Category: Recipes

Tilapia with a White Wine Sauce

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes2 Comments

Pairing fish with a white wine sauce is quite common as they naturally compliment one another. It also works great with clams, mussels, or scallops, but we chose Tilapia as it takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. We did it as a weeknight meal for two, but it certainly can be done for a larger group, although pan frying fish filets for more than four or five would require cooking them in batches. We have certainly had seafood with white wine sauce in many different European countries as well as in cities here in the United States. Any time you cook with wine, it is always important to cook with a wine that you would want to drink on its own as, even the alcohol will cook out, the flavor of the wine will clearly remain and intensify.

Clams with White Wine Sauce in Amsterdam

INGREDIENTS

  •  2 Tilapia Filets
  •  1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  •  2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  •  1/3 cup Shallots – finely chopped
  •  1 cup Dry White Wine (we used a chardonnay)
  •  1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
  •  1/3 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Dried Parsley
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Sautéed Tilapia

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the flour on a shallow plate, mixing it with salt, pepper, and the paprika. In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and sauté the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes until they are translucent. Add the wine and vinegar and simmer until reduced by half and the alcohol has cooked off, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and cook for another 5 minutes and then add the parsley, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce into a bowl and then add the remaining butter and oil into the pan. Dredge both sides of the Tilapia with the flour and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned and flakey. Place the fish onto serving plates and spoon the white wine sauce over top.

Cooking the Shallots
Reducing the White Wine
White Wine Sauce
Tilapia with White Wine Sauce

 

Fish and Seafood Recipes for All Seasons

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes3 Comments

We enjoy eating seafood whenever we travel to places, especially those located near the ocean. Our choices for fresh seafood can be somewhat limited at times, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy trying to recreate some of the meals that we’ve had throughout our travels. Regardless of the time of year, we can always find a seafood recipe that meets the need of the season. Although we often think of eating seafood during the summer months when we’re looking for lighter meals, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t recipes that work perfectly for the cold winter nights as well. Here are a few of our favorite recipes that we have created in the past.

  1. Pan Fried Tilapia – Lightly breaded with herbs and lemon, this dish can be paired with just about any side-dish. It is great for a weekday dinner, but is versatile enough to serve for a special occasion.

    Pan Fried Tilapia with Oven Roasted Asparagus
  2. Seared Scallops with a Lemon Butter Sauce – Sea scallops make for an easy and elegant meal, especially when sautéed with lemon, butter, and little bit of saffron. Served over a bed of pasta, it is a delicious meal for any time of year.

    Seared Scallops with Lemon, Butter, Caper Sauce
  3.  Pumpkin-Sage Shrimp – If you are looking for a seafood recipe that is perfect for autumn, then pumpkin-sage shrimp is a perfect solution. It is also a meal that works perfectly with scallops as well.

    Pumpkin-Sage Shrimp
  4.  Crab Lasagna – Using a béchamel sauce with crab meat to create a lasagna is an excellent way to take a new twist on an old favorite. Since it is warm and cheesy, it is a perfect meal for a cold winter night.

    Cheesy Crab Lasagna
  5. Salmon Oscar – Serving a breaded, crab mixture over steak or flounder is quite common, but we had Salmon Oscar in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia. We loved it so much that we had to create it ourselves for a wonderful dinner at home.

    Our Version of Salmon Oscar with Asparagus
  6.  Shrimp and Grits – Grits are very similar to palenta and it pairs perfectly with shrimp. We have had shrimp and grits in several places, including our recent trip to New Orleans. This one is a little unique as it is paired with a soft-boiled egg.

    Shrimp and Grits with a Fried Soft Boiled Egg
  7.  Salmon with an Herb and Honey Sauce – Sweet and savory sauces work great with salmon and we have tried several different styles. This is a perfect meal for a warm summer day or even a cold autumn night.

    Enjoy the Salmon with the Capers and Honey Sauce
  8.  Shrimp Frittata – This was a recipe that we did not that long ago and it was a great way to do something different with shrimp. Frittatas are so versatile and can be a perfect vehicle for serving whatever vegetables are in season at the time of year that you are cooking.

    Plated Portions of Shrimp Frittata

Having had so many unique seafood dishes around the world, taking a look back at our recipes has reminded us that we have not recreated nearly enough of them. It really is one of our favorite things to do, to recreate a meal from someplace we’ve visited and letting the flavors take us back to the time we were traveling. Tastes and smells are as much of a reminder of places as the photographs that we have taken.

Bloody Mary Brunch

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes6 Comments

If you’re looking for a fun entertaining idea, consider throwing a Bloody Mary brunch party. People can have Bloody Marys with or without vodka, you can provide different flavors of vodka, and let them garnish their own Bloody Mary. The actual origin of the Bloody Mary drink is uncertain with claims that it was invented in the 1920’s in Paris while other people claim that it originated in New York, and others say it was invented in Chicago. Wherever it came from, it is certainly a staple on many drink menus around the world. Brunch items can be simple and you can certainly offer for people to bring their own favorite items. We decided to throw one over the weekend and for our brunch items, we chose to make deviled eggs, mini-frittatas, bacon wrapped sesame bread sticks, and French toast sticks with syrup. We made our own Bloody Mary mix and had shrimp, pepperoncini, celery, pickles, cherry tomatoes, and olives (some stuffed with pimentos and some stuffed with jalapeno peppers) as garnish. Letting guests poor their own Bloody Mary and garnish it themselves allows them to control the amount of alcohol that they want as well as be creative with the way that they garnish their own drink. We have provided our recipe for the Bloody Mary mix, but if you’d like information on any of the brunch items, just let us know.

Mini- Frittatas
Garnishes

INGREDIENTS

  • 48 oz Tomato Juice
  • 12 oz Clamato Juice
  • 1/4 cup Beef Broth
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 4 tbsp Prepared Horseradish
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Celery Salt
  • 2 to 3 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
Bloody Mary Mix
Bacon Wrapped Sesame Bread Sticks
Bloody Mary

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all of the ingredients in a large picture, stirring to incorporate all of the horseradish. If you can’t find Clamato brand tomato juice, you can add the 10 ounces of tomato juice and 2 ounces of clam juice. If you would like a more or less spicy Bloody Mary mix, simply increase or decrease the amount of horseradish and tabasco sauce that you add.

Deviled Eggs
French Toast Sticks
A Different Garnish