LemonVinaigrette

Mole Amarillo or Yellow Mole is one of the 7 traditional mole sauces from Oaxaca, Mexico.  Surprise! Not all moles have chocolate in them.  Mole comes in a variety of shades ranging from black to green to bright red to….well, obviously this sauce is more orange than yellow, but I am sticking with the original name. If this mole identifies with being yellow, then it is yellow.  Make the mole one day in advance and not only will it save you time the next day, it would have had time to further develop its flavors.  This sauce is mild, full-bodied, a little tangy and delicious with roasted veggies and dumplings.

Ingredients

For the mole sauce

• 4 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 yellow bell peppers
• 6 tomatillos
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 of a medium onion
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp raw sugar
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 chayotes
• 8 baby gold yukon potatoes
• 1 handful of fresh green beans

For the masa dumplings

• 3/4 cup masa harina
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp oil

Preparation

Step 1 – make the dumplings; in a bowl mix the masa harina, salt and water to make a soft dough add 1 tbsp oil and mix well with your hands; roll into balls the size of large cherries and make an indentation in the middle with your finger ( like a thumbprint cookie) place on a plate lightly brush tops with oil,cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Step 2 – remove stem and seeds from dried guajillos place them in hot boiling water to soften about 10 minutes; heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet; add chopped onion, bell pepper and cook until soft about 10 minutes; add chopped tomatillos, 3 garlic cloves, allspice, cumin, clove, sugar and cook an additional 7 minutes; transfer to a blender add 1 cup of vegetable broth plus the softened guajillos process until smooth; pour the sauce through a strainer into a large bowl use a spatula to push it through and set aside.

Step 3 – Roast the veggies; set oven to 400 degrees; slice potatoes in half, trim green beans, peel and slice chayote into quarters and place everything on a large baking sheet add 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper to taste; roast for 20 minutes, flip; roast an additional 15 minutes; set aside

Step 4- in a large pan heat 1 tbsp oil ,grate in 3 cloves of garlic, and saute until golden; pour in the sauce; add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally; add 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer; add roasted veggies and drop in the masa dumplings; cover and simmer for 10 minutes; uncover stir gently, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with rice, chopped cilantro and enjoy!

– Mia