TGRWT #7: Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mole

This month's TGRWT event, hosted by Flavor Alchemy, is a challenge indeed. The rules are to pair carmelized cauliflower with cocoa! See the roundup here.

Roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. I always make it the same way: drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with freshly cracked black pepper and several generous scrapes of nutmeg, baked at 350*F until it looks like this. Then salt.




So instead of just snarfing the roasted cauliflower, I used it to make Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mole.



Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mole

1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I buy them in a bag this way in the baking aisle)
olive oil
1/4 cup roughly chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and ribs removed, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 pound chicken, poached and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups roasted cauliflower

1. Toast pecan pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat to toast. Do not scorch. Transfer toasted pecans to crock pot.


2. In the same skillet over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until just starting to become transparent. Add chopped garlic and saute until frangrant. Remove from heat and transfer to crock pot.


3. Add tomatoes, toasted pecans, onion, garlic, jalapenos, sesame seeds and chipotle peppers to the crock pot with the pecans, onion and garlic; puree with a hand blender (or you could do this in a regular blender in batches). Stir in cocoa, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and black pepper.


4. Add chicken broth and set crock pot on high. Stir in cooked chicken and roasted cauliflower. Cook for three hours. Serve hot over steamed brown rice.




The result? Good...


In all fairness, I've never tried mole before. I enjoyed the smoky combination of flavors and the gentle heat. I could absolutely see it as a sauce over shredded pork or chicken enchiladas.


But I don't think I'll add cauliflower next time. The fact is that I love roasted cauli all by itself. And the mole was good by itself. But together it took on a whole other personality--the perfectly roasted flavor of the cauliflower disappeared into the stew.


Don't get me wrong--I ate it. And liked it. I enjoy cauliflower in all forms, but the roasted nature of the vegetable was lost in this recipe.

TRGWT #6: Apples and Lavender

Since this is the first time I've ever participated in a foodblogging event, I thought I'd start small. But a simple recipe doesn't mean a bad one--no, sometimes simple is good. And this is one of those times.

The very talented and delightful Inge at Vanielje Kitchen is hosting TRGWT (These Really Go Well Together) #6, and selected apples and lavender as the required ingredients to, well, go together. It inspired me, so I had to go for it--especially since I bought a little bag of dried lavender blossoms only a month ago, and had been thinking about how to use it. Perfect.

I started with grandiose ideas--a tart? Crostada? Lavender-scented madelines sandwiching apple butter? But alas, I don't have much time these days... dear friends are getting married in less than two weeks, and I have gotten myself into the planning production, which I love doing. Add to that a weekly ladies meeting I've offered to host in my home every Tuesday, and I've become a busy little bee.

Which led me to simple.

What I've created is a lovely little dessert--one perfect apple, baked in foil with a drizzle of lavender-infused agave nectar and a breath of nutmeg, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, more nectar and a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with sliced almonds.

Before I give you the recipe, I must take time to explain that I am a diabetic. A foodie, a food-blogger and a lover of all things sweet and delicious, yes, I am a Type 2 Diabetic. So... here I've started a diet, and there are all these dishes to make, to try, to eat! This recipe was created with this in mind--hence the use of agave nectar, which is diabetic-safe. While I don't normally indulge in apples (I prefer to use berries or melon, since they are lower on the glycemic index), the fiber is a good thing, and, well, apples were in the rules. The ice cream I used is store-bought, no-sugar-added vanilla, and the whipped cream is made with sucralose. For those of you who do consume sugar, all of this can be made the very same way using regular ingredients--honey instead of agave nectar, and regular ice cream and whipped cream.

So let's get on with it, shall we?

This... drumroll, please... is the finished creation!

Hot, soft apple, with cold, melting ice cream, the fragrance of lavender and just a hint of nutmeg... divine, clearly a gift from God Himself.

The photo simply does not do it justice--and I am the last person to claim more than average skills as a point-and-shoot photographer. It is indeed a study in shades of white and ivory.

Baked Apple with Lavender-Infused Agave Nectar, Vanilla Ice Cream and Whipped Cream

Ingredients

For Lavender-Infused Agave Nectar
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms

For Baked Apple

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored & cut in half (I used a golden delicious)
2 tablespoons lavender-infused agave nectarfew scrapes nutmeg

Vanilla Ice Cream
Whipped Cream (any recipe you like)
Sliced Almonds

Directions

For Lavender-Infused Agave Nectar
In a small saucepan, warm nectar just until you see the first simmer bubble appear; remove from heat and add lavender. Steep 30 minutes, then strain through a wire-mesh sieve, discarding lavender.

For Baked Apple
Spray a square of aluminum foil with canola oil spray; place apple halves on the foil and drizzle each half with 1 tablespoon lavender-infused agave nectar. Scrape nutmeg over each half--just a wee bit for the barest fragrance. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven for 20 minutes.

While the apple is baking, prep one nice scoop of vanilla ice cream, so that it can be assembled quickly while hot.

To Assemble
Unwrap hot baked apple halves and carefully transfer to a dish. Quickly top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, more lavender-infused agave nectar, a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of sliced almonds.

One final note. I would recommend using alternative containers if you try this yourself. I detected an ever-so-slight metallic taste. It could have been from the small metal saucepan I used to warm the nectar, or from the foil used for apple-baking. Next time, I would heat the nectar in a glass measure in the microwave, and use a ramekin to bake the apple.

Perhaps this will inspire you to try this for yourself, a diabetic friend or relative, or anyone who might be watching their sugar intake. It's very satisfying—and no doubt the sugared-version would be as delicious or even more so!

Warm, lavender-infused agave nectar thanks to Inge for this fabulous idea for ingredients! To see all of the lovely dishes created for this event, visit the roundup part 1 and part 2.

Blessings,

Mrs.W