An Inspired Cook

- Crusty Baguette or Dinner Rolls
  
  Posted at 8:39 am by NativeNM, on April 9, 2013
  I’m ready to get back in the kitchen after a much needed Spring holiday in New Mexico. I’ve been wanting to bake some bread and after cleaning out my refrigerator, I had enough space for a bucket of Artisan dough that I could use over the course of two weeks. The master recipe for “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” can be found online, and I’ve had the best results using their method. The chilled dough is easy to work with and you can use as much or as little dough needed for most any bread, whether it be a loaf, baguette, or rolls. I took half the chilled dough and made two baguettes which have a crusty exterior that is perfect to go alongside a stew or pasta dish. A couple days later I tried out some dinner rolls. They were more delicate than the baguettes but had a nice top crust to each roll. These were a favorite warmed with a dollop of butter and a bit of jam for breakfast.
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  Posted in Bread, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Artisan Bread Dough, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Baguettes, Dinner Rolls
- Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
  
  Posted at 8:49 am by NativeNM, on April 5, 2013
  April is here and finally feeling like the beginnings of Spring. I just spent a week in NM which looks and feels much more like Spring than we do here in the Midwest. The trees were leafing and some areas were already in full bloom. The latter part of the week was filled with warm sunshine which always lifts my spirits. And time spent with my sister in Albuquerque was the icing on the cake. She took me thrifting and out to lunch where we sat outside of “Sarafins Chile Hut” on Central sharing a combination plate of Chile Rellenos, Beef Enchiladas and Tacos with Sopapillas and Honey. I’m here to tell you there’s nothing better than spending a day with your sister and eating real New Mexican food! It’s going to take me a few days to get back in in sync and try out some new recipes but in the meantime here’s the last of the trio of cupcakes. A carrot cupcake with a cream cheese center and and topped with a cream cheese frosting. It’s pretty to eat and perfect for Spring.
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  Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes and Muffins, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Carrot Cupcakes, Cream Cheese Filling, Cream Cheese Frosting
- Rum Cake
  
  Posted at 8:42 am by NativeNM, on March 22, 2013
  Here’s a classic Rum Cake that I fell in love with at first bite. My sister Kat made it years ago and I have never forgotten how much I loved it! She gave me the recipe and I’ve finally gotten around to making it. Boy is this cake good! It’s so moist because of the glaze that’s absorbed into the cake. Kat used Bicardi Silver which is milder in flavor but what I had on hand was Jamaican rum and it gave the cake a much stronger flavor so take that into consideration.
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  Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes and Muffins, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Homemade Yellow Cake Mix, Rum Cake, Rum Glaze, Yellow Cake Mix
- Cuban Pork Panini Sandwich
  
  Posted at 8:52 am by NativeNM, on March 19, 2013
  Leftover Cuban pork makes the best Cuban pork panini sandwich. Sometimes called a “Cubano” it’s traditionally a ham and cheese sandwich with pickles, mustard and Cuban pork on a crusty french bread. Joe and I agree that there’s something about the tart dill pickle that makes this sandwich. I didn’t want too much bread so I sliced the loaf diagonally to make smaller sandwiches. One panini was perfect for me but the guys each had two.
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  Posted in Burgers, Sandwiches, Paninis and Wraps, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Cuban Pork Panini Sandwich
- Cuban Pork Roast
  
  Posted at 8:48 am by NativeNM, on March 15, 2013
  While watching one of the cooking channels the other day I saw a prepared Cuban Pork Roast. Every slice looked as if they were cutting through butter, so tender and juicy. I just caught the tail end of the program so I didn’t see how it was seasoned but I was intrigued to learn more. What I found is that most Cuban roasts are cooked with a Mojo citrus blend made from fresh orange and lime juice that is spooned over the roast while it is roasting. A pork shoulder roast with the skin attached is traditionally used but sometimes hard to find. However, I did find a roast with the skin still attached on one side and roasted it skin side up. Leaving it uncovered in the oven proved to char the outer skin but left the most tender and flavorful pork underneath. This is definitely a new favorite that I’ll be making again soon!
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  Posted in Entree, Recipes | 2 Comments | Tagged Cuban Pork Roast, Mojo Sauce
- Mango Sorbet
  
