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.

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mole Sauce

Some leftover mashed potatoes and a handful of fresh spinach leaves came together for this filling. The sauce is based on my version of the Mole Sauce shared almost 4 years ago, but, just a bit different.

Ingredients
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup thick mashed potatoes
1 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves
1 or 2 Tbsp finely diced red onions or shallots (optional)
½ Tbsp Smart Balance Omega butter (optional)


for the Mole-ish sauce:
2 cup stewed diced tomatoes
½ cup full-bodied red wine* (or a favorite that you prefer to cook with)
1 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
½ medium onion diced finely
½ cup water (as needed)
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
½ tsp oregano powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste

*I use Gato Negro Shiraz for sauces as it is usually handy, but I also like to use Port (tawny) for cooking sometimes. The alcohol cooks off anyway, so, any good wine is fine.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
2. Chicken: Pound the chicken breasts flat and marinate them in red wine vinegar if preferred for about 10 or 15 minutes while assembling the rest of the ingredients
3. Filling: Combine the potatoes and spinach with some salt (and any additional herbs, seasoning if preferred) to make a thick mass for filling the chicken breasts
4. Prepare: Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with Aluminium foil, lay the chicken breasts flat, add just enough filling to be able to fold over, dot with butter, fold over the chicken breast and hold with a toothpick; dot with butter (or brush some on) on the outside
5. Bake: Cover with another piece of Al foil and bake in the 400°F oven for about 20-25 minutes or so till juices run clear and internal temperature is over 165°F; remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or so, remove from oven, let it rest a few minutes;  it is a bit tricky to check temperature when filling is in, but, as long as the thickest part of the chicken breast registers 170°F, I am satisfied; 
6. Sauce: Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a pan and cook till reduced to 2/3rds its initial volume; purée in a blender to desired smoothness, return to pan and continue cooking till sauce is reduced to the desired thickness. (I prefer the sauce not too runny)
7. Serve: Optionally, heat a teaspoon or so of oil in a pan and brown the chicken breasts on the outside before serving with the sauce