An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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    • Pan Fried Tacos with Ground Beef, Potato and Green Chile

      Posted at 9:32 am by NativeNM, on June 24, 2016
      Pan-Fried-Tacos-with-Ground-Beef,-Potato,-and-Green-Chile-13

      Last fall Joe and I went to Old Settlers Day which is a local festival here in Olathe.  The streets are blocked off for a few days as people gather for concerts, arts and crafts, an old car show and a parade.  As we were walking through the streets checking out the arts and crafts, we saw a lot of folks eating tacos that caught our eye.  I could tell that they were made with flour tortillas but they were crisp and browned on the outside.  As we neared the food vendors we found a group of boy scouts selling “Pan Fried Tacos”.  I watched as they prepared them with taco meat and then placed them in a skillet with a little bit of oil to crisp and brown them, first on one side, then the other.  Before they handed them over they topped them with shredded lettuce, chopped onion, tomato and grated cheese.   I had to try one and it was love at first bite!  Flour tortillas aren’t usually my first choice for tacos however the pan fried method gives the tortillas a crisp and crunchy texture which also makes them taste so good.

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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 4 Comments | Tagged Hatch Green Chile, Pan Fried Tacos with Ground Beef, Potato and Green Chile, Puffy Tacos
    • Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

      Posted at 9:10 am by NativeNM, on June 17, 2016
      Buckwheat-Pancakes-10

      Breakfast is one of our favorite meals but we rarely have it in the morning.  If someone else gets up early to make breakfast I’m in . . . no question about it.  I’m simply not a morning person and coffee is the only thing I crave to start my day.  But with Father’s day just around the corner I may make an exception.  Joe loves breakfast and I mean anything breakfast.  We were introduced to buckwheat by Joe’s brother Chuck, who made us a big platter of pancakes when we visited earlier in the year.  Both Joe and I were amazed at the taste and immediately wanted to make a batch when we came home.  Buckwheat gives pancakes a darker color and a rich taste that is different from pancakes made solely with all purpose flour.  I’ve made several batches trying mixed fresh berries, frozen berries and fresh blueberries.  I can say without a doubt that buckwheat pancakes taste great on their own but adding berries will bring another dimension to the flavor that I think you will love.

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      Posted in Breakfast, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Blueberries, Buckwheat Pancakes, Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries, Buttermilk
    • Great Day Cafe’s Quinoa Tabbouleh

      Posted at 9:23 am by NativeNM, on June 13, 2016
      Quinoa-Tabbouleh-10

      Josh and I sure do miss the Great Day Cafe!  It was one of our favorite places to hang out when we went to Downtown Overland Park.  They always had a troubadour playing guitar and singing a folk tune while we ate.  It was a quaint little place that served great food and made you feel at home.  In the summer we would go to the cafe for a bite to eat after a walk through the Farmers Market or a trip to Penzeys or Tasteful Olive.  Sadly the cafe closed it’s doors in October so there will be no more of the daily specials where you could find the best sandwiches, soups and salads. Josh’s favorite side dish was the Quinoa Tabbouleh.  They shared their recipe on one of the local morning shows which I found on youtube so now I will share it with you!

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      Posted in Recipes, Side Dishes | 2 Comments | Tagged Great Day Cafe, Quinoa, Quinoa Tabbouleh
    • Bacos aka Asian Tacos

