Mole Skillet Pie With Greens

How do you feel about chocolate for dinner?

I came across a blog post this week challenging readers to tackle a recipe that they ordinarily wouldn't try - perhaps one that seems to take too much time or ingredients that you don't regularly stock.  The idea is to try a new recipe once a week for the month of March.  Knowing that I would have plenty of time to get crafty in the kitchen this month, I decided I was up for the challenge.  

I turned to my favorite cookbook to hunt for a recipe.

I came across this recipe for a mole sauce that sounded intriguing.  The ingredient list, however, was quite lengthy and  included many spices that I didn't have in my cabinet.  I kept flipping the pages and soon found myself tempted by a Mole Skillet Pie with Greens that featured this sauce.  It sounded like a great vegan meal that had all of the qualities of typical American comfort food.  I was up for the challenge and soon found myself browsing the spice rack at Earth Fare to gather all of the necessary ingredients.

The mole has two components, a dry spice mix and a sauteed saucy component.  Here's the dry mix perfectly mixed thanks to my Vita-Mix.

Adding the spices to the saucy mix.

After combining the mix and pureeing it in the Vitamix, I returned it to the stove and added the special ingredient - DARK CHOCOLATE!

Preparing the Skillet Pie filling - a mix of greens (kale and spinach), carrots, black beans, and onion.

All of the veggies sauteed and combined with a cup of the mole sauce.

And finally, the addition of a hearty corn bread topping.  Time for the oven.

The finished product.  Is your mouth watering yet?  Doesn't this scream comfort food?!  I just finished enjoying a plate of this "Cooking Hard Stuff Challenge" recipe, and I declare it a success!  Great mix of flavors that would satisfy anyone, vegan or carnivore.

A close up of the plated recipe.  All together, it took about 1.5 hours from start to finish.  Fortunately, the mole recipe made about 3+ cups of sauce, so I was able to refrigerate some for use this week as a topping for the pie and while also freezing a container for later use.

So, are you up for taking on the challenge of cooking a tough recipe that you've frequently skipped over due to it's lengthy or challenging preparation?  Go for it!  See you next week for the next challenge meal.