Potato Salad – A Summer Favorite

On July 13, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes8 Comments

As summer turns up the heat, we cool things down by preparing a nice batch of cold potato salad. It is creamy, refreshing, and can be paired with just about any entrée. It is also perfect for summer picnics or any large gathering. We happened to serve it with some halibut that we’d dusted with Old Bay Seasoning and then breaded, but it could have just as easily been served with hot dogs, hamburgers, or anything else. The key to a good potato salad is to not over cook the potatoes, but to get them just to the point that a knife slides easily through them and then immediately cooling them off so that the cooking process stops. If you over cook the potatoes, they will become too soft to mix with the sauce. This is one of our favorite side dishes, so we hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients

4 Medium Potatoes – cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Brown Mustard
1/2 Stalk of Celery – finely chopped
2 tbsp Onion – finely chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs – chopped
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
2 to 3 tbsp Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes into cold, salted, water and heat to a boil. Boil at a slow-rolling boil for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife easily penetrates the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, put them back into the hot pan to help get any excess water off of the potatoes, then put the potatoes into a bowl and chill them in the refrigerator until cold. If you are in a time crunch, you can put them in the freezer until they are chilled (not frozen). In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustards, celery, onion, celery salt, milk, salt and pepper, stirring until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the egg to the potatoes and gently toss with the mayonnaise mixture until all of the potatoes are fully coated.

The Fusion Food of Lima, Peru

On June 29, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, South America10 Comments

We had heard a lot about the food of Peru and, more specifically, of Lima. With the praise that has been given by chef’s such as Anthony Bourdain about the vibrant food scene in Lima, we were interested to taste for ourselves what people were talking about. We talked to the concierge at the hotel in order to get the best recommendations and although there are a few places that serve traditional Peruvian food, it is all about fusion. Of the various fusion inspired foods, Asian fusion was the most popular.

For lunch we had some more traditional Peruvian food, enjoying a chicken with a tangy sauce and pickled slaw on a brioche bun. We also had a steak and avocado sandwich with a creamy mustard sauce. Both were served with Peruvian fries, which are a little different than what we’re normally used to, cut thick, breaded and then deep-fried. It was a lot of food, but truly delicious.

For dinner, we took the hotel’s advise and tried some Asian fusion food. Basically, it is utilizing all local and fresh ingredients and using them in non-traditional Asian dishes. We had to have ceviche as we had heard that Peru prepared it better than anyplace else in the world. It was definitely extremely good, but we haven’t had ceviche in enough places to chime in on whether it is as good as the hype that we’d heard about it before we got there. Then we had a beef stir-fry served with an Asian interpretation of a tortilla. Not only did it taste wonderful, with each tortilla having a different combination of ingredients, but it was visually appealing as well. Unfortunately, we only had one night in Lima before travelling on to Bolivia, so we’ll have to go back to try more of the gastronomy of the city.

Taco Salad

On June 22, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes8 Comments

This is definitely more of an American dish than a Mexican dish, but that doesn’t make it any less tasty. You could almost call it a “nacho salad” instead of a taco salad since we used tortilla chips instead of deep-frying a flour tortilla to make a bowl as most restaurants do. You could just as easily do this with shredded chicken or beef instead of ground beef, it all depends on what you have available. It is also such a simple dish that it makes for a great weeknight dinner. There are all sorts of options to change this up, such as using flavored tortilla chips, doing the deep-fried flour bowl, or leaving the chips out completely for a healthier version. Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
6 tbsp Taco Seasoning
3/4 cup Water
1 Tomato – diced
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper – seeds removed and diced
1/2 Poblano Pepper – diced
1/4 Yellow Onion – diced
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (Mexican Blend, Cheddar, Colby Jack, etc.)
Shredded Lettuce
1/4 cup Sour Cream (optional)
Sriracha Sauce to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add the water and stir in the taco seasoning and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens. If desired, heat the tortilla chips in an oven at 325 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, just to get them warm. Assemble the salad by adding the chips to a plate or bowl, the ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, peppers, and onion. Drizzle with sriracha and add the sour cream.