      Posted at 10:24 am by NativeNM, on May 24, 2016
      Bacos-8

      Have you ever watched “Taco Trip” on the Cooking Channel?  My sister Kat told me about this show hosted by Aaron Sanchez taking a look at the best tacos across several cities.  I started watching and couldn’t stop thinking about all those tantalizing tacos.  One that stood out was an Asian taco from New Orleans at the Pho Bistreaux that they called Bacos.  It’s made with marinated strips of pork shoulder and topped with pickled carrots, cilantro and sliced jalapenos. A steamed bun or Banh Bao is used in place of a tortilla.  You can make the dough by hand or there is a pre-made flour mix that you can find at an Asian food store.  While looking for the mixed flour I happened upon some frozen pre-made buns which I thought would be easier especially for my first time making these.  The frozen pre-made buns steamed perfectly but I think I will give the mixed flour a try next time.  The chef at Pho Bistreaux gave away many of the ingredients but she wouldn’t disclose her master marinade sauce which she said had only 5 ingredients.  So I put on my thinking cap and came up with my own 5 ingredients that I thought would make a tasty marinade.  I was amazed at how yummy these tacos tasted.  There are a lot of flavors layered on these tiny steamed buns and I can see why they are so popular!

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      Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Recipes, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 2 Comments | Tagged Asian Pork Tacos with Pickled Vegetables, Asian Tacos, Bacos, Pho Bistreaux's Bacos, Taco Trip
    • A Year In The Life of Z “The Wonder Kitty”

      Posted at 12:13 pm by NativeNM, on May 19, 2016
      Little-Man-Z-57

      Z is a special little man in my life and has the most amazing story to tell.  I call him my Wonder Kitty because of all the obstacles he faced and overcome in the first few month’s of his life.  But let’s start at the beginning.  In the Spring of 2015 I decided that I was ready to to start looking for a kitten.  My Cheli cat was so lonely after her mate Sami passed on a couple years prior.  I was hoping that a kitten would help Cheli and I was ready too.  I’ve had several Siamese over the years and was hoping I would find one at a shelter.  For several weeks I checked the listings with the local shelters to see what kittens were available, it seemed like there were no Siamese kittens to be found.  But then on May 15th I came across a posting for a male 8 week old Seal Point Siamese that had just been brought in for adoption.  I said to Joe “I have to be there when they open”.   I had a feeling that he was the one.  We arrived just as they opened and was escorted back to the kennels where they housed the cats and kittens.  As soon as I saw this little guy my heart just melted.  He was so tiny and sweet and innocent.  I picked him up and he hissed at me in his tiny little voice.  He was a bit scared but once I put him up to my shoulder and cuddled him he started to purr.  We asked about adopting him and was told we would have to wait 3 days because he was brought in as a stray kitty.  He would need to be checked out and given time for someone to claim him.  It will always be a mystery of how he ended up alone and separated from his mother.  And I will always wonder how long he was stranded before he was found and brought to the shelter.  I try not to think about it because I fell in love with this little guy and promised to give him a good life.  On May 19, 2015 I brought my Little Man Z home.

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cheli, Chris Chelios, Henrik Zetterberg, Magic, Pavel, Pavel Datsyuk, The Magic Man, Z, Z The Wonder Kitty
    • Carrot Zucchini Bundt Cake

      Posted at 2:31 pm by NativeNM, on May 3, 2016
      Carrot-Zucchini-Bundt-Cake-14

      This is one of my favorite bundt cakes.  It’s also a Birthday cake for my youngest son Cameron who just turned 26.  That sure does make me feel old!  It’s always hard to make something sweet for Cam because he doesn’t like very many desserts.  But the one thing I can count on is his love for carrot or zucchini or banana cake.  Sometimes I make cupcakes so he can just pick up one on the go but this year I wanted to make something a little different.  This cake is healthier with natural applesauce replacing the oil to make a very moist cake.  And it has a layer of cream cheese filling that makes the cake so yummy as well as a pretty swirl in every slice.

