Chicken Mole Tacos

You know when you get a craving for something you just can't shake.  This past week for me it was tacos.  There is something about spicy meat, crispy vegetables, creamy cheese all wrapped up in a corn tortilla.  I think I could eat tacos every day.  I know Joe could!

Chicken Pumpkin-Ancho Mole Taco

I knew exactly what kind of tacos I wanted to make.  A few months ago... while watching the Food Network I saw one of my favorite TV Chefs, Sunny Anderson, make this chicken mole dish... but get this... there was no chocolate!  What?!?  A mole with no chocolate?  I was intrigued. 

Perfect combination of chilis, pepitas, roasted veggies and chicken

Turns out... according to Ms. Sunny and the Wiki-know-it-alls the word "mole" simply means "sauce."  Here I thought it meant chocolate sauce!!  Actually - chocolate is not a popular ingredient in Mexican moles usually.  The most common component is chili peppers (ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle) and then the sky is the limit when it comes to what goes in it.  Some moles can have upwards of 26 ingredients!  

Amazing dinner

What stood out about Sunny's mole was the use of toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and ancho chilies (dried poblano chilies).  I love pumpkin seeds and have always wondered how to use those dried chilies I keep seeing at the grocery store.  Also, her recipe called for brining the chicken breasts first.  HELLO!  I had never thought about that but the idea is genius! 

Brine to ensure the chicken is nice and moist

I did make some changes to the recipe though.  I added more jalapenos because Joe and I love spice (however it was still pretty mild) and I threw in a few tablespoons of brown sugar to sweeten it up a bit.  

Served up with all of the fixins

The mole was DELICIOUS!! Serve it up with warm corn tortillas and some fresh cilantro, red onion, sliced radishes, creamy avocado and crumbles of queso fresco.  

CHICKEN (PUMPKIN-ANCHO) MOLE TACOS

Slightly adapted from Sunny Anderson/Food Network

Ingredients

• 8 cups water, divided
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 6 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
• 5 ancho chiles (dried poblano peppers)
• 4 large jalapenos, halved
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 large bunch cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 16 corn tortillas, kept warm
• 2 limes, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 avocados, halved, pitted and flesh sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced 

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, combine 6 cups water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large bowl, add the chicken, and refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Bring the remaining 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. In a medium heatproof bowl, add the ancho chiles and cover with the boiling water. Weigh down with a plate so the peppers remain under water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the stems when the peppers have softened making sure the scrape off any seeds.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a sheet tray toss the jalapenos, onion, tomatoes, garlic and cumin with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until nicely caramelized with good color, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Add the pumpkin seeds to a dry, hot skillet on high heat. Stir often, until the seeds are golden and begin to pop. Transfer to a food processor along with roasted vegetables. Add the soaked chiles, about 2 tablespoons of chili soaking liquid, the cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons if brown sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the processor. Puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. 
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, blot dry with paper towels and put into a large Dutch oven. Pour in the mole sauce and bake, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. When cool to the touch, shred the chicken and add it back to the sauce. Spoon the mole into corn tortillas and serve with lime wedges, avocado slices, red onion, and radishes. Garnish with cilantro leaves.  Enjoy!

Check me out on Follow the Wife!!

My first guest blog post!

Wendy See Wendy Do is going global folks!  Well more like national... or whatever.... you know what I mean.  One of my best friends and fellow blogger Libby invited me to guest post on her blog Follow the Wife!  How cool is that?  Her blog is fabulous and has tons of information, inspiration and advice for brides-to-be (like me!).  Check it out!!

AND HOLY MOLE! Do I have a recipe for you tomorrow!  Here is a sneak peak:

Can you say, Tacos??

Happy Monday Folks!!!

Citrus Fregola Salad

It must be the crazy warm weather we are having here in Chicago because I have citrus on the brain!  Lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits: all of the those fresh, punchy citrus flavors of spring and summer! 

