Croissant French Toast with Caramelized Apples

On September 23, 2020September 23, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

Using croissants to make French Toast is something that we would make when we wanted to have a fancier breakfast. The nooks and crannies in the inside of the croissants soaks up the custard and makes them different than using traditional bread. Also, unlike regular bread, you don’t want the croissants to be stale, but instead fresh and soft. Adding the caramelized apples makes it a perfect dish for autumn and if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to it, it also makes a wonderful dessert. Although it feels fancy, it isn’t really difficult to make and the presentation is really nice. We actually chose to make this for dinner because we love having breakfast for dinner sometimes, especially since we don’t eat breakfast often due to our busy days.

INGREDIENTS

4 Fresh Croissants – cut in half lengthwise
6 Granny Smith Apples – peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 Large Eggs
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch Fresh Nutmeg
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Powdered Sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

Put the white sugar into a large, non-stick skillet and heat over medium-low heat. As the pan gets hot, the sugar will start to melt and turn to liquid. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 to 3 minutes or until it turns a light brown. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, which will cause the caramel sauce to foam, continue to stir until it is smooth once again. Add the apples and slowly stir. The caramel will likely seize up a little until the apples come up to temperature and then it will loosen once again. Once it the caramel is loose again, add the syrup and brown sugar and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Run the nutmeg across a microplane once or twice over the bowl. Whisk everything together until the custard is smooth. Heat another skillet over medium-high heat and the other 3 tablespoons of butter. Working in batches, dredge the croissants through the custard mixture and quickly transfer to the skillet, cut-side down. After it starts to cook, gently press down on the croissant with the back of a spatula, this will ensure that the croissant cooks more evenly. After the bottom begins to brown, flip the croissants and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. To serve, place 2 of the croissant half French toast onto a plate, spoon a quarter of the caramel apple mixture over the French toast, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Croissant French Toast with Caramelized Apples

Green Chili with Pork Recipe

On September 16, 2020September 16, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

One of the things that you find throughout the southwest is green chili. You often find it as a topping for Mexican food, but this particular recipe is an actual meal and not meant to be a condiment. Cooking it low and slow allows the meat to become tender and absorb even more of the flavor of the peppers. We happened to have grown jalapenos over the summer, so we had several on hand, although they were a little smaller than normal. This is a great meal for cooler weather that is easy to make and will warm you up on the inside. If you like it a little spicier, you can simply add more peppers or leave more of the seeds in.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder – cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 Small Red Onion – chopped
2 Small Jalapenos – halved, one seeded and one with seeds left in
4 to 5 Tomatillos – husked, cleaned, and cut in half
3 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Cilantro Leaves
3 tbsp Canola Oil
3 cups Chicken Stock
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Toss the onion, tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt, and pepper. Heat an oven to 400 degrees and place the vegetables on a foil lined sheet pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once after about 15 to 20 minutes. When the vegetables have finished roasting, transfer them to a food processor and add the cilantro and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the pork. Cook until browned on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes and use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from the skillet. Combine the pork, green chili sauce, and chicken stock in slow-cooker and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 hours. Transfer to individual bowls and serve.

Individual Serving of Green Chili with Pork

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Angel Hair Pasta

On September 9, 2020September 9, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Italy, RecipesLeave a comment

Shrimp Fra Diavolo (Brother Devil) is an Italian inspired dish that is spicy and delicious. We served it over a bed of angel hair pasta, but when we had leftovers a couple of days later, we simply served it with a side of garlic toast. If you don’t want it too spicy, you can reduce the amount of red pepper flakes, but this meal is meant to pack some heat. It is one of those easy and yet elegant dinners that can be done on a weeknight or served for a weekend dinner party. It could probably be done with another type of shell fish, but shrimp really holds up well to the flavors and is easy to cook.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Large Shrimp – peeled and deveined
1/2 Medium Red Onion – sliced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Chicken Stock (or White Wine)
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
3 cloves Garlic – chopped
2 to 3 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Angel Hair Pasta – cooked to package directions

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of salt. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan to medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until fully cooked and the shrimp have turned pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, garlic, Italian seasoning and simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Add the shrimp back into sauce and bring them back up to temperature, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the shrimp and tomatoes over the angel hair pasta and serve.