What better way to exercise then at the beach. T.W.O. tried out a new route this weekend – Doheny State Beach. Check out the site that they saw along their 1 hour journey.
Happy Trails to You!
Author: T.W.O.
Cauliflower Steaks
A steak that isn’t meat or doesn’t contain a lot of calories – is this even possible! Well T.W.O. makes is possible with cauliflower! Yes, that’s right we are making steaks with cauliflower! Grab your herbs and mushrooms and lets make this vegetarian dish!
Cauliflower Steaks
Ingredients:
– 1 head cauliflower
– 1 cup mushrooms, diced
– 6 Tablespoons basil olive oil
– 2 teaspoons red pepper (cayenne)
– 3 teaspoons oregano
– 3 teaspoons ground coriander
– 2 teaspoons garlic powder
– 6 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– Krazy Salt
– Pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 415°.
- Cut the cauliflower in half. Remove the steam.
- Take the halves and cut thick slices. You should get a total of 4-6 “steaks” depending on the size of your cauliflower.
- In a pan, heat up 4 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the steaks in the pan and top with all the spices, salt, pepper and balsamic. (Make sure to save ½ the ingredients for each side) Brown each side for about 4 minutes each.
- Remove from the pan and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet.
- Cook in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
- While the steaks are cooking, sauté mushrooms in the pan with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. The excess spices from the pan will be enough to spice up your mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- When the cauliflower is done, remove and plate. Top with sautéed mushrooms and greens.
Healthy meal or side dish– you got it!
Happy cooking!
Kale Salad
Kale is known as the queen of greens since it has one of the most health benefits than any other vegetable. In one cup of chopped kale, there are 33 calories, 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C and 684% of vitamin K. Impressive, right?! It doesn’t stop there though – – it also is a good source of minerals copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus and potassium. This leafy green also lowers the blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease.
So with that being said, T.W.O. enjoys making kale salads for lunch to ensure they reach their required daily value of nutrients. Check out this Kale, chickpea, and carrot salad and lemon vinaigrette recipe below.
KALE SALAD
Ingredients:
– 2 bunches lacinato kale
– 1- 15 ounce can chickpeas
– 1 cup fresh lemon juice
– 2 cups shredded carrots
– 2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
– 4 Tablespoons basil olive oil
– 1 teaspoon Organic Blue Agave
– ¼ cup rice vinegar
– 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– 1 teapoon garlic powder
– Krazy Salt
– Pepper
Directions:
Wash and rinse the kale. Remove core stems and chop. (T.W.O. didn’t remove the entire core stem – just the thick part near the bottom. We like the little crunch in our salad!) Place in a bowl. Add the chickpeas. Chopped the carrots in thick slices and add to the salad mixture. The thinner the slices, the soggier the carrots will get as the salad marinates…. So thick slices work best!
In a dressing shaker or cup, add the lemon juice, spicy brown mustard, basil olive oil, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, agave and garlic powder. Mix/ Shake well. Add Krazy Salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the salad dressing in the salad mixture and place in the refrigerator to marinate. For best results, leave in for about an hour. You can also leave the kale in a sealed container without it going soggy for up to 2 days. Great idea for weekday lunches!
Happy healthy cooking!
Apricot Onesie
Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese Pizza + A Birthday
Tonight is a special Friday Night Pizza Night because not only are we baking a new pizza, we are also celebrating a special birthday thats tomorrow! Cheers to our sister-in-law Becky!!!! We know your favorite pizza is Barbeque Chicken Pizza, but we are confident you will like this Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese pizza. Happy Friday Night Pizza Night and HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!!
Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese Pizza
Ingredients
– 1 pizza dough
– 1 russet potato
– 2 cups kale, chopped and ribs removed
– 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
– 1 ½ cups fontina cheese, shredded
– ½ red onion, sliced thin
– 2 cloves garlic, diced
– 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
– 1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves
– Salt
– Pepper
– Lawry’s Season Salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured and cornmeal surface.
3. Meanwhile, slice washed potato very thin. Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle Lawry’s seasoning on the potatoes. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Spread 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on the surface on the dough, topping with garlic and dried basil leaves.
5. Spread mozzarella and fontina cheeses evenly over dough. Add chopped kale and red onion. Top with potato slices.
6. Put the pizza in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheeses are melted and crust is crisp and lightly browned.
Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!
SPECIAL ADDITION – BIRTHDAY CHEERS
Happy Birthday Becky!!
Thanks for being such a great sister-law! We have shared so many moments together- Giants playoff games, Stagecoach concerts, Sonoma wine tasting, beach bike rides, ladder golf matches, holiday family fun and most of all – being bridesmaids for the day that you married our brother! Thank you for being a joy to be around, filling the room with smiles and laughter. We love you so much and cannot wait to share many more memories with you!
