Spicy Southwest Mac and Cheese

On March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Arizona, Recipes11 Comments

One of the meals that we ate when we were in Scottsdale, Arizona, was a spicy mac and cheese with sausage and red peppers. It was a nice change of pace from traditional mac and cheese, so we decided to try and replicate the recipe ourselves. Making homemade macaroni and cheese isn’t very difficult and tastes better than anything that you can get out of a box, but we rarely take the time to do it. Fortunately, it is easy to find seasoned varieties of sausage in the grocery store these days, so we didn’t have to go to the trouble of making our own sausage. We found a nice Cajun spiced andouille sausage that paired nicely with the chipotle chili. One nice thing about a recipe like this is that you can easily modify it to feed a larger crowd or reduce it for a meal for one or two. We decided to cook ours in individual crock bowls, but cooking it in a casserole dish would certainly be ideal as well. You can also use different types of pasta for the dish, but we used a Cellentani noodle as it has ridges to help hold the cheese. This is definitely a recipe that we would do again in the future.

Picante Macaroni and Cheese with Sausage in Scottsdale

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of Cellentani Noodles (or elbow macaroni)
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
4 cups Milk
1 Red Pepper – sliced into strips
2 Links of Andouille Sausage – cut into bite size pieces
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Chipotle Chili Powder (or to taste)
1 tsp Dry Mustard
2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3 1/2 cups Four Cheese Blend
1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, red pepper, and sausage. Even though the sausage is already cooked, frying it will caramelize it and add more flavor. Cook the sausage and pepper for about 5 to 7 minutes until the sausage is browned and the pepper is soft. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and then whisk in the flour to make a roux. Be sure not to let the roux start to brown. Heat 2 cups of the milk in a microwave for 90 seconds and then slowly whisk it into the roux, making sure to whisk out any lumps. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Microwave the rest of the milk for 90 seconds and then whisk that into the rest of the milk mixture. Add the chipotle powder, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper, ensuring to mix thoroughly. Add 3 cups of the cheese, whisking until it is smooth and creamy. Stir in the pasta, sausage, and peppers until the pasta is completely coated with the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/4 of the pasta into 4 oven proof bowls that have been sprayed with a non-stick spray (or transfer to a medium casserole dish). Top with the remaining cheese and bread crumbs and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Pasta, Sausage, Peppers, and Cheese Sauce

Individual Serving before Topping with Cheese and Bread Crumbs

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.

The Food of Prague

On January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, Recipes4 Comments

Prague is a popular tourist destination and, as such, it has wonderful selection of restaurants to choose from when dining out. It many ways, the food is similar to the rest of central Europe, but as always, there are slight variations. One of the common themes that we were served was a dumpling that was very similar to bread pudding. They are thick and dense and wonderful for soaking up the different gravies, but will definitely leave you feeling like you could use to do a few extra exercises.

The other commonality is the various selections of wild game that were available, which was obviously due to the time of year. The United States talks a lot about fresh ingredients and serving what is most available for the season, but rarely do you actually find as many restaurants all carrying seasonal menus with traditional favorites. There was rabbit, deer, duck, goose, perch, as well as the typical pork and beef dishes. When prepared properly, these dishes taste wonderful and don’t have harsh flavors, which can sometimes happen when serving wild game.

We were in Prague over the holidays, so we did find some set menus on Christmas Day, but there were still wonderful choices to select from. In fact, the only disappointing meal that we ate while we were in Prague was at a medieval restaurant that was part of our tour the one day. The restaurant was very touristy and the food, which was served to large tour groups, was obviously mass prepared. That is to be expected when having a meal as part of a large group such as this, but it is possible to create meals that are flavorful and tender, even under these circumstances, so it was a shame.

Overall, the food of Prague was truly wonderful and enhanced what was already an amazing experience. We would certainly recommend going to one of the many restaurants that are in the Mala strana, which is just a section of the old town area. It is highly recommended that you make reservations during the weekends or busy tourist times, which seems to be just about all of the time. There are few places open between 15:00 and 18:00, typical of much of Europe, so plan your day accordingly.