twinswithoriginality

Harvest-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Published on November 26, 2013November 26, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Chicken likes to be stuffed “T.W.O.!” It may not replace your Thanksgiving dinner, but definitely is a great dish that all your guests will enjoy before or after Thanksgiving week! It’s simple, healthy, and will make your next dinner party a hit!

Ingredients

– 2 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
-Salt & Pepper
-Red Quinoa
-1 Sweet potato, cooked
-Crimini mushroom’s, chopped
-Spinach, chopped
-Dried cranberries
-Goat cheese

First cook your quinoa. Start by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil. Next, add your quinoa into the water. Add salt, pepper, or even garlic powder to the mixture. Once to a boil, reduce quinoa to a low heat. Next, chop up your vegetables, including the yam/sweet potatoes. Add the vegetable mixture and quinoa together.

Next, slice your chicken breast in half.

Stuff each breast with quinoa mixture and wrap.

Secure breast with rotisserie warp. Repeat once again. Place chicken into Pyrex and bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked all the way.

Bam! It’s all about the stuffing!

Thanksgiving Table Name Tags

Published on November 20, 2013November 17, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Setting the Thanksgiving table might be as important as cooking the turkey in T.W.O.’s family. Much time is spent deciding on the linens, decorations, dinnerware, stemware, silverware, AND place cards. By having place cards on the dinner table, each guests feels even more special that this setting was created just for them and it cuts down 5 minutes of the seating process since you already know where you are sitting! So this year, we have “T.W.O.” ideas on how we will be displaying our guests’ names on the table.

Fall Leaf

Gather some autumn leaves of your choice. Take a black sharpie and write the name of each guest’s name on the leaf. Next, situate the leaf, as you would like at the place setting.

“Spiky Balls”

Gather “spiky balls” from liquid amber trees, particularly the green ones. Cut long, rectangular labels out of construction paper. Next, write the guest’s name on each rectangle and punch a hole at the end of the paper. String raffia through the hole and tie to the stem of a “spiky ball.” Situate each nametag as you would like at the place setting.

Cheers!

Imagery Estate Winery

Published on November 18, 2013November 17, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Imagine the Parthenon. Imagine a great wine. Imagine a great atmosphere. Imagine combining the 3 into one place- that place being Imagery Winery. Imagery Estate Winery is located in Sonoma County and is owned by the Benzinger family. This winery is not only known for it’s great wine, but also the art on each bottle of wine. Each varietal has a unique designed label that changes each year and includes a picture of the Parthenon. The Parthenon is sometimes not easy to find, so it makes a great game of “Where’s Waldo!” Renowned contemporary artists from around the world design the artwork for Imagery’s wine labels.

T.W.O. recently attended Imagery’s Open House event for club members and had a fabulous time! The winery featured their most popular wines, food pairings, barrel tastings, live music and bocce ball! We even got to meet Mr. Benzinger himself as well as the famous local artist, Bob Nugent.

T.W.O. would highly recommend this winery to anyone that is in the Sonoma area! Some of our favorite varietals are the Mablec, Barbera, Sangiovese, and Petite Syrah- all of which complement nicely with any type of meal. So stop imagining this perfect winery and head to Imagery!!

Potatoes au Gratin

Published on November 14, 2013November 14, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Potatoes make a great side dish, but sometimes, well- they can just be so bland. T.W.O. decided to change things up a bit and make Potatoes Au Gratin! And wow, was it a hit! The ingredients are simple, but the flavor is so delectable!

Ingredients:

-½ cup low-salt chicken broth
-1½ cups heavy cream
-2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
-1 Tablespoon dried basil
-2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
-Krazy Salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 Tablespoon nutmeg
-1-2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

In a small saucepan, combine the broth, cream, garlic and basil. Bring to a boil. Take it from the heat and let the flavors infuse as you assemble the potatoes.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread about one-third of the potatoes in the bottom of a 2-qt. gratin or heavy baking dish. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Layer with 1/3 of cheese. Top with another one-third of the potatoes, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg again. Layer with another 1/3 of cheese. Arrange the remaining potatoes on top and season.

Put the gratin dish on a baking sheet to catch any spills. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in the oven until the potatoes start to get tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking, basting occasionally with the liquid in the dish, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife and a golden crust forms on top. This will take about another 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Bon appetite!

The Pumpkin Pie

Published on November 12, 2013November 10, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Pumpkin Pie. It is as important (maybe a little more!) than the turkey for T.W.O.’s family Thanksgiving feast. With Thanksgiving around the corner, T.W.O. decided to bake this delicious dessert a few weeks before the big day to get our and your mouths watering! You won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients

Flaky Crust:

-2 cups flour
-¾ cup shortening (T.W.O. uses butter flavor)
-2-3 Tablespoons sugar
-5-6 Tablespoons cold water

*Depending on the size of your pans or how thick you want your crust, you might want to double the crust recipe. T.W.O. uses 9 inch pie pans.

Pumpkin Filling:

-1 ½ cups sugar
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
-4 large eggs
-1 can (29 oz) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
-2 cans (12 fl. Oz., each) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl mix the flour, shortening, sugar and cold water. T.W.O. uses a pastry blender to mix the dough together, forming into a ball.

Once the dough ball is formed, let’s get ready to roll it out! Make sure your surface is floured so that the dough doesn’t stick to your countertop or mat. Split the dough in half to make the 2 piecrusts. Using your rolling pin, roll the dough out evenly in a circular shape. With the assistance of a spatula, move the rolled out dough into the oiled or “PAM’ed”pie dish. Pinch the crust tops with your fingers to make a stylish pattern. Repeat for second pie dough.

Now for the pumpkin filling. Mix sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in small bowl (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid). Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shells.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for about 1-2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Happy Baking!

*T.W.O. makes a foil ring to cover the crusts so that it does not burn.

Three Bean Turkey Chili

Published on November 7, 2013November 7, 2013 by twinswithoriginality1 Comment

It’s getting chilly, so it’s time for some chili! T.W.O. loves making chili during the fall and winter months. One of our favorite variations is turkey chili with 3 types of beans. The recipe is very simple and quick, so it makes for a great weeknight meal. The leftovers are delicious “T.W.O.!”

Ingredients

-Ground turkey, lean
-1/2 of white onion, chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
-2 cans (15 oz) of black beans
-1 can (15 oz) of kidney beans
-1 can (29 oz) of pinto beans
-1 can of stewed tomatoes
-2 cans (7 ounces) of diced, green chilies*
-1 package of chili seasoning
-1 package of crimini mushrooms, sliced
–Crazy Salt
-Ground Pepper

*T.W.O. likes a little spice to their chili, so we use the “fire roasted” Ortega chilies

Begin by sautéing onions and garlic in a pan.

After about 3-5 minutes, add in ground turkey. Cook for about 8 minutes or until meat is cooked thoroughly.

Next, drain all the liquid from the canned beans into a bowl and set aside. Pour all the drained beans into a large pot and turn stove to high heat.

Before adding in the stewed tomatoes, chop the tomatoes into quarters. Add tomatoes with their juice to the pot. Then add ground turkey mixture, green chilies, crimini mushrooms and chili seasoning and stir.

Once the chili is boiling, turn heat down to low to let it simmer. The chili can simmer any where from 20 minutes to 1 hour. The longer the better!

When you are ready to eat, turn off the heat and allow the chili to sit covered for 5 minutes. Ladle the chili into a bowl and garnish with your favorite toppings. T.W.O. likes to top their chili with sliced avocado, cheese, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), cilantro, and hot sauce. Now it’s time to warm up and enjoy a great bowl of chili!

Enjoy!

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Published on November 1, 2013October 29, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Four months ago, T.W.O. traveled to Spain and enjoyed pintxos daily. We felt nostalgic this past week and decided to re-create one of our favorite pintxos we had in Madrid- stuffed piquillo peppers! We ordered them at Lateral the first night in Madrid and loved them so much, we ordered them again on our last night of the trip! This pintxos dish is a great appetizer to serve at your next dinner party and can be prepared ahead of time so you can enjoy socializing with guests. Ole!

Ingredients

-1 can of piquillo peppers
-0.5 lb ground beef or turkey
-1/2 cup of goat cheese*
-1 cup of Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup**
-1/4 cup of Greek yogurt
–Crazy Salt
-Garlic Powder
-Pepper
-Chili Powder

*T.W.O. has also used cream cheese, which makes for a creamier mixture
**T.W.O. would suggest Trader Joe’s Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a sauté pan, begin cooking the meat over medium heat. Season with salt, garlic powder, pepper and chili powder.

While meat is cooking, take the peppers out of the jar and separate. Pour the soup into a sauce pan and heat up. Add the Greek yogurt and reduce heat to low.

Once the meat is cooked, drain some of the grease. Don’t drain all of it for you don’t want the meat to be dry.

While the meat is still hot, add in your goat cheese or cream cheese and mix. Stuff the peppers individually with the meat and place into a Pyrex.

Once all the peppers are stuffed, pour the soup mixture over the peppers.

Place into oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Allow the peppers to sit for about 3-5 minutes before serving. Then it is time to enjoy some pintxos!!

Howdy Houston!

Published on October 24, 2013October 24, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Howdy Houston! This past weekend, a T.W.O. boogied on down to Houston, Texas for the Food & Nutrition Conference (FNCE). I spent most of the time in Downtown Houston, which is filled with some good restaurants, stadiums and parks. Get your cowboy boots on and get ready to “T.W.O.-step” it with me in Houston!

Sambuca

A T.W.O. had the pleasure of eating dinner at the famous Sambuca! They have locations in Dallas, Houston, Nashville and Plano. This restaurant is known for its great food, music and dancing. I experienced some great seafood dishes and live classic rock music by FM Live Band. T.W.O. highly recommends this restaurant!

Pappas Bar-B-Q

If you visit Houston, you must go to Pappas Bar-B-Q. All the locals recommended it, so I went! And boy, were our tummies full when I walked out! A T.W.O. would highly suggest ordering the brisket and turkey breast! So moist and tender!

Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse

Got meat? Vic & Anthony’s sure does! A T.W.O. ate a delicious dinner at this recommended steakhouse downtown Houston. The atmosphere reminded us of a Fleming’s or a Morton’s with dim lights and leather chairs. A T.W.O. ordered a roasted beet goat cheese salad, crab cake, and filet and would suggest that all 3 be ordered- especially the crab cake!

Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo

A T.W.O. had the opportunity to attend the FNCE conference in Houston. This conference is catered to food and nutrition professionals and has the latest nutrition science information and foodservice trends. There are over 8,000 attendees and more than 350 exhibitors at this conference. A T.W.O. had a fabulous time exploring the different booths (especially Justin’s and Go Live!) as well as promoting celiac diagnostic testing at the Prometheus Laboratories booth.

Happy Travels!

Harvest Quinoa Salad

Published on October 18, 2013October 13, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Fall is just not in the air, but also in quinoa! T.W.O. loves making this harvest quinoa salad during the autumn months. It makes a great side dish, lunch meal, or snack! Serve it hot or cold! It’s just not perfect sweater weather, but perfect quinoa weather.

Ingredients

-2 cups water
-1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
-1 green apple
-1 cup spinach
-1/2 cup of dried cranberries
-1 lemon, juiced
-3-4 tablespoons olive oil
-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
-3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-Garlic powder
-Cinnamon
-Salt & Pepper
-Goat cheese, crumbled

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add a dash of cinnamon and garlic power. If you want a little kick, add a dash of cayenne pepper. Once the water is boiling, add quinoa and reduce to low-medium heat. Cook for about 12-15 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, cut the apple (unpeeled) and spinach.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with fork and cool for 10-15 minutes.

Once cool, add olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, apple cider, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix. Next add in apple, spinach and cranberries and mix well.

Allow salad to chill for about 20 minutes. When you are ready to serve, crumble goat cheese over salad. (If you plan to serve, only let quinoa cool for about 2 minutes before adding in the ingredients. Top salad with goat cheese when you are ready to serve.)

Bon appetite!

*T.W.O. also likes to add grilled chicken breast to the salad or even chunks of roasted sweet potatoes.

Fall-Inspired Tablescape

Published on October 16, 2013October 14, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Flowers always make fabulous centerpieces, but during fall, T.W.O. enjoys decorating our table with pumpkins, corn and gourds! This season, T.W.O. added a table runner. And guess where we got it?? That’s right- from a shipment we received from Sur La Table! It was the wrapping that protected the item we purchased. The same kind of wrapping is used by Crate&Barrel. So, next time you order something online from Sur La Table or Crate&Barrel, save this fabulous wrapping material- it makes for a great table runner!

What you will need:

-Table runner
-Pumpkin
-Indian corn
-Gourds

Wrapping Material from Sur La Table or Crate&Barrel

First, place the table runner on the table.

Next arrange the pumpkin, gourds, and corn to your liking. Now you just need to simmer some cinnamon sticks on the stove and your house will be fall-inspired!

Be creative and original!