An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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  • Category: Dutch Oven and Cast Iron

    • Creamy Carbonara with Blackened Shrimp and Scallops

      Posted at 10:02 am by NativeNM, on January 12, 2018

      It’s hard to believe I’ve never posted a recipe for pasta carbonara before now.  It has to be one of my top all time favorite pasta dishes.  Often referred to as bacon and eggs pasta, it’s traditionally made with bacon or Pancetta, egg yolks whisked with pasta water and a hard cheese such as Parmesan or Romano.  When I’m in a pinch for time it’s the perfect recipe because I always have bacon, eggs and cheese on hand.  It’s also the perfect recipe to experiment with.  I ‘ve found that a few additions to this basic recipe can take it to another level of goodness.  My personal favorite is the addition of sun dried tomatoes.  You can’t beat the taste of creamy pasta with bits of bacon and sun dried tomatoes.  And if you like it spicy, add some red and black pepper.  Today I seared shrimp and scallops with blackening seasoning to go on top of the pasta.  Oh my gosh, it was so good!
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes | 8 Comments | Tagged Bacon and Eggs Pasta, Blackened Scallops, Blackened Shrimp, Creamy Carbonara, Creamy Carbonara with Blackened Shrimp and Scallops, Creamy Carbonara with Linguine, Creamy Carbonara with Shrimp and Scallops, Pasta Carbonara
    • French Toast with Cinnamon Roasted Pecans and Raspberries

      Posted at 9:50 am by NativeNM, on January 5, 2018

      Early last December Joe and I visited Panama City Beach, FL for a short getaway.  We thought a visit to the Sunshine State before Christmas would be a great time to get away without all the crowds and have the beach to ourselves.  We were prepared for cooler weather but determined to enjoy the sunshine and white sandy beaches.  Little did we know Mother Nature had other ideas.  It was unusually cold and rained the entire time we were there.  We rented a little condo on the beach where you walk off your deck straight onto the beautiful white sand.  It would have been paradise had the wind not been so blustery with cold rain coming off the ocean.  Mostly we just looked out the window because it was just too cold to venture out.  We expected mid 50’s and got 30 and 40 degree weather, brrrr.  It wasn’t a total loss, we went out to the movies and found a couple museums to wander around.  We decided we would splurge for a big breakfast, skip lunch and find some good seafood to eat for dinner.  My favorite breakfast was from Andy’s Flour Power Cafe and Bakery.  I had the french toast plate with thick slices of french toast topped with candied pecans and fresh strawberries.  I loved every bite and vowed to recreate it one day.  This is my version of the Flour Power French Toast!
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      Posted in Breakfast, Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Snack | 2 Comments | Tagged Cinnamon Roasted Pecans, French Toast, French Toast with Artisan Bread, French Toast with Cinnamon Roasted Pecans and Raspberries, Raspberries
    • Crusty Artisan Bread

      Posted at 9:06 am by NativeNM, on December 19, 2017

      This is Josh’s recipe for Crusty Artisan Bread.  He’s always been the bread maker in this family and makes the most beautiful loaves of bread.  He would tell you it doesn’t always come out perfect but I have yet to taste any bread that he has made that didn’t taste absolutely delicious!  Since I can’t count on Josh for making the bread this year for the holidays (he is off on an adventure in Australia), I decided to give his recipe a try.  He left me his big bread bowl and his oval dutch oven so I am using them for good luck.  Josh told me not to over knead the dough, just incorporate the ingredients and let them sit out to proof for up to 24 hours.  That was hard for me, I have made the artisan bread that you refrigerate but never let it sit out at room temp for that long.  After agonizing over the process, I decided to trust his technique and it turned out great.  I’ve made 3 loaves so far and they have all turned out as good as any you would find at a bakery.  This one is the last loaf I made and it was incredibly light and airy with the perfect artisan crust.  Practice does make perfect!
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      Posted in Bread, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Artisan Bread, Artisan French Loaf, Bread Baked in a Dutch Oven, Crusty Artisan Bread, French Bread
    • Barbacoa Flautas

      Posted at 12:20 pm by NativeNM, on May 19, 2017

      If these flautas look familiar it’s because they are very similar to my Barbacoa Taquitos.  The difference between flautas and taquitos are the type of tortillas.  Flautas are made with flour tortillas where as taquitos are made with corn tortillas.  Corn tortillas are my first love but sometimes I make flautas to please my hubby.  The thing about making flautas is cooking the tortilla to that perfect crispness.  If overcooked they will be overly crunchy and taste like a cracker.  And the filling should be somewhat dry so that the tortilla won’t become soggy.  I went back to an old favorite, a seasoned slow cooked chuck roast flavored with Frontera’s Barbacoa sauce.  Chile de Arbol salsa and Molcajete Guacamole are the perfect condiments to dip your flautas in. Enjoy!
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 4 Comments | Tagged Barbacoa Flautas, Chile de Arbol Salsa, Flautas, Frontera's Barbacoa Slow Cook Sauce, Guacamole, Oaxaca Cheese
    • Chicken Fried Pork with Green Chile Gravy

      Posted at 3:19 pm by NativeNM, on March 8, 2017

      There are so many ways that pork and green chile are paired together.  Some of the classics are green chile stew, pork tamales with verde salsa, or green chile posole.   With the cold weather sneaking in again before Spring, I was hungry for some comfort food.  Searching the freezer for inspiration, I found a pork roast that was very lean.  I sliced it into 1/2 inch portions, pounded it into thinner pieces for a very tender chicken fried pork steak.  As with all chicken fried dinners you must have cream gravy. It’s a must!  But as I made the gravy I added a big scoop of green chile. Let me just say that green chile gravy is the most delicious thing you have ever tasted over chicken fried pork.  Call me New Mexican, it’s all about the chile!
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green | 7 Comments | Tagged Chicken Fried Pork, Chicken Fried Pork Steak, Cream Gravy with Green Chile, Green Chile Gravy, Green Chile Salt
    • Pulled Pork Mole Tacos

