T.W.O.

Baby Kale and Farro Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Published on March 20, 2014March 20, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Farro? Heard of it? Cooked with it? Well if your answer is no to any of these questions, T.W.O. will be sure to change that to YES! Farro is a food product composed of the grains of certain wheat species. It is debatable about the exact definition, so we won’t get into it! Farro originated in Italy – Tuscany to be exact. It can sometimes be called barley since they both have similar characteristics. Okay, enough of the definition stuff, lets get cooking!

Ingredients:
– 1 ½ cup faro, uncooked
– 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
– 4 ½ cups baby kale, chopped
– ½ cup carrots, thick strips
– 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or roasted
For the dressing:
– 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
– 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
– 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
– 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
– 1 shallot, diced
– 1 clove garlic, diced
– 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
– ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
– Salt
– Pepper
– Garlic powder

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large covered saucepan. Add the farro, pinch of salt and garlic powder. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the farro is puffy and slightly chewy. This should take 20-25 minutes.

While the farro is cooking, make your dressing. In a bowl combine the lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard and soy sauce. Mix well. Add in shallot, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.

When the farro is done cooking, drain immediately and rinse with cold water. Drain again and transfer to a bowl. Add cherry tomatoes, corn, kale and carrots. Mix the dressing into the farro. Serve immediately. T.W.O. grilled some fresh cod to go with the farro salad. It was a delicious addition to this protein packed, flavorful salad.

Happy Cooking!

Resort Style

Published on March 19, 2014March 18, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

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Steak Tacos with Roasted Corn Salsa

Published on March 18, 2014March 17, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Taco Tuesday! T.W.O. loves incorporating fresh vegetables in their meals and what better way to complete tacos than making a fresh roasted corn salsa. The sweet, savory grilled steak and the crunch of the corn makes this one of our favorite Taco Tuesday recipes. Grab your friends, chips, salsa and guacamole and getting ready for a real treat!

Ingredients

– 2 ½ pounds flap meat steak
– 2 cups Island Soyaki marinade (Trader Joes)
– 12 green onions
– 4 ears of corn, husked
– 2 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
– 2 teaspoons lime zest
– 2 Tablespoon lime juice
– 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
– 1 can Embasa chipotle peppers, in adobe sauce
– 12 corn tortillas*
– Salt & Pepper to taste

* T.W.O. uses La Tortilla Factory corn tortillas.

Marinate steak for a minimum of 2 hours prior to barbequing. When you are ready to start barbequing, remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

In the meantime, brush the corn and green onions with olive oil. Place the corn on the barbeque for about 20 minutes. Make sure you flip the corn so that all sides cook. With 5 minutes remaining add the whole green onions.

Once the corn and green onions are done, remove from grill and replace with the steak. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
While the steak is cooking, cut the corn off the cob and green onions. Place in a bowl. Mix in cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, chipotle peppers and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove the steak from the grill and heat the corn tortillas. Warming up the tortillas is optional. Once done, place the tortillas on a plate. Thinly slice the flap meat and place on the tortillas. Add the corn salsa. That’s a wrap!

Enjoy your Taco Tuesday!

Margarita Salad

Published on March 17, 2014March 16, 2014 by T.W.O.3 Comments

It’s a warm evening, and are you trying to find a side salad to go with your meal? Well, T.W.O. has the perfect recipe for you. It’s refreshing, light and has a spike of flavor for you! Check out this recipe that will sure to “mix” up your day!

Ingredients:
– 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
– 1 teaspoon lime zest
– 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
– 1 tablespoon tequila , white
– 1 tablespoon agave
– ½ tsp salt
– 1/ 4 cup olive oil
– 2 heads roman salad, chopped
– 1 avocado
– 1/3 cup roasted almonds, chopped
– ½ cup Cotija

Directions:  In a bowl, add the lime juice, lime zest, lemon juice, tequila, agave, and salt. Whisk together —- Mix well.

In a salad bowl/serving bowl, add the leafy greens, avocado and roasted almonds. Drizzle your desired amount of the dressing and lightly toss. Service with your favorite entrée or add protein like chicken or steak.

Happy Cooking!

