Iberian Ham

On August 10, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, Spain8 Comments

We had heard quite a bit about how good the Iberian ham was before travelling to the Iberian peninsula. To be honest, we enjoy cured meat, but it isn’t necessarily something we gravitate towards. One of the interesting things that we learned about ham is that the reason it is supposed to be so good is due to the food that the pigs are fed, which are acorns. In fact, the ham is rated by how many months out of the year the pigs are fed acorns, the more months the better the rating. The ham doesn’t receive a star rating, but instead is rated in acorns with a five acorn rating being the highest rating possible.

So, what did we think of the ham? Quite frankly it was absolutely delicious. We have never had a dried meat that literally almost evaporated in your mouth. Obviously there is a very high fat content for that to occur, but you almost didn’t chew the ham, it seemed to dissolve the moment it hit the warmth of your tongue. It isn’t something that we’re able to find here, so if we ever get the chance to eat some again, we definitely will. This was one of the times when the food lived up to the pre-trip hype and if you get the chance, you should certainly give it a try.

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.

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.