  Posted at 9:01 am by NativeNM, on March 12, 2013
  You would think it was tropical season from the ads that came out this week in our local grocery store. A sale on exotic fruit from Dragon Fruit to Rambutin, to Star Fruit to Mango and Papayas. I am not one to let a good sale go by so I picked up a little of everything. But what I had in mind was a Mango Sorbet that I’ve been dreaming about ever since I got my ice cream maker. It’s so handy and makes quick work especially with sorbets. It basically requires a simple syrup mix of water and sugar plus added fruit. How easy is that!
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  Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Mango Sorbet, Simple Syrup
- Bird’s Nest for Brunch
  
  Posted at 8:45 am by NativeNM, on March 8, 2013
  A few weeks ago I found an oversized muffin pan while thrifting. It caught my eye and I began to imagine what I could make in it. Cupcake wrappers would definitely be too small to fit inside so unless I wanted to make naked cupcakes I would need to find other uses for it. When I started looking online I found that there are multiple pinterest boards filled with muffin tin recipes. The ideas were endless but I found myself going back to the hash brown nests. They were so cute and I loved the idea of a cracked egg over top. My first attempt failed miserably, the hash browns stuck to the pan, even though I thoroughly buttered it. I decided I needed a better way to remove the nest from the pan without tearing it so I made my own wrappers out of aluminum foil. It worked great! I formed them to the pan and after they were cooked I found it easy to slide them out and unwrap them. The hash brown nests were cooked to perfection and filled with all the things we love, bacon, tomato, cheese and egg. So cute and delicious they would be perfect for brunch!
  
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  Posted in Breakfast, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Bird's Nest, Breakfast Nest, Brunch, Hash Brown Nests
- Blueberry Scones with Cinnamon Streusel
  
  Posted at 8:42 am by NativeNM, on March 5, 2013
  Ever have that feeling that you’re craving something but you just don’t know what that something is! That happens to me all the time, wanting something salty . . . or something sweet. . . or something comforting but nothing particular in mind. Sometimes you have no further to look that in the freezer. That’s where I found the blueberries that I had packaged up last summer when they were abundant and so good. What was I saving them for? I could think of nothing specific so I pulled out a small package and decided they would be perfect for a batch of scones. I topped them with a cinnamon streusel that gave them a little bit of crunchy sweetness.
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  Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes | 3 Comments | Tagged Blueberry Scones, Cinnamon Streusel
- Atchafalaya Chicken
  
  Posted at 8:25 am by NativeNM, on March 1, 2013
  Winter has arrived in all it’s beauty dumping buckets of snow over our area and keeping us huddled inside. Work and school has come to a halt and everyone is hunkered down for the duration. These are the times I feel most at home in my kitchen. A warm oven and the aroma of good food brings comfort and tranquility. I knew everyone would be housebound for a couple days so I made a roasted chicken that we could stretch into several meals. Paul Prudhomme’s Atchafalaya Chicken is the most flavorful and all around delicious chicken I’ve ever made. The spices alone make this bird tasty but add some butter and onions to make a paste that lines the inside cavity and underneath the skin to make the most juicy and tender chicken. And if that’s not enough, reserve some of the pan drippings along with a little of the stuffing to make the most delicious pan gravy.
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  Posted in Entree, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Atchafalaya Chicken, Paul Prudhomme
- Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
  
  Posted at 8:04 am by NativeNM, on February 26, 2013
  You might remember a few weeks ago I made a trio of cupcakes. The first cupcake was a Lemon Cupcake which was fresh and citrusy. These dark chocolate cupcakes comes straight from the blog “Brown Eyed Baker“. They are rich and chocolaty with the density of a brownie and topped with a luscious peanut butter cream frosting. Of course I thought these would go over well because who doesn’t like chocolate and peanut butter. Need I say more!
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  Posted in Cakes, Cupcakes and Muffins, Recipes | 5 Comments | Tagged Brownie Cupcakes, Dark Chocolate Cupcakes, Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
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