Slow-Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

On March 16, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes12 Comments

Despite what it may seem like based upon the posts that we put out, we’re both extremely busy with work and trying to find time to travel. We have high stress jobs that keep us busy from the moment that we walk into our offices, albeit home offices, to the time that we step away from our desks at the end of the day. So, we love a good slow-cooker recipe, something that we can throw together and forget it. We found this recipe in a Food Network Magazine and decided to give it a try. We cut down the portions of chicken and onion since it is just the two of us, but left the sauce the same so that it would have plenty of flavor. The recipe here is for the full portion described in the magazine that is meant to serve 4 people. It really was delicious and we’ll definitely make it again, but when we do, we’ll probably leave some of the seeds in from the pepper to give it a little heat and might even add a little garlic to it. If you can’t find naan bread, you could certainly put this over rice to soak up all of the sauce.

Ingredients

3 pieces of Naan Bread
1 Red Onion – halved and thinly sliced
1 lb Small Red Potatoes – halved or quartered if large
1 Fresno Chile or Red Jalapeno Pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
1 small bunch of Cilantro – stems and leaves separated and leaves chopped
1 1/2 lb Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs
1 tbsp Garam Masala
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter – cut into pieces
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Crumble or rip a half piece of the naan into coarse crumbs and place on the bottom of a 6-quart slow-cooker. Add the red onion, potatoes, pepper, and cilantro stems. Arrange the chicken thighs over the vegetables in a single layer and sprinkle with the garam masala, plus about 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a little fresh ground pepper. Place the chunks of butter on top of the chicken and add the cinnamon stick. Cover everything with the tomato sauce and cook on low for about 7 hours. Once done, uncover and gently stir in the heavy cream, breaking the chicken into large chunks. Let stand for 10 minutes and then stir in the cilantro leaves and season with a little more salt, if desired. Serve with the remaining naan bread.

Spain Meets Colorado – Steak with Spanish Dry-Rub

On March 9, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes13 Comments

When we travel, we try to taste as much of the local flavors as possible. Then, when we’re back at home, we try to replicate some of the things that we tried during our trips. We certainly aren’t culinary experts, but we are a couple that enjoys cooking and trying different foods. This particular dinner is obviously very easy, but if you’re a meat lover, it is extremely delicious. If you ever come to the western United States, to states like Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana, you’re going to find some great steaks. We have gotten used to the portions that restaurants serve, which is why we always split a meal when we go out and even then usually have food leftover to take home with us.

When we had first moved to Colorado, we took a trip the Alamosa, in the southwestern portion of the state, and had gone out to dinner and ordered a steaks. We’d each ordered our own meal, so when the server arrived with our food, we almost went into shock. A large plate was placed in front of each of us and on this plate was a huge steak. That was all that was on the plate because that was all that could fit on the plate. Then smaller plates with baked potatoes and vegetables were placed next our enormous steaks. Each steak could easily feed a family of four, but apparently steak portions tend to be fairly large in the western states.

So, we picked up a nice, thick rib-eye steak from our favorite butcher at the Cowboy Star restaurant where we can get our steaks cut to order. We marinated it with the Spanish dry-rub and grilled it to a nice medium rare. To complete the Spanish experience, we paired it with a Monastrell wine from the Taringa vineyard in Jumilla, Spain, which was bold and spicy enough to stand up to the flavor of the steak. We served with a side salad, just to try to pretend that we were being a little healthy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp Spanish Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1 tsp Ground Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Boneless Rib-Eye Steaks (about 10 – 12 oz each)

Instructions

Mix the spices in a small bowl. Brush the steaks with the olive oil and then rub the spices all over the steak, making sure to coat both sides equally. Let the steaks stand at room temperature, coated with the spice rub, for about 20 minutes to let the aromatic spices penetrate. Cook the steaks on a grill, grill pan, or in a cast iron skillet until it reaches the desired temperature. Let the steaks rest, tented with aluminum foil, for at least 10 minutes. Cut the steak into strips or serve whole. Serves 2 to 4 people.

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.