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.

Baked Jumbo Lobster Tail

On April 29, 2020January 5, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes6 Comments

We recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and since we weren’t able to go to a restaurant for dinner, we decided to celebrate with a nice dinner at home. We decided to get some fresh lobster in order to have an elegant seafood dinner. There are several ways to prepare lobster tails and all of them create a tasty meal, but we chose to bake the lobster tail because of the presentation. We ordered our lobster tails from a company in Maine that ships them overnight and allows you to pick the size of your lobster tail. The lobster tails that we selected were between 12 and 14 ounces, which definitely made for a hearty meal. In fact, even though we ordered two tails and this recipe is for two tails, we only cooked one because it would have been too much for the two of us to eat. Regardless of the size of your tail, butterflying them and then baking them not only makes them more attractive but also helps the meat cook more evenly. We’d highly suggest that you try this method if you get a chance to cook fresh lobster tails. We served our lobster tails with a lobster bisque and crab cakes with a roumelade sauce.

INGREDIENTS

2 Fresh Lobster Tails (12 to 14 oz each) – thawed
12 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Lemon – cut into wedges
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

Butterflied and Cleaned Jumbo Lobster Tail

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly the lobster by cutting the upper shell down the center with a pair of cooking shears, being sure to leave the tail in tact. Take a knife and cut into the meat about half way through along the slit where the tail has been cut. This will allow the meat to open up as it cooks. Next, use your fingers to separate the meat from the shell by sliding your fingers between the meat and the shell. Be careful not to cut yourself on the shell or to break the shell in the process. Carefully pull the meat up through the slit, leaving it attached to the tail, so that it sits on top of the shell. Rinse the lobster tail and remove any veins or tomalley. Place the lobster tails into a baking dish with about a half-inch of water, this will allow the shell to steam and turn red and also help to keep the lobster moist. Spread 2 tablespoons of butter over the meat of each of the lobster tails, which will also help to keep the meat moist while it bakes as well as add flavor. Place the lobster into the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees at the thickest part of the meat (about 18 to 25 minutes). It is important to use a thermometer to ensure that the lobster is fully cooked as well as to not overcook the lobster, which will make the meat tough. While the lobster is baking, melt the remaining 8 ounces of butter and use a spoon to remove any sediment to create a clarified butter. When the lobster is done, remove it from the oven, sprinkle it with the paprika and serve with the clarified butter, lemon wedges, and sides of your choice.

Pumpkin Cookies – A Taste of Autumn

On September 26, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes6 Comments

One of our favorite treats for this time of year is pumpkin cookies. They are incredibly delicious as well as easy to make. Unlike a lot of cookies that are dense or hard, these are almost cake-like in texture. We haven’t found anything similar during our travels, so we consider this to be very unique to our family. Because we are not big sweet eaters, we generally share these with all of our friends who are extremely appreciative. We typically double this batch in order to use the full can of pumpkin pie mix, but that makes about six dozen cookies instead the usual three dozen that the recipe makes. They are a traditional drop cookie, so the size of the cookie is completely up to you, but we find that about a heaping tablespoon works best.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Pie Mix (canned or you can make your own)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 cup Butterscotch Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all of the ingredients together ensuring that the flour is completely incorporated. Using a teaspoon or a small ice cream scoop, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cookies on a center rack for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a rack to completely cool. Depending upon the size of the cookies you make, the recipe makes about three dozen cookies.