Mole Poblano de Guajolote (Chicken Mole)

Though I have lived in Texas my entire life, and have eaten Mexican food more times than I can count, I have sadly never eaten the wonderful feast dish that is chicken mole.  Traditionally made for special family gatherings or holidays, it is a meal that is best served with a festive sensibility.  Open to such festivities, I decided it would make the perfect "pick me up" meal for a boring Wednesday night.

For those a little squeamish with recipes, it might seem like a daunting checklist to behold.  Though the list of spices is long, the mole sauce is really very easy to make (though only slightly time consuming).  Truly, the hardest part comes in wrangling the spices and blending them into a puree.  After that, the rest is easy!  And the best part (in my opinion) is that there is enough sauce left over to freeze and save for another night.  Succulent and sweet, chicken mole was a wonderful addition to an otherwise drab rotation of weekly meals.  Try it for yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 3 dried ancho chillies
• 2 dried pasilla chillies
• 2 dried mulato chillies
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 stale tortilla
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground anise
• 1/8 tsp. ground black peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp. oil or lard
• 1 oz. unsweetened (bitter) chocolate
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Put the ancho, pasilla and mulato chillies in a frying pan over gentle heat and roast them for a few minutes, shaking the pan frequently.  Remove the stems and shake out the seeds.  Tear the pods into pieces and put them into a small bowl.  Add sufficient warm water to just cover and soak, turning from time to time, for 30 minutes or until soft.
2. Meanwhile, to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a tray with foil, grease foil lining and put chicken on top.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oil to taste.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.
3. After the chillies have soaked, put them and their water into a food processor.  Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, tortilla, raisins, ground almonds and spices.  Process to a puree.
4. Add oil to the bottom of a large pan or casserole dish and add the puree.  Once the puree is heated, add 1 cup of water along with the chocolate.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat until the chocolate has melted.  Stir in the sugar and add the cooked chicken.  Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Serve warm with fresh tortillas, beans, rice and guacamole.

(The original recipe came from "Around The World in 450 Recipes" by Sarah Ainley)

Murg Massalam (Indian Garlic Chicken) and Mines Bouilli (Chinese Vegetarian Noodles)

Africa is a continent which possesses many layers of diversity - it's culinary outlets are no less diverse than its population.  Being so large and so full of the tales of conquest and adventure, one can unwrap the surface, with all it believes about the land, only to find one hundred more layers of interest further hidden below.  Indeed, Africa has many secrets, but perhaps one of its greatest culinary treasures lay within the shores of the small island nation of Mauritius.

Having been completely unpopulated prior to colonialization, Mauritius has been ruled and inhabitied by many transplanted foreigners including the Portugese, Dutch, French, and British.  Because those groups required slave labor, the addition of African, Chinese and Indians further added to the blended mixture of the island's population.  Thus, the country achieved the sense of a true melting-pot society.  And, the blending couldn't have been better planned!  A meal in Mauritius is one of fusion.  Generally, people eat Chinese appetizers with Indian entrees and French desserts - all the while, they do it without a sense of novelty.  To the "natives," it is just another meal.

From a personal standpoint, Chinese, Indian, Creole and French foods are typically at the top of the list when it comes to the foods I crave.  If I were to handpick the items that I would take on a deserted island (such as Mauritius used to be), there are no other cuisines which I would think to include.  Thanks to the now-extinct dodo and the lives of many brave sailors and slaves, Mauritius may just be my new culinary utopia.

Murg Massalam Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

Instructions:

1. With a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in the chicken flesh and place in a non-metallic dish.
2. To make the marinade, mis all of the ingredients into a small bowl and pour over the chicken.  Toss until well coated.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or for as long as a day before you intend to cook it.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a deep roasting pan with foil and arranged the chicken in the pan.  Pour about 2/3 cup of water into the pan to form a shallow layer.  Spoon any remaining marinade over the chicken.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crisp, showing no signs of pink when pierced. 

(The original recipe came from "The Illustrated Kitchen Bible" by Victoria Blashford-Snell)

Mines Bouilli Ingredients:

• 15 ounces of Chinese egg noodles
• 2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. chili sauce
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. sesame paste
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the noodles, garlic and green onions. 
2. Boil the noodles for about 10 to 15 minutes then drain.  Add noodles and garlic to the bowl with the remaining ingredients.  Toss to coat.
3. Garnish with green onions and serve warm.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://ile-maurice.tripod.com/minetouni.htm)

Jollof Rice

After weeks of sickness kept me out of the kitchen, I was anxious to get back in and try out a few Liberian recipes before the month ended.  My first attempt came in the form of jollof rice.  Something we Americans would consider a one-pot meal, jollof rice is a mixture of rice (obviously), meat and tomatoes (sauce and all).  With a few spices thrown in for good measure, it can be most easily compared in cousin form to Creole fare.  That would make sense, after all, since there is the same culinary root to both types of cooking.

Though I used beef stew meat in my version, I have come to understand that most Liberians make jollof rice with chicken, bacon and salt pork.  But, all sources I have seen only list those traditional items with an asterisk - meaning, any meat will do.  For busy moms and harried chefs, it can be a nice way to use up leftovers.  Not a fancy meal.  Not one to impress the in-laws.  But, it's a good, hearty meal for a low-key night.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ibs. cooked meat (such as chicken, bacon, shrimp, smoked pork) cut in 1-inch chunks
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (optional)
• (1) 16-oz. can whole tomatoes, stewed
• (2) 6-oz. cans tomato paste
• 2 quarts water
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 cups white rice
• 5 cups chicken stock or water
• salt and pepper, to taste 

Instructions:

1. In a 10-inch skillet, saute meat in 1/2 cup vegetable oil until slightly brown.
2. In a 4-quart kettle, saute yellow onions and green peppers, with ginger if using, in 1/4 cup vegetable oil until soft.  Add can of tomatoes and simmer for 5minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, water, salt, black pepper, thyme, crushed red pepper and the cooked meat.  Simmer for 20 minutes longer.
4. In a 2 quart saucepan, cook rice in chicken stock or water until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine the sauce of the meat with the rice.  Pour the Jollof Rice in a deep bowl, arranging the meat in the center.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://www.liberianforum.com/recipe.htm)