Steak Braciole

On June 21, 2017June 22, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Italy, Recipes3 Comments

When most people think of Italian food, they generally think of pasta, red sauces, and pizza, but there is much more to the rich gastronomical heritage of Italy. We enjoyed a wonderful variety of food during our time in Italy, so we thought that we would attempt to create a different style of Italian food for ourselves. Braciole is a thin steak that is stuffed with bread crumbs, vegetables, cheese, and then rolled to create a pinwheel of flavor. We adapted our recipe from one that we saw Chef Jeff Mauro cook on an episode of a television show. It has so much flavor and made for a wonderful dinner for the two of us.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Thinly Cut or Butterflied Top Round or Strip Steak (We used top round steak)
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 cloves Garlic – minced
4 to 6 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – sliced
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
16 Asparagus Stalks – cut to width
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Blanch the asparagus by boiling or steaming them for about two to three minutes and then shocking them in an ice bath. If necessary, butterfly the steak and then pound out until about an eighth of inch thin. Season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Combine the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Place the mozzarella cheese onto the steak, leaving about an inch perimeter all of the way around. Cover with the bread crumb mixture and then place the asparagus on the steak leaving about a half inch in between each stalk. Roll the steak as tightly as possible and then tie it with butcher twine. Sear the steak on all four sides for about three minutes per side in a skillet with olive oil at medium-high heat. Place the steak in a 250 degree oven for about forty minutes or until the desired temperature. Remove the butcher twine and cut the steak into about one inch pinwheels. If desired, serve with a sauce such as your favorite tomato sauce, but it can be served as is.

Steak with Cheese and Bread Crumb Mixture

Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage

On June 14, 2017June 20, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

One of the things that we enjoyed during our time in Europe was having breakfast at one of the many outdoor cafes. Europeans eat healthier breakfasts than what most restaurants here in the United States serve, so we don’t tend to go out for breakfast now that we are back home. We do, however, still enjoy a good healthy breakfast and since pork sausage or bacon can be high in calories, we decided to make a healthier alternative. We used ground turkey and spices to create a very tasty breakfast sausage that won’t leave you feeling guilty when you are done eating. It was actually really easy to make and we think that it tasted as good as store-bought pork sausage.

INGREDIENTS

1tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/8 tsp Dried Marjoram
1 lb Ground Turkey

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all of the herbs and then mix them in a bowl with the ground turkey. Be sure that all of the spices distribute equally throughout the ground turkey. Then, using your hands, make small patties that are each 2 to 3 ounces of ground turkey. Ours were about 2 1/4 ounces each, which resulted in 7 patties. To cook, fry the sausage patties in a skillet heated to medium-high with a couple of tablespoons of oil for about four to five minutes per side. Serve with your favorite breakfast items such as eggs and fruit.

A Taste of Las Vegas

On June 7, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Las Vegas, Recipes2 Comments

As we mentioned before, our latest trip to Las Vegas was really about getting some down time and relaxing. When traveling to Las Vegas, food is always a highlight of any trip and this trip was no different. We went to a few of our favorite places to eat, but also purposely chose to go to some places that we hadn’t eaten before. Obviously, there are a plethora of celebrity chef owned restaurants, each one having multiple restaurants in several casinos, but there are other choices that are not as expensive.

One of the places that we returned to was The Yardbird at the Venetian, a restaurant specializing in eggs and chicken. We had fried chicken with hot sauce, chilled spiced watermelon, and a fresh baked biscuit. Another place that we returned was Jardin in the Encore, which has an open-air feel overlooking the pool area as well as some creative meal choices. We also went back to Gordan Ramsey’s Pub in Caesars, which offers traditional British fare and a nice variety of beers and ales.

One of the new places that we ate at was a Mexican restaurant called El Segundo, which is at the Fashion Show Mall and features wonderful food at reasonable prices as well as happy hour margaritas. Another new restaurant for us to eat at was Morels in the Palazzo where we had quiche and a very large omelet as well as two for one drink specials.

We always love a good deal on Oysters, so we even had a dozen oysters at the Oyster Bar in Harrah’s, which was nicer than restaurants in Harrah’s used to be. All in all, we enjoyed a wonderful variety of food and even found a few bargains along the way. The buffet seems to be making a comeback as several casinos offered them as well, but since we aren’t heavy eaters, it doesn’t make sense for us to sit down at an all you can eat buffet. Las Vegas has so many food options that you could spend a month on the strip and never eat at the same place twice, although you might go broke in the process.