Take a tally of the most readily available certified Fairtrade ingredients—chocolate, cocoa, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, nuts (the list goes on)—and you’ve got the foundation for hundreds of desserts. And while there are many certified Fairtrade ingredients that aren’t cakery staples (think avocado), it can be hard to find a Fairtrade-heavy dish that doesn’t lead to a toothache.
Enter mole: the sauce that eats like a dessert. But not really. Because mole has something that most desserts don’t have: a spicy kick in the mouth.
While traditional mole has been known to use anywhere from 30 to even 100 ingredients, this version of mole takes a few short cuts, relying on only 16 key ingredients.
For the mole
- 3 dried ancho chilies, ends removed and de-seeded
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) raisins
- 1 knob Fairtrade certified coconut oil
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) Fairtrade certified cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each oregano, cumin, anise
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) Fairtrade certified cloves, ground
- 1 – 14 oz (400 mL) can diced tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) Fairtrade certified cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) Fairtrade certified almond butter
- 1 corn tortilla, torn into strips
- 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock
- Salt to taste
For the enchiladas
- 4 large yams, diced
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) Fairtrade certified extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and Fairtrade certified pepper to taste
- 12 corn tortillas
Toppings
- Feta cheese
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Fairtrade certified avocado
- Pumpkin seeds
- Salsa
In separate bowls, soak chilies in 1 cup (250 mL) and raisins in 1/4 cup (60 mL) boiling water to rehydrate. In a medium saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly until onions begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add spices and stir for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes to deglaze pan; heat tomatoes through. Add cocoa powder and almond butter and stir to combine.
Add mole mixture to blender along with tortilla strips, chili peppers and 1/4 cup of their soaking liquid, and raisins and their soaking liquids. Blend until smooth. Return back to saucepan; add stock and season with salt. Bring to a low boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. With the lid on, simmer for about 20 minutes while sauce thickens and flavours marry.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F.
In large bowl, toss yams and garlic cloves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn; return back to oven and bake until yams are fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F. In large bowl, mash roasted yam and garlic together—a few chunks are okay. Set aside.
In two 9 x 13 inch pans, cover the bottoms with 1/2 cup (125 mL) each of mole sauce. Heat cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. One at a time, warm corn tortillas on each side until brown spots appear. Fill each with one-twelfth of the yam mixture and roll. Place seam-side down into pan, six to a pan. Cover enchiladas with another 1 cup (250 mL) each mole sauce. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven. Serve two enchiladas per person and let them add more mole sauce plus their choice of toppings.
Serves 6.
Author: Amy Wood | Amy is a freelance writer who writes for Fair Trade Magazine
“Yam Enchiladas with Easy Mole Sauce ” was originally published in the Winter/Spring 2015 Edition of Fair Trade Magazine