It’s green chile season here in New Mexico. You may even see NM green chile roasting events near you in your state. NM green chile can be found in the grocery stores and at the farm stands around town. The roasters are fired up and the aroma of roasted chile is in the air. I recently made an omelette filled with green chile, cheese and sprinkled with bacon. The best omelettes are cooked low and slow so that they don’t become rubbery or have that brown crust. They should be light and fluffy with a bright color. It takes time and patience but it is worth it when you take that first bite.
Several weeks ago a new Greek restaurant opened up near us. We don’t have a lot of Greek choices in our area on the west side. So, one day Kat came up for a sisters day and we had lunch at “The Great Greek”. We shared a Souvlaki Plate with lemon potatoes as our side. The entree was delicious but we kept going back to the lemon potatoes. They were thick cut sliced potatoes with grilled lemons and had a crisp texture. I was curious how to make them at home and found that traditional lemon potatoes are roasted in a seasoned lemon broth, sometimes 45 – 90 minutes or longer depending on the recipe. That wasn’t going to work for me, especially in the summer, it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. I decided to go a different route and made them on my Blackstone griddle. I marinated the potatoes in a lemon broth for several hours. They needed to be partially cooked so that they would crisp quickly on the hot griddle without burning. My solution was to microwave them in the broth which took about 12 minutes. I microwaved them in 3 minutes intervals stirring them after each interval. When they were fork tender, I strained the broth and placed the potatoes and lemon slices on the oiled hot griddle. I turned them often and in 20 – 25 minutes they were crisp and ready to serve. I had no idea if these would taste anything like the restaurant but they turned out fantastic. They were perfectly seasoned and drenched in roasted lemons; the texture was crisp on the outside while tender inside. Greek lemon potatoes are now possible in the summer without ever turning on the oven.
Last summer I started making foil packet potatoes on the grill. It’s an easy way to make crispy sliced potatoes with any number of seasonings. This summer I’ve traded in the grill for the Blackstone griddle and they are just as tasty and easy to make. Using a mandolin makes every slice precisely the same and allows them to cook evenly. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can slice them by hand, just try to slice them thin and as even as possible. The two packets pictured above have different seasonings; the left packet is sprinkled with a salt, garlic, and black pepper blend. The right packet is seasoned with Joe’s KC French Fry Seasoning. There are numerous season combinations that would taste fantastic on these crispy sliced potatoes. Create the taste that compliments your entree; perhaps a grilled burger, steak, chicken or smoked ribs.
When the weather gets hot in NM we go north. On this weekend even Jemez and Santa Fe were too warm to go hiking so we ventured up to the Taos Ski Valley where it is more mountainous and the temp was a cooler 68 degrees. We spent a 12 hour day with 6 hours on the road and the rest exploring the area and a beautiful hike to Williams Lake. The trail starts around the north and east side of the Taos Ski Valley. We walked along a mountain stream and took a few moments to capture the wildflowers that are in bloom. It’s an out and back trail estimated to about 4 miles. We didn’t see many folks on the way in but when we got there we found several groups of families or friends taking in the picturesque view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. We stopped by the Taos Ski Valley on our way out and found it was not at all what we expected. The Taos Ski Village is filled with resorts, condo’s, restaurants, small shops and markets. It’s a popular destination for snow skiers with Taos Ski Valley being rated among the top 10 in the US. It is known for having a challenging terrain for expert skiers as well as moderate and novice ski runs. It’s quite the tourist scene in the winter month’s covered in snowfall but the summer is when the locals venture out to enjoy the trails filled with wildflowers, flowing streams and mountain lakes.
Here’s another Blackstone Griddle recipe that took only a few minutes to make. The prep work was minimal and in no time I had a couple of Philly Cheesesteaks ready. I am having fun with this new griddle which heats so fast and much hotter than a grill. It doesn’t have a temperature gauge so I ordered an infrared thermometer laser gun to instantly read the temp of the griddle. It’s a must have to monitor the temperature. These cheesesteaks are more traditional with thinly sliced steak, sliced white American cheese, onions, mushrooms and Anaheim chiles seasoned with a simple Verde seasoning. Joe and I don’t like green bells so we always substitute a green chile of some variety in place of the green bell peppers. Feel free to make it your own as I do. Whatever you enjoy on your cheesesteak is easy to add or eliminate ingredients based on your taste buds. And toasting the steak rolls on a griddle is also a bonus, the toasted buttered roll has that slight crunchy texture but is still soft. The steak and veggies were so tender and everything tasted so good with the melted cheese holding it all together. Don’t have a griddle . . . just make these cheesesteaks in a cast iron skillet or a wok.
