SUMMER!

My love for summer is strong.  My love for summer recipes and summer cooking methodology (aka grilling and summer sidedish-ing and summer dessert-ing) is equally strong.  I get very excited for summer.  In fact, this is what I look like right before the summer solstice.  Replace "C-O-L-L-E-G-E" with "S-U-M-M-E-R," and my awe and anticipation is pretty much indistinguishable from this:

Copyright: "Animal House" (all rights assumedly reserved)

I have a whole set of delightfully simple and delicious summer recipes just waiting to be turned into blog form.  I must give credit to my friends Stacey and Keith for most of the recipes to come.  Last summer, we spent pretty much every single weekend grilling at the beach.  It was so totally awesome.  Instead of summer, we called it "grummer," which is obviously a juxtaposition of grilling and summer. Anyway, get ready for an exciting set of old school and new school summer recipes...

recipes 42, 43, 44, 45: TRIFECTA THE THIRD- pork!

I over-promised and under-delivered on how quickly I would post the third and final trifecta in the trifecta of trifectas. But I think the wait was worth it because these pork recipes may very well be les pièces de résistance of this blog. Maybe that's just because I love pork. It's only one of many things [I think] I have in common with Anthony Bourdain, who definitely places on the Tiffany Top 10 Hero List. The first recipe, for a delightful dish called "rôti de porc au lait," is slightly adapted from Mr. Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Anthony-Bourdains-Les-Halles-Cookbook/dp/158234180X, which I actually purchased at Les Halles after eating there once: http://leshalles.net/brasserie/. My copy is signed by the hero and I love it. The second recipe for pork loin with fig and port sauce is slightly modified from Giada De Laurentiis: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-loin-with-fig-and-port-sauce-recipe/index.html. The third recipe for pulled pork with spicy slaw is slightly modified from Tyler Florence: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/oven-roasted-pulled-pork-sandwiches-recipe/index.html and http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/spicy-slaw-recipe/index.html. The pulled pork is Carolina-style with vinegar BBQ sauce, because that's my preferred BBQ sauce. YUM. The pulled pork and spicy slaw recipe segues nicely into all of the summer recipes I'm going to be posting starting NOW!


ROTI DE PORC AU LAIT
Ingredients:
-3 lb pork loin
-salt and pepper
-2 T olive oil and 1 T butter
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 carrot, chopped
-1 leek (white part only), chopped
-1 garlic clove, chopped
-1 T flour
-2 c whole milk
-some thyme or rosemary
-chopped parsley to taste
-3 bay leaves (to be removed after cooking is finished)


Instructions:
1) season the pork with salt and pepper
2) heat the oil in a Dutch oven and add the butter until it is melted
3) brown the pork on all sides for about 6-7 minutes total of cooking time
4) remove the pork and set aside
5) add the onion, garlic, carrot, and leek and saute for 10 minutes
6) add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes
7) add the thyme/rosemary, parsley, and bay leaves
8) add the milk, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes
9) add the pork, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about an hour, occasionally rotating the pork while cooking
10)  remove the pork and allow to rest for 15 minutes
11) bring the sauce to a boil, remove the bay leaves, and then puree the sauce with a hand blender
12) spoon the sauce over the pork and enjoy

ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH FIG AND PORT SAUCE
Ingredients:
Sauce
-2 1/2 c port
-1 1/4 c chicken broth
-6 oz dried mission figs, chopped
-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
-pinch of cinnamon
-1 T honey
-3 T unsalted butter pieces
-salt and pepper to taste


Pork
-2 T olive oil
-2 T chopped rosemary
-1 t salt
-1 1/2 t pepper
-1 can low sodium chicken broth
-3 lb pork loin 

Instructions:

1) combine first six sauce ingredients and boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half (about 30 minutes); discard the rosemary sprigs
2) transfer the sauce to a blender, puree until smooth, and season with salt and pepper

3) preheat the oven to 425 degrees
4) stir together the oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary
5) place the pork in a heavy roasting pan and spread the oil mix over the pork to coat it completely
6) roast the pork for about 45 minutes, turning once every 15 minutes
7) transfer the pork to a cutting board 

8) tent with foil (so that it stays warm)
9) stir the chicken broth into the roasting pan, scrape the bits from bottom, and stir over medium-high heat
10) bring the pan juices to a simmer and season with salt and pepper

This isn't necessarily the prettiest picture, but this is what the "au jus" should look like!