So when I eyed a juicy looking grapefruit at the grocery store... I knew where to get my citrus fix.  Citrus Fregola Salad!  Well actually it's called fregola sarda.  Wait... did I just hear you ask: Wendy what is fregola sarda?  Funny... I asked myself the same thing when I picked up a box at the store.

fregola sarda cous cous

Fregola Sarda Cous Cous is a toasted, course semolina-based pasta very similar to Israeli Cous Cous but much more rustic.  Chef Ed Matthews, the culinary mind behind One Block West Restaurant in Virginia, says the pasta gets its nutty flavor from toasting after the pasta bits have been dried.  

Check out those toasty bits!

Combined with the tart ruby-red grapefruit, some green onions, toasted slivered almonds and an addictively sweet and sour citrus dressing... the fregola shines!

So good!

Citrus Fregola Salad

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis/Food Network
Serves: 4 (as a side)

Ingredients 

• 8 ounces of fregola sarda cous cous
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 ruby red grapefruits, segmented with 1/4 cup juice reserved
• one lime, zested with 1 tablespoon juice reserved
• one lemon, zested
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Veggie Ham Crescent Wreath ReciDirections

• Bring vegetable stock to a boil in a large saucepan then add the fregola.  Cook until pasta is al dente, about 10-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim the skin off of the grapefruits.  Over a bowl cut out the segments being sure to reserve any grapefruit juice (after all segments have been cut out squeeze out any remaining juice).  Place grapefruit segments in a small bowl and put aside.
• In another bowl combine 1/4 cup of the reserved grapefruit juice, the lime and lemon zest, the lime juice, the minced shallot and 1 tablespoon of honey.  Using a whisk, stir all the ingredients together and slowly add the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set dressing aside.
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and toss together with dressing.  Let cool for about 10 minutes.
• When the fregola is cooled toss together with grapefruit segments and green onions.  Serve topped with toasted almonds.  ENJOY!

NOTE: You can make this recipe ahead of time, except for the almonds, and leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve.


HAVE YOU EVER COOKED WITH FREGOLA SARDA BEFORE?  IF SO... WHAT DID YOU MAKE?

Cinnamon Sugar Bites

Cinnamon Sugar Flaky Delish!!

So far this week I have talked about pie and leftovers... so I thought it would only be appropriate to combine the two for this post and make it cinnamon sugary delicious.  If you read my blog Sunday - you hopefully enjoyed my recipe for Candy Cane Cookie Pies.  In the process of making those pepperminty delights I had quite a bit of leftover pie crust dough.  What to do??

Left over pie crust dough

I LOVE pie crust.  I can say with absolutely certainty that it is the only reason I eat pie.  Frankly I think all of that gooey filling gets in the way of the crunchy, flaky, buttery, toasty pie crust.  ((FYI: NEVER LOOK AT THE NUTRITIONAL INFO ON THE BACK OF THE PIE CRUST BOX!! TRUST ME!)) 

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Did you know that the first pie crusts ever made (we're talking hundreds and hundreds of years ago) weren't meant to be eaten AT ALL?  Slice of Life Sunday says Middle Eastern civilizations of long-ago made the inedible olive oil-based crust to keep the filling moist while cooking and to prevent spoiling.  Man were they missing out! 

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Well I certainly didn't want to let my extra pie crust go to waste!  No, sir!  So I decided to make Cinnamon Sugar Bites.  They are so simple to make they should be illegal!  (That and the amount of calories are probably horrendous but we won't think about that!)

Bites in the making

All you have to do is roll out your leftover pie crust dough and trim to make a rectangle.  Then divide and cut the dough into equal size bar shapes.  I used the left over dough from that to make even smaller bar shapes to make a tiered bite.  Then comes the cinnamon sugar!!

Cinnamon Sugar

Coat the bars with LOTS of melted butter and then liberally sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over those bad boys!  I almost ate one raw because they looked to good!

