T.W.O.

Deep Dish Pizza

Published on October 25, 2013October 21, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Friday Night Pizza!!! T.W.O. decided to spice up Friday Night Pizza night and make a deep dish pizza. That’s right, pizza pie! T.W.O.’s brother made a deep dish pie a couple weeks ago, which inspired us to try our own version. Grab your rolling pin, pie dish, ingredients and let’s start cooking!

Ingredients:

– Pizza dough
– Flour
– Cornmeal
– Mozzarella cheese, 1 inch block
– Marinara sauce (T.W.O. uses Molinari’s homemade marinara sauce)
– 1 large head of broccoli, chopped
– 1 can of olives, diced
– 1 small package of mushrooms, diced
– 2 jalapeno, diced

Preheat oven to 425ᴼ.

First, roll out dough on a flour, cornmeal surface. Make sure to evenly roll out the dough in a circular shape so it fits in the pie dish. Once completed, place the dough in the pie dish and pat in place. Add some flour and cornmeal to the bottom of the dough so it will help absorb some of the juices.

Cut thin mozzarella slices from the block of cheese and lay on the bottom. Next, drizzle some marinara sauce to cover the cheese. Add the cut vegetables to the pie and layer cut slices of cheese in between. Once you have all your ingredients in the pie, top with the remaining marinara. The sauce should fill in the gaps between the vegetables.

Put the pizza pie in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. You will know when the pizza is ready when the sauce is “bubbling”. Take out and top with parmesan cheese.

Let the pizza sit for about 10 minutes prior to cutting. Once served, sit down and enjoy your deep dish pizza pie!

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

Cheers,

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!

“Neutral Living” By T.W.O.

Published on October 23, 2013October 18, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

T.W.O.‘s Inspiration

(Copyright – Staples Design Group)

T.W.O.‘s Design Board

(1) Pierce Sectional Sofa (2) Gia Candle Holders, (3) Coffee Table
(4) Maulvrier Area Rug (5) Morton Silver Serving Tray (6) Stella Frames
(7) Lucianna Medallion Pillow

Neutral Living Room page2

(8) Metropolitan Console Table (9) Bellesol Mirrors (10) Pendant Clock
(11) Phalaenopsis Orchid (12) Metropolitan Side Table (13) Blue Vase (14) Palladian Table Lamp

T.W.O. used Houzz.com to search for their Neutral Living Space Board.

Happy Designing!!!

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey, Swiss Chard, Cranberries & Spicy Dijon, Lemon Vinaigrette

Published on October 22, 2013October 16, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey, Swiss Chard, Cranberries & Spicy Dijon, Lemon Vinaigrette

Fall is in the air, and it’s also in T.W.O.’s cooking! Check out how to make this easy and tasty recipe the whole family will love. It’s great as an entrée, side dish or even lunch! T.W.O. doubled the recipe and was able to enjoy it throughout the week…leftovers are the best!

Ingredients

Spicy Dijon Dressing:

– 4-5 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard
– 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
– ¼ cup rice vinegar
– ½ lemon, juiced
– Krazy Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Spaghetti Squash:

– 1 large spaghetti squash
– 1 pound lean ground turkey meat
– 1 bunch of Swiss chard leaves, removed from steam
– ½ – 1 cup dried cranberries
– Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375ᴼ F. Using a sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and the “strings” just like you would when carving a pumpkin. Once clean, place the squash, face down in a sprayed Pyrex pan. Salt and Pepper to taste. Put the Pyrex in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes.

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, sauté the ground turkey meat with pepper and Krazy Salt. Once thoroughly cooked, put aside.

Next, sauté the chopped Swiss chard leaves in a lightly oiled pan. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes. Once complete, add the cranberries and ground turkey meat.

To make the dressing, add all the ingredients in a cup and whisk for about 2 minutes.

After 40 minutes, take the spaghetti squash out of the oven and let cool for 4 minutes. Once cooled, take a fork and “stroke” the squash from top to bottom to get the “spaghetti” noodles and put in a large mixing bowl. Continue to do this until you scrape to the skin.

Once the spaghetti is ready, add the Swiss chard, cranberry, turkey mixture to the squash. Mix lightly. (You don’t want to break the spaghetti) Add the dressing and mix. T.W.O. highly suggests serving this dish warm, so you can immediately plate it!

Happy Fall cooking!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on October 21, 2013October 21, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

T.W.O. has made a ton of chocolate chip cookies in their lifetime and we discovered that throughout the years, new recipes are constantly evolving. Most recently, T.W.O. adapted this recipe that has a secret ingredient. Find out the trick to making the best chocolate chip cookie!

Ingredients:

– 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
– 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, soften
– ¾ cups light brown sugar
– ½ cup sugar
– 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
– 3 teaspoons vanilla
– 2 cups chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and yolk together. (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid mixer!) Once mixed well, add the flour, baking soda and the secret ingredient CORNSTARCH! After 3 minutes, slowly add in the chocolate chips. Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for a minimum 3 hours.

Don’t forget to taste the dough!

