MOH – LAY!

Mole sauce with grilled chicken, and rice.

Mole sauce with grilled chicken, and rice.

While I was talking to my dad the other day he told me that he was cooking – the man can throw down in the kitchen!  So when he said that he was making mole, of course my inner fat girl wanted some!  Mole is probably on my top ten list of favorite things to eat.  I was so happy that he knew how to make it, and started asking for his recipe.  Then he said those four words that I hate “it’s from a jar.” WOMP, WOMP.  If you have ever had mole from a jar, you know it has a weird sugary taste… so not authentic.  Like really, who buys that stuff???  My dad, poor guy.  Needless to say he hated it, and had to add ingredients to make it edible.  It’s so hard to find good mole these days.

Part of it is because mole gets a bad rap.  People tell all kinds of stories about how complicated, or how many hours it takes to make.  I was fooled into thinking that I could never master the secrets to mole, just like you probably are.  Fool no more!  Yes I’m sure the traditional way of roasting and grinding of all the ingredients does take hours upon hours to do, but I ain’t got time for all of that!  After researching mole recipes, I figured out a way to make mole in less than an hour.  It has the entire flavor you expect – creamy, with a smokey chile kick, and hint of nutty sweetness. Ugh, its damn near PERFECT! Or as my Husband would say “it taste like, a little more.”

Ingredients: 

  • 10 dried guajillo chiles
  • 7 dried mulato negro chiles
  • 7 dried pasilla chiles
  • 4 table spoons of olive oil
  • 2 oz. pumpkin seeds
  • 3 table spoons sesame seeds
  • 1 hand full whole almonds
  • 2 oz. raisins (small box)
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 chicken boullion cube
  • 2 table spoons peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups of water or chicken broth

Directions:

1. Stem, seed, and de-vein chiles, reserving seeds.

2. Place chiles in a small pot with water, bring to a boil or until peppers are soft.

3. In a large sauté pan add 2 table spoons of olive oil, pepper seeds (I used about 3 table spoons, the more you use the hotter it will be) add in the whole garlic cloves, star anise, almonds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and sesame seeds, stir around until toasted.

4.  When chiles are soft place them into a blender with some of the water from pot.

5. Blend then add in all of the toasted ingredients, salt, ground pepper, cumin, cloves, cinnimon, chicken bouillon cube (or chicken stock) and blend adding more water if needed.  The consistency should be like a thick smoothie.

6. When that is well combined, pour into the pan used to toast ingredients with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low heat.

7. Stir in chocolate, and peanut butter it should just melt right in.

8. If the mole seems to be too thick you can add water or chicken broth as needed.

9. Serve over chicken, turkey, and steak -really any kind of meat you want and top with left over sesame seeds.  I served this over grilled chicken and rice. Yummy!

 

Steak Sandwich with Chipotle Sauce

Steak Sandwich with Chipotle Sauce and Sweet Potato Fries

Steak Sandwich with Chipotle Sauce and Sweet Potato Fries

 

THE GET OUT OF JAIL FREE MEAL! 

Spend too much money…MAKE THIS SANDWICH.  Pay a bill late…MAKE THIS SANDWICH.  Stay out too late with the guys…MAKE THIS SANDWICH. You forgot your anniversary…MAKE THIS SANDWICH.  Shrunk his favorite sweater…MAKE THIS SANDWICH. Trust me, make this sandwich for your significant other and they will forget all about what you did.

The first time we had this sandwich was with my friend Jenny, she was at working at an upscale restaurant and recommended it to my Husband.  He fell in love, and I became jealous of a sandwich.  Sad but true. The sandwich was so simple and good, not to mention good-looking.  Warm French bread, oozing cheese, steaming peppers, thin cut layers of Steak, and a pastel orange sauce that had the perfect amount of heat.  How could I not be jealous? I asked Jenny if she knew the secret to this sauce, she laughed and said it was only two ingredients!!!  I couldn’t believe it, here we were paying around $18 each for a sandwich and fries, and the main component that kept us coming back for more was only two ingredients!!!!!!  I could have saved my dollars and bought some shoes!  Needless to say the place closed, and I had to make my version of this steak sandwich.