11) cut the pork into 1/4 inch slices, spoon on the au jus, and drizzle the warm fig sauce on top


PULLED PORK... (serves: an army)
Ingredients:
Dry Rub
-3 T paprika- I personally use spicy paprika that I purchased in Hungary when Amanda and I were on our Oktoberfest jaunt through Eastern Europe. This little sack of paprika is my most treasured spice and it looks like this:

-1 clove of minced garlic
-1 T brown sugar
-1 T dijon mustard
-3 T salt
-5-7 lb pork shoulder


Cider-Vinegar BBQ Sauce
-1 1/2 c cider viengar
-1 c mustard
-1/2 c ketchup
-1/3 c packed brown sugar
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 t salt
-1 t cayenne
-1/2 t black pepper


Instructions:

1) mix all of the dry rub ingredients and rub all over the pork
2) marinate the pork in the dry rub, covered in the refrigerator, preferably overnight
3) preheat the oven to 300 degrees
4) roast pork for about 6 hours, until it is falling apart easily or until it reaches 170 degrees at the thickest part (I hope it doesn't reduce my credibility as a chef to straight-forwardly admit that I don't own a cooking thermometer and I probably never will, so I use the former method to determine doneness... just being honest!)
5) when the pork is nearing roasting completion, start making the BBQ sauce by combining all sauce ingredients over medium high heat and then simmering for about 10 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves
6) remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter
7) allow the pork to rest for about 10 minutes and then take two forks and pull the meat to shreds (this part of the recipe is fun and satisfying!) 
8) put the pulled pork in a large bowl and mix with half of the BBQ sauce
9) this can be served as is with extra sauce on top OR as a pulled pork sandwich on a hamburger bun and topped with extra sauce and the spicy slaw below. If you go the "pulled pork sandwich" route, please also top with pickles. With love, Snooki.


...WITH SPICY SLAW 
Ingredients:
-14 ounce package of classic coleslaw mix (or, alternatively, you could shred your own head of cabbage and a couple of carrots, but really, why?)
-1 red onion, thinly sliced
-2 scallions, chopped
-1 red chili pepper, sliced
-1 1/2 c mayo (or to taste)
-1/4 c spicy mustard
-1 T cider vinegar
-the juice of a lemon
-pinch of sugar
-1/2 t celery seed
-several dashes of hot sauce, to taste
-salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1) combine all of the vegetables in one bowl
2) in another bowl, mix the mayo, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and sugar, stirring to incorporate all ingredients
3) pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix
4) season the coleslaw with celery seed, hot sauce, salt and pepper and then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving

recipes 38, 39, 40, and 41: TRIFECTA THE SECOND- calzones (plus Aunt Chickie's roasted red peppers)

I promised a trifecta of trifecta AGES ago but have yet to deliver... until now, when I am going to deliver both of the two remaining trifectas at once. I'm full of surprises! Making calzones from scratch harkens back to the college days. Remember Erin from the semester abroad in Sweden? Well, when we got back from Sweden, we focused our energy on making calzones from scratch (among other college activities... I don't want anybody to be under the impression that we spent all of our senior year in college whipping up homemade calzones because that would be a total misrepresentation). Anyway, one time we made them in my apartment and turned my storage trunk, which was covered in Dave Matthews Band stickers, into a dining room table. I think her recipe came from one of her Moosewood cookbooks, but I'm not entirely sure. I've linked to the Moosewood site before but here it is again: http://www.moosewoodcooks.com/. This restaurant was definitely popular in Ithaca, NY! The first calzone recipe is the Erin original and was enjoyed atop the Dave Matthews Band stickers. The next two are Tiffany-made-up-variations-on-the-theme-over-the-years-enjoyed-atop-actual-tables. The roasted red peppers come from my Great Aunt Chickie's recipe. Aunt Chickie is an amazing cook. You'll see more of her recipes for sure.

