An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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    • Kale Stir Fry with Bacon

      Posted at 10:08 am by NativeNM, on January 17, 2014

      Kale-Stir-Fry-7

      We have a new market in town called “Sprouts Farmers Market”.  Some of you may know this chain since there are many locations across the country but it’s a first for us here in Kansas.  It seemed like the whole city diverged on this market on opening weekend.  It was packed and hard to maneuver through the crowd of people but I did manage to get to the produce area and picked out some fruits and veggies to take home.  I found some gorgeous red peppers, a bunch of kale and baby portabellas that I thought would go together for a healthy stir fry.  To that I added some bacon and onion with a drizzle of balsamic glaze to finish it off.  The time it took to prep the veggies took far more than the actual cook time.  It’s amazing how fast and easy it is to fire up the wok and cook a meal.  Enhancing the flavors of meats and veggies in the wok can be as simple as a drizzle of olive oil with salt and pepper or you can create a fragrant sauce.  It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite things to cook with.  
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      Posted in Recipes, Side Dishes | 0 Comments | Tagged Baby Portabella Mushrooms, Balsamic Glaze, Kale Stir Fry, Kale Stir Fry with Bacon, Onion, Red Bell Pepper
    • Chorizo and Egg Skillet Dish

      Posted at 10:40 am by NativeNM, on January 14, 2014

      Chorizo-and-Egg-10

      Ever had one of those cute little skillet breakfasts at “Le Peeps” or “First Watch”?    They serve up an individual skillet layered with country potatoes or hash browns, topped with cheese and your favorite breakfast toppings.  Then they add some cracked eggs over top and bake to perfection. It’s a great dish to make at home and would be perfect for a brunch or casual get together.  Since I was going for easy, I pulled out a box of dehydrated hash browns.  I actually like these better than frozen hash browns, they cook up quick and crisp nicely.  And I picked up some spicy Chorizo from our local smoke house which is much leaner and wasn’t as greasy.  How I managed to crack 8 eggs without breaking one is a wonder!  I tried to space them out evenly so that it would be easier to serve but raw eggs slip and slide where they want.  Even so, I think this skillet dish is quite appealing.
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      Posted in Breakfast, Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Chorizo, Chorizo and Egg Skillet Breakfast, Chorizo and Egg Skilllet Supper, Chorizo Sausage, Dehydrated Hash Browns
    • Banana Bread French Toast

      Posted at 9:07 am by NativeNM, on January 10, 2014

      BB-19

      What an Arctic blast we’ve had this week!  With the drastic cold temps outside I feel fortunate to be inside keeping warm.  The ironic thing is that both Josh and Cameron are off on their own adventures this week and my hyperactive Mom senses have kicked in, worrying about them in this wicked weather.  Hopefully by the time I have posted this they will both be back home and my worries will have been for naught.  With only Joe and I home this week, I’ve been using up what’s left in the fridge and pantry.  I had a few bananas getting overly ripe and needed to be used pronto so I made a loaf of banana bread.  A slice of banana bread is so good toasted for breakfast and as it turns out it makes a great french toast.  It’s a sweet treat for breakfast or in our case a quick dinner.  
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      Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Recipes | 0 Comments | Tagged Banana Bread, Banana Bread French Toast
    • Eggs Benedict with Colorado Hash Browns

      Posted at 12:05 pm by NativeNM, on January 7, 2014

      Eggs-Benedict-9

      I hope you all had a joyous holiday season!  I loved the holidays but at the same time glad to start a new year and get back into my routine.  After so many holiday treats and birthday sweets we were due for something more basic like a good breakfast.  I recently came across a new product for poaching the perfect eggs at Sur la table.  And honestly, since I’m not very good at poaching eggs, I was happy to give these little poaching bags a try.  So I had a plan for some Eggs Benedict but I needed something else to round out the meal so I fried up some Colorado Hash Browns which are crisp and pan fried potatoes with some onion, red chile flakes and spices. What a great meal to start off the New Year!
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      Posted in Breakfast, Recipes, Side Dishes | 0 Comments | Tagged Colorado Hash Browns, Eggs Benedict, Hollandaise Sauce, Perfect Poach Egg Poaching Bags, Poached Eggs
    • New Mexico Red Chile Posole

      Posted at 9:11 am by NativeNM, on December 24, 2013

      Red-Posole-20

      Traditional New Mexico Posole is a rich hearty stew made from red chiles, pork and dried corn also known as hominy.  Most New Mexicans have a bowl of posole and tamales during the holidays between Christmas and New Years.  I will miss being in NM for the holidays, seeing the lighted luminarias and the aroma of chile in the air which is breathtaking this time of year.  But I won’t miss out on having a comforting bowl of posole with a pork tamale.  This year I made a more traditional red chile posole and it was so good, it reminded me of home.  Have a wonderful holiday everyone!
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Entree, Recipes, Red or Green, Soups, Stews and Chili | 4 Comments | Tagged Ancho Chile, Guajillo Chile, Hominy, New Mexico Red Chile Posole, Red Chile Posole, Tamales, Traditional New Mexico Posole
    • Pecan Pie

