An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Cheli – Z – Magic
  • Travel
  • Goodwill Hunting
  • Kitchen Remodel
  • 10 Years
  • Monthly Archives: December 2019

    • Cranberry Apple Hand Pies

      Posted at 3:19 pm by NativeNM, on December 19, 2019

      I can’t believe it’s mid December already with the holidays just around the corner.  As the days pass by,  I don’t want to be planning my holiday meal at the last minute so I decided to make some mini hand pies now.  They can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until you need them.  Also, you can thaw just the number of pies needed and save the rest for later.  I found a new pie crust recipe to try that includes a secret ingredient . . . vodka.  I was a bit hesitant but found it to be one of the best pie crusts I’ve ever made.  The dough was easy to work with and also baked light and flaky.  It tasted so good with a cranberry apple filling that is perfect for the holiday season.

      Continue reading →

      Share this:

      • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
      • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
      • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
      • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
      • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
      • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
      • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
      Like Loading...
      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 10 Comments | Tagged Cook's Illustrated's Foolproof Pie Dough Recipe, Cranberry Apple Hand Pies, Mini Pies with Cranberries and Apples, Vodka Pie Crust
    • Chile en Nogada

      Posted at 3:56 pm by NativeNM, on December 6, 2019

      Do you ever feel nostalgic around the holidays?   It can bring back memories of your favorite times with friends and family, at least that happens to me.  Recently I came across a folder with my old takeout menu’s that I saved from our favorite restaurants in Kansas City.  One of our favorite restaurants was Frida’s, decorated in the art of Frida Kahlo, serving authentic Mexican food that was different than anything we ever tasted in New Mexico.  Oh, how we loved that place!  Frida’s was popular for a time but ultimately closed it’s doors in the summer of 2016.  However, I saved their menu which described their dishes in great detail.  I re-created their Caldo Tlapeno a few years ago which is one of my favorite soups to date.  Joe’s favorite dish was the Chile en Nogada.  Translation . . . it’s poblano chiles stuffed with meat, fruits and spices topped with a cream sauce and pomegranate seeds called nogada.  It’s a beautiful dish with the aroma and colors of the holidays.  With pomegranates in season I thought it was time to re-create this dish at home. Surprisingly it was very easy to make and captured the taste and appearance we remembered so fondly.
      Continue reading →

      Share this:

      • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
      • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
      • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
      • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
      • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
      • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
      • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
      Like Loading...
      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green, Side Dishes | 6 Comments | Tagged Apples, Chile en Nogada, Cranberries, Ground Pork, Mexican Poblano Chiles stuffed with Meat, Nogada aka White Cream Sauce, Nogada Sauce, Pine Nuts, Pomegranate Seeds, Spices and Fruit
    • Roasted Red Chile Alfredo with Chicken

      Posted at 2:09 pm by NativeNM, on December 3, 2019

      Green chile is a staple here in NM with the harvest beginning in early August.  Around mid September until the first frost, the chiles that are left on the plant will begin to mature and turn the most magnificent color of red.  You might think they are used mainly to string chile ristras that will be dried and eventually ground into chile powder.  This is true, however some of the local farms will pick the red chiles at their peak and roast them just like green chiles.  They tend to have a hint of sweetness but can also taste hotter than the green chiles.  As they mature their outer skin becomes thicker which can make them easier to peel or harder depending on who roasts it.  I’ve had some bad experiences over the years and it’s worth it to find out who is roasting your chile and how much experience they have.  I haven’t had much luck finding recipes using roasted red chiles, however I always wanted to try it with a creamy pasta.  Actually it tasted better than I could have imagined.  The sweet heat from the chiles compliment the creamy cheese sauce which clings to every strand of pasta.  This has become one of our new comfort foods that we can’t get enough of, at least until the chile runs out . . .
      Continue reading →

      Share this:

      • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
      • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
      • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
      • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
      • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
      • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
      • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
      Like Loading...
      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green | 9 Comments | Tagged Alfredo Sauce, New Mexico Roasted Red Chile, NM Red Chile, Roasted Red Chile, Roasted Red Chile Alfredo, Roasted Red Chile Alfredo with Chicken, Southwest Alfredo with Chicken, Spicy Alfredo Sauce
    • December 2019
      S M T W T F S
      1234567
      891011121314
      15161718192021
      22232425262728
      293031  
      « Oct   Jan »
    • Previous Posts

    • Recipe Categories

    • Search

    • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    • Follow me on:

      • Pinterest
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
    • Things I Like

      • Penzey’s Spices
      • Tasteful Olive
      • New Mexico Photographs by Bill Tondreau
      • A Melancholy Moose
      • A Melancholy Moose on Etsy
      • The Woks of Life
      • Proud Italian Cook
      • Muy Bueno
      • La Bella Vita Cucina
      • Back Road Journal
      • Memories of My Mother
      • Hatch Green Chile
    • An Inspired Cook

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • An Inspired Cook
    • Join 390 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • An Inspired Cook
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d