Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Easy Sticky Buns


This recipe is from Ina Garten and really is so easy. I omitted the pecans and raisins, pecans might not be so bad, but who really likes raisins in their sticky buns? gross. I don't use frozen puff pastry that often, but now I'm going to stock my freezer with it. Nate said they put dark chocolate in the middle of puff pastry and bake it and I can't get that idea out of my head. soo yummy.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Breakfast Club. 7:30 sharp(ish)

Dudes and Dudettes, 

Good news and bad news.  Good news is we are totally stoked for the club of like-minded individuals for food tonight.  Bad news is Arden is not as stoked as we are, she has the Croup.  We will either have her asleep in a quarantined section of our house, or at my parents house.  Anyway, you are all welcome to bring your kids, but I don't want to hear any complaining about not being warned if they get sick.

Sincerely,

Andy & Fergi

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Not the Best Molé Travis Roberts Has Ever Had

Below is the recipe for our Molé Poblano contribution for the Mexican fiesta at the SGCC first gathering, hosted so expertly by the Andersons. After a wonderful night at the Roberts, we hope to redeem ourselves a little with Breakfast, or to at least get Josh to soften his demands for our expulsion.

  • 2 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried anaheim chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried chipotle chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup whole almonds
  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 2 inch cinnamon stick, broken in pieces
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 serrano peppers, stemmed and seeded
  • can of good tomatoes, drained
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 to 4 lbs boneless chicken breast
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • Cooked white rice or warm tortillas, for serving

Directions

Tear the ancho, anaheim, and chipotle chiles into large pieces and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they change color a bit, about 2 minutes. Put them into a bowl with the raisins and cover them with hot water. Soak unti softened, about 30 minutes. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the almonds, seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, oregano, and thyme. Toast for 2 minutes, grind in a spice grinder, and add the powder to a blender. In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and serrano. Cook until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, then add to the blender. Add the chocolate and the soaked chiles and raisins to the blender along with some of the chile soaking liquid. Puree, adding more soaking liquid as needed, to make a smooth sauce.

Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet and brown the chicken on all sides; remove the browned chicken to a plate leaving the oil in the pan. Pour 2 cups of the mole sauce into the hot skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve over cooked white rice or with warm tortillas. Garnish with cilantro. Easily serves 8. Enjoy!