The first thing I want to say is that I never even heard of Mole Chicken until one of my best friends made it for me and my family several years ago. Her step mother is from Mexico and taught her how to make authentic Mole, but she told me that if you don't want to make the sauce from scratch, only buy the Dona Maria brand. I have tweaked the recipe a bit, maybe even each time I have made it. It's been about a year since I made Mole chicken. I have decided today is the day I try it in the crock-pot. I have never made it this way before, but I am a big fan of slow cooking and being a working mom, it saves me a lot of time I do not have.
The best way to make Mole chicken is from scratch with peanut butter, chocolate (Mexican if you can get a hold of some) and chili peppers, but for a quick dish, there are some pretty decent Mole sauces out there that you can purchase for under $3 at the grocery store. It is also best to use a whole chicken and boil it first and use the broth from boiling, but for this quickie, I am going to save some time by using boneless filets and canned broth.
Ingredients:
2 lbs of frozen chicken filets (about 8-10 pieces)
1 jar of Dona Maria Mole sauce
1/2 Chocolate Bar
1/2 cup of Peanut Butter
1 clove of garlic
1 can Chicken Broth
2 cups Shredded Lettuce
2 cups Shredded Colby/Jack Cheese
Sour Cream
Brown Rice
Tortillas
Tortilla Chips
I always put my meat on the bottom, other ingredients on top and sauce over everything when I slow cook. That being said, I will start with chicken. Since I work full-time, I don't usually think ahead enough to put my chicken in the fridge the day before I plan to cook it so that it thaws slowly. I did not plan on making Mole chicken until late last night, and didn't bother taking my chicken out of the freezer at that time. I also did not have time to put the chicken and ingredients in the crock-pot this morning before I went to work, because getting myself and children ready to leave the house takes all my time in the morning. Today, I will be putting my chicken in frozen when I go home for lunch.
First I will spray my crock-pot with olive oil cooking spray to prevent sticking to prevent the sauce from burning to sides of the pot. Next I will put in my chicken filets still frozen. I am going to use my food processor to chop up the garlic clove and chocolate and then will add the peanut butter, chicken broth and Mole sauce to the processor and blend all the ingredients into a gravy like sauce. I will pour this sauce over the chicken in the crock-pot and put the lid on and cook for 4-5 hours on high heat since I am doing this at lunch time and need it ready by 6 p.m.
To prepare for eating, dump contents of crock-pot in a casserole dish or bowl and shred chicken up with two forks. Wrap in warm tortillas and garnish with lettuce and cheese and sour cream as desired. Serve with rice and tortilla chips.
Healthy alternates:
Natural Almond or Peanut Butter
Fat Free Sour Cream
Brown Rice
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Dark Chocolate
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Quick fix breaded chicken strips
Okay, I made this the other day in about 30 minutes and my family loved it.
I needed to make something healthy that my children would eat and had not thawed out any meat or planned anything and this has now become a quick meal staple in my house. Hope you will try it too when you have no time for preperation!
Italian Breaded Chicken Fillets
2 lbs boneless chicken fillets
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 cups water
2 TBS Olive Oil
Bring four cups of water to a boil then remove from heat. Place frozen chicken fillets in water for 15 min. While chicken fillets are soaking, prepare oil in skillet and put on med-high heat to warm. Put bread crumbs on plate and use tongs to dip chicken on both sides and coat. Put chicken in hot oil in skillet and let brown and crisp on both sides turning occaisionally with tongs for about 15 to 20 minutes on med heat.
I prepared penne pasta with shredded Mexican style cheese as a side and steamed broccoli and the kids loved every bite! Whole meal took me 30-40 minutes.
I needed to make something healthy that my children would eat and had not thawed out any meat or planned anything and this has now become a quick meal staple in my house. Hope you will try it too when you have no time for preperation!
Italian Breaded Chicken Fillets
2 lbs boneless chicken fillets
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 cups water
2 TBS Olive Oil
Bring four cups of water to a boil then remove from heat. Place frozen chicken fillets in water for 15 min. While chicken fillets are soaking, prepare oil in skillet and put on med-high heat to warm. Put bread crumbs on plate and use tongs to dip chicken on both sides and coat. Put chicken in hot oil in skillet and let brown and crisp on both sides turning occaisionally with tongs for about 15 to 20 minutes on med heat.
