Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese – An Adult Take on a Childhood Classic

On February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes7 Comments

We love lobster and we love cheese, so having lobster mac ‘n’ cheese was an obvious choice for us to make. We have had it served in different restaurants during our travels, including during our visit to the England. It is easy to make, but with most meals, the fresher the ingredients, the better. In today’s global world, it is possible to get many things delivered overnight and that is true for getting fresh lobster as well. Despite the simplicity of the dish, it is certainly something that can be served for a more formal meal. You can cook it in a baking dish, but we chose to bake it individual bowls to make serving it that much easier. Not only was it super delicious that night for dinner, it was just as wonderful as leftovers the following day.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Cooked Lobster Meat – cut into bite size chunks
2/3 lb Elbow Macaroni – cooked slightly al dente and drained
22 oz Heavy Cream
8 oz Milk
6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
8 oz Gruyere Cheese – shredded
6 oz Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese – shredded
2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/3 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/3 tsp Nutmeg – grated
1 cup Panko or Bread Crumbs
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Heat the cream and milk in a microwave until hot, but not to a boil. Slowly add the cream and milk while continuing to whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the gruyere and cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the macaroni and lobster until everything is evenly coded in the cheese sauce. Add to oven-safe, individual bowls that have been sprayed with cooking spray for easier cleanup (or baking dish). Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and mix with the panko. Evenly cover each of the bowls with the panko mix and then place them in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the panko is evenly browned.

Digging In to the Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Middle Eastern Spinach Pie

On June 3, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

Spinach and cheese pies can be found in a variety of locations, but they are common in the Middle East where they are made as a single serving pie called Fatayer. We made ours as a larger pie that serves about four people. It is quite tasty and while we had it for a main dish, it can also be served as a side dish with a meat such as lamb. We have seen variations of this using Filo dough as well as Feta cheese, but we used puff pastry sheets and a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. It can be made as a Vegan dish with some slight modifications. We cooked down fresh spinach, but it can be done with frozen spinach if you prefer. We found it to be quite delicious.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Fresh Baby Spinach – stems removed
2 Medium Shallots – finely diced
2 Garlic Cloves – minced
4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese – grated
4 oz Mozzarella Cheese – cut into small cubes
1 tsp Dried Dill
1 Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg
2 Sheets of Puff Pastry (cut to fit the baking dish)
1/8 cup Roasted Almonds
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 large Egg – beaten
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Toast the coriander seeds in a small sauté pan over medium heat for about 1 minute. In a spice mixer or blender, combine the almonds, coriander seeds, and cumin and pulse until the ingredients are blended and the almonds are ground into small bits. Don’t grind it to a powder as you will want to have the crunchy texture. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, sauté the shallots and garlic in the butter until the shallots are soft, being sure not to burn the garlic. Add the spinach in batches until it is fully cooked down (you might need to add additional butter). Stir in the dill, nutmeg, as well as salt and pepper. Turn the heat off and let it cool slightly, then add the cheeses and stir until the cheese is fully integrated. Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Place a sheet of puff pastry on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the spinach mixture over the pastry sheet, leaving about an inch border. Place the second puff pastry sheet on top of the spinach and pinch the edges of the top sheet with the edges of the bottom sheet. Brush the edges of the top pastry sheet with the egg wash. Cover the center of the pie with the almond-spice mixture. Cut into individual size pieces and bake in the oven until golden-brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.

The Food of Amsterdam

On March 13, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Netherlands, Recipes8 Comments

From the moment we arrived in Amsterdam during our trip there, it became obvious that we were going to be eating a lot of seafood. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the reason for this, sitting on the coast with canals running throughout the city, Amsterdam is a seafood paradise, especially when it comes to shellfish. That doesn’t mean that seafood is the only thing that you can find, cheese is also very prominent and a source of pride for the country. Don’t worry, though, you can find plenty of beer and fried food as well.

One of the first things that we saw as we walked from our hotel into the heart of Amsterdam was a fish monger selling a wide variety of fresh fish. We love the idea of being able to walk to your local fish market and being able to purchase fish that was caught that morning and then serving it for dinner that evening. There were so many choices to choose from, including a national favorite, herrings. Unfortunately, since we didn’t have a kitchen, we weren’t able to buy any fish for ourselves, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t get our fill of fresh fish.

We decided to go out for a nice dinner during our long weekend in Amsterdam and decided to get the “seafood tower”. It was a massive collection of a wide variety of shellfish including oysters, lobster, langoustines, crab, and other items that we’ve never seen before. The restaurant also featured a large, saltwater aquarium with a variety of colorful fish. Although the fish were beautiful, it did feel a little weird to eat a large meal of seafood while fish swam next to our table. On another day, we ate some clams and linguini in a white wine sauce that recently inspired us to create our own white wine sauce and fish dinner.

Another interesting meal that we had during our visit was a platter of meats, cheese, and fried croquets. Perhaps not the healthiest of choices, but it was tasty and very filling. The type of meal that sticks to your ribs. We also ate some sushi and a meal of lamb medallions with cheesy potatoes one evening as well as indulging in a rich desert. Of course we had some beer (bier) including Jopen, which is brewed in Haarlem, Netherlands. For an appetizer, we ate a crab dip that was flakey and delicious.

We only had a few days in Amsterdam, but we really enjoyed the meals that we did have while we were there. Seafood, cheese, beer, fried foods, and meat, nothing to complain about there. Hopefully on our next trip to the Netherlands, we’ll have time to get out of the city and try some food in some of the smaller towns and villages.