An Inspired Cook

- Roasted Red Chile Cheese Spread
  
  Posted at 8:17 am by NativeNM, on August 14, 2020
  Pimento cheese is a great cheese spread that originated in the south. I can remember eating little finger sandwiches with pimento cheese or served with crackers. These days you might see it added to burgers or BLT’s which got me to thinking . . . what if I gave it some New Mexico flavor with roasted red chile. Roasted red chile can be quite spicy but also has a hint of sweetness that tastes really good in this cheese spread. The flavor is unmatched and enhanced over time as the ingredients blend together. You can also use different cheeses to alter the taste. I made this with cheddar and Monterey jack along with some whipped cream cheese. You can simply blend all the ingredients together for a chunky spread or you can blend it with a hand mixer for a smoother texture. Here in New Mexico chile season is in full swing, the roasters are out and everyone is filling their freezer with green chile. Red chile comes later in the season and is the result of chiles left on the plant which will change in color from green to a vivid red. This is the last of my red chile and I can’t wait until September when I can get some more.
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Recipes, Red or Green, Snack | 6 Comments | Tagged New Mexico Roasted Red Chile Cheese Spread, Pimento Cheese Spread with Roasted Red Chiles, Roasted Red Chile Cheese Spread, Roasted Red Chiles
- Spicy Honey Mustard Sauce
  
  Posted at 11:50 am by NativeNM, on July 31, 2020
  If there ever was a sauce that goes with everything it might be Honey Mustard. It’s sweet and tangy and a little bit spicy. It’s best known as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers, but we like to dip veggies, fries and soft pretzels as well. If you’ve never had pretzels and honey mustard sauce you don’t know what you’re missing. One of our local sandwich shops “Cheba Hut” have a menu full of creative sandwiches, but what keeps us going back are the soft pretzel bites with honey mustard sauce. Joe and I found ourselves addicted the first time we ordered them, there’s just something about those salty pretzel bites dipped in tangy honey mustard that tastes so good. But beyond dipping it’s one of our favorite sandwich spreads and salad dressing. It’s the versatile sauce that you can use for many different things. What’s your favorite way to use honey mustard?
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Recipes | 15 Comments | Tagged Coarse Dijon Mustard, Honey Dijon Sauce, Spicy Honey Dijon Sauce
- Roasted Tomatoes and Pasta with Burrata
  
  Posted at 12:31 pm by NativeNM, on July 23, 2020
  It seems like every summer I find a new recipe that is so good that I have to make it over and over again. Well, this is it and it comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Marie at (Proud Italian Cook). Marie’s Fettucine with Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata looked so appealing and I could only imagine the taste. I’ve made it 3 times now changing it up with different types of tomatoes and pasta but it always makes the perfect meal. Joe and I enjoy it with grilled chicken and a sprinkle of bread spices and olive oil. Sometimes I roast the tomatoes in the traditional way in the oven but when it’s too hot for the oven I have found that roasting the tomatoes in my mini wok works wonderful. You can use any pan where you can toss the tomatoes as they roast to get the same results. Here I used cherry tomatos but campari tomatoes work great also, I especially like the Kumato brown tomatoes, they have such a rich dark red color when roasted and makes this dish so appealing. Ever since I was introduced to Burrata cheese I can’t get enough of it. It pairs perfectly with roasted tomatoes. And last but not least a sprinkle of bread spices with olive oil is the perfect seasoning to top it off. It has a wonderful blend of spices with a bit of salt and chile flakes to enhance the flavors.
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  Posted in Entree, Recipes | 6 Comments | Tagged Bread Dipping Spices, Burrata Cheese, Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes and Pasta, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Tomato and Pasta with Burrata Cheese, Roasted Tomato with Fettucine, Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Tomatoes with Pasta
- Fresh Lime Popsicles
  
  Posted at 9:46 am by NativeNM, on July 17, 2020
  Have you guys been experiencing this heat wave? It’s been in the mid 90’s to over 100 degrees for what seems like a couple weeks now. It may be dry heat here in the Southwest but unless there is a breeze blowing by it’s just hot air. So instead of turning on the oven we’ve been grilling and making salads or simple sandwiches to beat the heat. We needed something cold for a boost of energy so I made popsicles. They are a welcome treat from the afternoon heat. I’d forgotten how easy they are to make with simple syrup, lime juice, lime zest and a little bit of alcohol that gives them that soft slushy texture. Refreshing is the best word to describe them and they taste even better than those frozen fruit bars you buy at the store. I used to make these for the kids but I think Joe and I enjoy them just as much!
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  Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Fresh Lime Popsicles, Lime Juice, Lime Popsicles, Lime Zest, Limeade Popsicles, Popsicles, Simple Syrup
- S’mores Blondie Bars
  