SPINACH CALZONES (serves 6, or at least 4 hungry college kids)
Ingredients:
-tomato sauce for dipping

Dough
-2 T honey
-3 t yeast
-2 c room temperature water
-3 t salt
-3 c flour

Filling
-1 lb baby spinach
-1 lb ricotta
-2 c shredded mozzarella
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1/2 white or yellow onion, diced
-2 T butter, plus extra butter for brushing the cooked calzones
-salt, pepper, dash of nutmeg

Instructions:
1) mix all of the dough ingredients and knead for 10-15 minutes
2) let the dough rise in a big bowl until it has doubled (approximately an hour)
3) preheat the oven to 450 degrees
4) saute the garlic and onion in the butter until the onions are softened but not browned
5) steam the spinach until it is reduced
6) mix together the garlic, onion, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella and stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg
7) divide the dough into 6 portions, flatten the 6 dough portions, divide the filling into 6 parts, and place the filling on one half of each of the dough portions, leaving room around the edges
8) fold the empty half of the dough onto the half of the dough with the topping, and sprinkle some water onto the edges to seal
9) prick holes into the calzones with a fork before baking (lest they explode)
10) bake the calzones on lightly oiled cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned
11) brush on some melted butter immediately after removing from the oven
12) serve with some good tomato sauce on the side

(Note: this picture actually depicts mini calzones. I made them half of the normal size once, because I made different varietals for a dinner party and wanted people to be able to sample more than one type. To make mini calzones, make 12 dough portions instead of 6, and definitely begin checking for doneness around 8 minutes, because they will cook faster).

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND SOPPRESSATA CALZONES
Ingredients:
-tomato sauce for dipping

Dough
-2 T honey
-3 t yeast
-2 c room temperature water
-3 t salt
-3 c flour

Filling
-1 stick of cured soppressata, cut into small chunks or slices
-1 lb ricotta
-2 c shredded mozzarella
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 c Aunt Chickie's roasted red peppers (see below), chunked
-a little bit of olive oil
-melted butter for brushing the cooked calzones
-salt and pepper

Instructions:
1) mix all of the dough ingredients and knead for 10-15 minutes
2) let the dough rise in a big bowl until it has doubled (approximately an hour)
3) preheat the oven to 450 degrees
4) heat up the olive oil, saute the garlic, and add the roasted red peppers and soppressata just until it is heated through
5) mix together the garlic, red peppers, soppressata, ricotta, and mozzarella and stir in the salt and pepper
6) divide the dough into 6 portions, flatten the 6 dough portions, divide the filling into 6 parts, and place the filling on one half of each of the dough portions, leaving room around the edges
7) fold the empty half of the dough onto the half of the dough with the topping, and sprinkle some water onto the edges to seal
8) prick holes into the calzones with a fork before baking (lest they explode)
9) bake the calzones on lightly oiled cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned
10) brush on some melted butter immediately after removing from the oven
11) serve with some good tomato sauce on the side

AUNT CHICKIE'S ROASTED RED PEPPERS
Ingredients:
-6 large red bell peppers
-lots of minced garlic cloves
-salt, pepper, and basil
-enough olive oil to coat the peppers
-a small can of sliced olives

Instructions:
1) preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2) core the peppers by removing the seeds and stems but leave the pepper whole otherwise
3) layer a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray
4) cook the peppers in the oven until the skins are blackened
5) remove the peppers from the oven and place them into a brown bag (I am unsure of the science behind the brown bag phenomenon, but that's how Aunt Chickie does it and so that's how I'm telling you to do it) until they cool down, approximately 20-30 minutes
6) peels the peppers from their skins, discard the skins, and rip or slice the peppers into strips
7) mix together: the peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, olives, and just enough olive oil to coat
8) store in the refrigerator in a closed container for up to one week

ROSEMARY, FIG, PROSCIUTTO, AND GORGONZOLA CALZONES
Ingredients:
Dough
-2 T honey
-3 t yeast
-2 c room temperature water
-3 t salt
-3 c flour
-approximately 1 T chopped fresh rosemary, mixed into the dough

Filling
-6 oz dried mission figs, halved
-1 lb ricotta
-1 c shredded mozzarella
-1/2 c - 1 c crumbled gorgonzola (depending on how much you like gorgonzola)
-a little bit of olive oil
-1/4 c port mixed with 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
-4 oz prosciutto, cut into small pieces
-melted butter for brushing the cooked calzones
-salt, pepper, and extra fresh rosemary

