She Made/Ella Hace: Mole {Enchiladas}

This month, for She Made/Ella Hace it's all about Mole!  Ole!  Heather is cooking up a rich and delicious Mole Amarillo on her blog, Girlichef.   And I'll be serving up a hot plate of Enchiladas de Mole.

But before we get to the recipe, I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine.  She's been a friend of the family for as long as I can remember...Doña Maria.

Doña Maria is a brand of thick Mole paste made with chile peppers, peanuts, sesame seeds and cocoa.  (Just to name a few of the ingredients.)

This was the Mole that my grandparents always made when I was a little girl.  Of course, when I grew up and got married, I learned how to make Mole from scratch and my grandpa preferred my Mole Dulce to Doña Maria's.

But still, whenever I spot that little jar of Mole at the tiendita, I am reminded not only of my grandparents' collection of Doña Maria jars that they used as drinking glasses, but also of one of my childhood favorites that Pappy (my grandpa) used to make...Enchiladas de Mole.  

Enchiladas de Mole Doña Maria

Ingredients:

• 1 Kilo bone-in chicken breast
• 1/2 medium onion, halved
• 1 clove garlic
• Cilantro
• 1 jar Mole Doña Maria
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Queso Fresco, crumbled
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• Corn Tortillas
• Vegetable Oil (for frying)
• Sesame Seeds (optional) 

Directions:
Place the chicken in 3-quart stockpot with the garlic, cilantro and 1/2 of the medium onion. Fill the stockpot with enough water to cover the chicken; season with salt and pepper.  Cover stockpot and cook over medium heat until tender and cooked through.  (60 to 90 minutes).

 Shred the chicken and gather the rest of your ingredients.

To prepare the Mole sauce, empty the jar of Mole Doña Maria into a 2-quart saucepan.  Slowly stir in 4 cups of chicken broth.  (I used the same broth the chicken was cooked in.) 

Heat the sauce over medium heat, whisking occassionally to prevent lumps from forming.  Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Preheat the oven to 350F.  To make the enchiladas, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Fry the corn tortillas, one at a time, for about 30 seconds on each side.  *You want the tortillas to be soft and pliable.  (The reason for frying the tortillas, is so that they won't fall apart when rolling them, once they've been filled.)

Top each tortilla with a couple tablespoons each of shredded chicken and Queso Fresco.  Top with a little chopped onion.  Roll up the tortillas and place seam side down on a heat proof plate or baking dish.

Ladle the warm Mole sauce over the enchiladas.  Top with more crumbled Queso Fresco and Sesame seeds, if desired.  Bake at a 350F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.  Serve with Refried Beans and Mexican Rice.  Enjoy!!!