Cooking with Kokopelli

July 2009: Caveman Cookout for the 4th!

2009-06-26T11:32:00.004-07:00

The 4th of July is on a Saturday this year. Celebrate with a cookout fit for the modern caveman! The recipes that we've selected are from SECRETS OF CAVEMAN COOKING by Rick Snider. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview, Phoenix, AZ 85014.MOOSE BURGERS2 pounds ground MOOSE1 pound lean HAMBURGERSeasoning:2 tbsp. MINCED ONION2 tbsp. fresh GROUND PEPPER2 tbsp.

June 2009: Brunch for Dad!

2009-05-29T10:52:00.008-07:00

Dad's Day is on June 21st this year. Celebrate with a gourmet brunch for Dad (or the main man in your life) that he will really enjoy! The recipes that we've selected are from the GOURMET GRINGO by Mari Meyers. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview, Phoenix, AZ 85014.BLOODY MARIASEach Drink:3 or 4 ICE CUBES1 ounce TEQUILA1 cup TOMATO or VEGETABLE JUICE¾ tsp.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo 2009

2009-05-02T19:43:00.005-07:00

Cinco de Mayo falls on Tuesday this year. Create these delectable appetizers to serve your friends when celebrating! The recipes are from THE TEQUILA COOK BOOK by Lynn Nusom. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview, Phoenix, AZ 85014. MARINATED MUSHROOMS1 can (16 oz.) BUTTON MUSHROOMS (The larger the mushrooms the better. If you can’t find the large cans in your

Fruit Frenzy

2009-03-27T11:26:00.013-07:00

The fresh fruits that are starting to take over the produce section of the grocery stores truly make this one of my favorite times of the year. Originally, I was going to share some recipes for sweets that would be fun for Easter Baskets but I was talked out of it by these delectable desserts with fresh fruits. Both recipes are from the "Gourmet Gringo" by Mari Meyers. Permission to reprint the

March 2009: Happy St. Pat's!

2009-02-28T18:57:00.010-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. Today, St. Pat's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds and is known as "the wearing of the green". Celebrate St. Pat's Day by surprising your family & friends with a green fiesta! We found some exciting recipes

February 2009: Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-01-30T12:26:00.008-07:00

Surprise your loved one with a sweet southwest treat for Valentine's Day! We found a yummy recipe for Southwestern Cheesecake in "From the Queen's Cookbook". Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, Colorado.SOUTHWESTERN CHEESECAKE2 cups GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS3/4 cup SUGAR½ cup MELTED BUTTER3 (8oz) pkg. CREAM CHEESE3/4 cup SUGAR3/4 cup BROWN SUGAR6 EGGS2

January 2009: Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T08:06:00.009-07:00

Happy New Year to all of you!! Hope your holidays were great.Trent from Texas was kind enough to share a recipe with us for sweet cornbread that has been in his family for generations! TRENT'S SWEET CORNBREADTrent ’s #1 rule above all others for making this cornbread a success - you need a 9" cast iron skillet with a little rust on the handle (OK, so the rust is a bit much, but you have to use

December 2008: Southwest Holiday Recipes

2008-12-07T11:17:00.008-07:00

December and the holidays are upon us once again! We went on the hunt for some southwest holiday recipes and came up with two great ones from the "Gourmet Gringo" by Mari Meyers. Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014.JALAPENO CORNBREAD STUFFING1/4 cup BUTTER2 cups chopped ONION1 cup finely chopped CELERY2 APPLES,

November 2008: More Pumpkin Recipes

2008-11-01T13:12:00.013-07:00

I've been munching on our home roasted & spiced pumpkin seeds all week long. If you're familiar with our blog you are probably aware that pumpkin is one of my favorite foods. While we separate out pumpkins from squash in our thinking, the Indians thought of pumpkins as squash. Recipes can be interchanged between winter squash and pumpkins. Although most people use canned pumpkin (available

October 2008: Happy Halloween!

2008-10-01T09:05:00.005-07:00

October has always been my favorite month! The air is cool & crisp and fireplaces are starting to crackle. But best of all…..Halloween falls at the end of this month. It’s hard not to love this magical day that brings out the youth in us all. It’s a great night to party with your adult friends – heck, when I was in college we would go out trick-or-treating! But being able to introduce a youngster

September 2008: Beer History Trivia!

2008-09-03T10:08:00.005-07:00

Since our Beer Bread Mixes are one of our top sellers, we wanted to share some trivia that we had “dug up” on beer. Beer is one of the oldest products of civilization, & may even have been a stepping stone to the invention of leavened bread. Historians believe that the ancient Mesopotamians & Sumerians were brewing as early as 10,000 BC. Dr. Solomon Katz theorizes that when man learned to

August 2008: Nuts About Piñons

2008-07-30T12:26:00.005-07:00

Piñon nuts, or pine nuts, are considered a delicacy in many of the world’s cultures. In addition to being eaten raw or roasted, they are an ingredient in a variety of dishes including breads, candies, cookies, sauces and cakes as well as vegetable and meat dishes. To learn more about this delicacy, visit Pining for Piñon at Kokopelli's Kitchen. Both of the following recipes are from Grand Canyon

July 2008: Prickly Pear Paradise

2008-07-08T18:23:00.007-07:00

The Southwest United States, in particular the Sonoran Desert, is a natural home to the Prickly Pear Cactus. In fact, did you know that the Prickly Pear was named the official state plant of Texas in 1995? Both the fruits and pads of the Prickly Pear are edible.The cactus will blossom and set fruits which will line the edges of the pads from early spring to summer. The beautiful flowers – which