Instructions:
1) mix all of the dough ingredients (including the rosemary) and knead for 10-15 minutes
2) let the dough rise in a big bowl until it has doubled (approximately an hour)
3) preheat the oven to 450 degrees
4) heat up the olive oil, saute the prosciutto and figs, and add the port/balsamic mixture; reduce over medium high heat until the figs/prosciutto look sticky
5) mix together the fig/prosciutto mixture, ricotta, mozzarella, and gorgonzola, and stir in the salt, pepper, and rosemary
6) divide the dough into 6 portions, flatten the 6 dough portions, divide the filling into 6 parts, and place the filling on one half of each of the dough portions, leaving room around the edges
7) fold the empty half of the dough onto the half of the dough with the topping, and sprinkle some water onto the edges to seal
8) prick holes into the calzones with a fork before baking (lest they explode)
9) bake the calzones on lightly oiled cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned
10) brush on some melted butter immediately after removing from the oven
11) do NOT serve with tomato sauce... I tried this once and it is gross! These can be eaten plain or you can also reduce some port/balsamic vinegar and mix in a little bit of gorgonzola and drizzle on top.

recipe 37: birthday beignets!

So I made peach beignets from scratch for Tristan's birthday breakfast yesterday. They were really, really good. If you can get over the absurd amount of vegetable oil that this recipe requires, it will be worth your while! This recipe comes to you simplified (because it was his birthday, we had places to go such as here: http://eatalyny.com/how-to-eataly, here: http://commercerestaurant.com/, and here: http://www.trumphotelcollection.com/soho/, and steps needed to be eliminated from the breakfast portion of the day) from this recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/peach-beignets-recipe/index.html.

BIRTHDAY BEIGNETS (hmmm, I think this serves more than 2 because there was definitely leftover batter, which I froze)

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 c flour
-3/4 c fruity white wine
-2 eggs
-1 T vegetable oil, plus a TON more vegetable oil for frying
-pinch of salt
-about 15-20 frozen peach slices, thawed slightly but not completely
-2 T sugar
-confectioners' sugar
-creme fraiche

Instructions:
1) whisk together the flour, wine, eggs, 1 T vegetable oil, and salt
2) set aside the batter for 15-20 minutes and heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep pot until it sizzles (really sizzles) when water is sprinkled in
3) stir in the 2 T of sugar to the batter
4) spear the peach slices, one by one, on a fork, drench in batter, and gently drop into the oil
5) fry until golden brown, flipping once during cooking (note: do this in batches so that the pot is not overcrowded)
6) drain on paper towels, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve with some creme fraiche on the side. DELISH, I promise!

My absence continues to be explained by:

In random order: Bermuda! Vegas! Maine! Queens! A major project! And when I say major, I mean major!

Here is what meals have been looking like:

Ingredients:
-family sized bag of Combos (not pictured due to quick consumption and 14 trillion intervening events)
-10 baby carrots
-Welch's fruit snacks
-white grape juice mixed with pomegranate seltzer (1 part juice, 2 parts seltzer, that's my jam)

Instructions:
1) stop at Wawa
2) buy a family sized bag of Combos for self
3) eat 85% of family sized bag of Combos solo
4) be asked by an individual not quite an adult: "So, how's your day?"
5) reply: "It's been long. And... I've eaten way too many Combos."
6) be asked: "Did you know there's an iphone app that makes your words into songs?"
7) reply: "Nope."
8) be told: "Oh. Well there is! And what you just said is now a song."
9) hear back: "It's been long-long-long-ong-ong-ong. And-nd-nd-nd I've eaten http://free-loops.com/7863-techno-beat.html too many too many too many unst-unst-unst-unst Combos."
10) involve self in 14 trillion minus 1 = 1.4 × 10¹³ more events
11) park car
12) text Tristan above recipe and request that it is close to the door
13) and... goodnight

I'll be back on the flip side of my project, fear not.

