Things to Make - Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

This is one of my favorite easy weekday dinners, esp. on evenings when the kids have sport practices that take up most of the the daylight hours. The combo of chocolate, raisins, chile peppers, and tomatoes really creates something unique and almost sophisticated (wow, this is probably the first time i've ever used the word sophisticated on this blog, which says a lot about the last few years of my life).

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole (via Martha Stewart (of course)).

Ingredients:
* 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12)
* 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
* 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
* 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed (i buy these in large bags at a hispanic grocery store, you keep for a LONG time)
* 1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce
* 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
* 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving


1. Season chicken thighs with salt and place in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. In a blender, puree tomatoes, onion, ancho and chipotle chiles, almonds, raisins, chocolate, garlic, oil, cumin, and cinnamon until smooth.

2. Add tomato mixture to slow cooker, cover, and cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). Serve chicken and sauce topped with cilantro.