June 2008: Chile Powder VS. Chili Powder

2008-06-04T07:55:00.014-07:00

I feel a strong need to clarify something - as I was searching the web last night (for other things) I was troubled to learn that there is real confusion about an issue. Some folks out there think that there is no difference between chile powder and chili powder. As any chile-head or southwest chef can tell you, chile powder is not the same as chili powder.Chile powder is ground, powdered chiles

Mesquite Gruel & Mesquite Muffins - Recipes

2008-05-25T15:01:00.005-07:00

These MESQUITE recipes are from FOODS OF THE SUPERSTITIONS by Don Wells and Jean Groen. Permission to print granted by Wells and Groen, Apache Junction, AZ.MESQUITE GRUEL4-1/2 cups WATER1 cup finely ground & sifted MESQUITE FLOUR1/2 cup of some other FLOUR or GROUND GRAIN1/2 teaspoon SALTCombine water, salt, mesquite meal and other ground grain (such as whole wheat flour or oat flour) and cook

May 2008: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo! - Recipes

2008-05-02T11:46:00.003-07:00

This excerpt and recipe are from MEXICAN FAMILY FAVORITES COOK BOOK by Maria Teresa Bermudez. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview, Phoenix, AZ 85014. GUACAMOLE DIP 2 large AVOCADOS, mashed 2 tsp. LEMON JUICE SALT/PEPPER to taste Dash GARLIC POWDER 2 Tbsp. diced ONION 1 small TOMATO, diced 4-oz. can diced GREEN CHILES 1 Tbsp. PIMIENTOS ¼ cup shredded

Tomato Trivia

2007-11-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, tomatoes grew as wild, cherry-size berries in the South American Andes, but the fruit, as we know it today, was developed in Mexico where it was known as tomatil & traveled to Europe by boat with the returning conquistadors. Upon arrival in Italy, the heart-shaped tomato was considered an aphrodisiac, thus tomato in Italian, poma amoris, means "love apple." Before modern canning

Pumpkin 101

2007-10-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

The pumpkin originated in central America. It isrelated to squash, cucumbers & cantaloupes; & is a member of the vine crops family called cucurbits. Although the pumpkin is often grouped into the vegetable family it is technically a fruit. The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" - the Greek word for large melon.Native American Indians grew pumpkins for food long before any European explorers

Homemade Tortilla Chips 101

2007-09-23T22:57:00.001-07:00

Who isn't familiar with a tortilla chip? Although invented in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, tortilla chips are considered to be Mexican food. A tortilla chip is made from a tortilla - corn tortillas are usually used, but some folks prefer chips made from flour tortillas. The tortillas are cut into wedges which are then fried or baked (for a more healthy alternative). Gourmet food shops are

Grilled Fruits 101

2007-08-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Any fruit - even watermelon! - can be grilled. Firm fruits (likeapples, pineapples and pears) are easy to grill. Softer fruits(like peaches, plums, oranges and mango) require more attentionwhen since they cook quickly and, if overcooked, become mushy.Basically, the softer fruit need only be heated, rather thancooked.How to Prepare Your Fruit:To prepare most fruits for grilling - such as plums,

Hail to Herbs

2007-08-11T14:41:00.001-07:00

According to Wikipedia, herbs are seed-bearing plants without woody stems, that die down to the ground afterflowering. They have a variety of uses, including culinary and medicinal. Culinary herbs typically make use of the green, leafy part of the plant, whereas medicinal herbs make use of the roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark, berries and sometimes other portions.Usage: Culinary herbs

Homemade Salsa Tips

2005-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

Although tomatoes are the most common base ingredients for salsas, vegetable salsas and fruit salsas have become more popular.Tomato Salsas: The most common ingredients for these tomato-based salsas are tomatoes, onions and chiles. Even though fresh tomatoes are available year-round, dried and even canned tomatoes can be used. These tomato salsas work well in any dish requiring a tomato product;

Zuni Gold Beans - Recipe

2005-09-26T19:48:00.002-07:00

OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS2 c. dry ZUNI GOLD BEANS1/4 lb BACON, cut in pieces1 medium ONION, chopped 1 medium GREEN PEPPER, chopped 2 T. MESQUITE MEAL1/2 c. KETCHUP1/4 c. prepared MUSTARD1/4 c. BROWN SUGAR Rinse and sort beans. Cover with water and soak overnight: OR bring to a boil for 5 min., remove from heat, cover and let rest for 1 hour. Drain, rinse & cover beans with water. Bring to

Blue Corn Meal Griddle Cakes - Recipe

2005-09-23T18:21:00.002-07:00

BLUE CORN MEAL GRIDDLE CAKES1/2 cup BLUE CORN MEAL2 tablespoons CORN OIL or MARGARINE1/2 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 1/4 cup DRY MILK1 teaspoon BAKING POWDER1 cup WARM WATER Combine dry ingredients well. Combine oil and water, add to dry ingredients and beat well. Heat griddle on medium heat. Drop cakes by small spoonfuls onto hot, greased griddle. Turn when underside is brown. Corn meal tends to

Anasazi Beans w/Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Recipe

2005-09-21T20:46:00.003-07:00

ANASAZI BEANS W/SUN-DRIED TOMATOES2 cups dried ANASAZI BEANS 2 T. OLIVE or VEGETABLE OIL1 med. ONION, chopped, or 4 T. dried1 clove GARLIC, minced, or 1 t. powder 1 can (4 oz.) chopped GREEN CHILE or 1 med. fresh, chopped1/4 t. ground CLOVES 1/2 t. ground CINNAMON1/4 t. ground CUMIN2 T. SUN-DRIED TOMATOESSALT & PEPPER to tasteRinse & sort beans. Cover with water & soak overnight; OR