Dinner Party – Page 2

Polenta + Tomato Appetizer

Published on September 17, 2013September 16, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Polenta is a staple of Northern Italy, but has made its debut in all types of cuisine today. It is most noted for it’s versatility and can be a great addition to your next meal! T.W.O. decided to create an appetizer for their family and let us tell you- it was a hit!!

Ingredients

-Polenta
-Tomatoes
-Fresh buffalo mozzarella
-Garlic powder
-Cayenne pepper
-Ground pepper
-Italian seasoning
-Dried basil

First, line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 425°F. Next, cut your polenta into thin, circular slices. Place the polenta on a lined cookie sheet and season with garlic powder, ground pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Then, slice your tomatoes into thin circles and place on the other cookie sheet. Season the tomatoes with Italian seasoning, pepper and dried basil.

Put the polenta and tomato slices in the oven. T.W.O. would recommend putting the polenta slices on the top rack. After about 8 minutes, flip the polenta slices over. Bake the polenta and tomatoes for another 8 minutes. (You might need to keep the polenta in a little longer depending on your oven.) Make sure that the polenta gets crispy. When the polenta and tomatoes are done, place a tomato on top of the polenta and add a slice of mozzarella. Continue this process for the remaining polenta circles. Next, turn your oven to broil and place the polenta “stacks” into the oven for about 3 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the stacks so that they do not burn. Once the mozzarella is melted and slightly brown, take them out of the oven. It’s time to serve!!

Wine Cork Place Card Holders

Published on September 12, 2013September 10, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Having a dinner party with assigned seating? Can’t decide on how to display your guests’ name? Well T.W.O. has the perfect solution for you! All those wine corks you are “saving” for a special occasion can finally come in handy. It’s as easy as one…T.W.O.…three!!

What you will need:

– Name Tags (T.W.O. printed the name tags on Avery template pages)
– Wine Corks
– X-Acto Knife or Swish Army Knife

Step 1: Design and print out your name tags.

Step 2: Using your knife, cut a ½ cm deep line into the cork (lengthwise).

Step 3: Place the name tag in the slit and make sure it’s secured. *

Voilà!

Now that’s an easy DIY project! Happy designing!!!

* If the wine cork place card isn’t standing upright, shave the bottom of the cork to create a flatter surface.

Sriracha Glazed Chicken Kebabs

Published on September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 by twinswithoriginality3 Comments

Sriracha sauce has been around for many years, but it seems like just recently this sauce has become the “new hot sauce” and is being used to create innovative dishes. T.W.O. decided to take their traditional kebab recipe to the next level and spice it up to create Sriracha Glazed Chicken kebabs! The recipe is very simple and requires no marinating time. The chicken stays so moist from its spicy, sticky glaze and will no doubt make you want more!

Ingredients

–       ½ cup light brown sugar
–       ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
–       ⅓ cup hot chili paste
–       ¼ cup fish sauce
–       ¼ cup Sriracha
–       2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
–       2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
–       Green onions, chopped
–       Bamboo skewers, soaked in water

First, soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the skewers from splintering or breaking. Next, heat up your grill to a low-medium heat. While the grill is heating up, cut the chicken into cubed-chunks and place in a large bowl. Whisk brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, fish sauce, Sriracha, and ginger in a bowl. Pour this marinade over the chicken and mix so that all the chicken is covered. Now its time to skewer the chicken. After all the chicken is on the skewers, place the remaining marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until it is reduced by half. This should take about 7-10 minutes. Once the marinade is reduced, take the chicken and marinade to the grill.

Place the kebabs on the grill and baste with marinade. Make sure to keep turning and basting the skewers so the chicken doesn’t burn and remains moist. Continue basting and flipping the skewers until chicken is done. (8-10 minutes, depending on the grill) Take your chicken off the grill and plate on a platter. Garnish the skewers with the chopped green onions. Now it’s time to eat!

Enjoy!

Peach Goat Cheese Crostini

Published on September 6, 2013September 6, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Summer is not over yet; Peaches are still in season…So it’s time to get into the kitchen with T.W.O. and make these fabulous peach goat cheese crostini! They make a wonderful appetizer that all your guests will enjoy. And you will enjoy them to because they are easy to make so you can spend more time socializing with your guests and not stuck in the kitchen!

