Skirt Steak with Mole and Cilantro

Over the weekend I posted a sneak peak to the coming week and several of you predicted that I was making fajitas.  You were close but not quite on point.  Earlier in the week I got my new issue of Bon Appetit in the mail and this recipe caught Obed’s attention.  I think it was the steak part, he is all about beef.   I was a little more intrigued by the mole.  I have never had mole and thought to myself this was a good time to give it a try.

There are endless different types of mole.  Mole basically means sauce or concoction.  It can be made of a combination of countless ingredients like peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes, nuts, fruits, onions, garlic, herbs, spices and even chocolate.  This mole has aromatics like red onion, some heat from the chipotle pepper and a ting of sweetness from the chocolate.   I am now a fan of mole!  Ole!  (Too much?)

Rub 3/4 teaspoon cumin on each side of steak. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear steaks on each side for 2 – 3 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness of your steak. Transfer steak to plate and tent with aluminum foil.

One thing that I recently learned is that it is best to turn the steak over from one side of the pan to the other, where it is hotter, instead of flipping it in the same spot.  It’s so simple it should be common sense.

Add chopped onions to pan and about 2 Tbs of steak juices, scrape up brown bits in pan, cook onions until tender and brown.

Add tomatoes, broth, chocolate, chipotles, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin to skillet.

Stir 2 minutes until chocolate is melted and all the ingredients are incorporated.

Add orange peel; season with salt to taste.  The key to good cooking is tasting as you go!

Puree in blender.  Make sure you put that lid on or your going to have mole in more places then your steak.

Top tortillas with slice steak. Drizzle with sauce; top with cilantro leaves.

I used one whole minced chipotle pepper and it was more than enough heat.  In fact I was sweating a bit by the time we were done with dinner, but I am a little bit of a pansy.  I recommend serving this on tortillas to cut into the heat a bit.  I also served it with my Mexican rice just to have a few more carbs with my beef.

This dish is really simple to pull together on a weeknight.  It will easily make it from stovetop to plate in 30 minutes or less.

Print Recipe

Skirt Steak Mole with Cilantro (adapted from Bon Appetit)

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs skirt steaks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped red onion
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo or chipotle hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• tortillas

Rub 3/4 teaspoon cumin on each side of steak. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear steaks on each side for 2 – 3 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness of your steak. Transfer steak to plate and tent with aluminum foil.   Add chopped onions to pan and about 2 Tbs of steak juices, scrape up brown bits in pan, cook onions until tender and brown.  Add tomatoes, broth, chocolate, chipotles, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin to skillet. Stir 2 minutes. Add orange peel; season with salt. Puree in blender.

Top tortillas with slice steak. Drizzle with sauce; top with cilantro leaves.

Chipotle Chicken n’ Rice

Last week it rained and rained, yesterday it poured.  We did however get a nice break from the rain over the weekend.  We actually went downtown to a Rock n’ Rib Fest with some friends and my floor was free of wet dog prints for 2 whole days.  Alas it did not last.  Yesterday it rained so much I thought I was going to be sweapt away driving through my neighborhood.   There were a few cars that stalled in the water.

While I was held up in my house last week , because of the rain and an unrelenting desire to be a slacker, I searched high and low for recipes that required minimal effort or attention.  This recipe from Everyday Food caught my attention.  It puts an interesting twist on a dish that I grew up on.  Arroz con Pollo or Chicken and Rice was a staple in my home.  It is a one pot, no though dish that my mother would put together after a long day.

I was more then pleased with the results.  It was a very comforting and filling dish and no problems with keeping you warm on a cool fall day because the heat from the chipotle chilis. The recipe called for water but I used chicken stock instead.  It was fantastic and the leftovers were just as good. The rice actually refrigerated well and did not become hard and brittle. 

Everyone loves a delicious one-pot meal on a weeknight.

Print Recipe

Chipotle Chicken n’ Rice  (adapted from Everyday Food)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total) I only did 3 because there are only 2 of us.
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced (if you are a pansy about heat cut it down to 1 chili)
• 2 large tomatoes, diced large
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Brown chicken in batches, do not crowd the chicken, about 6 minutes total; transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot.  You can add a bit of water to release browned bits, if needed.

Add garlic, cumin, and chiles; cook until garlic is soft and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook 25 minutes.

Remove chicken and stir in rice, making sure it is completely submerged in liquid. Place chicken over rice, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes more.

Serve with lime wedges and cilantro if desired.

Serves 4

Cal:669 / Fat:20.9 / Protein:70.7 / Fiber:2.2 / Carb:45.3

Nutrition Grade: B+

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Nutritional Information can not be guaranteed to be exact.  Nutritional information is obtained by using about.com recipe analyzer.

Southwest Eggrolls with Avocado Creme Dip

I would have had this post up earlier but Hubby and I decided to go for a ride on his bike.  It was a beautiful night and perfect to go for a ride.  I wish I could get a photo of us riding on the bike but it is hard to be in two places at the same time.

Well this evening I thought I would convert a previous recipe of Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean and Corn Salsa into some Southwest Eggrolls.  One of my favorite dishes from Chili’s is their Southwest Eggrolls.  I was craving these suckers but I didn’t want to go out.  I had some eggroll wrappers sitting in my refrigerator for forever now and I figured it was time to get some use out of them.

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Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean and Corn Salad

Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean Salad

1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 chipotle chiles, roughly chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (I had a puree of chipotle chilies and just did 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon honey
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped scallions (or red onion)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 ripe avocado, sliced thin (optional)
Lime wedges for serving

Light grill, or heat grill pan to medium. (I used my sweet cast iron pan that I won from Foodbuzz.com) Whisk lime juice, cilantro, oil, chiles and sauce, honey, garlic, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl.

Toss chicken with 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in separate large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate chicken in refrigerator while grill (or grill pan) continues to preheat.

Toss beans, scallions, red pepper, and avocado with 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill chicken over very hot fire (or in grill pan) until well-browned on both sides and cooked through, 8 to 13 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter and drizzle with remaining lime juice mixture. Serve immediately with black bean and avocado salad

 

This dish was a hit!  It was even better the next day because the chicken got to sit in the sauce…..Mmmmmmm good! I loved the way the flavors blended and the hint of smokey heat from the chipotle.