Latin food is one of my favorite genres to both cook and eat, and this dish is on the top of my list. I originally got this chicken mole poblano recipe from Top Chef Season 5 contestant, Carla Hall, when she was featured in Health Magazine. I made it a few years ago and loved it, so I decided it was time to break this recipe out again this past week. I’m not going to lie though, Carla would have been disappointed with the amount of “love” I put into this dish. In the beginning of the week, I couldn’t wait to make it, and then reality set in. I got home from work late, I was tired due to lack of sleep the night before, and the last thing I wanted to do was try to make a recipe I hadn’t done in three years. I had planned on creating this post, but then I was in such a funk that I scrapped taking photos and glumly resumed my wifely/motherly duties with a sour look on my face. I had promised my husband (and he was super excited) to make this delicious meal, but I just didn’t feel like it! However, I knew it was the right thing to do to by making it. You know those days when you really just don’t want to go to the gym or work out? But then you do anyway…and you feel SO much better afterward??? Well, this is how cooking this meal went. I really was not in the mood to cook in the beginning, and was super cranky about it (sorry dear husband). But as I got into it, I started getting excited (more than likely because I was going to get to eat it)…and then after it was done, I was extremely proud of how it turned out. I then rushed to grab the camera and take a photo of the final product. I got back on board with doing a blog post about it, and wished I hadn’t been such a grouch in the beginning. It’s amazing how making a little meal can uplift your spirits and shift your mood. I’m still blaming certain mood swings on the hormones. ;-)
As for this recipe, I think you will also find it delicious. And it’s even better when you make it with a little love. As usual, I made a few changes to my own liking (especially with the chicken – I tend to prefer white meat over dark), but for the most part, the sauce is the same.
Hope you enjoy!
What you need:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
.5 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 teaspoon tahini (I omitted this, because I couldn’t find it at the store)
3 oz dark chocolate chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Carla used an already cooked rotisserie chicken, divided into 6 pieces and warmed – I used uncooked chicken breasts instead covered in cumin and cinnamon to taste and white cooking wine
1/2 avocado, pitted and sliced
1 tomato, diced
How to Make it Happen:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place uncooked chicken breasts covered in cumin, cinnamon, and white wine into a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake the chicken for approximately 35 minutes (will depend on thickness of the chicken and how your oven cooks, so make sure to check it early to avoid overcooking!)
While the chicken is baking, heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, sale, and pepper; cook for 1 minute.
Add canned diced tomatoes and chiles to saucepan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in tahini and chocolate until melted. Stir in chopped cilantro. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Put sauce in a blender or food processor until smooth. Spoon as much sauce as you like over the chicken. Serve with avocado and tomato.
I also decided to serve it with some black beans and rice, which really completed the meal for me. The cheese on top of the beans is cotija.
Happy to say, we blended everything all together to serve to our little guy as well, and he happily ate it as well!
Hope you are all having a great week!
XO,
Gina
