Mole

First off, let me just say that mole is not 1. those brown raised spots on your face or back 2. an animal. Okay, it’s both of those things, but in this case, it’s a dish that originated in Mexico, and, like all Spanish words, all the vowels are pronounced, which gives mole the dish two syllables. So, no need to be scared. Though it contains ingredients that probably sound like unusual combinations, mole is VERY delicious, and this recipe in particular is not difficult to make. I must also add I had nothing to do with it, save for a few spice adjustments to satisfy my tastes. It’s courtesy of my husband, who pilfered bits and pieces from my father and the Joy of Cooking. I’m indebted to all three.

Ingredients:

1 -1 ½ lbs. cooked shredded chicken (I’ve also used chicken tenders and chopped them with the back of a spoon into small chunks; I’ve also eaten full chicken breasts, with the rib meat and all, topped with mole sauce. Use the version that works best for you. This is the burrito style method.)
4 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup slivered almonds; divided in two batches
¼ cup raisons
¼ cup chili powder, or to taste
1 tbsp. Mexican oregano
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. ginger
1-2 tbsp. cumin
2-3 cups chicken broth
whole wheat tortillas, warmed

1. Cook the meat.
2. In a large pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter.
3. In a blender, add the tomato paste, half of the almonds, raisons, all of the spices, and half of the chicken broth. Blend well. Add to onion and garlic. Add meat. Add remaining almonds.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes, adding chicken broth if it gets dry.
5. Serve with warmed tortillas.

And that’s mole, burrito style.