When you are ready to bake the cookies, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Pre-heat 350ᴼF. Let the dough sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes while the oven is pre-heating. Roll the dough into balls and place them on an oil-sprayed cookie sheet. Next, place the cookies in the oven for 10-11 minutes depending on your oven.

Once they are finished, take the cookies out of the oven. Place the baked cooked on a cooling rack and grab yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

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.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Published on October 17, 2013October 15, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Don’t throw away those brown bananas you have sitting on the counter; instead make chocolate chip banana bread! And T.W.O. did that exact thing for a Sunday afternoon project. It’s a great recipe for breakfast, a snack or even a sweet tooth craving after dinner.

Ingredients

– 2 ½ cups flour
-1 cup sugar
-3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
– 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-¾ cups milk (or almond milk)
-1 egg
-1 cup mashed bananas, ripe (~2 to 3 medium bananas)
-2-3 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350º. In a mixer (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid), cream the oil, sugar and egg. Once mixed, add the mashed bananas and milk.

Next, slowly add the flour and the baking powder. The batter should be thick, but not sticky. After about 4 minutes, stop the mixer. Slowly fold in (or on low speed in the mixer) the chocolate chips. Depending on your love for chocolate, feel free to add more or less!

Put in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. You know the bread is ready, when you poke the loaf with a butter knife and it comes out clean!

Happy Baking!

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!

Creamy Polenta with Funghi & Fish

Published on October 15, 2013October 14, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Tired of mashed potatoes? Well T.W.O. has a great alternative side dish to add on your next menu…Creamy Polenta. Check out how to make this easy dish for a gourmet dinner at home.

Ingredients

For the Polenta:

-4 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
-2/3 cup polenta
-1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

For the Mushrooms:

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, sliced
-12 ounces crimini (Baby Bella) mushrooms, sliced
-2 cloves garlic cloves
-1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
-1/8 teaspoon Krazy salt

For the Fish:

-2 filets rock fish
-1 meyer lemon
-Salt
-Pepper
-Oregano

Polenta: In a sauce pan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Reduce the heat and whisk in the polenta. Mix frequently for about 15-20 minutes until the polenta is soft and thick. At this time add the Pecorino Romano. Mix well.

Mushrooms: In a frying pan, heat the olive oil for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add the diced garlic gloves and mushrooms and sauté about 3-4 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and the salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low/medium and cook for about 8-10 minutes. The mushrooms will shrink, so don’t get scared that you are over-cooking them.

Fish: Place the fish on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Marinate the filets with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Put the fish in the oven for about 8 minutes. Once the fish is almost done, turn the oven to broil and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully so you don’t burn the filets.

Presentation:

Place the cooked polenta on a plate. Add the mushrooms on top of the polenta followed by the filet of fish. Note – this dish is best when hot, so make sure your table is set and your guests are seated!

Enjoy!

San Diego County Favorites

Published on October 14, 2013October 13, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Del Mar Beach

Del Mar is one of the best beaches in San Diego County. It is a great place to bring families, friends and visitors on those hot summer days. Being in a residential area, the beach is lined with beach houses that are nice to look at while taking a mid-day stroll. T.W.O. enjoys bringing a picnic lunch, our paddleball set and a great book to Del Mar beach.

Claire’s on Cedros Bakery & Café

If you are looking for a great place to grab a coffee and pastry, a delicious sit-down breakfast or a tasty lunch…Claire’s on Cedros in Solana Beach is the place to go. Not only is the food fresh and amazing, the building is the only LEED Platinum certified building in San Diego. The atmosphere is casual and inviting for all ages.

Petco Park

Baseball has been apart of T.W.O.’s life since we were born. We have been to many baseball fields in our life, and Petco Park is in the top five favorite stadiums list. Located in the center of downtown San Diego, the stadium has spectacular views and offers many amenities for families and young adults. During the summer months after certain games, there are country concerts. T.W.O. had the chance to go see Dierks Bentley. Yee haw!

Del Mar Horse Races

Opening Day at the Del Mar Horse races is such a fun day. Sun dresses, big hats, linen suits, fedoras, jockeys and horses…who wouldn’t like this? Place your bets now because this is the only track where the surf meets the turf.

Board & Brew (Del Mar)

T.W.O. loves a good sandwich, so when we are headed to the beach we always stop by Board & Brew to pick up lunch. Turkey, avocado with shredded lettuce on squaw bread is a favorite of T.W.O. Board & Brew never disappoints!

Seagrove Park

Don’t want to go to the beach, but want to enjoy the great weather? Seagrove is a great park that has quite the view. T.W.O. enjoys bringing picnic lunches, our family and our dog Libby! It’s a great place to people watch, relax and enjoy the incredible views. If you time it right, you might even be an “uninvited guest” at a wedding!

Rimel’s Rotisserie (Del Mar)

Rimels is a favorite dinner spot for T.W.O. With fresh food that is made from scratch, T.W.O. enjoys the wok bowls and the potstickers. Rimels offers a great environment for small or large parties. There is a big farm fresh table in that back for big group celebrations. If your table isn’t ready, don’t worry because the fire-pits and the outdoor sitting area makes the wait well worth it!