Mole Poblano is a popular sauce in Mexican cuisine. It is prepared with dried chilies, ground nuts and seeds, spices, Mexican chocolate (which is traditional ground with sugar and cinnamon) and a variety of other ingredients including onions, plantain and garlic. Because of the labour-intensive nature of the mole, it is often made in large batches for special occasions, such as holidays, birthdays and weddings. Since we were celebrating upcoming nuptials and because Laura never does back down in the face of a challenge, she lovingly prepared this authentic dish.
Laura gave me two recipes which she indicates that she used in combination for her dish. This version is from the Food Network and is marked “Easy”. (Doesn’t look easy to me-I typically buy the Dona Maria Mole Sauce at the Mexican grocer).
Laura poached the chicken breasts, placed on a bed of rice and then poured the mole over top at serving time.
Ingredients
1 chicken (3-4 pounds) cut into pieces (Laura used boneless breasts)
5 black peppercorns
kosher salt
½ c sesame seeds
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
½ t anise seeds
¼ t coriander seeds
6 dried quajilo chile peppers
4 dried ancho chile peppers
6 T canola oil
¼ c raisins
¼ c whole almonds
¼ c hulled pumpkin seeds
2 6 inch tortillas torn into pieces
1 2.7 oz. disk of Mexican chocolate, broken into pieces
pinch of sugar
Instructions
Place chicken and peppercorns in large pot, cover with water and season with salt.
Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook until tender, about 40 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a large plate and set the cooking liquid aside.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing until golden, about 5 minutes.
Set aside 2 T for garnish and transfer the rest to the blender.
In the same skillet, toast the cloves, cinnamon stick, and anise and coriander seeds until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add to the blender.
Meanwhile, add the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds and tortilla pieces to the canola oil and cook, stirring, until the seeds and tortillas are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Add to the blender along with oil from the skillet and cook, stirring, until the seeds and tortillas are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Add to the blender along with the oil from the skillet.
Add the softened chilies and puree, pouring 2 to 3 cups of the soaking liquid to make a thick, smooth sauce.
Heat the remaining 2 T canola oil in a large pot over medium heat, Add the chile sauce and fry, stirring until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add 4 c of the reserved chicken cooking liquid and simmer until the sauce starts to thick, about 20 minutes.
Add the chocolate and simmer, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts and the sauce reduces, about 20 more minutes.
Add the sugar and season with salt.
Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and warm through over low heat.
Garnish with reserved sesame seeds.
2.2.6
My contribution to the evening was a simple watermelon and feta salad. I prepared three c of watermelon balls, covered with 1/2 small red onion slices and 1/2 c of crumbled feta and drizzled balsamic vinegar over all.
Kath’s quote (I was searching for Mole quotes and found this one -wrong kind of mole but…): “Their [watermelons] cleansing action you can discover for yourself; just rub them on dirty skin. Watermelons will remove the following: freckles, facial moles, or epidemic leprosy, if anyone should have these conditions.”-Galen (129-216 A.D.)
D is working from the cottage today and I am a little bit jealous. I have no reason to be, as he was underneath the cottage early this morning, disconnecting our current plumbing, while I was sound asleep in our cozy bed. But I am envious about the idea of working from the cottage in September. So I have done the next best thing and set up on our little back deck in the city and if this drizzle of rain continues, I will move to the gazebo.
But I digress. I first became acquainted with Pit Pat squash when I found it at the St. Norbert market last autumn. The way I prepared it then did not leave a positive impression upon me but when I received it again as part of my Blue Lagoon Garden share, I simply roasted it in canola oil to have with Gourmet Mac and Cheese. I LOVED the taste-more flavourful than zucchini, with a nuttiness and slight acidity not found in other squash. Now of course, I can’t get enough (like roasted beets this summer).
Kath’s quote: “Square meals, not adventurous ones, are what you should seek.”-Bryan Miller
J1 is so crazy about meatballs, he thinks that someone should open a restaurant totally devoted to them. In the mean time, I recently gifted him with a meatball cookbook. I know that he will want to add these to his repertoire. Every forkful brings a variety of tastes. I served them as an entree with a side of quinoa and some steamed veggies but just think what they would be like on top of spaghetti (all covered with cheese).
14 Slices Schneiders® Bacon or Schneiders® Maple Bacon
Maple Chipotle BBQ Glaze
4 tbsp (60 mL) Ted’s World Famous BBQ Crazy Canuck Chicken & Rib BBQ Sauce or your favourite gourmet style barbecue sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce
⅓ cup (75 mL) Maple syrup
1 Hardwood maple grilling plank (approx.12x8-inch/30x20 cm
Instructions
SOAK grilling plank in cold water for a minimum of 1 hour. Follow directions on grilling plank package.
CUT 2 sausages into 14 equal-sized chunks (7 pieces per sausage). Set aside.
FINELY chop remaining 1 sausage and place in a large bowl. Add ground pork, cilantro, green onion, chili powder and cayenne. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Divide mixture into 14 equal sized portions.
PLACE a portion of meat into the palm of your hand and flatten slightly. Place a chunk of sausage onto the ground pork mixture and wrap the meat mixture around the sausage so that the entire sausage is covered by the meat. Roll between your hands to make into a nice round meat ball. Repeat with remaining ground pork and sausage chunks.
