Recipes – Page 10

Cauliflower Steaks

Published on April 4, 2014June 6, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

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

Published on April 3, 2014June 6, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

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!

Spicy Chicken Chipotle Tacos with Mango Salsa

Published on April 1, 2014June 6, 2014 by twinswithoriginality1 Comment

It’s that day of the week again-Taco Tuesday!! For this week’s taco Tuesday, T.W.O. is featuring their spicy chicken chipotle tacos with a fresh mango salsa. The spice of the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce are complimented well by the zesty, refreshing mango salsa. Try this recipe for your next taco night!

Spicy Chicken Chipotle Tacos with Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

-2 Chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
-2 cans Embasa chipotle peppers, in adobe sauce
-2 Mangoes, cubed
-4 Cocktail Tomatoes, chopped
-1/2 of a red onion, chopped
-1 Orange bell pepper, chopped
-Cilantro, chopped
-1 avocado
-2 limes
-1/2 of a lemon
-Salt and Pepper
-Corn tortillas*

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

Marinate the chicken breasts with the peppers in adobe sauce for at least 2 hours before cooking.
To make the mango salsa, cut up the mango, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, and cilantro. Season the salsa with salt, pepper and the juice of the limes and lemon. Mix and refrigerate until the chicken is done.
To cook the chicken, begin by slicing the chicken into thin strips.
Heat up a skillet medium to high heat. Place chicken, along with the remaining of the marinade into the skillet. Cook until chicken is done.
Heat up the tortillas and plate. Build your tacos by placing the chicken with sauce and salsa on the tortilla. Garish the taco with a slice of avocado.

Steak Salad with Sweet Potato Chips

Published on March 31, 2014March 30, 2014 by twinswithoriginality6 Comments

T.W.O. loves salads. And T.W.O. loves steak and sweet potatoes! So put them together and you got yourself a steak salad with sweet potato chips! It’s a great recipe for dinner, day time BBQ or just about any time your heart desires. We love the combination of the steak, garbanzo beans, feta, cilantro dressing and the crunch of the sweet potato chips! Next time you need a new idea for a salad, try this one!

Steak Salad with Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

-Top Sirloin Files
-Mixed greens
-1 large Sweet potato
-Tomatoes
-Cucumbers
-Green onion
-Garbanzo beans
-Mushrooms
-Feta Cheese, crumbled
-Olive Oil
-Salt and Pepper
-Garlic Powered
-Cayenne Pepper
-Montreal Steak seasoning
-Trader Joe’s Cilantro Lime dressing

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 415°F.
2. Next, slice the sweet potato into thin circles and place into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the sweet potatoes and season with salt, pepper, garlic powered and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Lay the sweet potatoes onto a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper) and place into the oven. Bake for a total of 30-35 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes so chips don’t burn. Make sure to watch the chips so they don’t burn!
3. While the chips are baking, fire up that grill! Season the steak with Montreal Steak seasoning. When the grill is ready, start grilling the steaks. Cook to desire.
4. For the salad, plate mixed greens. Chop up the cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms and green onions and place on top of the greens. Add the garbanzo beans and feta cheese. When the steaks are done, slice thinly and place on salad. Add the sweet potato chips while still hot.
5. Finish the salad with the dressing.

It’s time to eat!

Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese Pizza + A Birthday

Published on March 28, 2014June 25, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

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

Published on March 27, 2014March 27, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

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!!

Caprese Salad

Published on March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 by T.W.O.3 Comments

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!

T.W.O. signature

Boneless Short Ribs

Published on March 24, 2014March 23, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

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

Published on March 21, 2014March 20, 2014 by T.W.O.7 Comments

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!

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.