      Posted at 9:43 am by NativeNM, on February 24, 2017

      pulled-pork-mole-tacos-9

      This might be one of the tastiest tacos ever!  They were so good I can’t wait to make them again. This Mole sauce has so many flavors to awaken the taste buds including dried chiles, spices and dark chocolate.  The pulled pork was the star of this taco so there was no need for a lot of toppings.  A fresh Pico salsa with crumbled Queso Fresco is all you need.
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 2 Comments | Tagged Dona Maria Mole Paste, Dutch Oven, Pico De Gallo, Pork Mole Tacos, Pork Tacos, Pulled Pork Mole Tacos, Queso Fresco
    • New Mexico Inspired Chicken Pot Pie

      Posted at 10:23 am by NativeNM, on January 6, 2017

      nm-chicken-pot-pie-16

      It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any recipes.  My camera was acting up and developed a lens error which prevented me from taking pictures.  It took a few weeks to send it off and get it back in working order again.  Then the holidays were upon us and I had my hands full with no time to blog.  I’m just getting back in my groove and wanted to share one of my favorite pot pies with you.  Pot Pie is a favorite of mine, however my hubby Joe doesn’t enjoy my enthusiasm for pot pie.  So I compromised and made a pot pie with minimal dough, just a crusty puff pastry dough on top. And I added some spicy chicken and veggies that we both love, roasted corn, green chile and red onion.  It had all the flavors of home and it couldn’t have tasted better.  They were made in individual ramekins, just the perfect size to heat up for a quick lunch or have for dinner with a side salad.
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green, Soups, Stews and Chili | 6 Comments | Tagged Chicken Pot Pie, New Mexico Inspired Chicken Pot Pie, Pot Pie with Spicy Chicken, Puff Pastry, Roasted Corn, Roasted Green Chile
    • Meat Filled Ravioli (to put up in the freezer)

      Posted at 1:35 pm by NativeNM, on November 18, 2016

      meat-filled-ravioli-18

      Time to make ravioli to put up in the freezer!  I like to make ravioli in the fall when the weather is cooler and I can spend a whole day in the kitchen.  And it truly takes me a whole day to make these starting with putting together the meat filling to making the pasta dough and finally assembling, cutting and packaging for the freezer.  It is a great deal of prep work but I find it rewarding especially on those occasions when I need a quick meal.  And they tastes so much better than any frozen ravioli that you find at the store.  These frozen ravioli can go directly into boiling water and be ready in just a few minutes.  And if you like toasted ravioli like we do, thaw a bag or two in the refrigerator.  This batch made approximately 6 dozen ravioli.  That will make quite a few meals for any family.
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes | 8 Comments | Tagged Home Made Meat Ravioli, Meat Filled Ravioli, Meat Ravioli from Scratch, Meat Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach, Toasted Ravioli
    • Green Chile Infused Fried Chicken

      Posted at 10:24 am by NativeNM, on October 26, 2016

      chile-infused-chicken-8

      One of my favorite restaurants, the Red Door Grill offers Jalapeno Fried Chicken every Thursday and only on Thursdays.  Let me tell you it’s REALLY REALLY good!   It’s marinated in buttermilk and jalapenos for 4 days or so they say.  I was so impressed that I decided to make my own fried chicken but I chose to use Hatch green chile in lieu of jalapenos.  What New Mexican wouldn’t pick green chile over jalapenos?  I pan fried it browning the outside and then let the oven do the rest.  For me it’s much easier to cook the chicken evenly throughout that way. The chicken is so moist with a golden crunch outside and a hint of spicy green chile in every bite. A side of mashed potatoes with green chile gravy made this one of the best comfort meals I’ve had in a long time!
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green | 12 Comments | Tagged Fried Chicken, Green Chile Fried Chicken, Green Chile Infused Fried Chicken, Oven Fried Chicken
    • Mayan Pork Tacos

      Posted at 10:04 am by NativeNM, on August 26, 2016

      Mayan-Pork-Tacos-17

      Recently I had my first food truck experience.  Here in KC there is an old warehouse district called the West Bottoms that’s been converted into a huge flea market that happens every first Friday/weekend of the month.  If you love all things vintage then this is the place to be.  They have anything and everything you can think of displayed in these beautiful old warehouses. People spend hours perusing through the old buildings looking for treasure.  There aren’t many places to eat down there except for a line of food trucks that are parked along the streets.  We walked the streets looking at all the food trucks each with their own artistic style and various menus, it was hard to choose.  We decided on “American Fusion” which offered a small menu but caught our attention.  Josh had their “Mayan Pork” sandwich aka Cochinita Pibil, a slow roasted Mexican pork from the Yucatan peninsula of Mayan origin.  First of all, it practically melts in your mouth, it was that tender.  And the flavor, it was amazing with a hint of smoky sweet flavors.  I was inspired!!  After researching everything I could find on how to make this delicious pulled pork I have finally created my own version.  First thing on the menu Mayan Pork Tacos . . . . with more to come!
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      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 0 Comments | Tagged Achiote Paste, Annatto Seeds, Cilantro, Conchinita Pibil, Guajillo Chiles, Mayan Pork, Mayan Pork Tacos, Pickled Red Onions, Queso Fresco
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