Chicken Mole

One of the things I like most about Trader Joe's is their authentic sauces from around the world. Their red mole sauce (which is mole rojo in Spanish) is decadent and tastes like authentic Mexican mole. I have made mole from scratch and it is quite a production, so this product is a huge time saver.

I created a complete TJ's dinner using the mole sauce, chicken breasts, brown rice and green beans (their #1 selling product I'm told). Even my four-year-old like the chicken and he usually skips the protein unless it's vegetarian. Let me know how you like it. Here are the recipes:

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle TJ's red mole sauce
• 1 package TJ's boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4)
• 1 bag TJ's brown basmati or Jasmine rice (or buy the premade pouch of brown rice)
• 1 bag TJ's frozen French green beans
• 1 bag TJ's toasted sliced almonds (optional)
• good olive oil (my favorite is TJ's Extra Virgin California Estate Olive Oil)

Preparation:

1. Prepare brown rice on stove or rice cooker (see my November post on using rice cookers). Use 1 part rice to 2 parts water. This will take 45 minutes. Rice cookers can hold the cooked rice warm indefinitely (huge convenience).
   
2. When rice is done, prepare mole according to bottle directions. Heat in a medium saucepan with a lid that will fit sauce and chicken.
3. Cut chicken breasts into large chunks, maybe 5-6 pieces per breast.
4. Poach chicken in mole sauce by placing in saucepan, covering and keeping heat low so that there is only a tiny movement in the sauce. Do not boil or you will overcook the chicken and murder the sauce.
   
5. Cook green beans by putting in a saucepan with a cover and adding a few tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and use tongs to flip beans as they defrost to ensure more rapid and consistent cooking. These are delicate beans and they cook quickly once defrosted. Do not overcook or they will be tasteless, lose their color and shred. Remove a bean every minute or two and taste it so you can catch them at their best.
   
6. Cook until chicken is firm to the touch, about 7-10 minutes. When in doubt, take out a piece and cut into it to make sure it's done.
7. Drain beans, place in serving bowl and dress with almond slivers, olive oil, salt and pepper.
8. Serve chicken with sauce in a bowl; serve rice separately.

Que aprovechen! (Bon appetit in Spanish).