For all the ingredients I spent $23.75, and this meal feeds about five that’s about $4.oo a person a whole lot better than $18 each.  There are so many benefits to making this yourself:

1. its cheaper! I can’t say that enough.
2. You can have seconds, or thirds.
3. You won’t embarrass yourself in public when you’re licking the plate.
4. You can eat this in front of your television, in your pajamas.

Sandwich:

  • Thin sliced steak (skirt, sirloin, and tenderloin work great)
  • Red Pepper
  • Green Pepper
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Mozzarella
  • Spinach
  • French Bread

Sauce:

  • 1 can of Chipotle Peppers (whole)
  • 4 tablespoons Mayonnaise  (sour cream, or Greek yogurt can be substituted)

Fries:

  • 3 Sweet Potatoes
  • 3 table spoons Olive oil
  • 1 table-spoon Rosemary
  • Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Pre heat oven at 400°

Fries:

Start this first!!! Takes the longest but so worth it! Trust me!

  • Cut into large matchstick wedges
  • Toss with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper
  • Place on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.

Sandwich:

  • Chop all veggies into thin strips
  • Sauté until soft (about 7-10 minutes)
  • Season Steaks with salt and pepper
  • Grill Steaks (I use a stove top grill, but if you can grill outside I recommend it!)
  • Flip steak and place a slice of Mozzarella on top of steak so it heats up and melts

Sauce:

  • Place Chipotle Peppers, and Mayonnaise in blender.
  • (Add more or less Mayonnaise depending on how much spiciness you like)

Assemble Sandwich.  Stuff your face, and rub your belly.

Kale Pesto Pasta

Kale Pesto Pasta with Parmesan crusted Chicken

Kale Pesto Pasta with Parmesan crusted Chicken

In our home this probably is the “go to meal” when we have little time, or just don’t want to make a big production of dinner.  We make this almost once a week it’s that good and easy! The texture of this Pesto is so creamy, it will coat your pasta with bright green flecks, and sprinkles of cheese. YUM.  This is not one of those sauces that runs right off your pasta leaving you with a bowl of sauce you feel sorry for.  This pesto sticks to every nook and cranny, anything that is left in the bowl you will want to sop up with a piece of bread, or if your like, you’ll be using your fingers to wipe it clean! I like to pair this with some type of chicken, today happen to be a parmesan breaded chicken breasts. This is also a recipe where the ingredients can be easily changed; like instead of Kale you can use Spinach, or Basil whichever flavor you prefer.  We use Kale because it has several benefits; filled with powerful antioxidants; high in vitamin A, C, and K; high in Iron and Calcium; and is a great detox food.  You won’t feel guilty after this meal, you’ll only feel baffled wondering where this has been all your life.

Ingredients:

  1. Kale 1 bunch grated
  2. 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
  3. 3 cloves of garlic
  4. 1/4-cup olive oil
  5. 2 oz. of pine nuts
  6. 1/4-cup water
  7. Optional:
  8. 2 table spoons Ground Flax Seed
  9. 1 chicken bouillon cube

Directions:

  • 1.   Wash, and trim away stem from Kale leaves
  • 2.   Cut Garlic cloves in half
  • 3.   Sauté the garlic and kale in pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 5 minutes or until the kale turns bright green.  Be careful not to burn garlic, the goal is just to soften it so that it’s easier to blend.
  • 4.   Place kale, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in the blender/ food processor.

At this point you can add:

  • Chicken bouillon cube, I only add this to enhance the flavor
  • Ground Flax Seed – I add this because not only does it add a nutty flavor, but it is also known as a Super Food.
  • 5.   Blend into a smooth consistency; the texture of the Pesto will not be totally smooth because, Kale is very fibrous.
  • 6.   Spoon as much as you want of this deliciousness over any pasta you like.

Side note: this is also very delicious when used as a sandwich spread instead of using mayo.