An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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    • Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Strawberries

      Posted at 2:11 pm by NativeNM, on September 28, 2018

      Before we moved back to New Mexico, Joe and I had one last breakfast at “First Watch”, one of our favorites.  They serve breakfast and lunch and we always have a hard time deciding because everything on their menu sounds and tastes so good.  Occasionally they add a few seasonal items to the menu that is served for a short period of time.  This was one of them.  I have always been a fan of lemon and strawberries and these toppers take the cake . . . or should I say pancake!  Usually I go for something savory like a benedict or toasted sandwich with fruit on the side but on this day I was craving something sweeter.  And while the strawberries were perfectly sweet, the lemon curd was quite tart.  Maple syrup was on the table but after the first bite there was no need to add anything more.  The pancakes were light and slightly creamy like a dutch baby, with a crispy outer crust.  When I taste a dish this delicious I usually write it down with notes as to the ingredients, taste, and texture for future reference.  It’s taken me awhile to recreate this one but it was well worth the wait!
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      Posted in Breakfast, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes | 6 Comments | Tagged First Watch Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Lemon Curd, Ricotta Pancakes, Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Strawberries
    • Bacon and Tomato Grilled Cheese

      Posted at 10:40 am by NativeNM, on September 6, 2018

      Summer is almost over and I’m not ready to let it go.  I still have places to explore, farmers markets to visit, things to grill outdoors.  I’m just getting used to the daily routine of being in a new home, getting familiar with new surroundings and finding my way around a new kitchen.  For others it probably would be a breeze, but for me it takes time.  Yes, summer is leaving and fall is just around the corner.  It won’t be long before summer grilling turns into fall baking and soups for the soul.  It may be late in the summer but I’m still enjoying the farm grown tomatoes which highlight this incredible grilled cheese.  Envision crisp bacon strips, tomato slices and grated cheese between two slices of Josh’s artisan bread, toasted on a hot cast iron comal.  That makes one great sandwich!  And for a slightly different taste, add a few slices of avocado.  Maybe next time I’ll try a fried egg on top, I can only imagine how good that would be!
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      Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Artisan Bread Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomato, Avocado, Bacon, Bacon and Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Grilled Cheese with Bacon, Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomato, Tomato and Avocado, Tomato Grilled Cheese
    • Hatch Green Chile Benedict with Fry Bread

      Posted at 3:20 pm by NativeNM, on August 16, 2018

      It’s chile season here in New Mexico!  I have missed you so!  It’s been too many years since I’ve been home to enjoy the aroma of roasting chiles in the air.  Ask any New Mexican and they will tell you that this is a most special time of year.  Today I’m sharing a favorite breakfast dish and taking it up a notch to make it even more scrumptious if that’s possible.  An eggs benedict with a fry bread base, topped with bacon, poached eggs and a green chile hollandaise sauce ladled over top.  Making this for just the two us us presented a dilemna of scaling everything down from the fry bread to the hollandaise sauce.  As much as I tried it’s really perfect for four.  It’s also a time sensitive dish to make given that everything needs to be prepped and cooked at the same time.  Fortunately for me, Joe volunteered to help out and together we had everything prepared and assembled in no time.  When you taste that first bite, your taste buds will swoon.  This is by far my favorite hollandaise sauce, so creamy and flavorful with freshly roasted green chile.  And if you take the time to make these light and airy fry breads, you will wonder why you haven’t done this sooner.  At least that’s what I’m thinking!
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      Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green | 2 Comments | Tagged Eggs Benedict, Eggs Benedict over Fry Bread, Eggs Benedict with Hatch Green Chile Hollandaise Sauce with Fry Bread, Green Chile Benedict, Green Chile Hollandaise Sauce, Hollandaise Sauce, Indian Fry Bread, Navajo Fry Bread
    • New Mexico Green Chile Cheese Steaks