  Posted at 11:12 am by NativeNM, on July 3, 2020
  If you love S’mores, you have to try these S’mores blondie bars. They are so decadent, loaded with big chunks of chocolate bars, marshmallow creme and cookie dough. And if that’s not enough, how about some roughly chopped pecans and graham crackers sprinkled over top. S’mores are great for all occasions but they seem to be especially popular for the 4th of July. While the celebrations this year won’t be quite the same, Joe and I still plan to grill some hamburgers and go for a hike somewhere. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and enjoy some S’mores or maybe a S’mores blondie bar. Stay safe and have a great weekend!
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  Posted in Cookies, Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Graham Crackers, Hershey's Chocolate Bars, Marshmallow Creme, Pecans, S'mores Bars, S'mores Blondie Bars, S'mores Cookie Bars, Special Dark Chocolate, Toll House Cookie Dough
- Strawberry Pie
  
  Posted at 11:11 am by NativeNM, on June 23, 2020
  Strawberry pie has been around for ages but what keeps it popular is the fresh and natural sweetness of ripened strawberries with a jello glaze that is so delectable. I have always thought it one of the most vibrant pies both in color and in taste and a little dollop of whip cream on top never hurts. This summer’s crop of strawberries have been so perfect and sweet, I just couldn’t pass up making a pie. And it was the opportunity to try out my new camera. When I made wheat rolls last post, I dropped my Nikon camera for the last time which is a story for another day. I now have a Sony A6000 which I am learning to use. I thought the pics made this strawberry pie look quite tempting. What do you think?
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  Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 6 Comments | Tagged Fresh Strawberry Pie, Graham Cracker Crust, Strawberry Jello Pie, Strawberry Pie, Vintage Strawberry Pie, Whipped Cream
- Whole Wheat Rolls with a Honey Butter Glaze
  
  Posted at 2:20 pm by NativeNM, on June 16, 2020
  One of my fondest memories of my Mother is her teaching me the techniques of making homemade rolls. She gave me her old Fleischmann’s Yeast Bread book which she used as her guide for making rolls. I can’t find a date on it but based on the pictures it must be from the 1950’s or 60’s. It’s a wonderful time capsule of bread making that we don’t often see these days. Although I’ve made wheat bread in the past I had not tried whole wheat rolls. I always thought they would have a dense texture but these are so light and taste so good, especially with some melted butter and honey glazed over top and dripping down the sides. No need for a special occasion to make these rolls, they are good any day with a meal or just by themselves.
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  Posted in Bread, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Dinner Rolls, Honey Butter, Honey Butter Glaze, Honey Wheat Rolls, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, Whole Wheat Rolls, Whole Wheat Rolls with a Honey Butter Glaze
- Seasoned Beef Taquitos
  
  Posted at 12:22 pm by NativeNM, on June 5, 2020
  When I first discovered taquitos they were made with ground beef. These days you will find them filled with shredded chicken or beef and pulled pork. While they are all delicious, I find the ground beef taquitos a classic. And the salsa to dip them in is what makes them taste so good. You have to be choosy when picking corn tortillas for wrapping taquitos. They need to be thin and stone ground. If you have soft tortillas they are more likely to tear when rolling and won’t crisp they way they should. Bueno is my brand of choice here in NM. They are stone ground and a larger tortilla which is always a plus in making taquitos. Pan frying the tortillas in oil before rolling them is also key. Never blot the oil from the tortilla, this is what helps create that crisp texture when baking. Taquitos also freeze well, just double or triple the filling and tortillas and have them whenever you want.
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  Posted in Recipes, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 4 Comments | Tagged Bueno Corn Tortillas, El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce, Seasoned Beef Taquitos, Seasoned Ground Beef Taqitos, Taquitos
- Tuscan Chicken Lasagna
  
  Posted at 12:53 pm by NativeNM, on May 26, 2020
  If you’ve ever had Tuscan chicken pasta or pizza you might like to try Tuscan Chicken Lasagna. It’s packed with grilled chicken, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and loads of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Most Tuscan chicken recipes are made with a cream sauce but I opted for a traditional red sauce instead and it was quite delicious. Instead of making a big pan of lasagna, I made two smaller ones and placed one in the freezer for later. We enjoyed a side salad and fresh sliced bread to make this meal complete. It easily made 4 meals for the two of us.
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Recipes | 5 Comments | Tagged Grilled Chicken, Spinach Mix, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Tuscan Chicken Lasagna
- Mongolian Beef
  
  Posted at 9:49 am by NativeNM, on May 12, 2020
  Mongolian beef is one of my favorite take out dishes. There’s just something about that crispy beef covered in a delectable thick sauce that is packed with flavor and clings to every bite. Asian dishes can sometimes be challenging but since I started following “Woks of Life“, I am learning more about wok cooking and trying new techniques that make Asian food taste so good. This is one of their most popular dishes and I can see why. Ever since they posted instructions on how to prepare beef for stir fry I’ve been anxious to try it out. It cooks up with a crispy texture but so tender it almost melts in your mouth. It’s so good you might think it came from your favorite restaurant. If you love Mongolian Beef, I guarantee you will love this recipe!
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Recipes | 11 Comments | Tagged Asian Dish, Best Mongolian Beef, Flat Iron Steak, Mongolian Beef, Mongolian Sauce, Wok Cooking, Woks of Life
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