolate
1 c. black olives, pitted

Cut the best into four pieces.  Place chicken a Dutch oven with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Add salt.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  In a skillet, add olive oil and brown onion.  Add onions, garlic, chili powder, red pepper, nut and chocolate to turkey.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add olives and simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve over rice if desired. (For the recipe in the photo, I also used cubed yellow potatoes.)

This is a recipe from Green and Black’s Cookbook.  I figured since I already had the cookbook, I might as well pass it on.  I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it made my mouth water reading it and just looking at the photo (visual girl, yet again).  If anyone makes it, let me know how fabulous it is!  I, myself, will give it a shot later this week.  The recipe is called Swedish Chocolate Coffee Lamb.  This dish is just begging for some potatoes.  Perhaps Swedish potato pancakes or some nice roasted finger potatoes?  Serve it with some nice fresh green beans too.  Enjoy!

Green and Black's Swedish Chocolate Coffee Lamb

Swedish Chocolate Coffee Lamb

Preparation time:     30 minutes
Cooking time:     1 hour
Use:     large Dutch oven
Serves:     4 to 6

* 1/3 cup flour
* ½ teaspoon mustard powder
* Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 ¼ pounds very lean lamb (fillet or leg), cut into 1 1/4 –inch cubes
* 1/3 cup (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 large onion, sliced
* 12 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
* 1 cup strong brewed coffee
* 4 cups good-quality lamb stock
* 2 ounces dark chocolate , minimum 60% cocoa content, broken into pieces

FOR GARNISHING
* 1 tablespoon crème fraiche or sour cream
* Handful chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Season the flour with the mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Toss the lamb in the seasoned flour and coat well. Rub together 2 tablespoons of butter and the remaining seasoned flour and set aside.

Heat the oil and remaining butter in the Dutch oven, add the garlic, onion, and shallots, and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same pan, sear the flour-coated lamb in batches until browned on all sides. Add a little extra oil if necessary. Remove and set aside. Do not wash out the frying pan!

Add the Kahlua and the coffee to the sticky brown residue in the put and, over medium heat, stir together for about 4 minutes, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan, to form a glossy smooth sauce; the sauce should be reduced by half. Add the lamb stock and the flour and butter mixture, continuing to stir. Bring to a boil. Return the onion mixture and meat to the pot. Cover.

Transfer put to the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325°F for another 45 minutes or until the lamb is tender. Insert a knife into the center of a chunk – the lamb should just slide off.

Once tender, remove the lamb from the oven and stir in the pieces of chocolate, ensuring it is completely blended throughout the stew.

Garnish with a swirl of crème fraiche or sour cream, and sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley.

A few years ago when I lived in Austin, Texas, I had a party…It was hatch chile season and the big, beautiful, flagship Whole Foods store, a culinary mecca boasting 80,000 square feet was my destination to help out with the cooking.  Those who know me well know I headed to the cheese case.  Low and behold, the most magnificent wheel of brie lay before me with a dark brown sauce covering it.  I inquired, and of course, I got to taste.  What I was not expecting was to be transported to another place.  Complete bliss.  Unexpected bliss.  For I was told I was eating an organic French brie with a dark chocolate roasted hatch chili sauce.  Holy crap!  Creamy, spicy, sweet, bitter!  My taste buds were going crazy.  Friends still talk about this cheese presentation and it’s mind blowing sauce.  The recipe isn’t in the Whole Foods Cookbook, so I wrote to the head chef hoping to get the recipe to pass on to you.  I’m waiting…. Well, I’ve been thinking of this sauce for a few weeks now and cannot find anything remotely close to share with you.  I did, however, find a dish that I’m sure will tantalize your taste buds because it’s really far out.  I haven’t tried it, but as soon as I get my hands on some foie gras, I’m all over it!  The recipe comes to you from the Tantra Restaurant and Lounge in Miami and it was on the Food Network’s website.

Grilled Sonoma Foie Gras with Oaxacan Mole

Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients

* 4-ounce portion foie gras
* 2 large roasted and peeled yellow peppers
* 2 ounces fresh pineapple diced
* 6 ounces prepared mole, recipe follows
* 3 ounces fresh chives, clipped

Directions

Preheat a charcoal grill until the coals are white hot. Score the foie gras with a sharp knife and salt the foie gras liberally with Kosher salt. Place on the grill and cover to prevent flame-ups. Turn the foie gras after 2 to 3minutes and cook on the other side until it’s medium rare

To serve, place the roasted peeled peppers in the center of the plate. Garnish with diced pineapple. Then, using a squirt bottle filled with mole sauce, paint the plate liberally. Place the cooked foie gras in the center of the plate, on top of the roasted peppers and garnish with the fresh

Roasted Chipotle Peppers

Oaxacan mole sauce:

* 1 quart chicken stock
* 6 ounces dried mango
* 1/2 fresh pineapple, chopped
* 1/2 cup sherry
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 1 chipotle pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 white onion, peeled and chopped
* 6 cloves fresh garlic
* 1/3 cup sliced almonds
* 1/2 cup sesame seeds
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Chopped Dark Chocolate

* 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut)
* 1-ounce Worcestershire sauce
* 4 fried corn tortillas, cut into strips
* 2 tablespoons safflower oil

Toast all dry spices and chilies until dark in a 350 degree oven. Combine all ingredients and bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree all in a blender then add Kosher salt to taste.  Enjoy!

