Mole, as in chocolate

I'm trying to think about what I've been eating lately, mostly comfort type foods since the weather has gotten cooler. I created a profile on foodbuzz, which is a fun community, I feel like it's Facebook for Foodies. I've started following some great food blogs, it's amazing how many people take the time to make creative, fabulous looking food.

Last night I made Chicken Mole, which is one of the five ways that I make chicken. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a Mexican dish, with chocolate as a base, and a bunch of spices. There are several ingredients, again it's a combo of different recipes that I've tweaked to my liking. This is a great time of year for it, as it simmers away, the whole house smells like the Holiday season. I serve it over brown rice, with a side of something green, last night it was sauteed spinach, but I also like it with broccoli. You can get another meal of the leftovers by putting it in whole wheat tortillas, with a bit of sour cream and cheddar cheese. Ole!

Chicken Mole

one medium onion, chopped (I always use Vidalia's)

2 cloves garlic, minced

one bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I actually add a bit more, because I like it spicy)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon anise seed

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth (I like the organic kind with no sodium or MSG)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1.5 ounces of bittersweet, dark chocolate

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

olive oil

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

3 cups of cooked brown rice

In a large skillet, heat olive oil in a pan, and brown chicken, then set chicken aside.

In the same pan, cook the onions and garlic until soft (you may have to deglaze the pan with wine or stock before adding the onions).

Add the stock and sauce, as well as the bay leaf, pepper, cayenne, paprika, clove, cinnamon, anise, sugar, almonds, and sesame seeds.

If you like, transfer sauce to a blender and puree until a thick paste. This is the traditional method, I skip this step, because I like the consistency of the almonds and onions.

Return sauce to pan, add the chocolate and cocoa powder, along with chicken. Bring to a boil, and simmer on very low heat about 15 minutes.

Serve over rice and enjoy!