It’s Tuesday so it must be Taco Tuesday! Today I’m sharing the tacos I made with the leftover mojo pork tenderloin. I cut the remaining mojo pork into small chunks to make these delicious tacos with mango salsa and a drizzle of chamoy sauce. Mango and chamoy pair together like peanut butter and chocolate, they just belong together. One of my favorite snacks are dried fruit or gummy candy coated in chamoy. My sister Kat picked up a bottle of Siete Chamoy sauce that is one of the best chamoy sauces I’ve ever tasted. Kat and I are condiment junkies, we are always trying something new and she challenged me to make something with this sauce. It has sweet tones mixed with tangy and spicy notes that make these tacos so flavorful. It’s distributed across the country so most likely you will find it at your local grocery store. I think you will love it on dried fruit, fresh mango or pineapple, and also pork and chicken. And don’t forget to make a Mangonado Margarita to go with your tacos. Happy Tuesday!
Recently I got a Blackstone griddle and I can’t wait to show you how much fun I’ve been having with it. Cooking outdoors is going to be so much fun this summer. This pork tenderloin was so easy to make and it turned out absolutely delicious! It charred over the outside while remaining tender and moist on the inside. There’s nothing more fragrant and flavorful than adding chimichurri to grilled meat. It makes every bite taste like a burst of flavor that you can’t resist. I paired the tenderloin with some foil packet potatoes and a salad which made a perfect meal with very little cleanup. It gets so hot during the summer months here in the Land of Enchantment that I prefer grilling over heating up my kitchen. Starting this weekend I’m planning a new chapter in Blackstone cooking; I hope to find some new inspiration along the way. Wish me luck!
Part 2 of our journey takes place along the Inscription Rock Trail where these unique and beautiful inscriptions were carved or etched into stone hundreds of years ago. Some are petroglyphs that were left by the Ancient Puebloans, while others are messages left by the Spanish Conquistadors. There are also many inscriptions left by US Army engineers who were tasked in creating a route for civilians on their way west during the Western Expansion. One of the reasons they stopped at El Morro was because of a plentiful water supply created by rainwater and snow melt from the top of the mesa. As the water dripped down, it formed a pool at the base. When full, the pool held up to 200,000 gallons of water. It became a natural place for travelers to rest as well as feed and water their horses and camp before starting the next leg of their journey. I purchased a book at the Visitors Center which translates some of the more prominent inscriptions that are in Spanish and I will pass along those translations under each photo. Many of the inscriptions are faded and were hard to see. I used a photo editor to enhance them so that they are more visible. Click on any photo to enlarge as they are easier to see. I hope you enjoy the inscriptions and the history of Inscription Rock.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything. My computer had been slowing down over time but I was able to work through it until an automated update in February. Well, that last update brought my computer to a standstill, so after a couple weeks of frustration I eventually had to invest in a new computer. After getting things set back up I’m ready to share a breakfast cake that I made recently. It was so light and moist with layers of apples, and a brown sugar, cinnamon and pecan crumble topping. It’s hard to resist any time of day, especially with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Posted at 9:25 am by NativeNM, on January 24, 2025
If you’re looking for a lighter meal, try making some chicken lettuce wraps. They are loaded with flavor and can be customized to your tastes by adding vegetables and a crunchy topping in the form of peanuts, cashews or pistachios. I made a simple version that suited both Joe and I with ground chicken, carrots, green onions, ginger and garlic along with a a lighter sauce and a sprinkle of roughly chopped cilantro and green chile pistachios. Drizzle some sweet chili sauce over top for a little bit of sweetness in every bite. All the flavors came together nicely and were tucked inside butter lettuce leaves. It was a perfect meal for the two of us with a side of jasmine rice that was simmered in chicken broth to round it out. Whether you are looking for a flavorful appetizer or a light meal, chicken lettuce wraps are a healthy tasty choice that’s fun to eat!
An Inspired Cook 