An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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    • Apple Cranberry Pie

      Posted at 10:05 am by NativeNM, on December 3, 2021

      For many years Apple Cranberry Pie has been one of our favorite holiday pies. Regardless of whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, this pie nearly always ends up on the menu. It’s a recipe that I’ve been using since I picked up the 1988 edition of Southern Living’s Annual Cookbook. The original recipe included apples, cranberries and blackberries, however over the years after trying different berry combinations, my family preferred the apple and cranberry filling best. In October during apple season I tend to pick up a variety of apples to make pie filling to put up in the freezer. I also keep frozen cranberries on hand to use just in case I can’t find fresh. I’ve found that pie filling maintains best when vacuum sealed and will keep in the freezer for up to 2 month’s which makes pie making so much easier. This year I made enough filling for 2 pies. Whenever I bite into a slice of pie it becomes my favorite at that moment. I’m a pie fanatic and although no one would ever say my pies are pretty, I’ve never had a complaint about how they taste.

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      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 6 Comments | Tagged Apple Cranberry Pie, Apple Pie, Cook's Illustrated Foolproof Pie Dough, Cranberry Pie, Frozen Pie Filling
    • Green Chile and Cheese Hominy Casserole

      Posted at 7:05 am by NativeNM, on November 23, 2021

      It’s almost time to celebrate Thanksgiving. There was a time when we enjoyed turkey and dressing with all the trimmings. In those days there were a lot more people gathered around our table but in the last few years it’s been just Joe and I. We’ve been trying new things, mixing a little of the traditional with some new twists. This year we settled on smoking a pork butt with red chile spices and will add some different sides to the table. One of the sides I’ve planned is Green Chile and Cheese Hominy Casserole which would be a welcome dish on any New Mexican table. It can only be described as creamy, savory and spicy. I used a soft fontina cheese along with sour cream to bind the casserole together and then topped it with cheddar cheese and bacon bits. All the ingredients are prepared in a small dutch oven and baked to perfection which makes this dish easy from start to finish. I hope you all have a festive day making new memories around your kitchen table. Happy Thanksgiving!!

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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green, Side Dishes | 3 Comments | Tagged Green Chile, Green Chile and Cheese Hominy Casserole, Hominy, Hominy Casserole with Green Chile, New Mexico Green Chile, Side Dish
    • Tortellini, Sausage and Spinach with Fresh Tomato Sauce

      Posted at 10:39 am by NativeNM, on October 14, 2021

      When I woke up this morning it was 34 degrees! There’s a cold spell rolling through NM with snowfall in the northern mountains. But even though it was near freezing this morning, the sun is out and it feels warmer with every passing hour. With the cooler weather upon us I had a craving for a bowl of soothing pasta. I made a grocery run and picked up fresh ingredients to make tomato sauce with spinach and basil. That combined with Italian sausage and cooked tortellini made a pasta dish that was made for comfort. We had a leafy green salad with toasted bread, olive oil and dipping spices on the side. Simple yet tasty!

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      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Italian Sausage and Tortellini, Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes, Tortellini Sausage and Spinach with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Tortellini with Sausage Spinach and Tomatoes
    • Watermelon Arugula Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

      Posted at 1:44 pm by NativeNM, on October 8, 2021

      On our recent vacation to Wyoming we experienced some wonderful food, both familiar and some that was new to our palate. Josh took us to Calico’s Restaurant and Bar one evening. He had been hearing good things about their menu and wanted to give it a try. I was in the mood for a light meal and ordered their Watermelon Arugula salad. It was a big plate of marinated watermelon chunks with a sprinkling of arugula and goat cheese. The flavors in the honey lime marinade/dressing came through with just the right amount of sweetness. I was so impressed with this salad that I couldn’t wait to recreate it when we got home. I wasn’t sure if I could find watermelon since Fall is upon us. But sure enough when I went shopping they had some good sized watermelons that were on sale. While I was putting this together I kept thinking that this salad seemed familiar and not just from tasting it at Calico’s. It didn’t take me long to realize that I had seen a similar recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Karen at Back Road Journal. Karen’s recipe is a Spicy Stacked Watermelon Salad with Feta and Arugula which is a spicy version that looks absolutely delicious! If you haven’t tried a watermelon salad, you don’t know what you’re missing.

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      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Recipes, Side Dishes | 4 Comments | Tagged Arugula, Calico's Restaurant and Bar Jackson Wyoming, Goat Cheese, Honey Lime Dressing, Honey Lime Marinade, Watermelon Arugula Salad
    • The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park

      Posted at 10:31 am by NativeNM, on October 1, 2021

      September is one of the best times to travel. The summer travelers are headed back to work and school plus the weather is cooler. It’s been over 2 years since we’ve had a true vacation and I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed our time in Wyoming. Jackson Hole is where Josh calls home these days and we can truly see why he loves it so much. And to make our vacation complete, Cameron, our youngest son took some time off and joined us for the week as well. We all enjoyed the sights as Josh served as our tour guide taking us to picturesque places to hike and breathe the fresh mountain air. We had the most amazing weather, cool mornings with peaks around 75 degrees for a daytime high. But when the sun begins to set you better have a jacket nearby. One day was reserved to go to Yellowstone National Park. Between all of us we took hundreds of pictures of the many attractions along the way. We expected to see buffalo, moose or elk during our drive through Yellowstone but that didn’t happen until late in the day. As we started to head out of the park we spotted a lone buffalo who had us in stitches as he swam across a river and then promptly found a sandy spot where he rolled and rolled in the dirt. That was a highlight moment for sure! On other days we walked the shops in Jackson Square, went to one of Josh’s favorite places for stargazing near Mormon Row, and hiked along beautiful lakes with the most pristine clear blue/turquoise water you’ve ever seen. And the food . . . well, it was an experience in tasting new things and delighting in the discovery. But my favorite thing of all was the latte that Josh made especially for me.

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments | Tagged @coelette, @persephonebakery, @picnicjh, @wyomingstargazing, Coelette JH, Death Canyon Trail, Jenny Lake, Mormon Row, Persephone Bakery, Phelps Lake, Picnic JH, Ski Lake Trail, The Grand Tetons, Wyoming Stargazing, Wyoming Vacation, Yellowstone National Park
    • Barbecue Baked Beans

      Posted at 9:42 am by NativeNM, on September 3, 2021

      Labor day for some signals the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. I love grilling outdoors and this year I bought a pellet smoker which has been so much fun to smoke ribs, burnt ends and pulled pork. So now I thought it would be fun to focus on one of our favorite side dishes. . . barbecue baked beans. There’s a lot of flavors packed into these beans including bacon, onion and jalapeno along with some sweet molasses and brown sugar. They are not just for outdoor picnics or family barbecues alone. I made enough for a meal or two and plan to freeze the rest in smaller portions that we can have later. If you are celebrating with family or friends this coming Labor day weekend you might want to make a pot of delicious barbecue baked beans to serve alongside.

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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Side Dishes | 10 Comments | Tagged Alton Brown's Baked Beans, Baked Beans, Baked Beans from Scratch, Baked Beans in a Dutch Oven, Barbecue Baked Beans, Slow Cooked Baked Beans
    • 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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