Cooking With Rania: Sauteed Chicken With Mole Sauce & Italian Chicken With Tomatoes And Mushrooms

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This week, Rania Harris is in the Pittsburgh Today Live kitchen with two new chicken recipes you can try at home!

Mole Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup pureed plum tomatoes
• ¼ cup pureed chipotle in adobo
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground chile de arbol
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup crushed blue corn tortilla chips
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mango
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 1 ounce semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock, pureed tomatoes, chipotle, molasses, honey, maple syrup, ancho chile powder, New Mexico chile powder, cinnamon, allspice, chile de arbol and ground cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring the mole to a simmer and cook, about 5 minutes. Add the almonds, chips, mangoes and raisins. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mangoes are soft and the mixture is reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan over high heat. Add the chocolate and cook until reduced to a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Italian Skillet Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 4 large chicken cutlets (boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ¼-inch thin cutlets)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, more for later
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
• 14 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
• ½ cup white wine
• Juice of one half lemon – or to taste
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• Handful baby spinach

Directions:

1. Pat chicken cutlets dry. Season on both sides with ½ teaspoon dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Coat the chicken cutlets with the flour; dust off excess. Set aside briefly.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet with a lid. Brown the chicken cutlets on both sides. Transfer the chicken cutlets to a plate.
3. In the same skillet, add more olive oil if needed. Add the mushrooms and sauté briefly on medium-high (about 1 minute or so). Then add the tomatoes, garlic, the remaining ½ tablespoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and 2 teaspoons flour. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring regularly.
4. Add the white wine, cook briefly to reduce slightly; then add the lemon juice and chicken broth.
5. Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the chicken back in the skillet. Cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for another 8 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and its internal heat registers a minimum of 165 degrees.
6. Just before serving, stir in a handful of baby spinach and cook just to slightly wilt the spinach and keep the bright green color. Serve with cooked orzo topped with Parmesan cheese and chopped Italian parsley.

Serves: 4

In:
• Rania's Recipes