I’d Rather be Cooking

In this short video, I show you how to make sugared nuts.

I use a mixture of pecans, almonds, and walnuts, but feel free to pick whichever nuts are your favorite. The egg white is used to act as glue - it makes sure the seasonings stick to and flavor the nut. To get […]

Sugared Nuts
For the video, click here.

1 lb nuts (mixed or one type - pecans work great)
1 egg white
3/4 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white lightly until frothy. Stir in the nuts to coat. Then add the remaining ingredients, toss to […]

Strawberry and Green Chile Empanadas
For the video, click here.

4-6 strawberries, diced
1 small Hatch green chile, quick roasted to get the skin off, then diced fine
4 oz. cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 - 3/4 C sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 t vanilla extract (I like to use Mexican or Tahitian vanilla here)
1 package pie […]

These dessert empanadas are out of this world!

Inspired by a local restaurant’s (Chuy’s) annual New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Festival, this is my take on their delicious dessert. I know putting chiles into a dessert sounds wierd, but trust me - it gives the dish a great depth of flavor and a little zing […]

In this short episode, I show you how to make pico and guacamole from scratch! It’s not too difficult, so definitely try it out.

In getting the meat out of the avocado, instead of using a spoon or cutting the avocado, I just cut the avocado in half, removed the seed, and then squeezed each […]

Pico de Gallo and Guacamole
Both pico de gallo and guacamole start out with the same base, then avocado is just added to make guacamole!
To see the video that accompanies this recipe, click here.

1/2 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced, and made into paste (see video)
1 large tomato, seeded and finely diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced […]

Chicken/Beef and Cheese Empanadas
To see the video that accompanies this recipe, click here.

1/2 lb meat (total; e.g.: 1/4 lb strip/skirt steak + 1 chicken breast)
For the rub (the next 6 ingredients; save any extra for future use):

1 T chili powder (combo of regular chili, ancho chile, and chipotle chile powders)
1 t salt
1 t garlic powder
1 […]

Watch the video to see how to make great savory empanadas!

Empanadas are basically stuffed pastries, similar to the Cornish pasty, Italian calzone, or American turnover. In this episode, I’ll be using premade pie dough as the empanada shell - though not traditional, it’s tasty none-the-less. You could also use bread or pizza dough […]