girlichef

Slow-Cooker Mole Rojo {#SundaySupper: Cooking Low & Slow}

2013-05-19T01:00:00.000-04:00

I have certain dishes that I am very picky about. Some may call it biased. Some may call it snobbery. I just call it taste. Mole is one of those dishes.

Now, I almost hate to admit that the mole I like more than any other is my own. Ha! But in all fairness, the recipe originally came from Rick Bayless. I've only adapted it slightly here and there over the years. Maybe it's because it was "my first". I mean, first love sets the bar, right?

Okay, that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed many other varieties of mole. Made by an equal variety of people. There's just something about that version that keeps me dreaming...remembering...craving. I'm not alone, either. My family feels the same way. Immediate and extended. I get requests every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas for a jar. That's just usually the time that I make it.

You see, a really good mole takes time to develop those complex layers of flavor. Chiles, nuts and seeds, tomatoes or tomatillos, dried fruit, spices, flavorful broth, (pleasantly) gritty Mexican chocolate, bread or tortillas - they all play their part in that medley. But time plays an equally important role. And, if you judge by the look of my kitchen on mole-making-day, so does a big, fat mess! Let's not forget the (ahem) warmth that fills the kitchen...and eventually the whole house...when a pot is simmering for the better part of a day over an open fire.

So worth it, but precisely the reason that it normally gets made in the wintertime around here.

So, this mole is not the one I've been yammering on about. HOWEVER, it is extremely close. And I made it on a day where the thermometer outside my kitchen window registered 80+ degrees. Without breaking a sweat. Believe that.

You know why? (Of course you do, it's in the title of this post. Humor me.) Because it's made IN A SLOW-COOKER! So now I can comfortably make mole in the heat of the summer. I'll admit it's not quite as good as my first love, but it's really close. And the fact that the mess is basically non-existent compared to my dream-mole, I'm almost willing to overlook that. Plus, with a few tweaks, I believe I can come even closer.

Slow-Cooker Mole Rojo

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours+

Keywords: slow-cooker sauce entree soy-free almonds chiles Christmas Cinco de Mayo Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead Mexican

Ingredients (2 quarts (12 servings))

1/2 cup vegetable oil (or good pork lard)
3 ounces mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
1.5 ounces ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
1.5 ounces pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 ounces whole almonds
2 ounces raisins
1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes w/ their juices
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Mexican canela (or regular cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground anise seeds
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
1 ounce Mexican chocolate, roughl chopped
1 thick slice firm white bread, toasted darkly & broken into pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar + more as needed
sea salt
2 quarts chicken stock/broth (or rich vegetable stock), approximately

Instructions

You have two options to start this mole on its journey - if you have a slow-cooker with a removable, fire-safe crock, great. If you don't, do this first part in a large pot and transfer to the slow-cooker.

Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot over high heat. Once hot, add the chiles, garlic, almonds, and raisins, stirring slowly and constantly for about 5 minutes or so. Th inside of the chile pieces should turn lighter, the garlic will be a light golden, the raisins will be puffed, and the almonds will be well toasted. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the ground spices, the bread, and the chocolate, and continue to stir for another 2 minutes or so. Add 2 cups of water, the brown sugar, and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Transfer the pot to the slow-cooker base (or pour into the slow-cooker), cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Scrape all of the mole base out of the slow-cooker and into a bowl. Add half of the mixture, along with 2 cups of the chicken stock the jar of a blender and blend until completely smooth. This could take a few minutes depending on your blender. Set a fine-mesh strainer over your slow-cooker crock and pour the mixture in the blender through, pressing to release all of the base, leaving the chile skins behind. Repeat with second half and 2 more cups of chicken stock. Stir 3 more cups of the chicken stock into the pot, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours longer. At this point, the mole should be the consistency of a cream soup. If it seems too thick, add in some of the remaining cup of chicken stock to thin it out. Taste, and adjust seasoning with about another 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and a teaspoon or so of salt.

Serve hot over chicken, turkey, pork, or eggs. We love it with carnitas and grilled chicken leg portions, as well. I also love it with just queso fresco and hot corn tortillas. If serving with chicken or turkey, sprinkle with a smattering of toasted sesame seeds. One serving is approximately 1/2 cup.

Store in a jar or container with a lid in the fridge for 5 days or so.

notes:

I think I'm going to add 2-4 ounces of toasted sesame seeds and some roasted tomatillos with their juices to my next batch, so that it comes closer to the flavor profile of the "regular" (non-slow-cooker) version of mole that I love so dearly.

Though this may not have quite the depth of flavor that a mole whose ingredients have been toasted and ground individually, and simmered over a slow fire has - the lack of mess it makes in the kitchen may be enough for me to make this version quite often. Plus, it doesn't heat up the kitchen.

adapted from Fiesta at Rick's

Want more MOLE? Here's a few more varieties you can find here:
Mole Rojo
Mole Verde Queretano
"On Mole" + Mole Amarillo
Mole de Olla

This week's edition of #SundaySupper is hosted by Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen, and our theme is Cooking Low & Slow. Check out these dishes that bask in the the leisure of time.

