Mole, Olé!: An Easy Weeknight Recipe

You’ve just spent a long day at work, running errands, and picking up Susie from soccer practice. Now you walk in the door and everyone turns to you and asks, “So, what’s for dinner?”

It’s one of the most frightening questions facing many people. What is for dinner? Pasta, again? Fast food? Frozen pizza? It doesn’t have to be this way. You can add a little spice and flavor to your weeknight meals that everyone can enjoy. With a little preparation and some tricks up your sleeve, you can whip up a tasty dinner with a little kick in the form of mole con pollo.

Mole is one of the most diverse sauces in Mexican cuisine. Each region of Mexico has its own version of mole. The best known in America is mole poblano, which originated in Puebla, Mexico. Most home cooks are intimidated by this sauce because of its lengthy ingredient list and time-consuming preparation. Unless you have been handed down a recipe from an auntie or grandmother, chances are you aren’t going to grind by hand the 30-odd spices and other ingredients, including chocolate after a busy day. Instead, go to your local Mexican market, or mercado, and look for the homemade mole paste in the plastic deli containers. The jarred mole pastes are OK, but the fresh stuff is much better.

So, mole paste in hand, all you need is a few more ingredients to create a yummy, south-of-the-border dinner menu to spice up your mid-week meal.

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on your family size)
• 2-3 cups of chicken broth (more or less depending on desired consistency)
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 cube of chicken bullion
• chopped onions, celery, carrots (optional)
• warmed flour tortillas (optional)

For the chicken, you can do a few things. If you forgot to defrost the chicken before you started cooking, fill a large pot with water and boil the chicken until cooked through, then shred.

If you have fresh chicken breasts, you can bake them in the oven using whatever happens to be your favorite blend of spices. I like kosher salt, black pepper, garlic salt, and oregano, with a drizzle of olive. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes and shred.

The last option is the easiest. You can easily use either leftover chicken or get one of those roasted chickens in the deli section of your local grocery store. When I made this on an otherwise dull Monday, I used leftover chicken from the night before.

OK, so down to the business of cooking the mole: Bring 2-3 cups of chicken broth to a gentle boil and slowly start incorporating small spoonfuls of the mole paste, stirring and breaking the paste apart with a spoon. The amount is variable, but I would say about 4-6 tablespoons. Take it slow, if you put too much paste in the sauce will take on a gritty texture. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes then add the chicken. The longer you let the sauce simmer the better the mole will taste.

Side Dish Suggestions

Spanish Rice: sauté a cup of rice with a clove of garlic and olive oil (you can add some chopped onions, celery or carrots if you so choose). Add 1 ¼ cup of water, 1 chicken bullion, and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Garlicky Pinto Beans: drain half of the liquid from a can of pinto beans, cook over medium-low heat, mashing the beans as they cook. Add salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.

Using these easy recipes, you can bring a little flavor and fun to your weekday dinner routine. Have leftovers? Spoon the mole over eggs for breakfast or make a tasty burrito for lunch the next day. Have fun and dig in!

Tagged as: Food, mexican, mole, recipes