Classic English Breakfast

On September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Food, Recipes7 Comments

One of the things that we enjoy eating wherever we travel is a classic English or Irish breakfast. It is one of those perfect “breakfast for dinner” meals that is simple and tasty. Traditionally it is served with blood sausage, also called blood pudding, but we weren’t able to get that from our butcher. It is a unique combination of eggs, beans, sausage, ham, mushrooms, and tomatoes that isn’t typically found in the United States unless you happen to visit an English pub. Not only is it delicious but it is very filling. The baked beans are always a simple, ketchup-based style bean that aren’t overly sweet. Here is our version of a traditional English breakfast.

INGREDIENTS
• 4 Large Eggs
• 6 Breakfast Link Sausages
• 4 Slices of Canadian Bacon
• 1 cup Button Mushrooms- sliced
• ¾ cup Cherry Tomatoes- sliced in half
• 1 16 oz can Baked Beans
• 4 slices of White Toast- buttered and cut diagonally
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat an oven to 250 degrees. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Simmer the mushrooms until golden brown. Set the mushrooms aside and add the sausage links to the skillet. Brown the sausage on all sides until fully cooked, about 10 minutes (we cooked a full package). Heat the beans in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove the sausage and place on an oven-safe plate, cover, and place in the oven to keep warm. Put the Canadian bacon into the pan and cook until both sides are browned. Add the bacon to the plate with the sausage, recover, and place it back in the oven. Add the tomatoes to the skillet along with the mushrooms and cook until the tomatoes start to blister. Remove them from the pan and put them on an oven-safe plate, cover, and put them into the oven to keep warm. Start toasting the bread and crack the eggs to place them in the skillet. If necessary, add more butter to the pan. When the egg whites are no longer translucent, add 2 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook for 2 minutes, being sure that the yolks are still runny. Butter the toast, plate, and serve. Serves two.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

On August 7, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Food, Recipes2 Comments

You can find various styles of beef sandwiches, beef on a stick, or beef pockets like empanadas throughout the world. The sloppy joe sandwich is uniquely American, though, and something that many people will relate to their childhoods. Most people grew up making sloppy joe sandwiches using sauce from a can, but it is possible to make it from scratch with fresh ingredients. We found that making homemade sloppy joes was not only easy, but the taste was better than what you can get from a pre-made sauce. You also have the option to make a different twist on the dish as well, perhaps making it a little spicy, but we chose to go with a traditional approach.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Medium White Onion – diced
2 cloves Garlic – minced
1 Red Pepper – diced
3/4 cup Ketchup
1 dash Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups Water

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the ground beef and onion into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat, breaking the ground beef up as it cooks, until the meat is browned and the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot water and stir, being sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet to incorporate all of beef bits into the sauce. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Add another cup of hot water, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce is thick and the liquid has been reduced, about 40 minutes. Serve on buns.

Another Take on Spicy Chicken Curry

On July 31, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn India, Recipes2 Comments

We love a good chicken curry and we tend to try various styles at different times. This particular version is pretty simple and you can make it very spicy or tone the heat down for a milder version. We chose to go ahead and leave in the heat, but we would forewarn you that it did pack a bit of a punch. It was very flavorful and would certainly work with shrimp or fish as well. We also chose to use a couple of types of peppers, but it can certainly be made using a single pepper. This recipe serves two, but it can easily be increased for a larger group. Our original version of chicken curry used cream to help cool it down, which could be done for this dish as well.

INGREDIENTS

2 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts – cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Medium White Onion – thinly sliced
2 Garlic Cloves – chopped
1 tsp Fresh Ginger – peeled and grated
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 Serano Pepper – chopped (deseeded for less heat)
1 Fresno Pepper – chopped (deseeded for less heat)
2 tsp Tomato Purée
2 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned. While the onion is cooking, add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, peppers, and 1/4 cup cold water to a blender and pulse until it forms a smooth paste. Remove the onions from the skillet and add the chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until fully done and the sides are browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the paste, tomato purée, and onions to the chicken. Rinse the blender with 3/4 cup of boiling water and stir it into the skillet to create a sauce. Simmer for about 7 minutes to completely coat the chicken and heat the sauce. Add the lemon juice and serve over a bed of rice or fried potatoes.