CHICKEN MOLE---OLE!

CHICKEN MOLE OVER RICE WITH AVOCADO AND LIME

When I was in grade school, the church we were attending sent my parents as missionaries to help start a church in a neighboring town.  There was a large group of Mexican people that lived there and our church started a church for them. None of us spoke Spanish so I'm not sure why they sent us, other than the fact that my parents were willing to go. It was where we went to church for a number of years. My mom learned to speak Spanish and we made many wonderful friends there.

On Sunday after the services, all the ladies of the church brought food and we had a pot luck lunch. The smells were extremely distracting as we sat and listened to the sermon in Spanish...not understanding a word!  There were many authentic Mexican dishes (the tortillas?? so, so good!) and one that we had regularly was mole. I can still see what it looked like! It was dark brown and from the first time I tasted it I was in love! It isn't a spicy hot dish, but it is SO full of flavor! All these years later I was determined to master making it until I found out just how difficult the dish is! True, authentic mole takes hours to make and is very labor intensive.

After watching a cooking show I tried my hand at making a Spanish dish called Paella and was thrilled with the results. It isn't quite as difficult to make as mole and has a wonderful ethnic flavor. But, I was still wanting to master the 'mole'!

This past week I was watching a cooking show and the show's host was making something called Quick Mole! HMMMM interesting! Mole?? Quick?? She had me hooked. I taped the show and have watched it several times and couldn't wait to try it myself!

This is a picture of my attempt and we were all pleasantly pleased with the results. It was as close to that childhood memory of what it tasted and looked like as any I have ever had in Mexican restaurants! So, if you are so inclined to give it a try, this recipe is completly easy and do-able!

If you give it a try I would love to hear how it turned out and if you liked it!

QUICK CHICKEN MOLE

Purchase a rotisserie chicken and debone and shred. Set aside.

Saute 1 chopped onion and 3 minced garlic cloves in EVOO until transparent

Add: 2 c. canned whole tomatoes- crush with your hands

1 c raisins

1 chopped up chipotle pepper

1 Tbsp. chipotle sauce

Cook for a few minutes to blend ingredients

(I used two chipotle peppers...I like it spicy...use what tastes right to you! The chipotle sauce is what you find the peppers in when you open a can of peppers. I open a can and place the leftovers in a freezer bag and take out what I need and replace in the freezer!)

Add: 2 C. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. chili powder

3 Tbs. peanut butter

Cook all together for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

To the sauce add the shredded chicken. It should be about 3 cups.  Also add 1 1/2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate. I used Ghiradelli 100%. Stir to mix and melt chocolate. Simmer until ready to serve over rice.  Add zest of orange and stir to combine.

Serve with lime slices, avocado slices, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. I didn't have all of these ingredients on hand so I added the peanuts and avocado along with lime slices. Choose the ones you like and enjoy!