      Posted at 12:26 pm by NativeNM, on August 7, 2018

      Joe and I are enjoying being back in Albuquerque and trying some of the local restaurant favorites.  While I cook most of our meals during the week, on the weekend we try to get away from the daily grind and nearly always go out for a bite to eat.  One Saturday we tried a new place, at least it’s new to us called Filling Philly’s.  They feature steak and chicken philly cheese steaks as well as meatball sandwiches.  But what caught our eye was the Green Chile Philly.  I can tell you my mouth was watering just reading the description.  And it didn’t disappoint, It was delicious!!  The distinct difference between my cheese steak and Filling Philly’s is the cheese sauce.  They use cheese whiz which does taste good but I envisioned a creamy Oaxaca cheese sauce.  Oaxaca cheese melts so creamy and makes the best cheese sauce and dips.  I especially love it paired with green chile.  My love of cheese steaks have no bounds, this one has to be one of the best!
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      Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Condiments and Sauces, Recipes, Red or Green, Salsa, Guacamole and Dips | 0 Comments | Tagged Bueno Autumn Roast, Green Chile Philly, Green Chile Powder, Green Chile Salt, New Mexico Green Chile Cheese Steaks, Oaxaca Cheese Sauce, Philly Cheese Steak with Green Chile
    • Strawberry Limeade

      Posted at 9:18 am by NativeNM, on August 1, 2018

      Joe and I have visited several farmers markets around Albuquerque lately.  Our first market was the Rail Yards Market that happens every Sunday.  It’s located in the heart of the city in an old rail yard that is near 100 years old.  The market attracts many who come every Sunday to walk among the vendors who sell fresh produce, honey, local arts and crafts along with jerky, breakfast burritos and a lemonade booth with every flavor of lemonade under the sun. We went on a hot morning with clear skies and the sun shining brightly.  It didn’t take long to become parched.  We saw all the lemonades across the way and wandered over.  We couldn’t decide what lemonade to try when they offered up samples of any combination we wanted to try.  OH MY MY!  Every flavor of lemonade was so delicious, we just couldn’t make up our minds.  We finally went with a blueberry lemonade that had the most refreshing taste.  I decided right then and there that as soon as I had a kitchen again I was going to make lemonade or limeade.  Well, now that I have a kitchen again its time to test some new recipes.  The limes were on sale so guess who won!  Our fruit of choice was ripe and juicy strawberries.  These days I’m always on the hunt for lemons or limes on sale.  Summer is the perfect time to always have a refreshing pitcher of lemonade or limeade.
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      Posted in Favorite Drinks, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Fresh Limeade with Strawberries, Simple Syrup, Strawberry Limeade
    • Purple Adobe Lavender Farm, Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch

      Posted at 11:23 am by NativeNM, on July 17, 2018

      Welcome to New Mexico!  We are now officially back in the Land of Enchantment.  We packed up our belongings in Kansas and moved back to NM in May.  It took a few weeks to find the perfect home but are now settled into a beautiful pueblo style home on the West side of Albuquerque.  On any given morning we are blessed with hot air balloons to greet us, sometimes they are so close we can almost touch them.  Joe and I have gone to several farmer’s markets around the city, artist and craft fairs in Santa Fe and a memorable day with my sister Kat at the Vintage Market days where many things from the past were re-purposed into something new. This past weekend we enjoyed a day trip to the Purple Adobe Lavender Festival in Abiquiu, NM.  Afterwards we ventured a little further up the road to Ghost Ranch where Georgia O’Keeffe made her home and painted so many beautiful landscapes.  The area around Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch is referred to as Georgia O’Keeffe Country.  The land is rugged and full of color.  I can see the inspiration behind her beautifully painted landscapes.  We had the most gorgeous day.  The skies were a beautiful blue with massive clouds in the horizon.  As we drove home the skies turned an even darker blue and rained over the mountains.  It followed us home and shortly after we arrived the skies opened up and poured.  It was a day I will always remember.  It feels good to be home!
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      Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments | Tagged Abiquiu Lake, Abiquiu New Mexico, Cerro Pedernal, Georgia O'Keeffe, Ghost Ranch New Mexico, New Mexico, Pedernal, Purple Adobe Lavender Farm, Purple Lavender Festival 2018, Travel
    • Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake (From Kansas With Love)

