Chocolate Cooks

If the recipes in our cooking with chocolate feature (Today's Diet & Nutrition, January/February 2008) whet your appetite, you'll be eager for more ways to cook with chocolate. A new title in the wonderful CookWest Series of single-subject cookbooks from Rio Nuevo, Viva Chocolate! by Marilyn Noble, offers dozens of tempting recipes. Here's a sampling of dishes perfect for a Valentine's Day dinner for two or for a Super Bowl party for a crowd.

Turkey Mole

The origins of mole are somewhat murky, but nowadays you’ll find as many different versions as there are cooks.

Serves 6–8

1/2 cup blanched almonds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ripe plantain (skin should be almost black), sliced
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
2 tablespoons chipotle powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 corn tortillas, shredded
1 small onion, diced
6 cloves garlic
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablet Mexican chocolate, grated
1 turkey breast, about 3–5 pounds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the blanched almonds on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast until browned, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
In a small sauté pan, heat the sesame seeds, stirring several times until golden brown. Set aside. In the same pan, heat the olive oil and add the slices of plantain. Sauté until soft.

Add the almonds, sesame seeds, plantain, three kinds of chile powders, cinnamon, salt, shredded tortillas, onion, garlic, and tomatoes to a blender or food processor. Process until pureed. Add a little of the chicken broth and continue to process to make a smooth paste.

In a large, heavy saucepan, stir together the paste and chicken broth, cooking over medium heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Continue to cook until the sauce is thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Place the turkey breast in a roasting pan and insert a meat thermometer. Cover with the prepared sauce and bake, covered, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Reserve any extra sauce to pass with the turkey. Any leftover sauce may be frozen. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Smokin’ Hot Chili

Super Bowl Sunday will never be the same if you serve this spicy concoction. Who wants to watch the halftime show when you can eat this instead?

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 pounds sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup New Mexico chile powder
3 tablespoons chipotle powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (14 ounces each) chopped tomatoes
6 cups beef broth

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic zipper bag and add the sirloin in small batches, shaking to coat evenly. Add the coated sirloin to the hot oil and cook in batches over medium-high heat until browned. Remove meat from the pan and add the onion and garlic, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan and add the chile powder, chipotle powder, cocoa powder, salt, and cumin. Stir to coat the meat and onions. Add the tomatoes and beef broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

Chile-Rubbed Steaks

The cocoa powder adds a nice tang. Be sure to use pure chile powder, preferably from New Mexico. Serve with a hearty green salad and some grilled vegetables.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 New York strip steaks (6 ounces each)

Combine the chile powder, cocoa powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, pepper, and salt in a small bowl until well blended. Rub into each steak until coated. Grill over high heat to desired doneness.

Recipes reprinted with permission from Viva Chocolate! by Marilyn Noble, published by Rio Nuevo (www.rionuevo.com)