Shaved Brussel Sprout Mushroom Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Published on March 14, 2014March 13, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

It’s that time again – Friday Night Pizza Night with T.W.O. Tonight, we are featuring a shaved brussel sprout, mushroom pizza with a cauliflower crust. It’s not your traditional pizza, but that’s what makes it fun and original- right? Can’t keep eating the same thing every week. If you are looking to experiment with you pizza, this recipe is for you! Did we mention it is healthy and gluten-free? Oh…and it tastes good too! Happy Friday Night Pizza!

For the Crust
– 1 large head of cauliflower or two small heads, coarsely chopped (creates about 4 cups of cauliflower “rice”)
– 3 eggs
– 1- 1 ½ cups almond meal
– ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1 teaspoon onion powder
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the Toppings
– 1 cup ricotta cheese
– 2 cups mozzarella
– 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
– 2 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded
– 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
– 1 small package mushrooms
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place chopped cauliflower in food processor, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pulse until it resembles a rice consistency. Transfer cauliflower rice to a large bowl and add almond meal, eggs, mozzarella garlic powder and onion powder. Using your hands, mix all ingredients together until it begins to stick and can be shaped into two balls.

If the cauliflower balls are too wet, squeeze the excess liquid out and add a little bit more almond meal. The texture will never be dry like conventional flour dough but you don’t want it to be dripping wet either. A little moisture is fine and will not prevent the crust from firming up in the oven.

Line a two baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the cauliflower balls onto the center of the paper and using your hands, shape into a pizza crust of about 1/3 inch thickness. Bake the cauliflower pizza crust in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sides are beginning to brown. Remove from oven.

Once the pizzas are done, spread one pizza with ricotta and the other with mozzarella. Spread the Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms evenly over the top of the pizza. Drizzle with balsamic.

Place in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove and let cool for 2 minutes before serving. Another successful Friday Night Pizza Night!!

Cheers!

Greek Lamb Burgers with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Published on March 13, 2014March 12, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

It felt like summer this past weekend in SoCal. It was in the mid-80s and with the daylight savings time upon us and a brand new barbeque in the patio, we decided to christen it with lamb burgers. Grab your feta, tomatoes and mushrooms and let’s start cooking!

Ingredients:
– 3 lbs ground lamb (T.W.O. prefers fresh New Zealand ground lamb from WholeFoods)
– ½ cup feta
– ½ cup mushrooms, diced
– 1/3 cup red onions, diced
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– Krazy Salt
– Fresh group pepper
– Fresh hamburger buns
– Lettuce
– Tomatoes, sliced

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients:
-1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
– 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
– 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a bowl, mix the ground lamb with feta, mushrooms, red onions, garlic powder, Krazy salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix well. Form the mixture into 3-4 patties.

Using a bowl Mix the Greek yogurt with the dill in a small bowl to make your tzatziki sauce. Place in the refrigerator while the burgers are cooking.

Place the lamb patties on a heated barbeque grill and cook for 15 minutes or until done. Remove from heat. If you like your buns toasted, now is a good time to do it. Dress your hamburger how you like it – T.W.O. used their homemade tzatziki sauce, lettuce and tomatoes. That is all you need for this Greek-influenced Lamb Burger.

Happy Barbequing!

Coffee Table

Published on March 12, 2014March 11, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Decorating. Design. Deals! T.W.O. has been having a great time finding some great items for their home decorating project! This past weekend, we stumbled upon some fabulous items for our coffee table. The color scheme throughout our house is neutrals with some blue accent pieces. Most of our beautiful wood furniture (coffee table, media chest, dinner room table) are all on the darker side, so we needed to tie in some neutral accessories. To do so, we made our merry way down to HomeGoods and bought these wonderful tabletop pieces! We left the store with some lovely treasures – without emptying our wallets!

Thank you HomeGoods!

Sunday Afternoon with Coast 2 Coast Collection

Published on March 11, 2014March 11, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

How would you spend your perfect Sunday? Taking a walk? Going to the gym or movies? Baking in the kitchen? Well, all those are great things as long as you enjoy doing them. T.W.O. spent their Sunday afternoon in Santa Barbara, which is one place they used to call home. It has a special place in our heart – from soccer tournaments, to watching our brothers play summer college baseball, to one of us attending UCSB and most recently a family wedding.

