Seared Sea Scallops with Lemon Butter Sauce

On February 17, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes19 Comments

We don’t have sea scallops very often as they are usually expensive to buy here in Colorado, but we decided to splurge and get some over the weekend. We wanted something lite and flavorful, so we did a lemon butter sauce with some garlic and capers. It made for a wonderful treat was satisfying, but wasn’t too heavy. We hope you’ll enjoy it as well.

Ingredients

12 – 16 Sea Scallops – about 1 lb
1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Paprika
1 clove Fresh Garlic – minced
1 Lemon
1 pinch of Saffron
1 tbsp Capers
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tbsp Butter
8 oz Pasta (Angel Hair, Spaghetti, or linguine)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper on a plate or shallow bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and the pasta, and cook according to the package directions. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Dredge just the flat sides of the scallops in the flour and place them in the pan. The flour will help to thicken the sauce as well as help to sear the scallops. Cook the scallops, flipping half way through, until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Reserve 1/4 cup of the water from the pasta, then drain the pasta and put the pasta into a bowl stirring in 2 tablespoons of butter. To make the sauce, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the garlic, the zest of 1/4 of the lemon, the saffron, capers, and the juice of the lemon to the saucepan that the scallops were cooked in. Be sure to deglaze the pan drippings into the sauce and simmer on medium-high heat until the garlic and capers are soft, about 3 minutes. Put the scallops on the pasta and pour the sauce over the scallops. Serves 4.

Dill Dip with Rye Bread

On February 10, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes11 Comments

We’ve been enjoying this dip for years, but we simply call it “Bread Dip”. When we can get the rye bread in a shepherds loaf, we will hollow out the loaf and put the dip into the bread, which makes for a great presentation. Rye bread and dill might not be a combination that you would think to put together, but it really is excellent. This dip works great for parties and special occasions since it can be prepared ahead of time and is easy for guests to eat, even when mingling. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups Mayonnaise
2 cups Sour Cream
2 tsp Dill Weed
2 tsp Accent (which is flavor enhancer, but if you can’t find it, you can leave it out)
2 tsp Minced Onion
2 tsp Parsley – dried or finely chopped
1 pinch of Salt
1 loaf Rye Bread – dark or light (If you can get shepherd’s loaf, get two loaves, one for the bowl and one for dipping)

Instructions

Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed, accent, minced onion, parsley, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour. If you’re able to get the rye bread in a shepherd’s loaf, hollow out the center of one of the loaves and put the dip in. Cut the rye bread into 1 inch squares.

Snugglers – Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps

On February 3, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes7 Comments

Its called a snuggler because it is like a warm hug for your tummy. We’re not sure what is about winter and schnapps, but we have wonderful memories of skiing with schnapps in a camelback. Back then they were horn-shaped leather bottles that we slung over our shoulders while were skiing. Over the last couple of days, we’ve been watching the snow pile up, almost two feet in total, so we needed something warm to cheer us up after all of the snow shoveling. We first had this in Aspen, many years ago and it is definitely one of our favorite winter drinks. The pairing of hot chocolate and peppermint is obviously a delicious one and this will definitely put a smile on your face. We added some peppermint bark (dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peppermint… yum). We hope you enjoy them.

Ingredients

2 cups Whole Milk (2% or skim, your preference)
6 tbsp Cocoa Powder
4 to 6 tbsp Peppermint Schnapps
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Confectioner Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat (do not bring to a boil). Whisk in the cocoa powder until it is thoroughly mixed. In a cold bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugars, and vanilla extract. Whip until soft peaks form. Pour the hot chocolate and schnapps into a mug and top with whipped cream. Serves 2.