Pseudo- Chicken Mole

1-2lbs. chicken

15oz. tomato puree

1tsp. cumin

1/2tsp. coriander

1/2tsp. anise

3tbs. chili powder

cinnamon stick

dash of ground nutmeg

2tbs. cocoa powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

2tbs. nut/seed butter (peanut is traditional)

sea salt & black pepper to taste

I tried to get a good picture  of this dish.  Really, I did. But if there is one thing that does not look nearly as appetizing in 2-D as it tastes in real life, it's mole. And I really didn't want to risk putting you off this recipe.  Because ladies and gentlemen, although it isn't the traditional mole recipe, it is a darn good approximation and faaaar more simple to make: toss everything in a crock pot, turn it on low for 6 hours, and nom away.  Seriously.  If you have a craving for genuine Mexican chocolate-peanut sauce marinated chicken, this might just fool it into being satisfied.

A tortilla cover a host family knit for my
partner volunteer in Michoacan, Mexico.