A perfect Sunday in Santa Barbara to us would be brunch at The Boathouse, a stroll on State Street, stopping by Wendy Foster for our hair ties and ending with a visit at Coast 2 Coast Collection.

The Boathouse (formerly known as Brown Pelican) is a great restaurant located on Hendry’s Beach. It’s a great spot for family, friends or even a romantic date! Three out of four times when we have dined at The Boathouse, we have seen dolphins. Let’s hope that we just didn’t jinx ourselves – or you! After lunch – – – on to State Street!

Coast 2 Coast Collection was introduced to us 2 years ago and little did we know that it would be a part of our lives. From candles, home décor, vintage jewelry and most recently a custom made bracelet for a bridesmaids’ gift from our sister-in-law, Coast 2 Coast is a definite stop on our trips to Santa Barbara. This luxury gift and tableware boutique has a wide array of brands – Bernardaud, Chrstofle, Hermes, Lalique and St. Louis. Immediately when you walk in the store, your jaw drops and you just want to buy everything for your home. From the linens to the table settings and frames and mirrored trays to the serving utensils – they all are luxurious pieces.

And what goes well with these pieces…of course vintage costume jewelry! Some of the designers are Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Miriam Haskell. We didn’t have any trouble finding something we liked – – – that’s for sure! These pieces are classic and original. The person sitting next to you at the charity event won’t be wearing the same necklace. Sounds fabulous, right?

Men – there is also a sports memorabilia section for you – – – so don’t wait in the car!

Next time you are in Santa Barbara, you have to make a stop at Coast 2 Coast. Don’t walk away empty handed; you will regret it later! Thanks Holly for having us!!

Roasted Salmon with Crispy Kale and Coconut Rice

Published on March 10, 2014March 10, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

T.W.O. has really enjoyed cooking with coconut lately. Coconut not only adds phenomenal flavor, but also has many nutritional benefits. So we decided to combine it with 3 other nutrient-rich ingredients – kale, sweet potatoes and salmon! And wow, this is a great combination. We have no doubt you will enjoy! Put it on this week’s menu – you won’t be disappointed! Our good fiend ‘Tiny Bit Of Joy’ also enjoyed a similar recipe the same night – – – its that good!

Ingredients
• 1cup jasmine rice, uncooked
• 1cup coconut milk, unsweeted
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
• 3 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tablespoons Trader Joe’s sesame soy ginger vinaigrette
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed and sliced into strips
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 to ½ pound salmon, sliced into 4 fillets

Place rice in a saucepan with coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir. Reduce to the lowest heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

While the rice is cooking, heat oven to 400° F. Combine the melted coconut oil, soy sauce, vinaigrette and Sriracha. Stir vigorously until mixed well.

Place the sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of melted coconut oil and sea salt. Toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender.

Place kale and coconut flakes on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with about 2/3 of the dressing. Toss until well coated. Place salmon on top of the kale and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining dressing. Bake the salmon and coconut kale mixture during the last 15 minutes of the sweet potato’s baking time, or until cooked through, being careful not to let the kale burn.

Remove sweet potatoes, salmon, and kale from oven. Serve over fluffed rice with an extra drizzle of dressing.

Happy Birthday To Our Brother Bryce!

Published on March 7, 2014March 18, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Today is a special day and has been for many years. It was the day that our brother was born and graced the world with his outgoing, funny and loving personality! We are very lucky to have an older brother like Bryce.

What would we do without someone taking us out of our crib and hiding us in the hamper when we were supposed to be taking a nap?

….Or playing snake in the grass and ends up being the wounded snake.

What about the time when you tied a zip tie around one of our fingers and it started to turn blue at the checkout in Costco? …..

….And the time when we tried to make mom a cake and turned the whipping cream into butter?

How about the time when we swam across the ocean to a deserted island in Costa Rica…little did we know there were crocodiles in the water – you had my back though!…

The list goes on and on and on. But this list is something that we will always remember and we love about our brother. He taught us to be tough, smart women who could discuss the game of baseball with any professional announcer, player or coach. The amount of baseball games we have been to would probably set a world record!

Bryce is a great mentor, friend and coach to us. Oh and did I mention a great cook, host and dancer. Dance Floor Magic is what we like to call him. WHOOP WHOOP.