An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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    • Peach Pie with a Blue Corn Pecan Crumble

      Posted at 12:28 pm by NativeNM, on August 9, 2022

      Another year, another birthday pie! Every summer I make myself a peach pie, cobbler or crisp with different variations of crusts, toppings or sometimes pairing peaches with berries. A couple month’s ago I came across a recipe for “Apricot, Blue Corn and Pecan Crisp” from FarmersMarketNM.org with an amazing topping that I couldn’t resist. It reminded me of my “Peach Pie with Pecan Crumble”, that I made a few years back, but with a new twist. The most delicious peach pies starts with summer ripened peaches. In my experience, mid to late July is the best time to start finding those juicy, flavorful peaches that taste so good. And then you have to decide what kind of topping, whether it be a traditional crust or a crumble topping made with oats and flour, butter, sugar and nuts. This topping with blue corn flour has a slightly different texture; you may find it more grainy than using all purpose flour but it has a hint of saltiness in the topping that tastes so good with the sweet peaches. Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream and you will have the perfect summer dessert!

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      Posted in Pies and Cobblers, Recipes | 4 Comments | Tagged Blue Corn Flour Recipes, Peach Pie, Peach Pie with a Blue Corn and Pecan Crumble, Peaches and Pecans, Summer Peach Pie
    • Loaded Green Chile Potato Salad

      Posted at 8:38 am by NativeNM, on August 2, 2022

      August in New Mexico means it’s green chile season! The harvesting has begun and any day now you may start seeing “Hatch” green chile in your grocery store no matter where you live. The roasters are fired up and the aroma of roasted green chile is in the air. As soon as I found them in the grocery store I picked up a dozen and roasted them myself on the grill. They had the perfect amount of heat and had so much flavor. I’m always trying to find new ways to incorporate green chile into everyday recipes and thought it might taste good in a loaded baked potato salad. Oh my goodness, this turned out better than I could have imagined. Joe isn’t a fan of traditional potato salads but he loves this version. Instead of mayo I used a low fat sour cream and seasoned it with dehydrated green chile powder, salt and garlic powder. Limiting the cheese and bacon makes for a lighter version but didn’t skimp on flavor. Adding roasted green chile was the perfect addition to the mix. Try it fresh when the potatoes are still warm enough to slightly melt the cheese. You will be amazed when you take a bite of the warm cheese and green chile combined with the creamy potatoes. It’s Muy Bueno!

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      Posted in Recipes, Red or Green, Side Dishes | 7 Comments | Tagged Hatch Green Chile, Loaded Baked Potato Salad with Green Chile, Loaded Green Chile Potato Salad, New Mexico Green Chile, Potato Salad
    • Bandelier National Monument

      Posted at 2:48 pm by NativeNM, on July 8, 2022
      Alcove House Photo by Sally King/NPS

      After a tumultuous drought season in New Mexico with record fires, we’ve finally received some much needed rain. The monsoon season arrived in June and gave our national forests some relief. Many of our national forests, state parks and many other trails had been closed to the public due to fire safety. I am happy to say that most if not all are now open. Joe and I couldn’t be happier and anxious to get back up north where the weather is cooler amid so many beautiful hiking trails. Bandelier National Monument is an archaeological site with the remains of cliff dwellings nestled in the Frijoles Canyon. Along the Pueblo Loop trail you will see the tall cliffs that provide natural caves large enough for shelter which we were able to enter by climbing ladders. Some of these ladders are quite high and not for the faint of heart if you have a fear of heights. Halfway through the loop trail is the Alcove House which is a ceremonial cave with a reconstructed kiva. After we successfully climbed to the Alcove House we made the loop back and took the Frey Trail to the top of the Frijoles Rim Mesa where we enjoyed stunning views of the canyon and the layout of the circular remains of a pueblo village below. There are numerous trails within and surrounding the Frijoles Canyon from easy short trails to strenuous long distance trails that you can backpack with a permit. For now I hope you will enjoy our trip to Bandelier National Monument, who knows, you may want to explore it too!

