05.05.09

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!…

Posted in Chicken, Dessert, Mole Sauce, Poultry, Recipes at 11:38 am by cecilia

I can always use any excuse to pull out some chocolate from my pantry. Yes, my house is always stocked with the dark stuff. If you are looking for a recipe for a Cinco de Mayo dinner or a potluck party that you’ve been invited to, here is an entrée and a dessert suggestion (adapted from Chocolate Therapy by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley). The store-bought idea is how I save time on a weekday. After all, it’s not a holiday here. Who has all day to cook? And don’t forget, put someone in charge of the margaritas while you prepare the food.

Store-Bought Roasted Chicken with Mole Sauce
If you ask me, the best mole sauce is the one with chocolate added. This is an easy version of the classic. Roasted chickens are very common at most grocery stores these days. For this recipe, I prefer the plain ones roasted with olive oil and seasoning, without all the fancy added flavors. Just make sure they’re moist and juicy. Focus most of your time and energy in making a great mole sauce which can be made ahead and refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Number of servings: 4          (Printable recipe here)

Mole Sauce

• 2 cups boiling water
• 5 dried ancho chiles, rinsed, with seeds removed
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 6 small fresh tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 lb plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 can (14 1/2 fl.oz) chicken broth
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup whole almonds
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 store-bought roasted chicken, cut into 8 pcs.
• Salt and ground pepper to taste

To make the mole sauce:

1. In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the chiles.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the sherry. Add the raisins, remove from the heat, and let stand for 20 minutes to plump.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Arrange the tomatillos and tomatoes cut sides down on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly coat with cooking oil or spray and boil for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the skins are evenly charred. Let cool, then peel the tomatoes and transfer with the tomatillos to a blender.
4. Heat a heavy griddle or skiller over medium heat. Toast the tostillas for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. Tear into small pieces and set aside.
5. In a medium skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds until they pop, about 2 minutes. Add to the roasted tomatoes and tomatillos in the blender. Add the cinnamon and cloves to the skillet and toast, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or just until fragrant. Transfer to the blender.
6. Puree the mixture in the blender until smooth, adding about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Pour into a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
7. Heat the oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and almonds and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes more. Transfer to the blender. Add the soaked chilies and their liquid, the raisins and sherry, and the tortillas, and puree until smooth. Add to the saucepan with the toasted tomato mixture, the remaining 10 1/2 oz of broth, and the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Stir in the chocolate until melted.

To serve:

1. Reheat the chicken if needed. Cut into pieces as desired.
2. Serve the mole sauce on the chicken.

Chocolate Nachos

These are not the traditional nachos, but they’re good.

Number of servings: 8       (Printable recipe here)

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 2 tsp butter, room temperature
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter; sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.
3. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with 2 tsp of butter, stirring until melted and smooth.
5. Remove the tortilla wedges from the oven. Arrange the tortillas in an even layer on a large serving platter and let cool slightly. Drizzle with the melted chocolate mixture. Serve warm.

Enjoy and let me know how your evening goes!

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