An Inspired Cook

- Deviled Egg Cobb Salad
  
  Posted at 8:39 am by NativeNM, on July 27, 2021
  I haven’t had a cobb salad in ages They are traditionally made with a bed of romaine lettuce topped with sliced chicken breast, bacon bits, tomatoes, onions, avocado, hard boiled eggs and crumbled bleu cheese. I changed it up a bit to fit our tastes and substituted sliced green onions for the red onion and crumbled goat cheese for the bleu cheese. Joe suggested he would like deviled eggs instead of plain hard boiled eggs so that’s our twist on this classic salad. It tasted so good and with a simple vinaigrette drizzled over top. I prepped the eggs and bacon earlier in the day when it was cooler so as to avoid the afternoon heat. This salad was more than enough for the two of us plus leftovers for lunch the next day. Whether the idea of deviled eggs with a cobb salad sounds intriguing to your taste buds or not, cobb salad is a classic for a reason. You can take this tried and true recipe and change it up to make it your own.
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Recipes | 3 Comments | Tagged Cobb Salad, Cobb Salad with Deviled Eggs, Cobb Salad with Goat Cheese, Deviled Egg Cobb Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette, Mustard Vinaigrette
- El Malpais National Monument
  
  Posted at 12:15 pm by NativeNM, on July 13, 2021
  El Malpais National Monument is located approximately 80 miles west of Albuquerque off of Interstate 40. There are two exits off of I-40 that will take you to different sights and things to do along those roads. For the El Malpais Overlook and La Ventana Arch, take exit 89 South onto Hwy 117 for approximately 15 miles. The overlook point stretches for miles and miles across a landscape that is covered in old lava flows and sandstone bluffs. The view is amazing, showcasing a valley of lava fields with colorful Mesa’s surrounding the area. We hiked from the top down to the area below for a little over 2 miles. It was a beautiful walk that we enjoyed immensely. A few miles further south on Hwy 117 is the La Ventana Arch. La Ventana is one of the largest arches in New Mexico and is very easy to get to with a short half mile hike. It’s a stunning sight from afar but as you get closer you will be in awe of the enormous beauty of this arch. Across El Malpais on the west side you can take exit 81 off of I- 40 and travel south along Hwy 53 from Grants, NM where you can hike trails through lava tubes and old lava flows. There is a “Big Tubes” area in which you will need to stop by the El Malpais Visitor Center to obtain a wild cave permit in order to explore the caves. Currently all the caves are closed due to covid until further notice with the exception of the privately owned the Bandera Ice Cave and Crater. There is a small Trading Post on site where you can get tickets. A couple of years ago we took Cameron (our youngest son) to see the Ice Caves and Bandera Crater which is located along the continental divide. It’s known as the land of “fire and ice” with the Bandera Crater and Ice Cave where the cave temperature never rises above 31 degrees. It seems the more we explore New Mexico the more there is to discover.
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  Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments | Tagged El Malpais National Monument, Grants New Mexico, La Ventana Arch, La Ventana Natural Arch, New Mexico
- Celebrating 10 Years of An Inspired Cook
  
  Posted at 6:24 am by NativeNM, on July 1, 2021
  Where does the time go! It’s been 10 years since I started this time capsule of preserving my family’s favorite recipes throughout the years. Back in 2011 my oldest son Josh earned a degree in Graphic Design but decided he was going back to school and was moving on to pursue a degree in Physics/Astronomy. As he gained his independence he started cooking his own meals and wanted me to share some of the recipes that he could follow and make on his own. One day he surprised me with a newly designed blog to start sharing recipes. I can honestly say I knew nothing about photography or writing a blog. Through his graphic design knowledge he taught me how to take pictures in different lighting, how to crop them and also photoshop. As time went by I became more confident venturing out of my comfort zone and found myself trying new foods and new techniques that I had never dreamed of before. Food has always been about making memories and special events and every recipe tells a story which comes to mind every time I revisit an old post. In 10 years there have been some unexpected surprises and opportunities, along with meeting some wonderful new friends and blog colleagues along the way. Here’s a few of the highlights from some of my favorite moments as well as some of the most shared recipes over the years. One of my most treasured gifts was my very own cookbook (pictured above) that Josh designed and had published for me. Here’s my trip back in time over the last 10 years.
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  Posted in Recipes | 10 Comments | Tagged An Inspired Cook, AnInspiredCook.com, New Mexico Recipes
- Lemon Lavender Sorbet
  