WRAP each meatball tightly with a slice of bacon, stretching bacon as you wrap, to make sure it covers the entire surface of the meatball. Cover meatballs and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
COMBINE barbecue sauce, chipotle hot sauce and maple syrup in a small bowl. Set aside.
SET grill up for indirect grilling* and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Place meatballs evenly spaced onto pre-soaked grilling plank. Transfer to indirect heat on grill and close lid. Grill for 8-10 minutes. Turn the grilling plank 180 degrees, close lid and continue to grill for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the bacon begins to crisp.
BASTE with maple chipotle bbq glaze. Continue to grill for an additional 5 minutes or until bacon is crispy, the glaze is sticky and the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 160°F (71°C). Remove and serve immediately.
2.2.6
How to stuff.
How to wrap.
There is still lots of time left in barbeque season, but if you are running out of ideas, check out Schneider’s Facebook page to inspire you anew.
Kath’s quote: “Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.”-Elizabeth David
My gang loves food stuffed into chicken (case in point-their all time favourite: Asparagus Wrapped Chicken Breast with Hollandaise Sauce). Truth is, we’ve been preparing that recipe for years so I was happy to discover this version, dreamed up by the inventive Chef- Ted Reader.
I got to work side by side with Ted this week when he was in town on his Schnieders/Beerlicious tour. Having put in a full prep day for his TV visits, I was happy to have three portions of this recipe left over, after I had done the last of the dishes. The Frenchman was getting ready to leave for Montreal (and to reunite with Daughter #2) and so we invited him to join us.
D seared some asparagus on the grill as the bundles were roasting and all we had to add was a crusty loaf of bread.
From "Beerlicious Volume 1 The Art of Grillin' and Chillin'" By Chef Ted Reader
Ingredients
12 inch cedar plank, soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour
Spray bottle of water
8 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
1 bottle Alexander Keith's Red
+1 bottle Amber Ale (12 oz)
1 c ground chicken
½ lb. cooked lobster, coarsely chopped
3 T panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs
1 T mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
1 T chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 asparagus spears, blanched
2 T Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning
8 slices bacon (thick)
Instructions
Place thighs in a large self-sealing bag. Pour in 1 bottle of Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale. Seal bag, turning bag and gently massaging meat to evenly coat. Refrigerate and let marinate, turning occaisionally to evenly marinate, for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Drain thighs, discarding leftover mariade, and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, lobster meat, panko bread crumbs, mayonnaise,green onion and dill. Drizzle with extra beer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine.
Lay thighs on flat work surface. Evenly spread 1 T of ground chicken mixture over entire surface of each thigh, then top with an asparagus spear along the narrow end. Tightly roll up each thigh around asparagus.
Season rolled thighs with Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning, coating evenly. Wrap 1 slice of bacon tightly around each rolled thigh.
Preheat grill to medium (350-450 degrees F)
Arrange bacon-wrapped thighs, spaced apart, on plank.
Place plank on grill. Close lid and plank-bake, occasionally with beer and checking to ensure plank has not caught fire, for 40 to 45 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 160 degrees F). (Note: If plank catches fire, extinquish with bottle of water.)
Remove from grill, Serve immediately.
2.2.6
If you are watching your fat intake and are concerned about the bacon, you may wish to remove it from your bundle and pass it along to Mrs. Spratt. You will still enjoy all the bacony taste that has permeated the chicken. I try to reduce fat with products where I do not miss the taste like Greek yogurt and sour cream, so that I can enjoy real butter on my popcorn or a crispy, salty strip of bacon. Moderation folks, is the key (took me way too long to learn this lesson).
Daughter #2 is still in Montreal, J1 & J2 are heading to the lake, Daughter #1 is staying in town to attend Movies in the Park and D and I are off to assemble with his family at a Minnesota Lake, so we will not be together for this long weekend. But I am looking forward to us assembling in our backyard paradise so that D can fire up the grill and I can ensure that the beer is icy cold. What could be better?
Kath’s quote: “Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”-Doug Larson
One of the many wonderful attributes of burgers is that they adapt to most every cuisine. In the winter months we consume lots of dim sum and Asian dumpling soups but we begin to miss the fresh, crisp tastes come summer. So I adapted my Hoisin Meatball recipe to produce these delectable burgers. Ground beef is economical and kids love it!
Fusing Asian ingredients with a summer burger treat.
Ingredients
8 oz ground beef
1 egg
1 t chopped mint (or cilantro)
2 T minced red onions
1 medium carrot, grated
1 t grated ginger
1 minced garlic clove
2 T+ hoisin sauce
3 T dried breadcrumbs (delete for gluten free)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine and mix with clean hands.
Form into patties and place between sheets of parchment paper.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Grill to your likeness on open flame adding more hoisin sauce if desired before removing from heat.
Serve with toasted burger buns and grilled tri-coloured peppers if desired.
More hoisin can be smeared unto the bun.
2.2.6
We needed the energy that beef delivers because we had a busy weekend at the cottage which included spending some time as babysitters to three of our grand nieces and nephew.
D need his strength to tickle and wrestle with the youngest as the girls and I had a lovely time walking our dog on the beach.
