Mole Chicken with Fragrant Brown Rice

Mole Sauce (recipes shared here) is a richly flavored sauce that I sort of adapted to my tastes, so it may not be authentic.

For this meal, simply thaw the boneless skinless chicken breasts, make slits 1-inch apart and stuff mole sauce in the slits, rub some mole sauce on, add some red wine vinegar and marinate for about 30 minutes. Grill or pan-cook till chicken is done. Optionally sautée some onion, serrano or jalapeño peppers, bell peppers and tomatoes and top the chicken when done.

Soak the brown Basmati rice for about 10 minutes, drain, add a tablespoon of oil, some salt, with enough water (I prefer 1:2 raw rice:water), dry spices (parsley, lemon pepper, mint, marjoram, basil) and cook in the rice cooker as usual. When done, fluff with fork.

A portion of lean protein, some fiber+carbs, and a serving of vegetable. This seems to be a sort of default meal combination most of the dinners, with D's protein coming from meat, and mine more from beans; and sometimes, me skipping the extra carbs at dinner times opting for another helping of the Asian cabbage salad or spicy whole okra which happens to be the vegetable side.

Spinach, Quinoa, Onion Sprouts, Beet and Carrot Salad

It seems like I've been making the usual staples and some of the simplest foods lately. The home-garden is just beginning to establish again. It has been a very wet Spring, too chilly and overcast, but, hopefully the plants will do all right this Summer and gift us with their bounty.

We just threw some onion seeds on the ground saved from last year and a beautiful bunch of onion sprouts have come up, which we've been topping salads with and layering in sandwiches.

I cooked the quinoa with some fresh mint leaves from the garden. The dressing is my favorite Agave Nectar + Sambal Oelek:

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar (more if preferred sweeter)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (less if preferred)
3 Tbsp Pomegranate red wine vinegar
8 Tbsp Olive oil (more or less)
salt to taste

Layer the spinach leaves, grated carrots and beets, quinoa, onion sprouts, cranberries, almonds or walnuts, drizzle some dressing and enjoy.

Spicy Sauteed Okra with Collard and Turnip Greens

Whole okra stuffed and pan-fried is one of my favorite ways of enjoying this unique vegetable. However, sautéed okra with spices is a wonderful side I make whenever I crave it.

Fresh okras are hard to come by here and even then it costs an arm and a leg (at least for my budget), but frozen whole okras are reasonable and cook faster as they are par-cooked before freezing.

This is a simple dish open to variations in spices and greens. I like greens a lot, be it collard or mustard, turnip or radish greens, spinach or kale, they all bring their own benefits. In this recipe I used collard and turnip greens. Serve warm with rice or Indian/Ethiopian flat breads, or enjoy as-is.

Ingredients
About 20 whole okras, thawed if using frozen ones
3 to 4 cups of favorite greens cut coarsely
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 or 3 medium tomatoes, diced
spices (adjust to taste):
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or any favorite chili paste
½ Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar or brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic and tomatoes, a pinch of salt and sauté till aromatic and onions turn translucent
2. Add the okra and greens, spices, some water, cover and simmer till veggies are cooked to your liking. I prefer the okra not too mushy
3. Taste and adjust flavors, garnish with cilantro if preferred