Some of Our Favorite Family Recipes

On October 7, 2020October 7, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

For whatever reason, most of our traditional family recipes seem to be ones that we make during the autumn and winter seasons. They tend to be meals that we create in large batches and either enjoy the leftovers the next day or freeze to have at a later date. Most of these were handed down from family member to family member by example and not written down. Cooking is one of those things that definitely can bring a family together, regardless of where you live or where you are from. It is probably one of the reasons why we enjoy eating traditional meals when we travel to places, because the food will also give you a sense of the people. Here are a few of our family’s recipes that we’ve posted over the past few years.

Meat Lasagna – We certainly enjoyed having lasagna in Rome and Florence, but our homemade lasagna is still one of our favorite meals. We also tend to make our own garlic toast to go along with it as we really like that combination. We always make a large batch so that we can have plenty of leftovers.

Red Chili – You will find many different varieties of chili as you travel throughout the southwest. From green chili to red chili, with or without meat, spicy or not spicy, they are all usually interesting and have plenty of flavor. Our version combines kidney beans and chili beans to create a very hearty meal.

Pumpkin Cookies – We bake these cookies every year in October or November and it is a way to welcome the change in the seasons. We typically make a couple dozen and then share them with our friends, who always look forward to them as well. It is a simple recipe, but the cookies are moist and delicious.

Egg and Hash Brown Potato Skillet – That isn’t the actual name of it, but egg slop doesn’t quite describe the dish. What makes this unique is the sauce that we make from chili powder and other seasonings. We have always had it for dinner, but it would make for a good weekend breakfast as well.

French Stew – This is an inexpensive meal that combines fresh ingredients in a simple way to make a “stewp”. Similar dishes can be found in the countryside’s of many different countries and is typically considered to be a hunter’s stew. A hunter stew is usually made from meat, potatoes, and vegetables, whatever happens to be available at the time.

Variations of Lasagna

On May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes1 Comment

We have enjoyed a variety of lasagna meals throughout our different travels, but especially during our time in Italy. Although lasagna refers to the traditional tomato, meat, and cheese between layers of pasta, more generally speaking it is just food that is layered. We have enjoyed some very creative lasagna meals over the years and have recreated a few of our favorites at home as well.

Traditional Meat Lasagna – Sometimes there is nothing better than the original. We had several different traditional lasagna meals during our time in Tuscany and it is certainly a meal that we never get tired of.

Greek Moussaka – Instead of pasta, this Mediterranean dish uses egg plant to create the layers of deliciousness. Made with ground lamb and aromatic spices, it is a wonderful meal and something that we hadn’t eaten until our time living in Europe.

Greek Moussaka at a Restaurant in Frankfurt

Crab and Spinach Lasagna – Using a béchamel with seafood is a great way to do a unique twist on lasagna. Using spinach also keeps it fresh, but despite the fact that it has crab and spinach, there is still plenty of cheese to make it hearty.

One of the things that we haven’t created yet is a Mexican or Southwestern style lasagna, but that is certainly another great option. Regardless of whether you only eat traditional lasagna or branch out to some different variations, lasagna is certainly a meal that almost everyone enjoys. Lasagna makes for a great meal to serve at a party as well as for feeding a large family. It is often better the next day as a leftover than it was on the day that it was first made.

Traditional Meat Lasagna

On November 14, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Italy, Reviews3 Comments

Regardless of where you travel, you will likely be able to find a good Italian restaurant that serves traditional meals. When we were in Tuscany we ate many different meals and, unlike other cuisines, the food was pretty much the same as what we find everywhere. When we were in Rome, we actually ate lasagna at a couple of different restaurants and they were both delicious. We have our own family recipe for lasagna that we have enjoyed for years. It is very versatile and can be done as a vegetarian dish or with other meats like ground pork. We make our own spaghetti sauce, but using a favorite store bought brand is certainly perfectly fine. We always make a large batch and then enjoy the leftovers later or even freeze it to pull out on a cold day. It is definitely a meal that gets even better over time.

INGREDIENTS

1 box Lasagna Noodles – Either oven ready or cooked to the package directions
1 lb Ground Beef
1 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Garlic Powder
7 cups Spaghetti Sauce – homemade or store-bought
2 cups Ricotta Cheese
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese – shredded
2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese – shredded
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat the spaghetti sauce in a large sauce pan, add the ground beef, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the meat is fully seasoned. Spoon just enough of the meat sauce to cover the bottom of a large casserole dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray. Put a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce, being sure to overlap the noodles slightly. Cover the noodles with more meat sauce. Using half of the ricotta cheese, place spoonful’s across the meat sauce. The cheese will spread out as the lasagna cooks. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat with another layer of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. For the final layer, add noodles, a lighter coating of meat sauce, and the remaining 1/3 mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.