Chicken Mole

Chicken legs were on sale several weeks ago. I decided to use them in a series of recipes I was preparing for a group of frugal housewives. I was really pleased with the results. The first recipe takes us south of the border for a mild, but very pleasant chicken mole. The sauce(mole) uses a standard chili powder but any dried, ground chili may be substituted if you'd like more heat. To keep costs low, I've substituted cocoa powder for the dark chocolate typically used in this dish. This is really easy to do.

Chicken Mole

Ingredients:
8 chicken drumsticks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5-oz.) can tomatoe puree
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Garnish:
2 tablespoons toasted almond slices
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:
1) Remove and discard chicken skin. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dust with flour.
2) Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove to a platter.
3) Add onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cocoa, salt and pepper to pan. Stir to combine. Add water and cook until onion softens, about 5 minuutes.
4) Stir in tomatoes, tomato puree and chicken broth. Bring sauce to a boil. Add chicken, cover, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with almonds and chopped parsley. Yield: 4 servings.