Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage and Potatoes

On November 8, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, Germany, Recipes8 Comments

Sauerbraten is something that we had several times during our time in Germany. It is basically a pot roast and it is typically served with red cabbage and potatoes. We decided to recreate the Sauerbraten that we ate at a restaurant in Prague, Czech Republic, in December last year. It is fairly easy to make, but does take a while to fully marinade the beef. Because it is marinated and then slow cooked, it is possible to use a less expensive cut of meat and still have it tender and tasty. We cooked our red cabbage with an apple as that was often the way that it was served in Europe. We have to admit that it turned out really well and tasted wonderful.

Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage and Potatoes in Prague

INGREDIENTS

2 lb Rump Roast
Kosher Salt
1 cup Onion – diced
3/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Pickling Spice Blend (you can make your own if you can’t find it pre-made)
1 tbsp Honey
8 Black Peppercorns – whole
4 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3 to 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 cup Beef Broth
Potatoes – boiled until fork tender
Butter
Parsley
1 jar Red Cabbage (we used @AuntNellies)
1/2 Granny Smith Apple – peeled, cored, and diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Season all sides of the roast with a generous amount of kosher salt. Combine the onions, red wine vinegar, pickling spice, honey, peppercorns, water and roast in a large plastic bag and let marinade for 1 to 2 days. Remove the roast from the bag, keeping the rest of the marinade, and pat the roast dry. Dust all sides of the roast with the flour. In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil to medium-high heat and then brown the roast on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the roast to a slow cooker or crock pot and pour in the reserved marinade and the beef broth. Cook on low for 8 hours until the roast is tender. Sauté the red cabbage with the diced apple until the apple is soft. Boil the potatoes, drain, and add the butter and sprinkle with parsley.

The Food of Ecuador

On September 27, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, South America4 Comments

We definitely enjoyed a variety of food during our time in Ecuador. Similar to other places in South America, having both rice and potatoes with a meal was a common occurrence. There was also a variety of seafood and ceviche that is definitely worth trying. We mentioned prior to our trip that we weren’t sure if we were going to try the guinea pig, which is called cuy. In the end, we ended up giving it a try and we actually enjoyed it very much. The restaurant district of Quito is called La Mariscal and there are a lot of wonderful choices for trying Ecuadorian food. One of the best was a restaurant called Achiote, which is where we tried the guinea pig that had a bit of a curry flavor.

Some of the other specialties that we tried was the potato and cheese soup called Locro de Papas as well as a soup of beef feet and hominy called Caldo de Patas. Honestly, neither of those were our favorites, but we wanted to give as many local dishes a try as we could. No visit to Ecuador would be complete without at least having empanadas once, so we made sure to have a nice variety of them. Another interesting thing that we tried was Tamal de Gallina, which is a corn pastry with chicken that is steamed in an “achira” leaf. Almost every meal is served with a spicy salsa that you can add to your dish if you enjoy a little extra heat and they were all quite tasty.

We also had a lot of wonderful food at the eco lodge in the jungle, but we were too tired from our long days of exploring to take pictures of the buffet. If it wasn’t for all of the walking that we did during our time in Ecuador, we probably would have put on a few pounds from all of the delicious food that we tried. It didn’t stop with the food either, we also tasted several Ecuadorian wines and beers to accompany our meals. We definitely tried some foods in Ecuador that we haven’t seen anyplace else and were glad that we tried so many different options.

Have You Taken a Cooking Class in a Foreign Country?

On August 16, 2017August 16, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, South America8 Comments

We have often heard about people taking cooking classes during their travels, but we have never done that ourselves. We truly enjoy eating like a local and have been trying to replicate some of our favorite meals over the past few months. As we make our final preparations for our trip to Ecuador in three weeks, one of the things that we are considering is taking a cooking class while we are there. If we do take the class, we will eat a variety of local favorites and end by making our own empanadas using fresh, local ingredients.

We enjoyed the variety of foods that we ate during our trip to Bolivia last year and look forward to tasting the cuisine of Ecuador. We are expecting them to be rich with starches and have a variety of pork and beef dishes. Have any of you taken a local cooking class during your travels? Would you recommend it?