Parsley Pesto Chicken Skewers
Skewers are a great way to spicy up your meals. It’s one way to get your protein, vegetables and your savory! Check out how we made these Parsley Pesto Chicken Skewers.
Parsley Pesto Chicken Skewers
Ingredients:
– 1 cup parsley leaves
– 10 garlic cloves, crushed
– 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
– ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
– ¼ cup lemon juice
– Salt
– Pepper
– 2 chicken breasts, cubed
– Mushrooms
– Bell peppers
– Red Onions, thick slices
– Wood skewers
Instructions:
1. In a blender, pulse the parsley, garlic, crushed red pepper, lemon juice and olive oil to a thick puree. Mix in salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a bowl, mix the chicken and pesto. Put in refrigerator to marinate for 2-4 hours.
3. With about 30 minutes, left to marinate, soak the wood skewers in water. This eliminates them from splintering.
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator to assemble the skewers.
5. Wash and cut the peppers. Keep the mushrooms whole. The red onions should be cut in thick slices.
6. To assemble, add each ingredient to the skewer. Put more or less vegetables depending on your liking.
7. Set the skewers aside once assembled. Pour any remaining marinate over the top of the skewers.
8. Barbeque on? Should be! Once it’s ready, put the skewers on over medium heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
9. Make sure the chicken is cooked. Once done, plate over your favorite side dish and serve! T.W.O. served theirs over lentils.
Happy Cooking!!
Living in Linens
Caprese Salad
Fresh is the key word in this salad. Fresh basil, fresh mozzarella and fresh tomatoes – – the three most important ingredients to make this salad. Yes, it’s easy and will be a great addition to any meal. T.W.O. is going to feature this salad with cocktail tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Either way, its one salad you can’t go wrong with.
Ingredients:
– 8 fresh cocktail tomatoes, quartered
– ½ cup fresh bail leaves, chopped
– 2 cups fresh mozzarella, cubed
– 1/2 cup red onions, diced
– 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– 2 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1 Tablespoon garlic, diced
– Salt
– Pepper
IStart off cutting the cocktail tomatoes in quarters. Place in a bowl. Mix, basil leaves, mozzarella along with the salt and pepper. Add in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Be careful not to mix to vigorously, you don’t want to break the tomatoes. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
It’s that easy – ready to serve now!!
Happy Spring!
Boneless Short Ribs
Craving ribs, but don’t want to have to deal with the mess of eating them? Well you still can! Solution – boneless short ribs! Short ribs are great because you still have the same great taste as ribs, but you can use a fork and knife! Sounds a little more ideal when you are wearing those white pants! If you haven’t tried cooking boneless short ribs, T.W.O. would highly suggest them for your next dinner, party or even holiday meal!
Ingredients:
-Short ribs, boneless
-Montreal Steak Seasoning
-Cayenne Pepper
-Shallots
-Olive Oil
-BBQ Sauce
First, season the ribs with Montreal Steak seasoning and cayenne pepper. In a large skillet, pour some olive oil and heat to medium to high heat. Add the short ribs and sear each side for about 4 minutes. Once each side is seared, add water to the skillet. The water level shouldn’t cover the meat, but rather be at 1/3 the way up. Turn the heat to low and allow the meat to simmer for a minimum of 2 hours. (T.W.O. suggests cooking them for 2 ½- 3 hours) Make sure to flip the meat at hour 1.
After the meat has simmered, fire up that BBQ! Place the short ribs on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes. Add your BBQ sauce to each side of the short ribs. Allow to cook for another 4 minutes. Now it’s time to eat some ribs…. only one napkin needed too!
Very Berry Dessert with Peanut Butter Granola
Picture this – a family barbeque with ribs, salad, potatoes and a nice glass of VJB Wine. Sitting outside under the stars in your patio. Dinner has just finished and someone asks – – What’s for dessert? Good thing you prepared this light, refreshing and satisfying dessert – – – Very Berry Cobbler with Peanut Butter Granola. It is easy and pairs well with a hearty dinner. Oh and did I mention – it is in the healthy dessert category! Check it out!
Ingredients
– 2 cups blackberries, washed
– 2 cups raspberries, washed
– 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
– 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
– ¼ cup sugar
Peanut Butter Granola Recipe Here
Ingredients:
– -4 cups rolled oats
– -1/2 cup chia seeds
-3/4 cup peanut butter*
–
-1/4 cup coconut oil (melted/liquid)
– -1/2 cups of agave syrup
*T.W.O. loves using Justin’s original peanut butter- so delish!
Preheat oven to 350°
In a bowl, carefully mix the blackberries, raspberries, cornstarch, lemon zest and sugar. Put in a 9×9 Pyrex that has been sprayed with PAM. Top with the Peanut Butter Granola. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the berry juice has bubbles.
Remove from oven and serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Happy Baking!
T.W.O. 