An Inspired Cook

- 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
- 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
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