Cincinnati Chile
by Chef Claire Criscuolo, RN

There are so many reasons we love our customers and every day they are the reason we cook so carefully and lovingly - it's for them. For the past 31 years, they've supported  our mission to bring delicious, healthful, organic, and sustainable  foods to our community. Because of this support, we are able to employ more than thirty wonderful people, and because of our success, we are able to collect and donate thousands of dollars each year to worthwhile charities in our beloved city of New Haven. Also, they share with us some of their favorite recipes. This is one of them. It's from a favorite customer of ours, Joe, who told us about a chocolate infused, black bean chile that he enjoyed at a couple of restaurants when he lived in Cincinnati, hence the name. To please him, I developed this recipe that I am now sharing with you. We've known that beans are good for us, they are an excellent protein and fiber, but recently, we found out that dark chocolate offered rich antioxidants, too, so combining the two makes for more flavor and more health benefits. Face it, chocolate is pretty easy to love!  This chile is made up of two components, the Mole and the Bean Chile. Serve it alone or with brown rice or with corn tortillas. Add a simple salad of organic mixed greens with sliced avocado, red onion, and tomatoes, dressed with a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and lime juice, and you'll have a wonderfully delicious and healthful supper in less than an hour. The Mole was inspired by my dear friends in Mexico and it can be used separately as a dip with corn tortillas, or as a sauce over enchiladas or grilled fish or over soy chicken patties, too. If you plan to use the Mole as a sauce, just thin it out a bit with a little more grapefruit juice or a vegetable broth until it is thinned to your preference.
Serves 4

Mole:
1      Pasilla chile pepper, stem removed
1/4 cup water
3     Large, pitted prunes
1      Medium yellow organic onion, cut into thick ribs, separated
2     Large cloves garlic, unpeeled
1      Medium tomato, cut into thick slices
1/4  cup sesame seeds, about 1 ounce
2     Trans fat free corn tortillas, torn into pieces
1      Large ripe (yellow/black) plantain, peeled and cut into thick slices
2     Ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
juice of ½ fresh grapefruit, about 1/3 cup
salt and pepper to taste

Cincinnati Chile, by Chef Claire Criscuolo, RN, Continued

 

Bean Chile:
1      Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½    Medium organic yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2      Medium organic carrots, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1      15 ounce can organic black beans
2     Cups water

 

Prepare the Mole:
Heat a large griddle pan or skillet over medium - high heat. Add the chile pepper and toast lightly for about a minute, using tongs to turn frequently until just evenly toasted and not burned. Pour the 1/4 cup of water(careful, it will sizzle) over the chile pepper and using the tongs, move the chile pepper around until it softens and most of the water evaporates, about a minute. Remove the softened chile pepper from the pan and transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Add the 3 prunes. Set aside. Arrange the onion, garlic, tomato, sesame seeds, torn tortillas, and sliced plantain onto the hot grill pan. Grill for about 4 minutes, until you char some parts of each ingredient, using the tongs to turn individual pieces every minute or so.  Remove the two cloves of garlic and peel them, then return them to the grill pan. Set aside. Cover the processor and process on high for about 30 seconds to chop the chile pepper and the prunes. Using the tongs, add the charred ingredients to the processor. Add the chopped dark chocolate. Add the grapefruit juice and a little salt and pepper. Cover and process for about 1 minute, until finely mixed. It won't smooth, but it will be blended like a rough paste. Set aside while you prepare the Bean Chile.

 

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and the carrots. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened slightly. Add the beans and their liquid, and the 2 cups of water. Cover the pot, and bring to a medium boil. Once it reaches a boil (in a few minutes), cook for about 7-8 minutes , stirring occasionally until the carrots are tender. Stir in the Mole, using a rubber spatula to scrape the processor bowl. Stir well to combine. Continue cooking, uncovered,  for about two minutes, stirring frequently until mixed into the bean mixture, then occasionally until heated through. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot. Dark Chocolate Almond Cake with Rich Dark Chocolate Espresso Glaze, by Claire Criscuolo, RN
This delicious cake is also dairy free which will also please anyone who keep a vegan diet or who has lactose intolerance. After the cake cools, drizzle with Dark Chocolate Espresso Glaze if desired.
Serves 12

 

2    And  1/4 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
4                    Teaspoons organic baking powder
1/4                 teaspoon sea salt
1    And 2/3   cups organic pure cane sugar
1                     Cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
½                   Cup organic soybean or canola oil
2/3                  cup soft silken organic tofu, drained and crumbled
1 ½                 Cups organic plain soymilk
1                     Teaspoon organic almond extract
1                     Cup sliced almonds

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Measure the flour, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, and cocoa into a bowl, then sift it into another bowl. Measure the oil, tofu, soymilk, almond extract into a blender container. Cover and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds until blended smooth. Pour the blended ingredients over the dry ingredients all at once. Using a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients to combine, then beat for about 10 seconds until smooth. Stir in the sliced almonds. Spray a 12 cup bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and to spread the batter smooth. Bake for about 50 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out just clean. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 2 minutes, then turn out onto a cake dish. Allow to cool to room temperature before drizzling with Glaze:

 

Dark Chocolate Espresso Glaze
1     Cup confectioners' sugar
½   Cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1     Tablespoon ground espresso (not brewed)
1/4  cup plain organic soymilk
Sift the confectioner's sugar and the cocoa powder into a bowl. Stir in the ground espresso. Add the soymilk all at once and using a spoon, beat until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl.