T.W.O.

Cherry & Goat Cheese Kale Salad with Pistachios

Published on May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

If you haven’t noticed, cherries are in season right now and most grocery stores have them on sale, so T.W.O. capitalized on this opportunity and bought bags and bags of the delicious red fruit! With all this supply, we tried to incorporate cherries into every meal. Below is a simple, summer recipe that is easy and doesn’t require a lot of prep-work. Add some grilled chicken or flat iron steak and you have yourself a main entrée!

Cherry & Goat Cheese Kale Salad with Pistachios

Ingredients:
– 4 – 6 cups baby kale
– 2 cups cherries, pitted and halved
– 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
– 1/2 cup pistachios
– balsamic vinaigrette
– hearts of palm, sliced

Directions:
1. In a bowl place baby kale, cherries, hearts of palm and pistachios. Mix well.
2. Toss salad with balsamic and sprinkle with goat cheese.
3. Plate and serve.

Cherrie-O,

Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Mango

Published on May 22, 2015May 21, 2015 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

With Memorial Day weekend approaching us, we decided to feature a fun, non-traditional recipe for your backyard barbecue. It’s great for a crowd and to easy assemble so you can concentrate on your backyard lawn game. Check out how to make Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Mango!

Ingredients

– 4 chicken breasts
– 4 bell peppers (red and yellow)
– 1 sweet Maui onion
– 2 large mangos
– 3 ears white corn
– corn tortillas, soft taco size
– 2 lemons, juiced
– olive oil
– pepper flakes
– salt
– pepper
– guacamole
– cilantro
– salsa
– sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions:
1. Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Set aside while the grill is heating up. When ready, place chicken on grill over medium heat.
2. Slice the bell pepper and onions. Saute on a skillet with olive oil and lemon juice.
3. Shuck the corn and place on the grill.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, slice the mango in large chucks and place on the grill with the chicken.
5. Once everything is cooked to your liking remove and assemble your fajitas. (T.W.O. heated up their tortillas on the barbecue for an extra crisp!)
6. To assemble – place sliced grilled chicken on a tortilla, topped with guacamole, cilantro, salsa, hot sauce and sour cream (or greek yogurt).

Enjoy!

Maui Short Rib Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Published on April 28, 2015April 24, 2015 by T.W.O.3 Comments

When you see the word Maui…what do you think of? Hawaii, tropical waters, fruity beverage, sunshine and a tan. Well T.W.O. tried to incorporate all those thoughts into one recipe. Check out how to make these Maui Short Rib Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa. It’s a great summer recipe for your next barbecue. Drink umbrellas included! ALOHA!

Ingredients:

Short Ribs:
– 3-4 pounds boneless beef short ribs
– 22 fl oz Ace Hard Cider, Pineapple (we found this at Trader Joes)
– 6 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
– 3 garlic cloves, chopped
– ½ cup soy sauce
– 2 green onions, sliced
– Montreal Steak Seasoning
– Olive oil
– Water

Grilled Pineapple Salsa:
– 1 fresh pineapple
– 1-2 jalapeños, pending on your spice factor
– Fresh cherry tomatoes
– ½ Maui Sweet Onion
– ¼ cup lemon juice
– Salt

Directions:
1. Season the short ribs with Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides. Let them sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat a large skillet/ pan with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the short ribs on the heated surface and sear both sides for 5 minutes each.
3. Add the cider, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce to the pan with the short ribs. The liquid should cover about a ¾ of the beef. If not, add some water. Note – the liquid will cook down, so watch to make sure there is always some in the pan.
4. Bring the liquid to a boil and then cover and let simmer over low heat for a minimum of 2 ½ hours. The longer the better.
5. While the ribs are cooking, cut the pineapple in circles.
6. Place on a heated bbq grill and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes each side. You want the pineapple to soften, but not too much.
7. Remove the pineapple from the grill and let cool for 2 minutes. Cube and place in a bowl. Add chopped cherry tomatoes, onions, lemon juice and jalapeños. Salt to taste.
8. Once the ribs are done, add to a heated bbq and grill for 3-4 minutes each side. Remove from heat and shred.
9. Assemble your tacos and garnish with green onions.

Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Zoodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Published on April 14, 2015April 13, 2015 by T.W.O.2 Comments

Looking for a flavorful meal…well you can stop looking now. T.W.O. is spicing up your night with this Thai Chicken Zoodles recipe with homemade Spicy Peanut Sauce. It’s even healthy, but nobody needs to know that! Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons of grape seed oil
-1 lb. of chicken breast (seasoned with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and Chili Flakes)
– 2 zucchini, julienned peeled
– 1 yellow squash, julienned peeled
– 1 large carrot, spiraled
– 1 red pepper, julienned
– ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, diced
– ¼ cup of green onions, diced

Spicy Peanut Sauce:
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– 4 Tablespoons of Justin’s peanut butter (natural)
– Juice from 1 Lime
– 3 Tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
– 2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro, diced
– ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
– ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
2. Heat bbq and cook the seasoned chicken breast until down. Remove and cubed. Cover and set aside.
3. In large bowl, mix zoodles, squash and carrot noodles. Add in chicken, red pepper, fresh cilantro, green onions and spicy peanut sauce. Toss until noodles are coated.
4. Plate and serve!

And Yes, we used a Talenti container to make our Peanut Butter Sauce…who else uses these containers???

Grilled Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes & Squash

Published on April 7, 2015April 2, 2015 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Buying the best fish is important to T.W.O. We don’t buy farmed raised and we like it fresh. Wilder the better! Anyways, this time we were at the market the Halibut caught our eye. It was a beautiful filet of fish and we couldn’t wait to come home and grill it! We wanted to keep the recipe simple, yet full of flavor. Check out this recipe below that is easy, delicious and will be sure to melt in your melt in your mouth. (Unless you burn the filet!!)

Grilled Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes & Squash

Ingredients:
– Halibut
– 1-2 lemons
– 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
– 2 cups zucchini squash, halved
– 1 cups onion, chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 2-3 tsp olive oil
– Salt
– Pepper

Directions:
1. Fire up the grill and turn oven on to 425⁰F. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper for roasting and another baking sheet with foil for the fish.
2. Season the fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Before placing the fish on the foil, squeeze lemon on the foil so the fish does not stick. Let it sit.
3. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, zucchini, onions and garlic on the parchment paper. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Place into the oven and roast for about 25-30 minutes.
4. After the tomato medley has been in the oven for about 15 minutes, take the fish to the grill. Carefully move the fish (still on the foil) to the grill, removing the baking sheet. Grill for about 10-15 minutes depending on the size/thickness of the fish.
5.Once the fish is done, remove from grill and plate. Spoon the tomato medley over the fish to complete the dish.

Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette and Jalapeños

Published on April 1, 2015March 31, 2015 by T.W.O.1 Comment

With summer approaching, well in SoCal it already has, T.W.O. wanted to fire up the BBQ and grill some potatoes for their weekend dinner. It’s a great side dish to your meal that is a new spin on traditional potato salad. It’s warm, spicy and refreshing….what else can you ask for?

Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette and Jalapeños

– As adapted and modified from Food and Wine-

Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
– 10 scallions, cut
– 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, for dressing and brushing
– 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
– 1 cup lemon juice
– 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
– Salt
– Pepper

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for about 15 minutes. Drain water and halve potatoes lengthwise.
2. Preheat BBQ. While BBQ is heating, brush the scallions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the bbq for about 2 minutes or lightly charred. Transfer to a plate and cover to let steam for 5 minutes.
3. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on foil and add to the bbq for about 5 minutes or lightly charred. Transfer to a bowl.
4. While the potatoes are on the grill, mix together the remaining olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice. Add the scallions to the dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix well. Sprinkle the jalapeños over the potatoes and serve.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce

Published on March 24, 2015March 24, 2015 by T.W.O.3 Comments

Even though the first day of Spring was last week, Summer is officially here in Southern California. That being said, T.W.O. enjoys firing up their grill and barbecuing fresh seafood. For this Taco Tuesday, we are featuring a Spicy Shrimp Taco Recipe with homemade Chimichurri Sauce. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Ole!