My absence is best explained by:

a) wedding guest season has commenced
b) there is no b

Official tally: I have been to 37 post-college weddings of non-relatives. This does not include the 2 weddings that I legit crashed (one in Rochester and one in South Carolina). It also does not include all of the weddings of relatives and pre-college weddings of family friends. From May to October for the past decade or so, I moonlight and weekend-light as a wedding guest. It is totally ridiculous. It is safe to say that I have spent almost as much money on weddings as I have on law school, and I would guesstimate that only maybe a little more than two-thirds-ish of my friends are married at this point. So that's where I've been. Kicking off wedding season, not trying new recipes, and eating frozen food and leftovers.

recipes 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36: cinco Cinco de Mayo delights!

Happy early Cinco de Mayo! Last year on Cinco de Mayo, in a crazy twist of events, I ended up dining here in White Plains: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=UTF-8&gfns=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=mexican+restaurants+white+plains&fb=1&gl=us&hq=mexican+restaurants&hnear=0x89c29422e2a335d9:0x541404101a5bfc6c,White+Plains,+NY&cid=13678484839254701877. This place gets a gold star. It was recommended by a trusted source (oh, how I wish I could elaborate more because... how and why I ended up there is a really good story, but alas, I cannot) and is so hole-in-the-wall that it doesn't even have a website. It was a great Cinco de Mayo. It was a fiesta! There was a lot to celebrate! This year on Cinco de Mayo, I will be in Maine, which is just as much a hub of Cinco de Mayo revelry as Veracruz in White Plains. Does my blogcasm translate? In any event, here are cinco of my Cinco de Mayo recipes. To be honest, I only have cinco Cinco de Mayo recipes total and all of them are here. Okay, to be totally honest, as I type right now, I only have cuatro Cinco de Mayo recipes (and to totally wear my honesty on my sleeve, I thought cuatro was spelled "quattro" until 18 seconds ago). I am taking a gamble on the fifth one, because I am cooking it right now for the first time, and hoping it makes the blog cut by the time I get to the end of this post... I mean, who posts cuatro Cinco de Mayo recipes? Losers, that's who. And who thinks cuatro is spelled "quattro"? People who won Honorable Mentions for French Enthusiasm in high school, that's who. Fingers crossed on the fifth one! The first recipe is my guacamole. I made it up. It is yum. The second recipe is also made up and very simple. The third recipe is from the high school classmate who had the blog that no longer exists, as is the fourth one. Wow, I've definitely gotten a lot of keeper recipes from her and I wish she still had her blog! The fifth recipe is the dark horse wild card, and if it makes it into this post, I will cite the source later. It smells good. I am optimistic even though Tristan is moaning about doing most of the work on the recipe because I am so busy typing away. (Tristan does not like that sentence. He says it makes him look like a jerk when he is "in fact the hero of this story"). Anyway.

GUACAMOLE (serves 4)
Mash together:
-2 ripe avocados
-a handful of grape tomatoes, halved
-half a package of guacamole seasoning (this can usually be found in the produce section of the grocery store)
-fresh squeezed lime juice (maybe half a lime-ish?)
-one minced garlic clove
-chopped fresh cilantro to taste

ROASTED CORN AND ASIAGO QUESADILLAS WITH CILANTRO GRILLED PINEAPPLE SALAD (serves 4)
Ingredients:
-4 large tortillas
-1-2 cups corn, depending on the extent to which you heart corn (Trader Joe's sells frozen "roasted corn" and it is perfect for this; note: I fall on the far end of the hearting corn extreme, this is a lot of corn)
-8 slices asiago cheese
-cooking spray
-4 pineapple rings
-about 1 T honey
-about 1 T olive oil
-about 1 T balsamic vinegar
-2 c fresh salad greens
-a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
-some sliced cucumbers

Instructions:
1) the night before: dethaw the frozen corn in the refrigerator and marinate the pineapple rings in a mixture of the honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some of the fresh cilantro
2) the next day: spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat
3) put a tortilla in the pan
4) add 2 slices of the cheese and 1/4 of the corn on one half of the tortilla
5) once the cheese melts, flip the other half of the tortilla over, and cook both sides of the quesadilla until crispy (repeat with the next three tortillas)
6) while the quesadilla is cooking, grill the marinated pineapple in a grill pan
7) toss the salad greens, some fresh cilantro, and cucumber
8) add the grilled pineapple with some leftover marinade as the dressing