Low & Slow Breads & Starters:

Asiago Meatballs from Daily Dish Recipes
Slow Cooker Bread: Easy Dinner Rolls from Growing Up Gabel

Low & Slow Mains:

Appetizing & Wonderful (A&W) Ribs from Foxes Love Lemons
Apricot-Mustard Baked Ham from Healthy.Delicious.
Braniya {Lamb and Eggplant Tajine} from MarocMama
Brisket from Sustainable Dad
Brisket with Ale BBQ Sauce from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Carnitas from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Dairyfree Chicken and Mushroom Ragout from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Dry Rubbed Smoked Back Ribs from Noshing With The Nolands
French Dip Sandwiches from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Fried Beef Ribs from The Urban Mrs
Italian Beef from Curious Cuisiniere
Italian Sunday Gravy from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Jambalaya from Gourmet Drizzles
Minestrone Soup from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Osso Bucco from Webicurean
Pork and Sauerkraut Sandwiches from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Salsa Chicken from Momma's Meals
Sauerbraten from Magnolia Days
Slow Cooker Chana Masala from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Slow-Cooker Mole from girlichef
Slow Cooked Pork Sausage and Onions from Family Foodie
Sweet Pork from Table for Seven

Low & Slow Sides:

Caramelized Garlic in the Crock-Pot from Shockingly Delicious
Rice, Bean and Vegetable Casserole from Happy Baking Days
Slow Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Low & Slow Desserts:

8-hour Cheesecake with Roasted Grapes (gluten free) from Vintage Kitchen
Gluten Free Slow Cooker Glazed Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Blueberries and Blessings
Slow-Cooked Gooey Pina Colada Cake from Juanita's Cocina
Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Rice Pudding from Sue's Nutrition Buzz

Wine Pairing Recommendations for Low & Slow Food from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

What are your favorite dishes that are cooked Low & Slow? Feel free to leave links and/or recipes in the comments. Also, please join us for our live twitter chat tonight at 7pm (Eastern) using the#SundaySupper hashtag, and check out the Sunday Supper board on Pinterest.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Coming to Orlando July 19-21, the first annual Food and Wine Conference sponsored by #SundaySupper. Visit the website to learn more and join in on the fun.

Whipped Spelt Bread {Bread Baking Babes}

2013-05-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

I've had a really rough couple of weeks. Heck, it may even have been a month of rough by now. And although today has been in my sights for quite some time (as reveal day for Bread Baking Babes), I am running extremely late. I kept putting the bread baking on the back-burner. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.

This dough requires overnight refrigeration, so I would tell myself that I would make it "tonight", so that I could have bread tomorrow. I forgot every day straight for a solid week. Until it was morning and I saw my note-to-self sitting on the table as I shuffled in to the kitchen to get my coffee. Sigh.

I almost made it two nights ago, but fortunately it once again slipped my mind, because the we lost electricity that night. I guess big parts of the city and its surrounding did. I didn't go to bed until just after midnight that night (the power was still on at that point), and then my hubby was whispering to me at about 4 am telling me that the power was out. It didn't come back on until 10 that morning. So, the refrigerating of the dough would have been iffy anyway.

I finally whipped up the dough last night. It took all of 5 minutes. Literally. I just dumped everything into the bowl and turned on the the beaters. If you'll remember, I mentioned the rough-state of "me" lately...this meant that heading to the basement and lugging my big mixer upstairs was far too cumbersome for me to do. So I went the route of the hand-mixer, though deep down I knew I was probably asking for a blown motor.

I didn't blow my motor, but those beaters didn't want to turn, either. So my dough didn't necessarily pull away from the edges. I mixed it 'til it was combined and then I slapped some plastic wrap over the bowl and put it in the fridge on a wing and a prayer.

Fortunately, it worked - and I had a beautiful, tasty loaf of bread today. That made today just a little bit better. I know, I know...I'm not usually all doom and gloom. I'm sorry. When I started writing this post, I fully intended to tell you why I'm such a downer lately. But I'm not ready. One day soon...

Whipped Spelt Bread

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: overnight

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake bread spelt

Ingredients (1 loaf)

420 grams Spelt Flour (whole grain, stone ground)
80 grams bread flour + more as needed
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
10 g kosher salt
800 gram lukewarm water (yes, I measured the water by weight)

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and whip, using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, at high speed until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).

Remove the bowl from the fridge and allow to sit on the counter, at room temperature, for 3-4 hours, or until the dough has warmed up and little bubbles are appearing here and there on the surface.

Generously flour a work surface, and scoop the dough out onto it gently. Dust the top of the dough with some more flour, and then cut into 2 (basically) equal portions.

Gingerly roll the portions into fat ropes, taking care not to work too much and release the built up gases. Twist the pieces together, and place on a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and set a piece of plastic wrap or a clean tea towel over the dough. Let rise at room temperature until it's about doubled in size, 30-40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 480° F (just a scooch above the 475 mark), with a baking stone on the center rack. If you don't have a stone, just set the dough with parchment on a baking sheet.

When the oven is preheated, generously mist the inside with water. Slide the dough, parchment and all on to the stone and spray some more water into the oven. Open the oven again after 1 minute, and spray again.

