Posted at 12:05 pm by NativeNM, on December 10, 2018
One of my favorite things to snack on is cheese and crackers. And with the holidays just around the corner it’s time to think about appetizers. Many years ago I would make a cheese ball around the holidays, but in recent years I found other things to make and the cheese ball became a distant memory. I’ve forgotten how good it tastes and think it’s time to bring the cheese ball back!! It’s not just the green chile that makes this cheese ball so special. Many of the ingredients are grown or produced in the state of New Mexico. It’s so easy to assemble, just pack all the ingredients into a food processor and blend. Once chilled the flavors meld together and the flavors are enhanced. It’s addictive to say the least, we are having a hard time saving it for snack time. It’s so good we could make a meal out of it . . . just kidding!!
Posted at 9:29 am by NativeNM, on November 20, 2018
For the first time in many years Joe and I will be spending Thanksgiving by ourselves. In years past we always spent the day with Joe’s mom. Our boys would also be there to feast on the traditional turkey and stuffing. This year has been a transitional year, Joe and I moved back to New Mexico about 6 month’s ago. Josh spent a year “down under” for the adventure of a lifetime traveling throughout Australia. He spent 6 month’s working at an observatory near Coonabarabran, which he called his second home. He met so many folks from all over the world and along the way made some lifelong friends. Cameron remains in the Kansas City area and is now part of the management team at Monster Mountain where he continues to share his love of rock climbing indoor and outdoor. He maintains and creates routes for the wall and coaches a group of young climbers that he is so proud of. We have a lot to be thankful for. Josh arrived back in the states on Halloween just in time to pass out candy and stayed with us for the past couple of weeks. He made plans to spend the holiday in California, but before he left for “The Golden State” he wanted us to share a Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings. I just couldn’t see cooking a turkey with all the side dishes for just the three of us so we cooked up a smaller version that tasted just as good as having a traditional meal. It’s pretty simple and takes way less time to make. We layered slices of toasted artisan bread with baked chicken or (sub turkey breast) layered with stuffing, gravy and a dollop of cranberry sauce. Of course I had to have mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. It is the most delicious meal to make if you want to make a feast for just 2 or 3 people. Also this would be a great way to use any leftovers for those who have a traditional roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Whether you are entertaining for two or want a way to make your leftovers taste just as good as your Thanksgiving meal, give this layered open faced sandwich a try. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Posted at 9:25 am by NativeNM, on November 14, 2018
It’s apple season and I for one can’t think of anything more delectable than an apple cinnamon roll with a bit of caramel sauce and caramel glaze drizzled over top. And for a little crunch add a few sweet cinnamon pecans to the mix. What a way to welcome friends and family around the holidays with the aroma of cinnamon and apples fresh from the oven. I’m making a batch of sweet rolls to put in the freezer for the holidays. They can easily be thawed and reheated in the oven for a delicious breakfast or brunch. And if by chance there are any left, break off a piece to dunk in your morning coffee, it’s a real treat!
Posted at 9:41 am by NativeNM, on October 29, 2018
There are a lot of versions of Shepherd’s Pie, depending on where you grew up or what part of the country you reside. I’ve always viewed it as a casserole made up of seasoned ground beef and mixed vegetables topped with buttery mashed potatoes. It’s been forever since I’ve made a traditional Shepherd’s Pie simply because Joe doesn’t like many of the vegetables. However, the one thing that will entice him to taste something new is to add green chile, so I made a Shepherds pie with green chile as the main event. And to my amazement he liked it, so much so that I didn’t have to eat leftovers all week. Here in New Mexico the leaves are changing color and it’s damp with rain showers that are welcome, however the fall temperatures are dropping which sometimes makes it feel more like a winter day. On days like these I find myself yearning for some comfort food to take away the chills. Sitting in front of the fire with a warm shepherd’s pie takes away that chill, at least for a little while.
Posted at 8:56 am by NativeNM, on October 16, 2018
It’s Balloon Fiesta time y’all! If you haven’t seen video or pictures of the past weeks festivities, I’ve got you covered. I haven’t been to a Mass Ascension since 1995, wow has it been that long! It’s much different and at the same time much the same as it was all those years ago. It’s a magical experience to walk among the balloons as they are stretched across a huge field in anticipation of launching around 550 hot air balloons. Whoever choreographed this is brilliant with so many balloons to manage among huge crowds of people. As they begin to inflate and take shape you will see them float upward in a choreographed wave. We arrived on opening day, later than we anticipated after a 2 hour wait in line to catch a bus out to the balloon field. But we were luckier than some who never made it out to the field at all. It was disappointing to see that more than half the balloons had already launched by the time we were dropped off and made our way onto the field. We had to wind our way through a virtual wall of people all trying to see the last wave of balloons. Everyone wanted to capture the magic in photos. While we were saddened in missing some of the earlier events we did manage to see some extraordinary balloons and had a wonderful time. We will be back, but next time we will plan better and get there earlier. Next time we will arrive to see the Dawn Patrol as they ascend before first light and watch them glow through the early morning air. Next time we will take more photos. Next time can’t come soon enough!!