I prepared penne pasta with shredded Mexican style cheese as a side and steamed broccoli and the kids loved every bite! Whole meal took me 30-40 minutes.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
TVP Meatballs
I made these twice during our Daniel Fast and my teenage son made them himself once because he loved them so much and was trying to stick to a vegan diet for his foods class. These taste interestingly a lot like meat, but you almost need a sauce to make them really pass for a meatball. They are good for snacking without the sauce, but if you put them in marinara or even BBQ sauce, they are delicious!
2 cups dry textured soy protein granules
1 3/4 cups veggie broth (or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in water)
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
oil, for frying
Directions:
1. Reconstitute textured soy protein granules by placing them in a microwave safe bowl, pouring the broth over the granules, covering tightly with plastic wrap and placing them in the microwave for 5-6 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour boiling broth over the dry granules, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a skillet, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat mix in the flour, Tamari and all of the spices. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
3. With your hands, form balls about 1 1/2" in diameter. Use a lot of pressure when forming your balls, tee-hee, you don’t want them to fall apart. Lightly fry them in a small amount of oil, rolling them around in the pan to brown on all sides.
Source of recipe: This recipe was submitted by Joni Marie Newman, author of Cozy Inside, published by the Newman Press. See http://www.cozyinside.com for more recipes.
Serves: 20 balls, Preparation time: 20 min
'
2 cups dry textured soy protein granules
1 3/4 cups veggie broth (or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in water)
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
oil, for frying
Directions:
1. Reconstitute textured soy protein granules by placing them in a microwave safe bowl, pouring the broth over the granules, covering tightly with plastic wrap and placing them in the microwave for 5-6 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour boiling broth over the dry granules, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a skillet, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat mix in the flour, Tamari and all of the spices. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
3. With your hands, form balls about 1 1/2" in diameter. Use a lot of pressure when forming your balls, tee-hee, you don’t want them to fall apart. Lightly fry them in a small amount of oil, rolling them around in the pan to brown on all sides.
Source of recipe: This recipe was submitted by Joni Marie Newman, author of Cozy Inside, published by the Newman Press. See http://www.cozyinside.com for more recipes.
Serves: 20 balls, Preparation time: 20 min
'
Tempeh Breakfast Hash
This recipe is amazing. My kids actually really loved this and request it often. My 18-year old son actually made this one on his own too because he loved it so much. Keep in mind, this does not taste like traditional corned beef hash, but it is yummy!
16 ounces tempeh, crumbled
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup kale, chopped or shredded
2 cups potato, shredded (I use frozen hash browns)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except paprika into a bowl and stir until everything is well coated in oil. You can add water or more oil as needed.
3. Lay out on cookie sheet or shallow, wide dish (for crispiness). If the dish is too deep, the top will brown and the rest will simply cook.
2. Dust with paprika and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until browned.
Enjoy!
Serves: 4, Preparation time: 15 minutes
16 ounces tempeh, crumbled
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup kale, chopped or shredded
2 cups potato, shredded (I use frozen hash browns)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except paprika into a bowl and stir until everything is well coated in oil. You can add water or more oil as needed.
3. Lay out on cookie sheet or shallow, wide dish (for crispiness). If the dish is too deep, the top will brown and the rest will simply cook.
2. Dust with paprika and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until browned.
Enjoy!
Serves: 4, Preparation time: 15 minutes
Southwest Sweet Potato Chickpea Delight
When we did the Daniel Fast, this was our favorite recipe. It sounds like a very odd combination of flavors, but believe me, it works! I even took this to a church potluck and my casserole dish came home empty. Enjoy!
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (I use Mrs. Renfro's Roasted Salsa)
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups yellow corn tortilla chips, crushed
1 medium white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup vegan cheese, grated (I use Follow Your Heart brand Monterey Jack), divided
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
cilantro, chopped, optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients, but reserve a small handful of the vegan cheese.
2. Spread into a shallow casserole dish. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes.
3. Remove foil, stir, and top with remaining vegan cheese. Bake another 20 minutes or so, until the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. (Watch carefully, as the top will get crispy fairly quick, and you may need to stir occasionally to prevent burning.)
4. If desired, sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro right before serving.
Serves: 3-4, Preparation time: 1/2 Hour
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (I use Mrs. Renfro's Roasted Salsa)
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups yellow corn tortilla chips, crushed
1 medium white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup vegan cheese, grated (I use Follow Your Heart brand Monterey Jack), divided
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
cilantro, chopped, optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients, but reserve a small handful of the vegan cheese.