      Posted at 8:54 am by NativeNM, on April 20, 2018

      This lucious chocolate caramel poke cake comes with some big news!  This is my last recipe from Kansas.  After 25 years in the Kansas City area we are finally going home to New Mexico.  For the past several years I’ve been feeling homesick for New Mexico.  Our little family is all grown up; our boys are living their own lives and spreading their wings.  The time feels right to move on to the next phase of our lives.  Joe and I are both looking forward to taking long weekends to explore and travel throughout the state that we’ve missed for so many years.  I don’t know when I’ll be posting again, but eventually when we are settled I’ll be back with some stories to tell for sure.  Hope you’ll come back and visit.  But for now I have one last dessert to share.  From Kansas with love!!
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      Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes and Muffins, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Chocolate Cake Mix, Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake, Chocolate Poke Cake, Chocolate Poke Cake with Caramel Sauce and Chocolate Whipped Cream, Chocolate Whipped Cream, Salted Caramel Sauce
    • Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce

      Posted at 10:11 am by NativeNM, on March 2, 2018

      Those who are close to me know that I am no fan of coconut, however I do like fried coconut shrimp.  It’s a weird thing, I know, most people love coconut but it’s never been my thing.  I think one reason why I like this coconut shrimp is that the coconut is fried and has a toasted flavor.  I also like the crunchy texture versus fresh coconut which reminds me of eating sweet grass.  My whole family loves coconut shrimp plus they’re quick and easy to make.  I found endless recipes for Red Lobster’s coconut shrimp which taste pretty darn close to the original.  Most people deep fry their shrimp, however I pan fried them which worked just as well and made for a much easier clean-up.
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      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Coconut Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce, Red Lobster's Coconut Bay Shrimp, Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce
    • Stir Fry Sweet and Sour Pork

      Posted at 1:14 pm by NativeNM, on February 21, 2018

      Sweet and sour pork is normally pork that is battered and fried, combined with onions, peppers and pineapple with a rich sweet and tangy sauce.  For a healthier version I decided to stir fry the pork which to my surprise turned out really well.  The pork was very tender and paired with fresh pineapple rather than from a can made for a very flavorful dish.  The recipe comes from The Woks of Life, one of my favorite bloggers for authentic Asian dishes.  They have several sweet and sour recipes to choose from but this is my favorite.  I love the colors and the flavors of this dish.  The sauce is tangy which I think is a better term than sour and the fresh pineapple brings out the sweetness.  Ladle over rice for a complete meal that you won’t soon forget.
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      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Entree, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Classic Sweet and Sour Pork, Fresh Pineapple Sweet and Sour Pork, Stir Fried Pork, Sweet and Sour Pork, Sweet and Sour Sauce
    • Mom’s Vintage Donuts

      Posted at 2:07 pm by NativeNM, on February 2, 2018

      One of my favorite memories of my Mom was the time she made donuts.  She only made them once or twice but the memory stood out for me as she would cut the little rings of dough and drop them in hot oil to fry.  They would come out of the fryer just for a minute and then she would dunk them in icing.  At that point they were up for grabs!  As fast as she could make them, we would eat them.  I remember her donuts as one of the best things I ever ate.  They are made from ingredients that were commonly used in the 50’s and 60’s which is why I call them vintage.  The recipe includes Pet Milk and Crisco which were staples in our kitchen when I was growing up.  I doubt you would see them listed in a current recipe today.  Half were made with glaze and the other half with cinnamon sugar.  The best part is eating them as soon as they are dipped in the glaze or cinnamon sugar.  They taste so light and airy and for that moment they are the best thing ever!

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      Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, Glazed Donuts, Mom's Donuts, Mom's Vintage Donuts, Yeast Raised Donuts
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