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      Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes and Muffins, Recipes | 3 Comments | Tagged Applesauce, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling, Carrot Zucchini Bundt Cake, Cream Cheese Drizzle
    • Steak Gyros

      Posted at 11:17 am by NativeNM, on April 22, 2016
      Steak-Gyros-10

      There’s nothing better than freshly made warm flatbreads.  For years I’ve been making batches of flatbreads that I could store in the fridge.  My boys loved them because they could make a quick pizza or stuff them with taco meat and cheese.  They can be cut into triangles and toasted for fresh pita chips that can be dipped or topped with all sorts of things.  What I had in mind this time was a gyro using skirt steak.  I marinated bite size pieces of steak and stir fried it in my mini wok.  Chicken or pork can be substituted for the steak as well.  Add some sliced onion, chopped tomato and a dollop of tzatziki sauce and you’ve got a fresh meal that tastes every bit as good as if you had gone out to a restaurant.

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      Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Entree, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Flatbreads, Skirt Steak, Steak Gyro, Tzatziki Sauce
    • Mom’s Buttermilk Pie (Meringue and Custard)

      Posted at 7:17 pm by NativeNM, on March 26, 2016
      Buttermilk-Pie-18

      My Mom’s buttermilk pies are one of my favorite things on earth.  Every time I bake a buttermilk pie it brings back memories of Mom in the kitchen.  Mom is now 91 almost 92 and she doesn’t cook anymore.  Although she is doing well physically she doesn’t remember things like she used to.  A few years back when we went back to the farm to visit, Mom decided she was going to make a pie.  She didn’t have any buttermilk so she set some milk out on the counter and it ultimately spoiled.  In her mind if the milk went a little sour it would be just like buttermilk. As we all sat down at the table and took that first bite we all just about gagged.  We asked Mom if her milk was old and she told us what she had done.  We all just looked at each other and started giggling.  She didn’t know what we were giggling about, she looked at us like we were crazy and went on eating her slice of pie like it was the best thing. You see, she has lost her taste buds as well and she didn’t taste the spoiled milk like we did. When we get together we all have a good laugh about the spoiled milk pies, even though Mom can’t remember any of it.

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      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 6 Comments | Tagged Buttermilk Custard Pie, Buttermilk Meringue Pie, Buttermilk Pie, Mom's Buttermilk Pie
    • Irish Soda Bread

      Posted at 8:43 am by NativeNM, on March 17, 2016
      Irish-Soda-Bread-10

      If you want an easy bread to make for a crowd, Irish soda bread is hard to beat.  Since it uses soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast it takes less time to make.  A slice of this hearty bread tastes so good alongside a bowl of your favorite soup or stew.  I enjoy that first slice fresh out of the oven, warm and crusty.  Even toasted with butter and honey is a treat.  While looking around other blogs I stumbled across some inspiring ideas.  My favorite was a grilled cheese sandwich from justataste.com.  It looked amazing and although I didn’t make Kelly’s grilled cheese, I did toast a few slices and topped them with a spinach pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomato slices and bacon bits for a tasty bruschetta.

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      Posted in Bread, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Irish Soda Bread, Irish Soda Bread Bruschetta
    • Verde Chicken Taquitos with Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce

      Posted at 1:57 pm by NativeNM, on March 12, 2016
      Verde-Chicken-Taquitos-8

      With one rotisserie chicken you can make a variety of meals.  I was able to make a mound of Ancho Chicken Nachos with the dark meat and still have leftover breast meat to use for another dish.  I chopped the breast meat into little cubes and combined it with a green chile sauce to make a filling for Verde Chicken Taquitos.  My love of taquitos has no bounds!  I love biting into those crisp corn tortillas with savory fillings and oozing cheese.  They’re the ultimate fun food you eat with your fingers, but when you dip them into a creamy queso, spicy salsa or fresh guacamole you add on a whole nother dimension. Whether you mix or match is up to you, but you can’t go wrong with any of these flavors.  I had 3 cups of leftover chicken which made 2 dozen taquitos.  Next time I may use the whole chicken to make a batch for the freezer.

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      Posted in Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 2 Comments | Tagged Chicken Taquitos, Chile de Arbol Salsa, Green Chile Sauce, Guacamole, Oaxaca Cheese, Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce, Verde Chicken Taquitos
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