Pumpkin Seed “Mole”

Makes about 1 quart mole

Ingredients

• 1 ancho chili, stemmed and seeded
• 1 tablespoon mild paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• `1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as organic canola
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 mildly spicy chili, such as poblano, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 28 to 32 ounces whole canned tomatoes (preferably home-canned)

Directions

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and submerge the ancho in the hot water to soften. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the mole.

2. Combine the spices, oregano, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large, dry sauté pan over medium heat, tossing constantly to avoid burning the seeds, until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan over medium heat, sauté the onion and chili pepper, seasoned with salt and pepper, in the oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spice mixture and sauté for about a minute to release their essential oils. Add the tomatoes, toasted seeds, and rehydrated ancho to the pan (reserve the soaking liquid) and stir to combine. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes, adding the reserved ancho soaking liquid or water to the pan as necessary to keep it from sticking. (Using the soaking liquid will up the heat ante, so use water for a milder mole). Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

5. Puree in a blender, working in batches if necessary. Thin with more of the soaking liquid or water as necessary to reach the consistency of a thick tomato sauce. Use immediately, store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Excerpted from Eat It Up!: 150 Recipes to Use Every Bit and Enjoy Every Bite of the Food You Buy by Sherri Brooks Vinton. Copyright © 2016. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.