      Posted at 9:07 am by NativeNM, on December 20, 2013

      Pecan-Pie-17

      Pecan pie may not be the healthiest thing to eat but it also happens to be one of the tastiest things on earth, so I give it a pass around the holidays.  I just don’t think the holidays would be the same without a slice of pecan pie.  There’s just something about the creamy buttery sugar filling combined with the nutty pecan that makes your mouth water.  I always take my time and savor every bite because I know it will be another year until I taste it again.  I like to pick out all the biggest and best pecans, lay them out one by one on top of the pie to make a pretty circular pattern.  It’s fun to put together and gets a lot of “Wow’s” when you set it on the table!
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      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 3 Comments | Tagged Pecan Pie, Pecans, pie crust
    • Berry Cream Cheese Pie

      Posted at 8:40 am by NativeNM, on December 18, 2013

      Berry-O-11

      This is a pie from my childhood, maybe from yours too!  Only we used cherry pie filling for the topping and it was called Cherry O Cream Cheese Pie.  I remember Mom making this pie for the holidays, and loving that lemony cream cheese filling with syrupy cherries on top.  I froze several packages of raspberries and blackberries over the summer and thought this would be a perfect topping on an old favorite.  Everyone loved the mixed berry version and the coloring was bright and glossy red.  Makes you hate to slice into it . . . almost!
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      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Berry Cream Cheese Pie, Berry Glaze, Berry O Cream Cheese Pie, Cream Cheese Filling, Graham Cracker Crust
    • Salted Caramel Apple Pie with a Toffee Crumble

      Posted at 9:13 am by NativeNM, on December 16, 2013

      Caramel-Apple-Pie-20

      I’m devoting this week to holiday pies!  Pies are my favorite dessert no matter the occasion but around the holidays I like to make a variety so we have choices.  I think a slice of pie brings back recollections, particularly around the holiday season, of times spent with family and friends.  There are many different layers of flavors and textures (fruit pies, cream pies, pies with meringue, custard pies, frozen pies, well you get the picture) in which to choose from.  One of the pies I’m making this year is a Salted Caramel Apple Pie with a Toffee Crumble.  This one is for Joe who loves any pie with a crumbly topping.  I tried a new recipe for an all butter crust which I found easier to work with and made a really pretty crust.  I can’t wait to taste it but I’ll have to be patient as it went straight to the freezer for safekeeping until the holidays.  The temptation was overwhelming as the aroma of warm apples and caramel filled the kitchen.  As far as apple pies go, I think this pie will be hard to beat!
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      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged All Butter Pie Crust, Braeburn Apples, Caramel Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Sauce, Toffee Crumble
    • Chicken and Dumplings

      Posted at 9:02 am by NativeNM, on December 13, 2013

      Chicken-and-Dumplings-14

      It hit me this week how soon the holidays will be here.  Time has quickly gotten away from me and I’ve had to rush around trying to get things done.  With that in mind I haven’t had a lot of time to make dinner. When I’m crunched for time I sometimes pick up a rotisserie chicken which saves me the trouble and usually makes more than one meal.  I picked off the leftovers and chopped it to make my tried and true recipe of chicken and dumplings that everyone loves. With the cold weather we’ve been having it sounded like the perfect time for a comforting bowl of stew with a dollop of mashed potatoes on the side.  It’s like immersing the potatoes into a dumpling gravy that tastes oh so good.  Stay warm everyone and have a great weekend!
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      Posted in Dutch Oven and Cast Iron, Recipes, Soups, Stews and Chili | 2 Comments | Tagged Chicken and Dumplings, Dumpling Gravy, Dumplings, Mashed Potatoes, Rotisserie Chicken
    • Pork Egg Rolls

      Posted at 8:54 am by NativeNM, on December 10, 2013

      Pork-Egg-Rolls-24

      With a winter blast heading our way this past weekend, I went out and stocked up on some supplies in order to wait out the cold and stay bundled inside.  I’ve been craving egg rolls and knowing how much prep work they take, it seemed like perfect timing to spend an afternoon working on a timely project.  First things first, I have a lot of veggies to chop.  While some may think this a tedious task, I find it relaxing.  I’m always amazed at how many veggies it takes to make egg rolls, you may think you have way too much filling for your wrappers but after they cook down and release their juices they reduce by about half.  They roll up rather easy, once you get the hang of it and pan fry in just a couple minutes.  As soon as they go into the fry pan, it brings out my guys who go for a plate and stand by waiting for the first egg rolls to taste.  They do taste awfully good when they are freshly made!  I just hope they leave some for me . . .
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      Posted in Recipes, Side Dishes | 2 Comments | Tagged egg rolls, Fresh Ginger, Ground Pork, Pork Egg Rolls, Soy Sauce, stir fry sauce
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