Jay D's Bites: Chocolate Chile Truffles

by Liz Courville

These truffles are the perfect chocolatey treat. Not only are they decadent, but they’re not terrible for you either! They’re packed full of healthy fats and proteins from the cashews and pecans, loads of beneficial fiber and carbohydrates from the dates plus antioxidants from all of that cacao! Don’t forget the Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub… it’s the secret ingredient that changes the dessert game completely.

These truffles can be eaten for dessert, a snack or even as a part of a well-balanced breakfast! They are loaded with energy and won’t leave you feeling sluggish like most other desserts. Do yourself a favor and make these ASAP!

Chocolate Chile Truffles

14 truffles
(Raw, Vegan, Gluten-free)

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw walnuts
1 Tbsp cacao powder
¼ tsp sea salt
½-1 tsp Jay D's Coffee Chile Rub
12 Medjool dates, pitted (soak in warm water 10 minutes if dried out)
1 ¼ cups dairy free dark chocolate (chopped roughly)
1 tsp coconut oil
Topping: ¼ cup cacao nibs, walnuts and/or sea salt for topping

Directions:
Place cashews and walnuts into food processor and pulse until a meal consistency, set aside in a different dish.

Next, place dates into processor and pulse until small clumps/small balls start to form.

Add in cacao powder, Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub, and half of the nut meal. Pulse and continue to add in small amounts of nut meal until a loose/soft dough starts to form. (You may not need to use all of the nuts, can use left overs for toppings.)

Once dough is easy to form, scoop out 1 Tbsp and roll into balls. If they are not holding together well, hold and press the dough into palm and heat for a few seconds. Approximately 14 balls should form, place these on parchment paper and place in freezer to chill.

While these are chilling, melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave in 30 second increments. Once melted, stir in coconut oil to help the dipping process.

Take the chilled dough out of the freezer and dip each ball and place back onto parchment paper. Once all are dipped, top with excess nuts, cacao nibs or sea salt.

Let sit out at room temperature before diving in! Store at room temperature in airtight container. (For long term storage, use freezer.)

Jay D's Bites: Irish Stew

The newest product to hit Jay’s online store, the Coffee Chile Rub, has everything you crave - from the deep flavors of locally roasted coffee to the kick of spicy peppers, this rub is a go-to for anything from braised stews to seared steaks. This Irish Beef Stew is a perfect weeknight favorite for the whole family, especially around St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Stew

Serves 4-6

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

3 lbs beef stew meat
2 cups onions, small diced
2 cups celery, small diced
1 cup carrots, small diced
12 oz stout beer
2 Tbsp flour
1 quart beef stock
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
3 oz tomato paste
2 Tbsp Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub
4 cups small fingerling or small red potatoes, quartered
3 cups carrots and parsnips, ½” circles
Parsley, finely chopped

Toss beef with salt and black pepper. Sear beef until golden brown. Add onions, celery and carrots; saute for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of flour and slightly toast the flour by continually stirring. Add beer, stock, Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub, garlic and tomato paste. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Add root vegetables (carrot and parsnip slices) and simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Jay D's Bites: Coffee Rub Braised Short Ribs with Grits

You can never go wrong with the enticing aroma of falling-off-the-bone beef short ribs. The longer the short ribs are braised, the more they pack in flavor. The sweetness of the barbecue sauce paired well Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub to balance the richness of the grits. We served the short ribs with the braising liquid or jus so to saturate the creamy grits. The flavor complexity of this dish is ideal for your next family meal or dinner party.

Coffee Chile Rub Braised Beef Short Ribs with Grits

Serves 6

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

6 beef short ribs

½ cup onions, small dice
½ cup celery, small dice
½ cup carrots, small dice
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
¼ cup green onion whites
1 quart beef stock, divided
2 Tbsp Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub
1 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
1 cup grits
1 quart heavy cream
Pinch kosher salt

Brown short ribs over medium high heat, with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove and set aside. Cook onion, celery, carrots and garlic until soft. Deglaze pan with ½ cup beef stock. Add Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub and Barbecue Sauce. Add the rest of beef stock and braise 3-4 hours covered.

Instructions for Grits:
In a saucepan, heat up 1 quart heavy cream to a simmer and whisk in grits and salt. Simmer about 20 min or until absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Jay D's Bites: Black Bean Chili

When it comes to comfort food during the winter, we think of chili. We love that you can use different proteins and make it unique to you, especially during Louisiana hunting season. The depth of flavor coming from all of the different vegetables in this chili will have you going back for more. The chipotle and guajillo peppers from Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub gives this dish a kick of heat. This colorful, heart warming chili will satisfy your comfort food craving all winter long!

Black Bean Chili

Serves 4-6

Photo Credit: Jordan Hefler Photography

2 Tbsp canola oil
2 lb beef stew meat
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 ear corn (off cob)
1 cup carrots, diced
¼ cup jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
28 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 Tbsp Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub
2 Tbsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1¼ cup canned black beans
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, wedged for garnish
1 diced avocado for garnish
½ bunch cilantro, chopped for garnish

Heat canola oil and brown beef with salt and pepper to taste. Do not overload the pan, brown in batches to prevent steaming. Remove beef from pan and set aside. Add onions, bell peppers, carrots, jalapeños, corn and tomato paste to pan. Over medium heat, cook for 6 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Jay D’s Coffee Chile Rub, chili powder, cayenne and balsamic vinegar and bring to boil. Add black beans and chicken stock, then bring back to boil. Reduce to simmer and allow chili to cook 45 minutes to 3 hours. Garnish with lime wedge, diced avocado and chopped cilantro.