Bloody Mary Brunch

On February 20, 2019February 20, 2019 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.

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

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.

Easy and Delicious Shrimp Frittata

On January 23, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes9 Comments

One of the things that you can find throughout your travels is some variety of a frittata. They are light, easy, and can be adapted for the cuisine of almost any country. We really enjoy fresh seafood when we travel, so we decided to do a shrimp frittata that was not only easy, but extremely delicious. The use of lemon and fresh parsley also helps to brighten up the dish and make it even more luscious. Frittatas, like a good quiche, can be a meal on its own, but we decided to pair it with some green beans and red peppers. This recipe serves two, but can easily be adjusted to serve a larger group. It also would work well with other shellfish such as lobster or crab instead of the shrimp or even a combination of all three.

INGREDIENTS

6 Large Eggs
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley – chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese – grated
Zest of 1 Medium Lemon
1 tsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
6 oz Shrimp – peeled, deveined, and fully cooked
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes – more or less depending on your taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Steam the shrimp until pink and fully cooked. Let them cool, peel and devein them, and then roughly chop the shrimp. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, shrimp, and the lemon zest and juice. Stir to mix all of the ingredients together. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a small, oven-proof, pan until it just begins to bubble (don’t let it start to brown). Add the egg mixture and lightly stir for about a minute and then place the pan in the oven. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the egg mixture sets up and begins to lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let it stand for just a minute or two before cutting into portions to serve.

Breakfast for Dinner

On January 27, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes9 Comments

Every now and again, you just get in the mood for having breakfast at dinnertime. Whether its pancakes, waffles, or eggs, it is just very comforting, especially since we rarely sit down to a hot breakfast due our hectic work schedules. This was a family recipe long before restaurants starting creating skillets with a variety of breakfast items tossed into a single dish, so we must have been ahead of the curve on this one. In fact, we don’t have a real name for it, more of a nickname. Depending upon which family member you talk to, it is either egg slop or goop, but clearly those are terms of endearment. We make it with a spicy chili sauce, but you could easily substitute any sauce that suits your taste. We hope that you enjoy it, we certainly did, as we always do when we have this hearty breakfast dinner.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

4 Large Eggs
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 cups Hash Brown Potatoes
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 cups Water
1 1/2 tbsp Chili Powder
3/4 tbsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1/2 tbsp Salt
1/4 tbsp Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 to 1 cup Shredded Cheese

Instructions

You can prepare the hash browns according to the package, but we’ve found an alternative solution that reduces the amount of oil necessary and makes them a little healthier. Place the hash browns into a plastic bag with the vegetable oil and shake until they are well coated. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Spread the hash browns out onto a cookie sheet, ensuring that they are in a single layer and that they aren’t too crowded, and sprinkle with salt. Place the hash browns into the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping them half way through, until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. While the hash browns are cooking, prepare the chili sauce by whisking the flour with the cold water until all lumps have been removed. Alternately, you could make a roux by combining the flour with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and then adding the water. Whisk in the chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Heat the sauce, while continuously whisking, over medium heat until it just starts to boil and then turn down to low, just to keep it warm. If the sauce thickens too much, add water to keep it at the desired density. When the hash browns have finished, pull them out of the oven and heat the oven on broil at 500 degrees. In a skillet, heat the butter on medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook them sunny-side up or to your desired style. Place half of the hash browns onto two oven-safe plates. Cover with the desired amount of sauce (the recipe makes more sauce than needed, but is great for leftovers and other recipes). On each plate, put two eggs on top of the hash browns, top with half of the cheese, and put the plates into the oven on a high rack. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn the cheese, and remove when the cheese has fully melted. Be sure to put hot pads under the plates when serving the dish as the plates will be extremely hot.