An Inspired Cook

- Lemony Brownies
  
  Posted at 9:20 am by NativeNM, on April 15, 2014
  Josh and I recently went home to NM for Spring break where the trees were in full bloom. They were so beautiful and vibrant with the colors of light and dark pinks, purples, yellows and white. Here in the Midwest it’s just beginning to feel like Springtime with the lush green grass coming back to life and blossoming flowers on the fruit trees. It puts me in the mood for a fresh and citrusy treat. For me, lemons and sunshine go hand in hand and a lemony dessert seems just the thing this time of year. I thought it was the perfect time to make some Lemony Brownies. I have to give my sister Kat credit for turning me on to this delicious treat. She told me they were one of her favorite things and that I would love them . . . I have to say, they are delicious!
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  Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Lemon Glaze, Lemon Zest, Lemonies, Lemony Brownies
- Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet
  
  Posted at 8:53 am by NativeNM, on March 18, 2014
  A few warm days is all I need to get in the mood for Springtime. Any day with sunshine and above 50 degrees is a day to be outdoors and watch the Robins that have just returned home. It’s a sure sign that Spring is just around the corner when the trees begin to bud and my outdoor herbs start to break through the ground. I think of lemons in Springtime with the colors of sunshine. Some fresh squeezed lemonade would be refreshing but what I really wanted was some sorbet. Along with a bag of lemons, I found some bright red strawberries to add to the mix for a Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet. A frozen treat that was not too tart and not too sweet.
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  Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 6 Comments | Tagged Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, Fresh Strawberries, Lemon Sorbet, Simple Syrup, Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet
- Chicken Cacciatore
  
  Posted at 8:38 am by NativeNM, on March 14, 2014
  In need of some comfort food, I’ve got the perfect dish. A bowl of chicken cacciatore with some creamy polenta will make you feel right at home. It’s one of the most flavorful dishes you could make and the chicken practically falls off the bone. So easy to make, everything goes together in a dutch oven to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. I love it with a side of creamy polenta but it depends on the mood. The spicy tomato gravy is so delicious you can pair it with pasta, rice or even mashed potatoes. Continue reading →
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  Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Soups, Stews and Chili | 4 Comments | Tagged Bone in Chicken Legs and Thighs, Chicken Cacciatore, Polenta
- Steak and Green Chile Pizza
  
  Posted at 8:59 am by NativeNM, on March 11, 2014
  A few years ago California Pizza Kitchen had a steak pizza on the menu that had seasoned steak and green chile. It was my favorite pizza with a thinner crust, spicy tomato sauce with freshly roasted chiles and seared steak. No longer available, I decided to make my own version. The perfect sauce would have been Rotel tomato sauce, but turns out it’s been discontinued too, can’t find it anywhere. Oh Rotel . . . how could you, I loved that sauce and used it for many of my recipes, what to do now? I had to find an alternative which I did after a trip to the Mexican market. In the end it all came together with a new thinner crust that had a light crunch in every bite and tasty pieces of seared steak and roasted chiles. It’s definitely a keeper and staying on my menu! Continue reading →
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  Posted in Bread, Pizza and Calzones, Recipes, Red or Green | 0 Comments | Tagged Roasted Green Chiles, Skirt Steak, Spicy Tomato Sauce, Steak and Green Chile Pizza, Thin Pizza Dough
- Crawfish Po Boys with Fried Green Tomatoes
  
  Posted at 9:40 am by NativeNM, on February 18, 2014
  This is the time of year that I start to get cabin fever. I’ve had my fill of winter, boy has it been a long cold winter, and I’m ready to move on to spring, how about you! I’m ready to move on from the soups and stews that we all cook up in the winter and on to something with a little more spice. Something you can hold in your hand or eat with a fork instead of a spoon. I found a package of frozen crawfish tails at the store the other day and thought a Po Boy sure would be good. Then I went to pick up some lettuce and tomato to dress the sandwich when I found some slightly green tomatoes. They were starting to ripen but still green on top and firmer than a ripe tomato. That just made my mouth water thinking about a fried green tomato alongside crispy crawfish tails and remoulade sauce.
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  Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Crawfish Po Boys, Crawfish Po Boys with Fried Green Tomato, crawfish tails, FGT Seasoning, Fried Green Tomato, Remoulade Sauce
- Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
  