Tiered cinnamon sugar bites

Bake and viola.... 

Look at those flaky, pie crust layers!!

Bet you can't eat just one!

CINNAMON SUGAR BITES

Ingredients 

• Leftover pie crust dough
• Flour
• Melted butter
• Cinnamon Sugar (equal parts cinnamon and sugar)

Veggie Ham Crescent Wreath ReciDirections

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out leftover pie crust on a floured surface to prevent sticking.  Cut off edges to make a rectangle.  Divide and cut dough into equal-sized bar shapes.  Place on sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray.  Repeat if you have additional leftover dough, making smaller bar shapes to create a tiered bite.
• Brush melted butter on top of the bars then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU MAKE WITH YOUR LEFTOVER PIE CRUST DOUGH?

Wendy's Chili Con Carne

Wendy's Chili Con Carne

What are you having for dinner tonight?  Me?  Left-overs!!  I put a double exclamation because left-overs are one of my all time favorite eats.  Why?  The developed flavor!  Now I know this is not true for every dish but a lot of time if you let a meal sit in the fridge for a day or two the flavor of soups, stews and chili deepens and develops even more.  Which is exactly why I LOVE my chili the next day. 

Yum!

Every family usually has a few chili con carne recipes under their sleeves and my family is no different (especially since we are from Texas!)  My mom loves lots of beans and vegetables in her chili while my dad argues beans have no place in the spicy meat stew.  There are different schools of thought on what makes the best chili but an even hotter argument is exactly where the first pot was cooked up and by whom.

Chili with all of the fixin's

According to the International Chili Society there are many rumors as to where the first bowl was served up.  Some believe Aztecs created the dish after cutting up invading Spanish conquistadors and seasoning chunks of them with chile peppers before eating them.  Yeah, that's gross.  Others believe it was created by cowboys on the open ranges of Texas in the 1800s.  I think I will go with that option.
 

My chili recipe is so engrained in my brain I think I could make it with my eyes closed.  Lean ground sirloin, onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, beer and LOTS of spices.  AND of course LOVE ((AWH)).  The trick is to give yourself enough time to let it cook for a good 2-3-4 hours.  Sounds like overkill but the time is well worth it.  

You can't forget the toppings!

Then there are the toppings, of course.  This is where your bowl of chili gets personal.  I love green onions, lots of cilantro, jalapeno and a big squeeze of lime on my chili con carne.  As well as a heaping helping of cheese!

Some jalapenos to kick it up a notch

While I love spicy food I usually go "a little" milder with chili (I stress little!).  Since I am probably going to be serving this up to a crowd I recognize that not every has the love for heat like Joe and I do.  Instead I will offer up some fresh jalapeno slices, red chili flakes and sometimes some chipotle chili peppers in adobo for folks to get their spicy fix.

What do you like on your chili?

WENDY'S CHILI CON CARNE

Ingredients 

• 1 1/4 pound of lean ground sirloin (96/4)
• 2 small or 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos, minced (with or without seeds)
• can of beer
• 28 ounce can of tomatoes, with juice
• can of kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder (depending on heat)
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves 
• olive oil

Veggie Ham Crescent Wreath ReciDirections

• Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy bottom pot over medium high heat.
• Add onions and bell peppers, stirring until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and jalapenos and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in ground sirloin and cook until meat is browned.  Meanwhile, in small bowl mix together chili powders, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, oregano and salt.
• Once meat is cooked through stir in spice mixture and cook for 2 minutes.  Add can of beer.  Using a wooden spoon scrape up any bits stuck on the bottom of the pot.  Simmer until liquid has reduced by half.
• Add in canned tomatoes with juice, pinto beans and bay leaves.  Bring pot to a simmer, cover and cook for 2-3 hours until flavors are developed.  Eat immediately or reheated the next day.
• Serve with chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno, lime wedges and your favorite shredded cheese.  Enjoy!