  Posted at 12:46 pm by NativeNM, on June 29, 2021
  I don’t know about you all but it’s been a particularly hot month of June here in New Mexico. As we head into July we are finally seeing some cooler temps which is a welcome relief. I’ve been looking for something cool and slushy to make and sorbet just seemed like the perfect treat. This lemon sorbet is so refreshing with a little hint of lavender in the back end. It’s a light dessert that is cool and slushy leaving your taste buds wanting more. Sorbet is my summer go to when the heat of the summer kicks in. And most sorbet recipes can be poured into popsicle molds that are kid friendly. So no excuses, make lemon sorbet and if you can find culinary lavender, sprinkle some into the mix for the most tasty and refreshing treat this summer.
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  Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Culinary Lavender, Lavender Infused Sugar, Lemon and Lavender Sorbet, Lemon Sorbet, Los Poblanos Lavender Farm
- Simple Crepes for Sweet or Savory Fillings
  
  Posted at 11:45 am by NativeNM, on June 22, 2021
  As I was making the Blueberry Lavender Jam, I couldn’t think of anything better than to pair them with crepes. It’s been awhile since I’ve made crepes and thought to myself “what better time than now”. These crepes are so versatile and can be filled with sweet jam, cream cheese, or sprinkled with sugar. But as good as sweet crepes are, they are equally delicious with savory fillings. Crepes are so easy to make, the batter is quickly made in a blender and then swirled in a non-stick skillet with melted butter. Crepes are light but hold their shape and appear as if they are lace doilies on a plate. The crisp edges are my favorite part especially when they are freshly made. I’m including a recipe for Chicken Enchilada Crepes for a savory filling that you might enjoy. The filling includes chicken, cheese and a green chile bechamel sauce. It’s topped with the remaining cheese and bechamel sauce and then heated until it’s bubbling hot. It was a delicious savory meal that Joe and I enjoyed immensely. Crepes are so versatile for sweet or savory fillings, or even to enjoy with a sprinkle of sugar.
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  Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Entree, Recipes | 8 Comments | Tagged Basic Crepes, Crepes with Blueberry Jam, Easy Crepes, Savory Chicken Enchilada Crepes, Savory Crepes, Simple Crepes, Sweet Crepes
- Blueberry Lavender Jam
  
  Posted at 10:30 am by NativeNM, on June 18, 2021
  It’s almost lavender season here in New Mexico. Normally there would be lavender festivals at Los Poblanos Farms in Albuquerque and at Purple Adobe Lavender Farm in Abiquiu over the next few week; however they will be cancelled for a second year in a row due to Covid. Luckily I live close to Los Poblanos which includes the Los Poblanos Historic Inn, Hacienda Spa and CAMPO restaurant that uses their own harvest vegetables to make up their menu. They also have a farm shop with a bakery and many lavender products including culinary lavender and lavender honey. And they make lavender lotions, soap and hand sanitizers plus many more items. Our first lavender festival experience was just after our move back to New Mexico. We went to the Purple Adobe Lavender Festival near Abiquiu. We had a wonderful time and would encourage anyone who has a chance to visit next year in late June or first of July to please check out these wonderful festivals. Earlier in the week I visited the farm shop and picked up some lavender and honey to make Blueberry Lavender Jam. It was a wonderful combination of slightly sweet blueberries with a hint of lavender flowers in the background.
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  Posted in Breakfast, Condiments and Sauces, Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Blueberry Jam, Blueberry Jam with Lavender, Blueberry Lavender Jam, Culinary Lavender, Lavender and Blueberry Jam, Los Poblanos Lavender Farm
- Cherry Cheesecake Bars
  
  Posted at 9:05 am by NativeNM, on May 28, 2021
  May is truly my favorite time of year. The warm sunshine makes me feel so good being outdoors and enjoying nature. Whether it’s going for a walk or watching the roadrunners and quail stop by to feed in our backyard, it’s the simple things that make me happy. This month has gone by way too quickly and now the Memorial holiday is upon us signaling that summer is just around the corner. I hope you all have a festive weekend and enjoy your time relaxing with family, friends or nature. I’ve been craving something cherry and decided to make some Cherry Cheesecake Bars for the weekend. What a great dessert to cap off the weekend! It’s easy to make and a crowd pleaser for any get together!
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  Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Cherry Cheesecake Bars, Cherry Pie Filling from Scratch, Cherry Pie Glaze, Cream Cheese Filling, Graham Cracker Crust, No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Bars
- Braised Chicken and Rice
  