After 5 minutes longer, lower the oven temperature to 410° F (a scooch above 400), and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Slide loaf (on parchment still, or not) onto a wire rack to cool completely.

inspired by and adapted from Home Baked: Nordic Recipes and Techniques for Organic Bread and Pastry by Hanne Risgaard

The Bread Baking Babes are: Bake My Day - Karen | blog from OUR kitchen - Elizabeth | Feeding my Enthusiasms - Pat/Elle | girlichef - Heather | Life's a Feast - Jamie | Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya | Lucullian Delights - Ilva | My Kitchen In Half Cups - Tanna | Notitie Van Lien - Lien | Paulchen's Foodblog - Astrid | Provecho Peru - Gretchen | Thyme for Cooking - Katie

The Bread Baking Buddies are: YOU!

If you'd like to bake along as a buddy this month, head on over to the hosting Babe's kitchen for this month (Ilva at Lucullian Delights) for the base recipe (you're welcome to adapt) and any special instructions. Then send her your post by the 26th to receive your buddy badge and be included in the Bread Baking Buddy roundup. I hope you join us!

I am also sharing this post with Yeastspotting

King's Hawaiian Roast Beef Sandwich @Arbys #RoastBeefatopia - a new twist on an old favorite!

2013-05-16T11:32:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby's. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm one of those people that goes to a restaurant and orders the same thing every time. Not every restaurant, but some restaurants. Take for example my family's favorite local diner. I order the exact same thing for breakfast every single time we go. I mean sure, it wasn't always that way. Way-back-when, I tried a few other options. And then one day I tried "the one". And now, even if I firmly declare that I am going to "order something else today", I don't. I mean to with 99.1% of my being, but I open up my mouth and what comes out is "the usual".

I have the same sort of deal at a local Mexican joint. Actually, here - the whole family does. The guy in the kitchen sees us coming in, gives a nod and a wave, and starts our order. Five to ten minutes before the waitress even brings it to him. I swear we're not boring. We (especially me) love trying new foods. Even new restaurants. But there are those few restaurants where one dish prevails.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm the same way at Arby's. I've loved the same thing since high school (and let's just say that this year marks 20 years since I graduated...ssshhhh). I think high school lunch period was, like, 55 minutes long. Once the bell rang you darted for the door and whichever friend had a car. You make a beeline for the restaurant of the day. You ate as fast as you possibly could (to this day, I still call fast-eating "high school lunch syndrome"). Then you'd get back to school in time for the second half of your day.

Back then the main concern was budget (or lack of it). I would always order a regular roast beef sandwich, curly fries, and a Jamocha shake. The bun would come off, and since I couldn't decide which one I liked better, half of the sandwich would get Horsey sauce, and the other half would get Arby's sauce. My fries would get the same treatment. And don't even get me started on those Jamocha shakes (YUM).

Now, I have tried some other sammies from Arby's. And enjoyed them. But I just don't think you can beat their plain roast beef!

Fast forward to 2013. As in, right now. Arby's has two new King's Hawaiian Sandwiches to choose from:

Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN roast beef sandwich: a soft and slightly sweet King's Hawaiian Bun that is piled high with an extra helping of that perfectly slices roast beef that Arby's is known for.
Arby's KING'S HAWAIIAN roast beef & swiss sandwich: same as above, but with the addition of Swiss cheese, crisp pickles, and a creamy Dijon spread.

Hmmmm. I DO love me some King's Hawaiian Bread. I'll admit, I had a bit of a wrestling match in my head over which of these two sandwiches to choose. On the one hand, I love cheese. Any cheese. And mustard is a good friend of mine. Pickles? Sure, we get along. But in the end, I went with my old favorite, a big ol' stack of mouthwatering roast beef - all alone and in its glory!

I couldn't NOT "do my thang". I crave that roast beef with a strip of Arby's sauce...a strip of Horsey sauce...and a strip of Three Pepper Sauce (which since it's introduction has earned its place right alongside those other two sauces I can't choose between)! All I can say is that the addition of the King's Hawaiian bun was the icing on the cake. I'm glad I went early in the lunch hour, because I think I was making loud happy noises with each bite. I just kinda needed to be alone with my King's Hawaiian Roast Beef Sandwich.

Speaking of Hawaii... Do you want to surf in paradise? (Yes, that is a totally rhetorical question.) Arby's is hosting a Hawaiian Getaway sweepstakes, and you could win a royally delicious trip for two to Hawaii!

Round-trip air transportation for winner and guest
Four nights hotel accommodations at The Hilton Hawaiian Village
Fresh Flower Lei greeting upon arrival to Honolulu Airport
Premium group lesson for winner and guest at Hawaiian Fire Surf School
Choice of either a Luau for two at the Hilton Hawaiian Village or a Catamaran Cruise
Car rental for your entire stay
$500.00 American Express Gift Card

To enter, simply go to the Arby’s Hawaiian Getaway Sweepstakes page and fill out the short form anytime from April 29 - May 26. Good Luck! (But not too good...because, you know...I want to win.)