Mini Candy Cane Cookie Pies

Peppermint packed recipe below

This weekend Joe and I had the fun task of taking down and putting away all of our Christmas decorations.  It's one of my least favorite things to do!  Miles of garland, tangled lights, millions of ornaments are all stowed away until next year and all we have left are candy canes.  LOTS of candy canes!

MMMmmm... Perfectly Peppermint

PLUS a box of the mind-blowing, culinary invention: Candy Cane Joe-Joe's from Trader Joe's.  They are sublimely delicious candy cane flavored Oreo-type cookies. 

Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's

Every year I struggle with what to do with the red and white candy treats and always wonder where did they come from anyways.  This year I decided to do a little peppermint research.  According to the Wiki-wizards, candy canes came on the scene in Germany in 1670.  A choir master asked a local candy maker to whip up a treat to keep kids quiet during his Christmas Eve performance.  The "staff" shape is meant to help the children remember the shepherds who cared for baby Jesus.  After that the cane shaped treats took off and became widely associated with the holiday season.

Early image of candy canes (via Wikipedia)

Like egg-nog... there is a point when I cannot handle anymore holiday inspired treats.  So I wanted to have one last peppermint horrah this weekend and use up all of my candy cane flavored goodies in the process. But what to do?

Nutella and peppermint.... awesome combo!

Thanks to one of my favorite blogs Picky-Palate and their devishly delicious looking Oreo and Peanut Butter Layered Baby Lattice Pies recipe -- I came up with a peppermint plan!  MINI CANDY CANE COOKIE PIES!

Look at those layers of chocolate cookie, peppermint cream and Nutella!

Talk about a winning combination: chocolate cookies, peppermint cream and Nutella cradled in flaky pie crust and topped with crunchy peppermint candy!    

First ice the tops of the Candy Cane Cookies with Nutella and make a stack of two cookies

Place cookies in muffin tins lined with 4-inch circles of pie crust

Top with more pie crust and use a fork to seal it together

Brush pies with melted butter and top with crushed candy canes

Peppermint Pie Perfection!

MINI CANDY CANE COOKIE PIES

Adapted from Picky-Palate

Ingredients 

• 2 refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts
• 16 Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe Cookies
• 1 cup Nutella
• Candy canes, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Veggie Ham Crescent Wreath ReciDirections

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Unroll pie crusts and cut out eight 4-inch rounds and carefully press into muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Spread Nutella onto each cookie and then stack two on top of each other.  Place cookie stacks into each pie crust. 
• With remaining dough, cut out 3-inch rounds and place on top of each pie.  Using your fingers or a fork crimp the edges.  Make a small slit on the top of each pie.  
• Brush melted butter on top of each crust and then top with crushed candy canes.
• Bake until pie crust is golden, about 25-30 minutes.  ENJOY!

 
Yield: 8 pies


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY CANE INSPIRED DESSERT??

Fried Cheese Curds

This is mean.  I know and I am really sorry.  Here I am on the first week of the New Year, when I am sure some of you have set from weight-loss or healthy eating goals, and I am writing about fried cheese.  Gooey.  Crispy.  Buttery.  Deep fried.  Cheese curds.

I discovered cheese curds on my first trip to Wisconsin a few years ago.  The state takes cheese seriously!!  Everywhere you go there are wheels and wheels of cheese.  I am not kidding you.  Pick up a bottle of water at a newsstand at the Milwaukee Airport and you will find a refrigerated case of cheese.  Go to any run down convenience store and there is an entire section devoted to cheese.  Cheddar.  Havarti.  Gouda.  Swiss.  Pepper Jack.  The state churns out more than 600 types of cheese!!  Including the infamous cheese curd.

MMMmmmm... cheese curds!

What is a cheese curd, you ask?  A NYT writer described them as cheddar in it's freshest state.  So fresh it "squeaks" when you eat it.  No really, it does.  Eating them sounds kind of like chewing on a rubber balloon... but obviously tastes much, much better!