CHICKEN TAMALE CASSEROLE (serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
-1 c shredded Mexican cheese
-1/3 c fat free milk
-1 egg
-1 t ground cumin
-1/8 t red pepper flakes
-1 (14 3/4 oz) can of creamed corn
-1 (8.5 oz) box of corn muffin mix
-4 oz canned green chili peppers, drained
-cooking spray
-10 oz red enchilada sauce
-2 c shredded, cooked rotisserie chicken
-1/2 c sour cream
-corn, black beans, chopped green onion for the top

Instructions:
1) preheat oven to 400 degrees
2) combine 1/4 c of the cheese and all ingredients through the chili peppers in a bowl
3) stir until moist
4) pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray
5) bake for 15 minutes, or until set
6) pierce the top liberally with a fork
7) top with enchilada sauce, chicken, black beans, corn, and scallions
8) sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 15 more minutes
9) remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, cut into squares and serve each square with a dollop of sour cream

TILAPIA TOSTADAS (serves 4)
Ingredients:
-1/2 c sour cream
-1/4 c green salsa
-cooking spray
-1 c yellow corn kernls
-1/4 c finely chopped red pepper
-1/4 c finely chopped red onion
-1 t minced jalapeño
- 3/4 t salt
-1 diced, peeled avocado
-2 t fresh lime juice
-1 1/2 lb tilapia fillets, cut into 2 inch pieces
-1/4 t black pepper
-1/3 c yellow cornmeal
-1 T olive oil, divided
-8 tortillas (6 inch size)
-1 c angel hair slaw

Instructions:
1) combine sour cream and salsa and set aside
2) heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray
3) add the corn, pepper, onion, jalapeño, and a pinch of salt to the pan
4) saute the mix for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
5) remove the mixture from the pan, wipe the pan clean, and stir the avocado and lime juice into the mixture
6) meanwhile... preheat the broiler
7) sprinkle the fish with the remaining salt and pepper
8) place the cornmeal in a large plastic ziploc bag, add the fish, and shake well to fully coat the fish
9) heat 1 1/2 t of oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add half of the fish to the pan
10) cook the fish for about 3 minutes on one side, flip and cook for 2 more minutes until the fish flakes
11) repeat with the remaining fish
12) coat both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and broil 2 minutes on each side until crisp
13) top the tortillas with fish, corn mix, and sour cream/salsa sauce

CHICKEN MOLE (adapted from the Sandwich King Jeff Mauro http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/chicken-mole-torta-recipe/index.html to accommodate a chef with an almond allergy, and coming to you courtesy of Tristan, who is undoubtedly going to take most of the credit for this creation and "all of the credit for the effort and execution")

Ingredients:
-2 T green chilis
-a swirl of sesame oil around a cast iron skillet
-1/2 onion, diced
-salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (this is sold in a can)
-3 T chocolate chips
-sprinkle cinnamon
-sprinkle of ground cloves
-1 T minced garlic
-3 c chicken stock
-14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes with their juices
-2 T sunflower seed butter
-1/4 c raisins
-2 T toasted sesame seeds
-2 or 3 bone-in chicken breasts
-sliced avocado
-brown rice
-re-fried beans
-lime wedges

Instructions:
1) heat the sesame oil in the cast iron skillet over medium heat
2) add the onions and some salt; saute until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes
3) add the green chilis and minced chipotle and cook for about 3 minutes
4) add the chocolate, cinnamon, cloves and garlic and cook until the chocolate melts
5) quickly (so the chocolate doesn't burn) add the chicken stock, tomatoes, sunflower seed butter, raisins and sesame seeds
6) simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently
7) blend the sauce in a blender until smooth; add about 1 T of the adobo sauce (or as much as desired to get the flavor to the desired degree of spiciness) from the leftover chipotles and blend for about another minute
8) add the mole back to the skillet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees
9) sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, place the chicken in the sauce, coat each piece with the sauce and simmer 15 minutes per side, stirring the sauce around so it does not burn (this part gets messy, so it works best to cover the skillet... Tristan learned this the hard way!)
10) move the skillet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes
11) shred the chicken off the bones and coat with sauce
12) serve with sliced avocado, brown rice, re-fried beans, and lime wedges...

...and a Feliz Cinco de Mayo indeed (to you, that is)! As for me, I'm about to get sent to Dumpsville- Population: Me. Poor thing didn't know he was whipping up mole from scratch this evening! But he did GREAT!