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments | Tagged Alcove House, Bandelier National Monument, Frey Trail, Kiva, Pueblo Loop Trail, Talus House
    • Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

      Posted at 1:52 pm by NativeNM, on June 29, 2022

      Recently I cleaned out the freezer, something I do every few month’s. You know how it goes when we add things to the freezer and some things get pushed to the back and forgotten. I found a bag of vacuum sealed shrimp that I had put up a couple month’s ago. Since it’s grilling season, I immediately thought shrimp tacos would taste mighty good, especially with some mango or pineapple salsa and crunchy cabbage. I went to the store to pick up some fruit and cabbage. I found ripe mangos but the pineapple would need a few days, so it’s mango salsa tonight. This meal is a simple way to have a colorful tasty meal with little effort. I love the taste of grilled shrimp with tropical fruit. And the finely chopped cabbage adds a bit of crunch which makes these tacos look and taste like they came off a food truck.

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      Posted in Recipes, Red or Green, Tacos, Taquitos and Flautas | 6 Comments | Tagged Blackened Shrimp Tacos, Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa, Grilled Shrimp Tacos, Mango Salsa, Thai Chili Cabbage
    • Roasted Red Chile Hummus

      Posted at 9:25 am by NativeNM, on June 10, 2022

      Hummus has been the snack of choice for Joe lately. He is an early riser and about 10 am he wants a snack to get him through until lunch. I’ve been picking up hummus spread from the store to snack on with crackers during the week, however he was getting tired of the same flavors. So I asked what sounded good to him and of course he wanted chile. So the next question was red or green? He picked roasted red chile which turned out to be a great choice. Chile that is grown in New Mexico is harvested when it is green, but some are left on the vine to mature which turns red. Many of the mature red chiles will be strung together in chile ristras to dry out. Those pods when dried can be used to make red chile sauce or ground into powder for spice blends. Some farms will roast the mature red chiles at the end of the harvest and those are what I’m adding to the hummus today. Roasted red chile can sometimes be spicier than green but has a hint of sweetness which gives it a unique taste. That unique flavor works well in this hummus spread.

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      Posted in Recipes, Red or Green, Snack | 6 Comments | Tagged Garbanzo Beans, Hummus Snack, Hummus with Roasted Red Chile, New Mexico Roasted Red Chile, Roasted Red Chile, Roasted Red Chile Hummus, Tahini Paste
    • Red Chile and Lime Smoked Chicken

      Posted at 12:53 pm by NativeNM, on June 3, 2022

      Here’s my debut smoked chicken in the pellet smoker. I’ve roasted chicken in the oven or charcoal grill but never like this. The chicken cooks so evenly and gives the skin a crisp texture that tastes so good. I made a spice rub mixed with red chile, spices and lime olive oil to make a paste that I rubbed all over this bird. I also loosened the outer skin around the breast, legs and thighs, then rubbed the paste between the meat and skin. I learned this trick from Chef Paul Prudhomme. Adding the spice rub under the skin absorbs into the meat as it cooks, adding flavor. We made some fajitas with chicken, roasted veggies, salsa and guacamole. I could tell you how much we enjoyed this meal, however I think the pictures will describe the deliciousness better than my words. At least I hope so!

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      Posted in Entree, Recipes, Red or Green | 11 Comments | Tagged Pellet Smoker, Red Chile and Lime Smoked Chicken, Red Chile and Lime Spice Rub, Smoked Chicken, Spice Rub Paste
    • Lemon Pomegranate Sorbet

      Posted at 11:57 am by NativeNM, on May 27, 2022

      Wow, where does the time go? Memorial weekend is upon us which signals the beginning of summer grilling, festive salads and frozen treats. This weekend I’m smoking a whole chicken, roasting vegetables and topping it off with frozen sorbet for dessert. This sorbet is easily made with lemon juice, pomegranate juice and simple syrup, that’s it. It’s tart and refreshing but has a multitude of benefits. Lemon helps with immunity, aids in digestion and provides Vitamin C which reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. And Pomegranate juice is high in antioxidants and nutrients that may help with inflammation and urinary health. Once you mix the juices with the simple syrup, pour it into an ice cream maker to freeze or pour into popsicle molds which are also fun to eat, just ask my husband!

