Green Chili Pistachio Mole Sauce and Cilantro Lime Rice

I came back from Guanajuato hankering for more of the tasty food I had there. The Pistachio Mole from Las Mercedes was amazing so I found a post online and it turned out good. The rice was behind the mole recipe so I made both. The recipes are from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Comments are in red italics.

The Green Chili Pistachio Mole Sauce

1 cup shelled pistachios
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped or 1 1/2 cups canned tomatillos, drained
2 serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno peppers; halved, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 (1inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 whole cloves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 cups plus 1 cup water or chicken stock
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime

For the spices I googled the translation to powdered spices for cinnamon and cloves b/c its what I had on hand.

To prepare the Green chili pistachio mole sauce:

Toast the pistachios in a large, dry, deep skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove the pan and reserve.
add the love oil to the pan and saute the tomatillos, chilies, onion, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves over medium heat for 3 minutes, until they begin to brown.

Place the sauteed tomatillo mixture, cilantro, and browned pistachios in a blender with 3 cups water or stock and puree until smooth.

Take out cinnamon stick and 2 cloves before blending if you don't use the powdered versions.

Place the pureed mixture back into the skillet, and bring it to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook slowly for 30 minutes, gradually adding more water or stock until the medium-thick sauce is formed(it will coat a spoon). Season with the salt and lime juice. Source: The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

I made this in the AM and reheated and it worked well. Also made enough that there was plenty for drenching the rice too.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced ( 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste
2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups washed finely chopped baby spinach
3 scallions, finely chopped
Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Ad the rice, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lime juice, and salt, and reduce to medium heat. Stir gently, cover, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Leave the rice covered so the steam stays in, making the rice fluffy.
Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, spinach, scallions, and the salt. Combine thoroughly. Source: ( The Whole Foods Market Cookbook)

I made the recipe using my rice cooker but added in the lime juice at the end b/c the original post said that the lime got muted in the cooking.