  Posted at 9:21 am by NativeNM, on February 14, 2014
  When Joe and I got married it was kind of spur of the moment. After high school he went off to college and I stayed home on the farm. After his first year of college we decided pretty quick to get married over the summer before he had to go back to school. It just happened that we married on August 14th and as a young girl I thought it romantic that every Valentines day would be our half year anniversary. Every Valentines day we kid each other and say “We made it another 6 month’s”. Well, this Valentines day it will be 31 and a half years, I guess we made it! I usually make him a special dinner and a something sweet since he is a sweetheart, after all. This year I decided to go big on chocolate and found these lucious chocolate chip cupcakes with a chocolate buttercream frosting from Your Cup Of Cake. I knew these cupcakes would get his attention and I was pretty happy with them too.
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  Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes and Muffins, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, Chocolate Chips, Sweetheart Cupcakes, White Cake Mix from Scratch
- Hummus and a Layered Mediterranean Dip
  
  Posted at 9:23 am by NativeNM, on January 31, 2014
  I’ve never been a huge hummus fan but my guys all seem to love it. They are always picking up a tub of hummus and pairing it with pita chips or crackers and they always pack a tub of it on their backpacking trips. They say it’s healthy and is rich in good fats and protein so who am I to deny them this healthy snack. Since I’m trying to be a little more health conscience I thought I might try to make some homemade. It was such an easy process, just load all your ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you get the right consistency. It turned out really good but I had way more hummus than I had expected so I scooped out about a cup of the hummus and made a layered Mediterranean dip.
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  Posted in Condiments and Sauces, Recipes, Salsa, Guacamole and Dips, Snack | 0 Comments | Tagged Garbanzo Beans, Hummus, Layered Mediterranean Dip, Tahini Paste
- Roasted Eggplant Salsa
  
  Posted at 10:58 am by NativeNM, on January 28, 2014
  This year one of my goals is to try to incorporate more vegetables into our diet. Over the summer I found that I could get the guys to eat more veggies by roasting or grilling them. The key was to season or pair them with a pesto or sauce to make the flavors more appealing. Some years ago we had a Turkish roasted eggplant dip that everyone enjoyed, but no one can seem to remember what it was called other than it had eggplant, chiles and tomatoes. When I started researching it the first thing that came up was Baba Ghanouj which clearly wasn’t what we had in mind. Josh thought it might be Ezme but it is described as a tomato and pepper salad or condiment. So in the end, I made up a roasted eggplant salsa with chiles, tomato and garlic. It didn’t taste the same as the Turkish dip we remembered but it was very good with pita chips. Also try it with some flatbread and grilled chicken, it is fantastic!
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  Posted in Recipes, Salsa, Guacamole and Dips | 2 Comments | Tagged Anaheim Chiles, Eggplant, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Eggplant Salsa, Roasted Garlic
- Thai Noodles with Curry Peanut Sauce
  
  Posted at 9:00 am by NativeNM, on January 24, 2014
  I have been looking for a curry dish to try out and found a great soup recipe that sounded like it would fit all our taste buds. In full disclosure, my soup turned into a noodle bowl as I made it up ahead of time and let the noodles sit in the broth for about an hour before serving. The noodles absorbed most of the liquids to make a thick saucy noodle bowl. So if you want a soup dish, serve immediately. In the end I learned that even though my dish didn’t turn out as expected, the flavors remained intact and it made a most delicious bowl.
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  Posted in Entree, Recipes, Soups, Stews and Chili | 0 Comments | Tagged Bean Sprouts, Coconut Milk, Fresno Red Peppers, Red Curry Paste, Rice Noodles, Thai Noodles with Curry and Peanut Sauce
- Pan Seared Scallops
  
  Posted at 11:52 am by NativeNM, on January 21, 2014
  Scallops rate pretty high on my favorite foods list. They tend to be pricey so we don’t have them all that often. I love the succulent sweet meat that practically melts in your mouth when cooked to perfection. Pan searing can be one of the easiest and tastiest ways to serve them but it’s important to pat them as dry as possible to get that beautiful sear that holds so much flavor. Once you have a hot skillet in place they take only a few minutes to prepare. A rice pilaf with dried cherries is a tasty side dish to go alongside.
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  Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Pan Seared Scallops, Sea Scallops
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