Tempeh Mole- MoFo Post Eight

Post #8 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Like most people, my first introduction to Latin cuisine was Mexican food. I grew up in a small city in Pennsylvania where most everything was Italian, Seafood, and bars. Sprinkle in some limited Greek menus and take out Chinese and there you had culture. That seemed to be the extent of the cultural experience in good ole' Erie, PA. My parents were ecstatic when Chi-Chi's came to town. I was too! All you can eat chips with salsa, "fried" ice cream, and loaded burritos. As a kid, I remember proclaiming on many occasions that Mexican was my favorite type of food. 

Living in North Carolina with a diverse population, I am surrounded by Mexican restaurants and culture that extends beyond Greek and Chinese take out menus! Most of the Mexican places are not national chains like the Chi-Chi's of my childhood. Unfortunately for me, Mexican restaurants are not usually that vegan/gluten free friendly. If I had remembered any of my six years of Spanish from High School and College, I might be able to communicate and ask for something to suite my needs. Now, I stick to places that have advertised vegan and gluten free menus. One such place is Blue Corn Cafe'. They are proud supporters of meatless Mondays and carry Daiya vegan cheese on their menu and tempeh. 

My delicious Mole dinner!

While the restaurant states that it carries Latin cuisine, a lot of the dishes tend to be Mexican in nature. During my last visit, the manager told me that they had added a mole to the menu and that they could sub out the meat for tempeh.  The menu indicated that the sauce had peanut butter, pasilla, habanero peppers, chipotle peppers, cocoa powder, and more. I had attempted to make a mole sauce before, but had not tried it again as it did not live up to what I thought it would taste like. 

The Sauce at Blue Corn Cafe' lived up to what I expected a mole sauce to be. It was spicy, thick, rich, and creamy. I ate every last drop of sauce on the plate! They also serve a homemade chunky hot sauce that I sprinkled on top. My plate came with a large slice of sauteed tempeh, spanish rice, a salad with avocado, and soft corn tortillas. The meal was one of the best that I have had at Blue Corn! I usually order the spinach and vegan cheese enchilladas, the pumpkin and black bean stew, or the black bean tortas and was delighted that I took a chance and ordered something different.  

I am already looking forward to the next time I can enjoy the rich mole sauce!