By John, CN Grocery Buyer
Anybody can give a lovely box of truffles to their sweetie on Valentine’s Day, but if you really want to impress your loved one, why not serve up that chocolate in a more intriguing fashion? Chocolate is a great ingredient in savory dishes, from obvious choices like mole sauce or steak rubs to much more surprising combos like the ones I’ll be sharing with you in this month’s column. Follow my instructions and you’ll be ready to prepare a huge meatless spread showcasing the less sweet tendencies of that dark chocolate deliciousness. After all, you’re sweet enough already, aren’t you?
JOHN’S FAMOUS SWEET POTATO CHILI
Ingredients:
- 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
- 14 oz can black beans
- 14 oz can kidney beans
- 14 oz can garbanzo beans
- 14 oz can pinto beans
- 1 tbsp Navitas Raw Cacao Powder
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/2 cup brown beer
- 1 tsp Cambridge Naturals Bulk Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Cambridge Naturals Bulk Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cambridge Naturals Bulk Oregano
- 1 tsp Maldon Smoked Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Alex's Ugly Cayano Hot Sauce
- 1/2 tsp La Chinata Smoked Paprika
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 tsp Nutiva Coconut Oil
Instructions:
Combine tomatoes, beans, salt, and beer in a large pot over low heat. Stir occasionally. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into cubes. Add vegetable oil and sweet potatoes to a nonstick skillet and sautee for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add in garlic, onion, hot sauce, and peppers and sautee for an additional 5-6 minutes. Empty contents of skillet into the chili pot and stir. Add cocoa powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook on low heat for as long as you possibly can, adding salt/cocoa/heat as desired. Use more beer if the chili seems too thick.
EGGPLANT CAPONATA
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Canaan Fair Trade Nabali Tree olive oil
- 2 lb. eggplant, cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 rib celery, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste, thinned with 1⁄4 cup water
- 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes
- 6 oz. Alive & Well Chalkidiki olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1⁄2 cup Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar
- 1⁄2 cup golden raisins
- 1⁄4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
- 3 tbsp. Nutiva Coconut Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Theo 70% Baking Chocolate (finely grated)
- 1⁄2 cup finely shredded basil
- 2 tbsp. Cambridge Naturals Raw Pine Nuts
Instructions:
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and fry, tossing occasionally, until browned, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to a large bowl; set aside. Pour off all but 1⁄4 cup oil, and reserve for another use. Return skillet to heat, add onions and celery, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized and almost evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Stir in olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, and chocolate, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with eggplant, along with basil and pine nuts, and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, and let cool to room temperature before serving.
CHARRED CAULIFLOWER AND SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH PICATA SAUCE
Ingredients:
- 1 head cauliflower, trimmed, halved, and cut into 1 1⁄2" wedges
- 2 tbsp. plus 1 cup Canaan Fair Trade Nabali Tree olive oil
- Cambridge Naturals bulk sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Nutiva coconut oil, for frying
- 12 shishito peppers
- 1⁄2 cup Will & Rose's Whole Sprouted Almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp. roughly chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. finely grated Theo 70% dark baking chocolate
- 2 tsp. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions:
Heat oven broiler. Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with 2 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper; broil, flipping once, until charred and tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil and the garlic in a 12" skillet over medium. Cook until garlic is golden, 4–6 minutes; transfer to a bowl and let cool. Wipe skillet clean and heat canola oil over medium-high; fry peppers until blistered and slightly crisp, 4–6 minutes. Transfer peppers to paper towels to drain; season with salt. Stir almonds, 1 cup parsley, the chocolate, vinegar, salt, and pepper into reserved garlic oil; spread onto a serving platter. Top with cauliflower; garnish with fried peppers and remaining parsley.
ROASTED BABY CARROTS WITH BALSAMIC-CHOCOLATE SYRUP
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds baby carrots (about finger-width thick), green tops trimmed to about 1 inch
- 3 tablespoons Canaan Fair Trade Nabali Tree olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons Celtic Light Grey Sea Salt
- 5 or 6 (4-inch) sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup Cadia organic balsamic vinegar
- ½ ounce Theo 85 percent dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Crystal's Own New York Wildflower honey
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the carrots on a sheet pan, drizzle them with the olive oil, and spread them in a single layer. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the carrots, and lay the thyme sprigs on top. Roast until the carrots are tender and brown in spots, shaking the pan and turning once or twice, about 35 minutes total. While the carrots are cooking, make the syrup. Put the vinegar in the smallest saucepan you have and simmer over medium-low heat until reduced to 1⁄4 cup. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt for 30 seconds, then use a small spatula to gently stir the syrup until the chocolate has melted completely and the syrup is smooth. Add the honey and salt and mix well. Cover the pan to keep the sauce warm until you’re ready to serve the carrots. To serve, discard the thyme and arrange the carrots on a serving dish. Drizzle them generously with the syrup, and serve immediately.