Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chicken Mole Ole


I love my Taste of Home magazine! And I love to use my crock pot in the summer. It doesn't heat up your house the same as the oven or stove top. I was a little nervous about this recipe (since I'd never had mole before & was apprehensive about cooking with chocolate), but it was delicious! Glad I made enough for leftovers. :)

Ingredients

  • 2 dried ancho chilies ( I didn't have these)
  • 1-1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, halved
  • 2 medium onions, sliced, divided
  • 1 serrano pepper, halved and seeded
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3 pounds bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

  • Place chilies in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 20 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds. Coarsely chop; set aside. Place the tomatillos, 1 onion, serrano pepper and garlic in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
  • In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. In the same skillet, saute remaining onion until tender. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and hydrated chilies; cook 1 minute longer. Discard cloves.
  • Place almonds in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Add spiced onion mixture and chocolate; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a small bowl.
  • Place the tomatillo mixture, lime juice, salt and remaining cumin in food processor; cover and process until chopped. Stir into almond mixture. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings.
**I had a hard time getting the sauce to be "smooth" so I recommend blending it again AFTER it has finished cooking**

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