Ingredients
– 1 lb wild shrimp, peeled & cleaned
– 2 Tablespoon olive oil
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon onion powder
– 2 teaspoon paprika
– 1 Tablespoon oregano, dry
– 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
– Salt
– 3 limes, sliced
– 1 lemon
– 8 corn tortillas,
– cilantro leaves for garnish

For the Chimichurri Sauce:
– 1 small bunch Italian parsley
– 1 small bunch cilantro
– 3 Tablespoon oregano
– 4 -5 large garlic cloves, diced
– juice from 1 lemon
– ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
– ½ red chile pepper
– Salt

Instructions:
1. To make the Chimichurri sauce: Using a blender, add the parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and red chile pepper. Blend until smooth. Season with the sea salt and if you need to add more lemon juice to the sauce to make it more liquid now is the time to do so. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl toss together the shrimp with the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season well to your taste with the sea salt.
4. Preheat the BBQ to medium heat. Add the shrimp to the grill for about a minute on each side until it curls up and turns pink; making sure not to overcook it. (Please note T.W.O. skewered their shrimp for best grilling results)
5. Heat the corn tortillas on a low open flame. Assemble the tacos garnishing the tacos with fresh cilantro and lemon or lime juice.

A Baby, Whales and Fun!

Published on March 18, 2015March 18, 2015 by T.W.O.2 Comments

Last December, T.W.O. officially became aunties to a handsome boy – Hayes! He was the best Christmas present under the Christmas Tree! To officially welcome him into the world, we planned a baby shower to honor him surrounded by family and friends. Being a beach family, we loved the idea of a Whale Theme Baby Shower…Ahoy It’s A Boy!! Our color palette was shades of blue – navy, turquoise and light blue. We used polka dots and solids to offset the whale material we purchased on Fabric.com. We made custom flag banners with personalized onesies, table runners and square center pieces. Whale mobiles hung from the umbrellas, along with blue lantern balls. Simple hydrangea flower arrangements were placed on each table along with small bowls of gold fish. Below are images of the day – hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

A Big Thank you to Baker Party Rentals who were fantastic to work with!

Games:

1. How Long Is Hayes?

2. Nursery Rhyme Game

3. What’s in the Diaper

Food:

The menu for the shower was simple and light for this hot ‘summer’ March day! There was a crudité plate along with a cheese platter for the guests to munch on when they arrived. We had a drink station set up – Rosé (of course!), homemade ice tea, lemon water, pink lemonade and Pellegrino. For the main entrees, homemade ‘Napa’ Chicken Sandwiches, Orzo Pasta Salad and a Mixed Green Strawberry, Avocado Salad. Dessert?? Of course our mom’s famous carrot cake was served along with lemon bars and custom Hayes chocolates. I don’t think anyone went home starving! Seconds please???

Gifts:

Leaving a party empty handed is not really fun, so we made sure to send our guests home with ‘Cookies Ahoy’! We made chocolate dipped shortbread cookies, put them in a bag along with the custom Hayes chocolates and tied a tag on them. Simple, cute and oh so good!

Be sure to tune into our blog in a couple weeks where we will be sharing our ‘Napa’ Chicken recipe!

It was the perfect day to celebrate one special baby boy!

Guinness Affogato

Published on March 16, 2015March 18, 2015 by T.W.O.5 Comments

Since St. Patty’s Day is tomorrow, T.W.O. decided to start the party early by making this Guinness Affogato. Its the perfect adult dessert that is rich and creamy and will have you satisfied (and maybe up) all night long! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
– Vanilla Ice Cream
– 2 ounces expresso*
– 12 ounces Guinness Beer

* If you don’t have an expresso maker, you can use instant expresso.

Directions:
1. Put 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a large glass or bowl.
2. Pour the espresso over the top of the ice cream, followed by the Guinness.
3. Stir and enjoy.

Lamb Kabobs

Published on February 25, 2015February 25, 2015 by T.W.O.4 Comments

Opa! T.W.O. headed to Greece for the night and made Lamb kabobs accompanied with fresh vegetables, humus and pita. It was the closest we could get to Mykonos in less than 24 hours. Check out how to make this easy, delicious recipe for your next family dinner. It’s great for a group of people and will have everyone walking away satisfied!

Ingredients:
– 3 lb leg of lamb
– 3 large meyer lemons
– 4 Tablespoons Lawry’s season salt
– 3 Tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
– 1 Tablespoons cayenne pepper
– 3 teaspoons coriander

Directions:
1. Cut up the leg of lamb into cubes. If the leg of lamb has fat surrounding the perimeter, trim it off. Place in a bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice from all three lemons, Lawry’s season salt, garlic cloves, cayenne pepper and coriander. Mix well and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes. If there is no juice at the bottom of the bowl, add more fresh lemon juice.
3. Place on skewers and pour remaining juice on top of the lamb prior to placing on the bbq.
4. Preheat bbq to medium heat. Add the lamb and cook for 20 minutes or until done. Be careful not to overcook, you don’t want chewy lamb.