Butternut Squash with Orecchiette Pasta

On November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes2 Comments

Autumn is the perfect time of year for having meals made with different types of squash. We often make acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and butternut squash at this time of year. We usually just have them as a side dish to the main meal, but we decided to make a dinner where the squash was the star of the dish. Adding green beans gave it a pop of color, but broccoli or asparagus would be a good alternative. It is a simple and easy meal idea that works for weekdays or can be made for a crowd. It is also a good dish for a pot-luck dinner as well.

Butternut Squash, Green Beans, and Pancetta

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Butternut Squash – cooked and cut into 1 inch cubes
3/4 cup Pancetta – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups Green Beans – cut into 1 inch pieces
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2 cups Orecchiette
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese – grated
2 to 3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

To cook the butternut squash, cut it in half, remove the seeds, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Then place the butternut squash on a foil lined baking sheet and place in an oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until fork tender. Then remove the butternut squash, let it cool, remove the skin, and cut into 1 inch cubes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil that has been seasoned with plenty of salt. Add the orecchiette and cook for about a minute or two less than the box directions in order to keep it al dente. Be sure to reserve a 3/4 cup of the cooking water from the pasta. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes and then remove them and add them to cold water to stop the cooking. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and red pepper flakes and cook until the pancetta is crispy. Add the butternut squash and the reserved pasta water and cook for about 2 minutes and the water reduces by about half. Add the orecchiette, green beans, and a 1/2 cup of water and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to a serving bowl, toss with the grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.

A Single Serving of Butternut Squash with Orecchiette

Feeling Like a Local in Würzburg, Germany

On November 3, 2020November 3, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany1 Comment

One of the weekend trips that we took when we were in Frankfurt was to Würzburg. Although we had only been living in Germany for a little over a month, this particularly getaway made us feel as though we were becoming locals. It is a short train ride from Frankfurt to Würzburg and we arrived right around lunchtime. We found a tiny little restaurant that obviously catered to several regulars who were chatting with one another, reading newspapers, and simply relaxing. The owner offered us a seasonal beer, which of course we had to try, and we had an appetizer platter with blood sausage, potatoes, and cheese.

From there we started walking around the town, which was decorated for the holidays. We stopped to listen to a local band playing holiday music and entered a raffle to support the local school. Children were running around and playing, making us smile at their excitement for the season. Even though we entered the raffle just to support the local community, we actually ended up winning a bottle of Riesling wine. Later we found a restaurant that was over 600 years old where we enjoyed a trio of soups and a holiday meal.

The Christmas markets were in full swing and we spent time on both days enjoying them. We walked through the town feeling welcomed by everyone we met. We found a restaurant called the Weinstube that placed little plastic monkeys on the wine glasses. We couldn’t help but play with them to make a heart with them holding hands and their tails curling above them. We went to the Residenz, which is the palace in Würzburg, but the highlight for us was just feeling like we were part of the local community as we strolled the streets and shopped in the Christmas markets.

Battling the Depression Caused by Lack of Travel

On October 30, 2020October 30, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Blogging21 Comments

That might sound like an exaggeration, but for us it is actually true. Considering that we would have been out of the country 3 to 4 times since the shutdown started in March, we find ourselves not just sad and frustrated, but truly depressed at times. We are making every effort to stay active and continue to provide information on a regular basis, but there are days when looking at photographs of previous trips is just too much to do. We had truly hoped that things would have improved by now, however it seems that things are once again getting worse and places are shutting down yet again.

We look forward to seeing new places and actually enjoy the entire travel experience. What is probably hardest is not meeting new people and hearing from them about their culture. We have teased several times that we’ll just have to travel twice as much next year, but clearly that isn’t reasonable and also assumes that somehow things will truly open back up again. We try not to get depressed when thinking about travel because, after all, we have our health and are together and most people consider travel a luxury. We think about all of our friends who rely on the travel industry for their livelihoods and feel for them knowing how difficult it must be on them. We apologize if the moods of our posts are not as upbeat as they usually would be, we will try to stay motivated in these trying times.