Pork and Potatoes – A Classic Combination

On June 28, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, RecipesLeave a comment

Throughout our time in Europe, we had many different variations of pork and potatoes together. Whether sausages or pork roast, potatoes pair perfectly with any type of pork dish.

We decided to take some leftover ham and combine it with scalloped potatoes and cheese for a quick and easy dinner. It isn’t a fancy dish by any means, but it is delicious and hearty. Perhaps pork and potatoes are combined because they are both inexpensive and easy to cook. We hope you enjoy our version of a ham and potato casserole.

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 Medium Russet Potatoes
1 cup Diced Cooked Ham
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese – We used a Monterey Jack Cheddar Blend
Dash of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice the potatoes using a mandolin or by uniformly slicing them into 1/8 inch scallops. Place the potatoes into a pot with cold salted water and then turn the heat onto medium-high. Once the water comes to a boil, continue boiling for 5 minutes until they are slightly blanched, but not fully cook as they will finish cooking in the casserole. Drain the potatoes. Whisk the milk and flour together with 3/4 of the cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic. Layer the potatoes and ham in a casserole dish adding some of the cheese and milk mixture as you add each layer. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

Schnitzel Variations

On April 25, 2017April 26, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Recipes6 Comments

A schnitzel is simply a thinly sliced or pounded piece of meat that has been breaded and fried, usually pan-fried. In many ways it can be considered a comfort food for the entire region, but it is especially prevalent in Germany. The protein can be pork, chicken, veal, or even other types of beef, so the variations are almost limitless as to the ways that it can be prepared. The most common is Wiener Schnitzel or Vienna Schnitzel, which is a veal schnitzel served with a wedge of lemon, but in Germany it is most often pork with a mushroom cream sauce. We also had a wonderful Chicken Cordon Bleu Schnitzel as well as some very simple schnitzels. It certainly isn’t necessarily the prettiest of meals, but that doesn’t take away from how well it tastes. Schnitzel will forever be connected in our minds with our time spent in Germany and every time we take a bite of schnitzel, we will be transported back to our time spent in Frankfurt.

The Food of Romania

On February 1, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, Romania20 Comments

No matter where we visit, one of the important things for us is to taste the traditional foods of the region. Visiting Romania was no exception and we asked all of the locals that we met what foods we should eat while we were there. We were able to try the greatest variety of food while we were in Brasov, but we understand that these were typical meals that could be found throughout the country. What we heard over and over again was that we needed to try the polenta with a spicy pepper as well as the cabbage rolls, so we definitely wanted to give that a try.

Stuffed Cabbage and Grape Leaves with Polenta

Pork dominated most menus, but there plenty of other choices as well. We did find that most meals did not utilize a lot of spices, although they were almost all hearty in nature. There are definitely influences from countries throughout the region, so it should be no surprise that we found treats like Baklava on various menus in addition to those unique to Romania. One of the more interesting meals that we ate was a pork loin filled with goat cheese and spinach with a black currant sauce.

Our photos will not do the food true justice, but we did enjoy trying some of the various dishes from Romania. At some point, when we have a chance, we will likely try to recreate some of these on our own, but we will likely tweak them a little to include a few more spices.