Tequila Lime Chicken

On November 4, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes2 Comments

Perhaps because we’re about to leave for Mexico in a couple of days, we’ve had tequila on the mind. We originally found this recipe from Ina Garten, but we’ve modified it slightly over time. The original recipe calls for boneless chicken breast with the skin on, but we chose to do bone in chicken thighs this time. We’ve also used this recipe on pork tenderloin as well, since it is very versatile and definitely quite tasty. The key is letting the chicken marinate overnight and letting the chicken soak up all of the flavor. Jalapeño corn bread is a great accompaniment or a corn salad goes really nice as well. We hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Tequila (silver or gold)
3/4 cup Lime Juice – fresh squeezed
1/3 cup Orange Juice – fresh squeezed
3/4 tbsp Chili Powder
3/4 tbsp Jalapeño Pepper – freshly minced (seeded if you prefer less heat)
3/4 tbsp Garlic – freshly minced (about 2 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
3/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
4 Chicken Thighs – skin on

Instructions

In a large bowl or measuring cup, combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño pepper, salt, and black pepper. Whisk the ingredients together. Place the chicken thighs into a shallow pan or baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken so that it covers the chicken thighs. Cover and place in a refrigerator overnight (turning the chicken thighs over occasionally). Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill the chicken thighs, skin side down, until golden brown, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Flip the thighs, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to grill until cooked through, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin-Sage Shrimp

On October 28, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes9 Comments

We made this as an appetizer for our Halloween party, but it would be just as good over a bed of linguine noodles. The original recipe called for bay scallops, but we chose to use shrimp instead because we couldn’t get scallops. Since we’re in Colorado, finding fresh seafood can sometimes be a challenge, but based on the way our guests gobbled them up, shrimp seemed to be a fine alternative.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Raw Shrimp – medium size, peeled and de-veined
1 stick (8 tbsp) Softened Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Canned Pure Pumpkin
1 tbsp Fresh Sage – chopped
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Lemon – cut in half

Instructions

In a bowl or food processor, combine the softened butter, pumpkin, sage, and salt. Whisk or pulse until smooth. Add a 1/2 tablespoon of butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the shrimp to the skillet, making sure that the shrimp aren’t crowded, and cook until pink, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin-sage butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove the shrimp from skillet and repeat the steps until all of the shrimp has been cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature with picks.

Traditional Chili (Our Family Recipe)

On October 21, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

It is a cold, rainy day here in Colorado today, so chili was an obvious choice for dinner. We’ve been doing this recipe since the very first year that we met twenty-six years ago, so it is one of our “go to ” recipes. It is great comfort food and, typical to these types of meals, is even better the second or third day after you make it. We will often fire roast tomatoes from the farmer’s market and use those to make the chili, which gives an even richer flavor, but we’ve included our traditional preparation here. Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
28 oz Can Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
28 oz Can Chili Beans in Chili Sauce
28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
4 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Ground Red Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the ground beef and spices. It is important to add the spices while cooking the ground beef as it allows the meat to absorb all of the flavor. Once the ground beef is thoroughly cooked, add the chili beans, kidney beans, and tomatoes. Fill the can from the chili beans half way with water and pour into the chili, getting any remaining chili sauce from the inside of the can. Heat to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer that you cook it, the thicker the chili will be. Serve as is or add cheese, sour cream, jalapeño peppers or any of your favorite toppings.