2. Spread into a shallow casserole dish. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes.
3. Remove foil, stir, and top with remaining vegan cheese. Bake another 20 minutes or so, until the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. (Watch carefully, as the top will get crispy fairly quick, and you may need to stir occasionally to prevent burning.)
4. If desired, sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro right before serving.
Serves: 3-4, Preparation time: 1/2 Hour
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Black Bean and Brown Rice Burritos
This recipe was one of our favorite vegan dishes when we were trying the Daniel Fast diet. I could not use the store bought tortillas due to the preservatives, so I decided to try making my own with whole wheat flour and I am so glad I did because I have made them 3-4 more times since. Homemade tortillas are delicious and though they take more time, I think it's totally worth it. It also proved to be a fun thing for my youngest daughter who is three to help out with. If anyone would like the recipe to make wheat totillas on your own, post a comment and I will give you my recipe. As far as these Black Bean and Brown Rice Burritos go, my entire family gave them a big thumbs up!
Filling
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt, to taste
1-2 teaspoons basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pico De Gallo:
3 fresh plum tomatoes, diced
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (if you don't remove the seeds, the sauce will be very hot)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions. When rice is done, add beans, garlic, salt, basil, olive oil, and mix. Let spices blend in.
2. To make pico de gallo, add vegetables to bowl, and then add lemon juice and vinegar.
3. To serve, pour rice mixture down the center of a 12" tortilla, top with pico de gallo, and roll up.
Serves: 4
'
Filling
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt, to taste
1-2 teaspoons basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pico De Gallo:
3 fresh plum tomatoes, diced
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (if you don't remove the seeds, the sauce will be very hot)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions. When rice is done, add beans, garlic, salt, basil, olive oil, and mix. Let spices blend in.
2. To make pico de gallo, add vegetables to bowl, and then add lemon juice and vinegar.
3. To serve, pour rice mixture down the center of a 12" tortilla, top with pico de gallo, and roll up.
Serves: 4
'
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Avocado Spring Rolls Recipe & Review
I didn't actually make these, my husband Denny did the honors while I was working on another dish. The spring rolls were excellent tasting, but hard to make look pretty like those you would buy out. By the third time making them though (which speaks volumes if we made them three times) he had the rolling up part down and was really doing a good job making them look nice.
These would be a great side dish with any latin dish or a good snack. Even my children liked them, and they aren't always easy to please.
Avocado Spring Rolls
4 spring roll wrappers
2 large avocado, pitted and sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
dash hot sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1. In a bowl with warm water, place a spring roll wrapper. Leave it in the water for 15 seconds, or until the wrapper just becomes pliable. Remove wrapper and place on a plate.
2. In the center of the spring roll wrapper, place a fourth of the avocado. Add a fourth of the garlic and hot sauce. Wrap spring roll making sure to close ends. Repeat till avocados are all used.
3. Heat oil in pan. (I prefer grapeseed oil. It has a milder flavor than olive oil and is a bit more healthy.)
4. Fry avocado spring rolls till all sides are slightly brown and crispy. You can enjoy this with the dipping sauce of your choice. I prefer them plain.
Source of recipe: This recipe was inspired by the Avocado Egg Rolls at The Cheesecake Factory.
Makes: 4 rolls, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 5 minutes
These would be a great side dish with any latin dish or a good snack. Even my children liked them, and they aren't always easy to please.
Avocado Spring Rolls
4 spring roll wrappers
2 large avocado, pitted and sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
dash hot sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1. In a bowl with warm water, place a spring roll wrapper. Leave it in the water for 15 seconds, or until the wrapper just becomes pliable. Remove wrapper and place on a plate.
2. In the center of the spring roll wrapper, place a fourth of the avocado. Add a fourth of the garlic and hot sauce. Wrap spring roll making sure to close ends. Repeat till avocados are all used.
3. Heat oil in pan. (I prefer grapeseed oil. It has a milder flavor than olive oil and is a bit more healthy.)
4. Fry avocado spring rolls till all sides are slightly brown and crispy. You can enjoy this with the dipping sauce of your choice. I prefer them plain.
Source of recipe: This recipe was inspired by the Avocado Egg Rolls at The Cheesecake Factory.
Makes: 4 rolls, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 5 minutes
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