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      Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 5 Comments | Tagged Frozen Lemon Pomegranate Sorbet, Frozen Treats, Lemon Juice, Lemon Pomegranate Sorbet, Pomegranate Juice, Pomegranate Lemon Sorbet, Simple Syrup, Summer Sorbet
    • Church Rock Trail

      Posted at 10:06 am by NativeNM, on May 13, 2022

      If you ventured along with Joe and I to the top of Pyramid Rock, you will likely enjoy our hike along the Church Rock Trail, which is also part of Red Rock Park. From the start of the trail, this majestic image has the features of a church and steeple. Church Rock trail includes two loops which resembles a figure 8. The first trail covers 2.6 miles round trip looping back when you get to the base of Church Rock. The second loop is approximately another 1.5 miles and continues around Church Rock. The trail takes you close to the rock formations with a little bit of climbing and scrambling. The perspective changes as you take a 360 degree look at all sides and angles. We found a narrow slot canyon hidden by tent rocks decorated in layers of color. We spotted a white sand dune in the distance that turned out to be a mirage; it was actually white rock that has been carved by wind and sand in the image of a dune. Oh, and if you use your imagination you might find an image of the “Mother Mary” in a rock. At least that’s what the locals told us. I’m reminded by a quote from my son Josh; “don’t look at your feet, always look ahead and upward or you’ll miss the best part”!

      My heart is saddened that over the last couple of month’s our beautiful state has been ravaged by wild fires. We are under severe drought conditions and have been battling high winds which makes it so hard to contain them. Please don’t take nature for granted. If there are places you’ve dreamt of seeing, don’t put it off for tomorrow. Enjoy them now while you still can.

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments | Tagged Church Rock, Church Rock New Mexico, Church Rock Trail, Gallup New Mexico, Red Rock Park, Red Rock Park New Mexico
    • Pyramid Rock Trail

      Posted at 10:15 am by NativeNM, on May 10, 2022

      Last year Joe and I started exploring the northwest part of New Mexico. Since then we’ve taken several day trips or long weekends to explore the breathtaking areas that you can only experience when hiking to them. I’m biased but I think this area is one of the most beautiful parts of the state. One place in particular that we wanted to go back and explore was the Red Rock Park approximately 10 miles east of Gallup, NM. As part of the Navajo Nation, these two trails lead to Pyramid Rock and Church Rock. There is a connecting trail between the two but it’s a bit too much for Joe and I to do all in one day. They are both moderate trails approximately 3 – 4 miles roundtrip respectively that have some spectacular views. Pyramid Rock as we discovered is not only beautiful from a distance, but the trail leads all the way up to the tip top of the peak. From there you can see for miles and miles in any direction. Joe and I are not in the same shape as our grown kids but we both felt this trail was fairly easy to climb. We met many hikers that had been hiking these trails year after year. They shared with us that if we didn’t go all the way to the top we would miss out on an amazing experience. When someone stops to tell you how much you will treasure an experience; listen. This was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Looking from above you can see the landscape that surrounds Gallup. From the beautiful Mesa’s that are dotted with shades of green and blue to the Red Rock formations that have been sculpted by the wind and sand, this area will always be one of my most cherished places to visit!

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments | Tagged Four Corners New Mexico, Gallup New Mexico, Northwest New Mexico, Pyramid Rock, Pyramid Rock Trail, Red Rock Park
    • Honey Pistachio Ice Cream

      Posted at 1:40 pm by NativeNM, on April 15, 2022

      I’ve been craving homemade ice cream, specifically something sweet and salty. After some thought I went with salted pistachios blended with honey vanilla ice cream. The sweet and salty flavors in this ice cream will tempt your taste buds. I had some leftover red and green chile pistachios that Joe and I experimented with as a spicy topper. Both flavors had a subtle spiciness but wasn’t overwhelming to the overall taste. The ice cream is a vanilla base but I replaced part of the sugar with honey. The honey gave it a distinct flavor that tasted unique. If you enjoy sweet and salty flavors, honey pistachio ice cream might be just for you!

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      Posted in Dessert, Recipes | 3 Comments | Tagged Honey Pistachio lce Cream, Honey Vanilla Ice Cream with Pistachios, Salted Roasted Pistachios, Sweet and Salty Ice Cream
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