Posted at 2:11 pm by NativeNM, on September 28, 2018
Before we moved back to New Mexico, Joe and I had one last breakfast at “First Watch”, one of our favorites. They serve breakfast and lunch and we always have a hard time deciding because everything on their menu sounds and tastes so good. Occasionally they add a few seasonal items to the menu that is served for a short period of time. This was one of them. I have always been a fan of lemon and strawberries and these toppers take the cake . . . or should I say pancake! Usually I go for something savory like a benedict or toasted sandwich with fruit on the side but on this day I was craving something sweeter. And while the strawberries were perfectly sweet, the lemon curd was quite tart. Maple syrup was on the table but after the first bite there was no need to add anything more. The pancakes were light and slightly creamy like a dutch baby, with a crispy outer crust. When I taste a dish this delicious I usually write it down with notes as to the ingredients, taste, and texture for future reference. It’s taken me awhile to recreate this one but it was well worth the wait!
Posted at 10:40 am by NativeNM, on September 6, 2018
Summer is almost over and I’m not ready to let it go. I still have places to explore, farmers markets to visit, things to grill outdoors. I’m just getting used to the daily routine of being in a new home, getting familiar with new surroundings and finding my way around a new kitchen. For others it probably would be a breeze, but for me it takes time. Yes, summer is leaving and fall is just around the corner. It won’t be long before summer grilling turns into fall baking and soups for the soul. It may be late in the summer but I’m still enjoying the farm grown tomatoes which highlight this incredible grilled cheese. Envision crisp bacon strips, tomato slices and grated cheese between two slices of Josh’s artisan bread, toasted on a hot cast iron comal. That makes one great sandwich! And for a slightly different taste, add a few slices of avocado. Maybe next time I’ll try a fried egg on top, I can only imagine how good that would be!
It’s chile season here in New Mexico! I have missed you so! It’s been too many years since I’ve been home to enjoy the aroma of roasting chiles in the air. Ask any New Mexican and they will tell you that this is a most special time of year. Today I’m sharing a favorite breakfast dish and taking it up a notch to make it even more scrumptious if that’s possible. An eggs benedict with a fry bread base, topped with bacon, poached eggs and a green chile hollandaise sauce ladled over top. Making this for just the two us us presented a dilemna of scaling everything down from the fry bread to the hollandaise sauce. As much as I tried it’s really perfect for four. It’s also a time sensitive dish to make given that everything needs to be prepped and cooked at the same time. Fortunately for me, Joe volunteered to help out and together we had everything prepared and assembled in no time. When you taste that first bite, your taste buds will swoon. This is by far my favorite hollandaise sauce, so creamy and flavorful with freshly roasted green chile. And if you take the time to make these light and airy fry breads, you will wonder why you haven’t done this sooner. At least that’s what I’m thinking!
Joe and I are enjoying being back in Albuquerque and trying some of the local restaurant favorites. While I cook most of our meals during the week, on the weekend we try to get away from the daily grind and nearly always go out for a bite to eat. One Saturday we tried a new place, at least it’s new to us called Filling Philly’s. They feature steak and chicken philly cheese steaks as well as meatball sandwiches. But what caught our eye was the Green Chile Philly. I can tell you my mouth was watering just reading the description. And it didn’t disappoint, It was delicious!! The distinct difference between my cheese steak and Filling Philly’s is the cheese sauce. They use cheese whiz which does taste good but I envisioned a creamy Oaxaca cheese sauce. Oaxaca cheese melts so creamy and makes the best cheese sauce and dips. I especially love it paired with green chile. My love of cheese steaks have no bounds, this one has to be one of the best!
Joe and I have visited several farmers markets around Albuquerque lately. Our first market was the Rail Yards Market that happens every Sunday. It’s located in the heart of the city in an old rail yard that is near 100 years old. The market attracts many who come every Sunday to walk among the vendors who sell fresh produce, honey, local arts and crafts along with jerky, breakfast burritos and a lemonade booth with every flavor of lemonade under the sun. We went on a hot morning with clear skies and the sun shining brightly. It didn’t take long to become parched. We saw all the lemonades across the way and wandered over. We couldn’t decide what lemonade to try when they offered up samples of any combination we wanted to try. OH MY MY! Every flavor of lemonade was so delicious, we just couldn’t make up our minds. We finally went with a blueberry lemonade that had the most refreshing taste. I decided right then and there that as soon as I had a kitchen again I was going to make lemonade or limeade. Well, now that I have a kitchen again its time to test some new recipes. The limes were on sale so guess who won! Our fruit of choice was ripe and juicy strawberries. These days I’m always on the hunt for lemons or limes on sale. Summer is the perfect time to always have a refreshing pitcher of lemonade or limeade.
An Inspired Cook 