Moonbeams, Zombies, Chocolate

Man! I don't know about your town/city/village/space station but in Winnipeg, Canada the winter blues have hit a new level of freakishness - I did a little people watching while I was stopped in traffic this afternoon and I swear they looked like Dawn of the Dead extras; SERIOUSLY! My girlfriend asked me, "Is the moon full?" like she was reading my mind ((which she seems to have an uncanny ability to do, btw!)) - sadly, no, the moon is waning and it's just this wimpy yellow finger nail clipping; no magical power to transform regular peeps into monsters. So the full moon/wild thang factor can't explain the local weirdo surge...

Savings, Schmavings!

I wasn't planning on taking any vacation time until the summer months, but man the travel bargains are beckoning, given my situation. Our flat-as-a-pancake city has been transformed by grubby mountains of ice, snow and road salt, piled 6-8 feet high along the streets, creating strange marble runs for the zombie drivers to blitz carelessly through ((hey, they're zombies, can't kill what's already dead!)). This dreary, eerie ((did I mention, frickin' freezin'?)) environment, combined with the gloom-and-doomer predictions that the world will end in 2012 ((Mayan Calendar hype)) has this Momma thinking, "Savings schmavings... I want outta here; let's go for broke with a side dish of sun and sand!"

Recipe for Escape
Even my usual food therapy tactics seem unappealing, particularly since the near-catastrophic, painfully recent Paula Dean Arnold Palmer cupcake baking session! One promising culinary diversion is the collection of gourmet pastas I received recently from work: exotic pumpkin spice, chipotle pepper and cocoa chili linguine are waiting in the cupboard for their moment in the kitchen limelight - oh thank heaven!

I have been scouring my recipe books and online sources inspiration -- looking for sauces to pair with these fantastically flavoured pastas. I want to enjoy the cocoa chili linguine with something savory; for a main course - don't want to serve those chocolaty noodles as a dessert with fruit and whipped cream ((ugh!)). So I am thinking of a variation on a Mole ((not the critter, the burrowing mole - mole-ay, as in latin-american savory goodness)). I am thinking the mole, freshened up with some zucchini and bell peppers and maybe a bit of mango, would be just the ticket to alleviate my current state. Suggestions? C'mon - I am surrounded by zombies in a desolate deep-freeze called Canada. Won't/can't you please throw me a life line?

Have it your way...here is my recipe for Coco-Mole Linguine. For the cocoa chili pasta, try ordering online from Nature's Farm:

http://www.naturesfarm.ca/index.html

Cocoa-Mole Linguine

Mole Ingredients:

1 tsp. toasted cumin seeds, cooled

1 tsp. crushed, dried oregano
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dried, crushed chilies to taste, or chipotle paste
2 medium onions, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic

3 medium zucchini cut into bite-size chunks

1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped

1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. sugar
Sea salt, to taste (approx. 1 tsp).
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1-14.5 ounce tin of diced plum tomatoes

1-1/4 cups water

1-15 ounce tin of rinsed pinto beans

Garnish:
1 ripe mango, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. dutch cocoa powder
Sour cream

Pasta:
Nature's Farm Cocoa Chili Linguine; or your favourite chocolate pasta.

METHOD:
Pulse toasted cumin seeds and chilies (or just cumin seeds, if using chipolte paste) in a coffee mill or small processor until finely ground. Mix together with cinnamon, oregano, salt and sugar in a small bowl.

Measure the olive oil into a heavy skillet and saute the onions until tender over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat slightly and add in the minced garlic, cooking until tender and taking care not to scorch it. Stir in the spice mixture, stirring constantly for 1 -2 minutes. Quickly add in the zucchini, kale and bell peppers; cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, zest, chocolate pieces, beans and water and bring mixture to a simmer - cover and stir occasionally, cooking an additional 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta to al dente. Serve the pasta topped with the mole and garnished with fresh mango, a small dollop of sour cream and a light sprinkle of cocoa. Enjoy xo!