An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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  • Monthly Archives: August 2021

    • Dion’s Toasted Roast Beef Sub

      Posted at 11:15 am by NativeNM, on August 27, 2021

      Dion’s is a local restaurant chain that has been around as long as I can remember. They are famous for their pizza, especially the “505 Pepperoni and Green Chile” which is a family favorite. They also make salads and subs which are equally good. All of their subs are delicious but the one thing that stands out is the Greek dressing that comes on the side with most every sandwich. There’s just something about adding that dressing that makes their sandwiches so special. My favorite sub is the Roast Beef & Provolone. It comes on a crusty roll with melted cheese, roast beef, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, deli mustard and a pickle spear with a side of Greek dressing. Sounds simple but it tastes anything but. I found a copycat recipe online for Dion’s Greek dressing that tastes just like they serve at the restaurant. Once I had the dressing it was easy to recreate the rest of the sandwich. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always enjoy eating at Dion’s for their pizza, salads and subs but it’s satisfying to know that I can make a delicious sub at home that reminds me of Dion’s.

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      Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Condiments and Sauces, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Dion's Greek Dressing, Dion's Greek Dressing Copycat, Dion's Roast Beef and Provolone Sub, Dion's Toasted Roast Beef Sub
    • NM Inspired Pistachio Smoked Carnitas

      Posted at 10:03 am by NativeNM, on August 20, 2021

      I’ve only smoked meats a few times and while the outcome has always excelled my expectations, the method of using charcoal was difficult. Using charcoal to smoke is tiresome and difficult to regulate the temperature that you need to maintain over so many hours. After many month’s of debate with myself, I decided to get a pellet smoker. I did a lot of research and weighed the pros and cons before deciding on a Z-Grill. I’ve used it 3 times now and the meat has come out excellent, the cleanup has been fairly easy and has made the overall experience of smoking meats much more enjoyable. Recently my sister Kat gave me a bag of Gourmet Pistachio flavored pellets made here in New Mexico. I couldn’t wait to give it a try and thought smoked carnitas sounded so good using a pork butt roast with a red chile rub. I couldn’t have been more happy with the results. After 11 hours in the smoker, it reached the desired internal temperature of 203 degrees. I left it wrapped and set in a cooler to steam and rest for 2 additional hours. The moment I unwrapped the aluminum foil, the aroma of smoked pork permeated the kitchen. It smelled so good and we couldn’t wait to pick off a little piece to try. It was moist and tender and pulled apart so easily. The bark with all the spices is my favorite part. We set aside enough to make tacos and vacuum sealed the rest in half pound packages for the freezer. You can make so many meals with smoked carnitas. Try making tacos, taquitos, wraps, nachos, quesadillas, or a burrito bowl with rice and beans. Maybe I can convince anyone who is considering smoking meats that a pellet smoker is the way to go. It’s like a whole new level of cooking. I find it a fun experience from the first couple of hours when the aroma starts to infuse the air until the moment you take that first bite.

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      Posted in Entree, Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 3 Comments | Tagged New Mexico Inspired Smoked Carnitas, NM True Flavors of the Southwest Smoker Pellets, Pistachio Smoker Pellets, Red Chile Carnitas, Red Chile Carnitas Rub, Smoked Carnitas
    • Zia Burgers

      Posted at 11:02 am by NativeNM, on August 13, 2021

      It’s August and that means it’s green chile season here in New Mexico. It’s the time of year when the aroma of roasted chile is in the air. We pack our freezers with enough chile to last a whole year until the next years harvest and then we do it all over again. And there’s always a debate about who makes the best green chile cheeseburgers. NM even has a cheeseburger trail marked with a map to locate the the best green chile cheeseburgers in the state. I recently saw a burger on Instagram from the NM State Fair that had a Zia symbol branded on top of the bun. It was one of the most appetizing burgers I’ve ever seen with melted cheese and chopped green chile and if that wasn’t enough, it had a fried green chile on top. I showed it to Joe who immediately said, “I can make you a Zia for the bun”. He has a laser cutter that can burn an image onto all sorts of things. So I took him up on his offer and recreated the burger which I named the Zia Burger. This is the ultimate green chile cheeseburger, at least Joe and I think so!

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      Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Recipes, Red or Green | 4 Comments | Tagged Best Burgers in New Mexico, Green Chile Cheeseburgers, Green Chile Cheeseburgers with Fried Green Chile, New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburgers, Zia Burgers, Zia Hamburger Buns
    • Jemez National Recreation Area

      Posted at 10:50 am by NativeNM, on August 10, 2021

      The Jemez National Recreation Area is located within the Jemez Mountains which is approximately 50 miles north and west of Albuquerque. Jemez is an easy 1 hour drive for Joe and I. We’ve explored many cultural landmarks as well as gorgeous landscapes that includes geological formations of granite and red rock as well as volcanic rock. The mountains are full of peaks and valleys, mesas of every color and box canyons to explore. Over the last couple of years we have taken many day trips to Jemez. Every path leads to something different such as old railroad tunnels, water falls, hot springs, a soda dam, historical ruins and a goblin colony. These are just a few of the many sights to see in Jemez. The mountainous areas are gorgeous with Cottonwood trees along the rivers and streams that attracts fly fishermen and Aspen trees in the higher elevation areas. The people who live within the Jemez Pueblo maintain many of the customs and traditions of their ancestors. It’s easy to see why the people of the Jemez Pueblo would make this area their home. In the summer Joe and I love to escape to Jemez where the mountainous areas are a good 10 to 15 degrees cooler than in the city. The Jemez area includes little side roads, many of them dirt roads, that will lead you down a path of awe and bewilderment. It’s hard to capture the beauty of this enchanted area but I hope you can imagine it and maybe one day have a chance to experience it in person.

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      Posted in Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Gilman Tunnels, Goblin Colony, Jemez, Jemez Falls, Jemez Historic Site, Jemez National Recreational Area, Jemez Soda Dam, McCauley Hot Springs, New Mexico, Paliza Canyon, Road to Jemez, Village of Jemez
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