Ingredients

-Fresh baguette
-Goat cheese
-Fresh basil
-Peaches
-Balsamic vinegar
-Honey, optional

First, pre-heat your oven to 425°F. Next, slice your baguette and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. (The foil makes for an easy cleanup!) Then, slice your peaches into thin wedges and chop your basil into small pieces.

Once the oven is heated, place your bread slices in the oven. After about 3 minutes, check the slices to see if they are golden brown. If so, flip them over to get the other side golden brown. Once both sides are done, take the bread out of the oven and get ready to prepare the crostini! While the bread is still hot, spread your goat cheese on the crostini. Next, place some basil on top of the cheese and finish with the peach slice. Repeat this for the remaining bread slices.

Once all the crostini are assembled, drizzle the balsamic over each piece. T.W.O. also drizzled honey over each crostini and found that it added an extra kick of sweetness. So if you are in the mood for a sweet, but savory treat, add the honey! Now it’s time to serve!

T.W.O. Good Potato Salad

Published on September 4, 2013September 4, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

T.W.O.’s Labor Day weekend was filled with family, fun, beach, sun, and some gastronomical food! One of which was the famous family potato salad! T.W.O. is not a fan of mayonnaise, so potato salad was never made until this recipe was created! The recipe calls for very little mayonnaise, but is still extremely moist and full of flavor. This salad is a must for your next BBQ!

Ingredients

– 5 lbs red potatoes
– Celery, chopped
– Red onion, chopped
– 5-6 dill pickles, chopped
– 1-1 ½ cups Mayonnaise**
– 1 cup sweet relish
– Krazy salt
– Garlic powder
– Ground pepper

**T.W.O. uses the Best Foods Light Mayonnaise

First, wash the potatoes, keeping the skins on. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water so that about ½ to ¾ of the potatoes are covered. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, bring to a low-medium temperature.

While potatoes are cooking, chop up your celery, onions, and pickles. After about 15 minutes, check the potatoes. If you can stick a butter knife through the potatoes, then they are done. (You don’t want the potatoes to be too soft, nor too hard!) Drain the water from the pot and let the potatoes sit for about 3 minutes just to cool a little so you don’t burn your fingers. While the potatoes are still very warm, cut the potatoes (with the skins on) into chucks and place into a bowl. Add the celery, onions, pickles, mayonnaise and relish to the potatoes and mix. Next season the salad with salt, garlic powder and ground pepper to your desire. Once everything is mixed, place in the refrigerator to chill. After a few hours, the salad is ready to be served! (You might want to check your salad a ½ hour before serving it just to make sure there is enough mayonnaise to your liking. Sometimes the potatoes absorb the mayonnaise during the chilling process.)

Bon appetite!

T.W.O. Throws in the Towel!

Published on August 29, 2013August 29, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

One of the most popular hostess gifts is a bottle of wine. And the most popular way to bring the bottle is unwrapped, no gift bag. The main reason for not having a bag is that you forgot to purchase the bag or you think to yourself, “They will just throw it in the trash anyways!” Well, T.W.O. has a solution for you….Just “throw in the towel” and you will have yourself an original hostess gift! Plus, the host can use the towel again! Not just throw it away.

What you will need:

-Decorative kitchen towel, brand new
-Raffia
-Wine bottle

*T.W.O. has featured one of their favorite Old Vine Zins by Brazin.

Take your kitchen towel and lay it flat on a table. Place your wine bottle in the center of the towel. Gather the ends of the towel and bring up, towards the center of the wine bottle so that it is entirely covered. If your towel is on the larger side, you might need to twist it when wrapping the wine bottle so the ends are not flopping over. Secure the towel in place by tying the raffia around the neck of the wine bottle in a knot. Finish with a bow. You could also add a little name tag (tying it when making the knot) to make it more personable. Now you are all set for the party!

Fig Goat Cheese Appetizer

Published on August 15, 2013August 15, 2013 by twinswithoriginality1 Comment

Hosting a last minute dinner party on Friday night? Need an easy appetizer to impress your guests? Well T.W.O has the perfect one for you! It’s gastronomical, quick and the best part is that it is only 4 ingredients! That’s T.W.O. times T.W.O! Wow!! There is no doubt your guests will enjoy this tasteful bite. Take a deep breath, relax- T.W.O has planned your first menu item for this Friday night!

Ingredients:
-Goat cheese
-Fresh Fig, sliced in wedges
-Rosemary Raisin Crackers*
-Honey