Tag: recipe

Hearty Stew

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

No matter where you travel, you will likely find a local variation on a hearty stew with a mix of meat and vegetables. Stews are basically the same as soups where the solid ingredients outweigh the broth. One of the nice things about stews is that they are very economical as stewing meats are inexpensive and the meat and vegetables can be substituted for whatever is in season at the time. This meal uses ground beef as its base, but it would be equally delicious with beef, pork, or lamb chunks or you can leave out the meat completely to make it vegetarian. This particular stew is meant to be a little bit lighter, but if you wanted to make it even heartier, you could use beef stock and a thickener to create an almost gravy-like consistency. It is one of our Autumn, “go-to”, meals and we always enjoy it.

Beef Stew in Germany

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef (or any other stew meat)
  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 2 cups of Baby Carrots – quartered
  • 3 Medium Potatoes – cubed
  • 2 cups Green Beans – cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels
  • 1/2 Small Onion – diced
  • 1 Stalk Celery – diced
  • 3 Small Bay Leaves
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 5 cups Water (may need to be adjusted)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
One Pot Wonder

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with vegetable oil.  Add the ground beef and start to brown.  Add the celery and onion when the beef is halfway browned.  Add water and bring to a simmer.  Add remaining vegetables and seasonings, simmer until the vegetables are fork tender (approximately 45 minutes).  Serve with your favorite fresh bread and butter.

Ground Beef, Onion, and Celery
Simmer the Vegetables
A Complete Meal in a Bowl

 

 

Autumn Meal Favorites

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

When the temperatures start to fall and the leaves start to change, there are certain meals that we always have during this time of the year. Most of them are comfort foods that are hearty and satisfying as well as very tasty. It is also a time of year when we tend to eat spicy meals that heat you up from the inside. Here are some of our favorite dishes that we tend to eat during the autumn season.

  1. Traditional Chili – Cooking up a bowl of homemade chili is definitely one of the first meals that we make for ourselves at this time of year. It is definitely one of those foods that is even better the following day after it has had time to sit. It can be spiced up by adding some fresh jalapenos or cooled off by adding a little sour cream.

    Bowl of Chili
  2. Spicy Southwest Mac and Cheese – We love a good mac and cheese and this was a recipe that we created not that long ago. It is definitely something that can be done as a meal, but could also be done as a side-dish as well. It can easily be changed up by simply using different varieties of sausage or completely leaving out the meat.

    Cajun Mac and Cheese
  3. Pumpkin-Sage Shrimp – Pumpkin is definitely a flavor that is synonymous with autumn and this simple recipe is filled with flavor. It is also a meal that is a little lighter than many of the other dishes that we enjoy at this time of year.

    Pumpkin-Sage Shrimp
  4. Stuffed Shells – This Italian dinner is very similar to lasagna, but it is easier to scale down since it is just the two of us. One of the things that makes this meal so delicious is all of the melted cheese and pairing it with a slice or two of garlic bread only adds to the overall enjoyment.

    Cheesy Stuffed Shells
  5. Breakfast for Dinner – Eggs, fried potatoes, a spicy chili sauce, and cheese. What else do you need? We look forward to this meal every year and will have it more than once as the days get shorter and the temperatures get even colder.

    Simple and Delicious
  6. Our Version of Chili Mac – This is a recipe that has been in our family for a couple of generations. It is a little bit of a unique meal, but is certainly one of our favorites.

    One of Our Favorites

There are definitely other meals that we enjoy during autumn, but these are a few that we have shared previously. We are definitely looking forward to enjoying these meals in the coming months ahead.

Delicious Lamb Biryani

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Product Reviews, Recipes6 Comments

This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Spice House. The recipe and all opinions are our own.

Our favorite meal when we visited India was Lamb Biryani. It isn’t a particularly difficult dish to create, but it does take a bit of time and preparation. One of the reasons that it is so flavorful is that it uses a variety of spices, some of which can be difficult to find. We used several spices from The Spice House and created our own take on Lamb Biryani. It turned out to be quite delicious and very fragrant. Depending on how spicy you like your food, you can control some of the heat by changing the amount of cayenne pepper or type of green chili that you use. We served ours over Basmati rice, but regular rice would be just as good.

Spices from The Spice House

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb Lamb Shoulder Chops – cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 8 Whole Cloves
  • 4 Black Cardamom Pods
  • 4 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 Large White Onion – sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Minced Ginger
  • 3 tbsp Fresh Mint Leaves – chopped
  • 3 Tomatoes – chopped
  • 3 Serrano Peppers – chopped (and deseeded for less heat)
  • 2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Harissa Spread
  • 4 tbsp Plain Yogurt
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed
  • 1/2 tsp Saffron
  • 2 tbsp Warm Milk
  • 1 cup Basmati Rice – cooked to package directions
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • Salt to taste
Onion, Spices, and Mint

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat and, once the oil is heated, add the cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks for about 1 minute until they are fragrant. Add the onion and cook until lightly brown stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Stir in the mint and cook for 1 minute more. Add the lamb to the onion and spice mixture and cook until the meat begins to brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, serrano peppers, and cayenne pepper and cook for about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the yogurt, milk, saffron, harissa spread, and lemon juice and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Sautéed Onions and Spices
Lamb Mixture
Add the Tomatoes and Peppers
Lamb Biryani over Basmati Rice