Mole Sauce

Yeild: 2 qts

8 Each Ancho Chilis, Dried
4 Each Pasilla Chilis, Dried
8 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 Pound Roma Tomatoes
1/4 Pound Tomatillos, Whole, husked, rinsed, halved
1/2 Each Plantain, peeled, sliced, fried
2 Tablespoons Raisins
1/2 Cup White Onion, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Almonds, whole
1/4 Cup Unsalted Peanuts
1/4 Cup Pecans Halves
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted, raw, green
1 Each Cinnamon Stick
4 Whole Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Allspice Berries
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Each Corn Tortilla, fried
1 Slice French Bread, fried
2 Ounces Mexican Chocolate
2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Salt

1. Wipe chiles clean with damp cloth. In large skillet, toast in batches until slightly blistered and aromatic, about 10 seconds. Remove stems, veins and seeds.
2. Bring stock to boil; add chiles and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove chiles and continue to simmer stock over low heat.
3. In the skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil; fry tomatoes and tomatillos until mixture forms a past. Transfer to a bowl. and reserve.
4. Give the skillet a quick wash; saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add to stock with chiles, plantain and raisins; let cool.
5. In another skillet, toast almonds until aromatic. Add peanuts, pecans and pumpkin seeds; toast until light brown. Transfer to a bowl; reserve.
6. In the same skillet, toast cinnamon stick. Add cloves, allspice and cumin and toast 1 minute. Add to nut mixture; let cool.
7. In batches, blend stock, tortilla and bread in a blender. Add nut mixture and tomato-tomatillo paste; puree until smooth; adding more stock or water if necessary.
8. In a deep, heavy pot, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add blended mixture from the bowl; bring to a boil. Let liquid reduce 20 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Stir in chocolate until melted. The mole should have consistency of gravy. If it is too thick, add more water. Add sugar and salt to taste; simmer 20 minutes, cool. Mole keeps, refrigerated, for one week.

NOTE: Ingredients will soon be available on FoodieAffair.Com. This site is still under construction, but promises to be available very soon.

Bechamel Sauce

Yeild: 3 1/2 cups+

4 1/2 Tablespoons Butter
4 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
3 3/8 Cups Milk
Salt and White Pepper, to taste

1. Melt butter and stir in the flour.
2. Stir and cook without coloring until mixture becomes foamy.
3. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil, then turn fire down to a simmer.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove from the fire and dot top of sauce with a few pieces of butter to prevent a film from forming.

Ahh, Fabulous Pesto!

Here are three great pesto recipes. I'd love to hear from you folks out there with your own fabulous pesto recipes....

Basil Pesto
Yield: 1 cup

• 2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Large Garlic Cloves
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
  

1. Process fresh basil leaves and remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
2. Store pesto in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Dried Tomato-Basil Pesto
Yield: 1 cup

• 1/4 Cup Dried Tomatoes, in oil
• 3/4 Cup Basil Pesto (recipe above)

1. Drain tomatoes well, pressing between paper towels.
2. Process dried tomatoes in a food process 30 seconds or until coarsely chopped; add Basil Pesto, and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
3. Store pesto in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Central Market's Poblano-Cilantro Pesto
Yield: 1 3/4 cup

Central Market is headquartered in Austin, Texas. You can also find locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano, and San Antonio. This unique pesto is fabulous served in or as a topping for fajitas or quesadillas.

• 4 Each Poblano Peppers *
  
• 3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• 1/4 Cup Walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 3/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Large Garlic Cloves
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
  

1. Place peppers on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and broil 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes on each side or until blistered.
2. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel peppers; removed and discard seeds.
3. Process peppers and remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
4. Store pesto in refrigerator up to 1 week.

*RESOURCES: Available soon at FoodieAffair.com

Mole Tejano

Gathering and preparing the 12-24 ingredients for classic Mole Poblano can take hours and hours. This an extremely shortened method.

Yield: 2 cups

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/4 Each Onion, sliced
• 2 Each Tomatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 Each Ancho Chilis, Dried, stemmed and seeded *
  
• 1 Each Pasilla Chilis, Dried, stemmed and seeded *
  
• 1 Ounce Mexican Chocolate, broken up *
  
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds, toasted
• 1/4 Teaspoon Almonds, chopped
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• Salt, to taste

1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the tomatoes, ancho chile, pasilla chile, chocolate, sesame seeds, almonds, sugar, and chicken stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Pour into a bowl to check the texture. If the mole has any grittiness, return it to the blender and puree again. Use warm, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

* RESOURCE: Available soon on FoodieAffair.com
Prepared Mole Sauce is also available on FoodieAffair.com