Spicy Sloppy Joe

Chocolate and cocoa are not just for dessert!  Enjoy!  It’s a fast and easy work week dinner.

Spicy Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 c. tomato sauce
4 T raw sugar
2 T white vinegar
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T  English dry mustard
2 ½ t chili powder
1 ½ t ground black pepper
1 t. sea salt
6 whole wheat buns

Cook ground beef and onions in a skillet on medium heat until beef is brown and onions are translucent.  Drain any fat.  Stir in the remaining ingredients until well blended.  Return to low heat for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.  Serve warm on toasted buns.

Cook once and eat for a couple of days with this yummy chocolate chili recipe of mine!  You won’t believe what the chocolate does for the richness of the chili.  Think of mole-the sauce, not the animal as I cannot find my accent marks yet!

Chocolate Chili Variation

Chocolate Chili

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground soy
1 c. yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T chili powder
½ t cayenne pepper
1½ oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 t dried oregano
2 t ground cumin
1 t sea salt
1 c. water
28 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice
1 small can green chiles, drained
15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
optional:  shredded cheese and sour cream for garnish

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the meat, onion and garlic until browned.  Drain excess fat.  In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, dark chocolate, oregano, cumin and salt.  Stirring constantly, cook for one minute. Stir in water, tomatoes with juice, and chiles.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20.  Add meat mixture, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Add beans, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Serves topped with shredded cheese and sour cream with warm tortillas.

Photo is from when I changed it up a bit and added carrots, peppers, corn and garbanzo beans and served it on top of rice.  Enjoy!

Spanish Roast

Spanish Roast Beef with Dark Chocolate

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 lbs. beef roast
flour
1 t sea salt
½ t black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 whole cloves
1 T white vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 t cinnamon
2 T tomato sauce
¼ t raw sugar
2 c. water
2 oz dark chocolate (70%), grated

Mixture flour, salt and pepper.  Dust roast with flour mixture.  In Dutch oven, heat oil and brown roast on all sides.  Remove roast.  Add onions and sauté until translucent.  Return roast to Dutch oven.  Add cloves, vinegar, bay leaf, cinnamon, tomato sauce, sugar and water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer for 2 ½ hours or until roast is tender.  Add chocolate and stir.  Let simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes.  Remove cloves and bay leaf.  Serve.

I just got this in my inbox. Michael shares his brioche recipes with you to make at home. A simple sandwich with a complex taste – applewood smoked bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, fresh butter lettuce and a thick slice of heirloom tomato.

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Zesty Meatloaf

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs meat loaf mix (beef, pork, veal or lean ground beef)

¾ c. bread crumbs

1 whole egg

5 oz green chiles, chopped (if canned, drain)

1 T cilantro, chopped

1 T parsley, chopped

1 T unsweetened cocoa powder

½ t sea salt

¼ t garlic
powder

¼ t cinnamon

¼ t chili powder

¼ t cumin

1 c ketchup or 1 c tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, combine meat, breads crumbs and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, excluding ketchup, and mix well. Add ¾ cup ketchup to the meat mixture. Combine the meat mixture with the spice mixture and mix well. Shape meat into a loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and spread remaining ketchup on top of the meat loaf and cook another 30 minutes. Center should be cooked.

Recipe was originally published in Chocolate is Healthy! by Annmarie Kostyk and most recently featured on Associated Content.

Chocolate Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 C. milk
2 T. sugar
4 T. unsalted butter
½ C. Arborio rice
6 T. toasted almonds (chopped)
½ C. golden raisins
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (grated)
1 t. brandy
Dark chocolate for garnish (curls look nice, or you can grate it)

Put the milk and sugar into a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the Arborio rice and mix enough to coat all the grains. Add half cup of the hot milk ad stir well. Continue to add half cups as the rice absorbs the milk. Cook over a medium heat stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat once the milk has been completely absorbed into the rice ad the rice is cooked. Allow to slightly cool and add the remaining ingredients except the dark chocolate garnish. Gently mix. Garnish with the dark chocolate. Serve warm.

Mexican Chili Chocolate Chicken Mole

Method

1. In a saucepan, bring the chicken or turkey pieces to simmering point in the chicken stock, with the garlic, and poach gently until nearly tender. Lift the chicken or turkey out onto a plate and set aside. Keep the stock.
2. To make the mole, discard the tomato skins and put the tomatoes in a blender and puree until smooth. Scrape into a bowl.
3. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan; add some of the oil and the 3 different chillies and saute for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavours. Transfer the chillies to a bowl, cover them with hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the chillies and blend them to a puree.
4. Add a little more oil to the pan, saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes and remove to a bowl. Saute the almonds until they begin to colour, add the peanuts, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and aniseed and saute for 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender with the onion, garlic and raisins and blend until smooth.
5. In a heavy-based pot, add the remaining oil and all the purees and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chocolate and sugar and stir until simmering. Add 500ml of the chicken stock. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Add salt to taste and reduce further, or add extra stock to make a thinner sauce.
6. Add the chicken or turkey pieces to the mole, cover and cook over low heat until heated through. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.