  Posted at 10:49 am by NativeNM, on May 11, 2021
  For the past few month’s I’ve been partnering with NM Dept. of Agriculture on a campaign to promote local New Mexico products. I try to come up with creative recipes using these products in ways that may seem “outside the box”. This week I tried a soup mix from Cibolo Junction and a dressing mix from Jillipepper. With the weather turning warmer soup isn’t ideal so I used the mix to make Braised Chicken and Rice. The ingredients list is light on the details but it includes different types of chiles, cilantro and lime with rice. It sounds Southwest but Joe and I both agreed that it had a lot of Cajun flavors going on. A possibility might be because I used less liquid and the flavors were enhanced. It was quite tasty and Joe (who loves Cajun dishes) really enjoyed it. This was paired with a simple salad on the side with Jillipepper’s Dress It mix. This dressing mix was one of the best things I’ve tried yet. I used it as a marinade for chicken, a dressing for pasta salad and had a little bit left over for our salads here. The one thing I’ve found is that using good local products helps our economy and can make our meals a bit easier to prepare. Of course I will always enjoy the meals made from scratch but it’s been fun trying out new things and tasting all the local products. Some products come from our local restaurants while others are entrepreneurships that have started out of one’s garden or kitchen. I’ve found some real gems that I would buy over and over again. Even if you don’t live in NM, maybe this will inspire you to try local products from your state that give you new and innovative ideas to incorporate them into your meals.
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green | 4 Comments | Tagged Braised Chicken and Rice, Cibolo Junction Three Chile Soup, Jillipepper Dress It Salad Fixin, Simple Salad with Jillipepper Dressing, Soup Mix Recipes
- Bisti De Na Zin Wilderness
  
  Posted at 10:19 am by NativeNM, on May 5, 2021
  The Bisti Badlands are located in the four corners area of New Mexico south of Farmington off of Hwy 371. The Bisti’s have been #1 on my bucket list for many years, but for different reasons we haven’t been able to go until now. You can look at photos and watch YouTube videos but there is nothing like seeing this landscape in person that makes you feel transported into another place and time. Much of the landscape appears black and white or sepia tone. It’s dry and desolate and the heat becomes a factor much of the afternoon so hiking in this area is best in the mornings. We carried several bottles of water with us knowing that there were no water stations to refill our bottles. The area is 45,000 acres and 60 square miles so unless you have an idea where to go, you could wander for hours. We did our research and decided we needed a GPS to coordinate areas and also keep track of our path because there are no trails and many of the footprints are blown away with the wind. We parked at the south parking lot and entered our coordinates into our GPS with 3 areas that we wanted to see; the Wings, Cracked Eggs and the Petrified Logs. We made it to those areas but we were also lured into other areas that we wanted to explore. There’s just so much to see, much more than we could even imagine in the few hours we were there. I hope you can imagine being transported to this enchanted land that was shaped by time and mother nature!
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  Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments | Tagged Bisti Badlands, Bisti/De Na Zin Wilderness, De Na Zin, Four Corners New Mexcio, New Mexico, Northwest New Mexico
- Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas with Sopaipillas
  
  Posted at 12:50 pm by NativeNM, on April 27, 2021
  There’s a debate among New Mexicans whether red chile sauce tastes better made with chile powder or pods. I follow a facebook page for New Mexico recipes and learned that families love their red chile and will fiercely defend their method of making it. I’ve only made red chile with powder once before and it was gritty and I didn’t really like the texture. I’ve always preferred making a batch with pods by soaking them and then pureeing them in the blender. With pods you can strain them to remove all that pulp and peel. But after some time has gone by I’ve decided it was time to try powder again. I’m trying Tia Rita’s Home Style Enchilada Sauce that comes from Las Cruces in Southern NM. The ingredients listed are red chile, paprika, constarch, salt garlic, baking soda and oregano. That’s pretty close to the spices I would normally use so I gave it a try. The mix was quite easy and less messy. Just add water and simmer for 4 – 6 minutes. The texture was not quite as smooth as using pods but it wasn’t nearly as gritty as the powder I had used previously. We found it flavorful with just the right amount of heat for our palate. I made a plate of cheese enchiladas with beans and potatoes on the side and sopaipillas. The sopaipillas were made from the Desert Gardens Sopaipilla and Fry Bread Mix. I made fry bread for my Indian tacos and saved the rest of the dough for sopaipillas. The remaining dough made 6 sopaipillas which was perfect alongside our enchiladas. They tasted so good with a drizzle of honey. So the debate goes on whether red chile is better with powder or pods. I’d advise anyone to try both methods and decide for yourself!
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  Posted in Bread, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green | 4 Comments | Tagged Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chile, Desert Gardens Sopaipilla and Fry Bread Mix, Oven Fried Potatoes, Pinto Beans, Rolled Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chile, Sopaipilla, Tia Rita's Homestyle Enchilada Sauce
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