Chicken with Garbanzo Bean Salad and Burrata

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One of T.W.O. ‘s favorite proteins to experiment with is chicken because it is eaten more often than any other protein and can get very old if you don’t switch it up! So T.W.O. decided to create a spin on chicken Parmesan and bruschetta by creating a dish using chicken, a garbanzo bean salad, and burrata! Whether it is for a dinner party, family gathering or weeknight meal, you will find this dish to be easy but most of all- gastronomical!

 Ingredients

– 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 can of garbanzo beans
-Favorite pasta sauce
-Fresh Basil
-Garlic cloves
-Fresh pepper
Crazy salt
-Burrata cheese

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 First, chop garlic and basil and place in a mixing bowl. Next, add garbanzo beans, pasta sauce and fresh ground pepper.  You want to add enough sauce just to cover the garbanzo beans and create a little liquid. Let this mixture marinade for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

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While the garbanzo bean salad is marinating, start the grill. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Place chicken onto grill and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Meanwhile, turn on your oven to 425° and take the garbanzo bean salad out of the refrigerator. When the chicken is done, place the chicken breasts into a Pyrex and top with the garbanzo bean salad.  (You will have left over salad if you only use 2 chicken breasts, but it makes for a great side dish or snack while cooking!)

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Put the Pyrex into the oven for 3-5 minutes. Next, place the burrata cheese over the garbanzo bean salad and put in the oven.

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Allow the cheese to melt for about 2 minutes and then turn the oven on broil. Let the dish broil for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese gets a little brown. Once this is done, take the chicken out of the oven and get ready to serve!

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 Bon appetite!

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Polenta + Tomato Appetizer

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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

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 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.

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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!!

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Sriracha Glazed Chicken Mango Salad

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Remember that Sriracha Glazed Chicken Kebab recipe posted by T.W.O on Monday? Have you had the chance to try the recipe out? If you haven’t- you better get on it! And if you have, there are most likely leftovers! Hooray! T.W.O. decided to mix it up with the sriracha glazed chicken and add it to a salad! This dish is so refreshing, light, and has a nice balance of a sweet, but spicy kick to it!

Ingredients

Sriracha Glazed Chickendiced (link the post here)
-Lettuce*
-Mango, cubed
-Tomatoes
-Cucumbers
-Crimini mushrooms
-Cilantro Dressing**

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*T.W.O. used romaine lettuce
**If you don’t feel like making your own dressing recipe, T.W.O. has discovered a great Cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s. 

 First, wash and chop up the lettuce, mango, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mushrooms. Next dice your chicken into cubes. T.W.O. heated up their chicken just a bit before tossing into salad, but it can also be served at room temperature. After all the ingredients are platted, drizzle the dressing on the salad. Easy as that!

Bon Appetite!

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Sriracha Glazed Chicken Kebabs

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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

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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.

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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!

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Enjoy!

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T.W.O. Good Potato Salad

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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.

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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.)

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Bon appetite!

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Grilled Peach Caprese Chicken Salad

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Labor Day weekend is almost here, so get that BBQ fired up because T.W.O. is ready to grill a Peach Caprese Chicken Salad with you! T.W.O. decided to put a little spin to the traditional caprese salad and add grilled peaches for some sweetness and chicken for extra protein. It is a healthy, refreshing dish that everyone can enjoy!

Grilled Peach Caprese Chicken Salad

Ingredients

– Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
– Fresh peaches
– Fresh buffalo mozzarella
– Tomatoes
– Cucumbers
– Crimini Mushrooms
– Lettuce of your choice
– Balsamic dressing

First, season your chicken breast with your choice of spices. T.W.O. used Krazy salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Let the chicken season for about 8-10 minutes.

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In the meantime, fire up your grill and wash your lettuce, vegetables and peaches. Cut your peaches in half and remove the pit. Next, place your chicken on a clean grill and turn the temperature down to low-medium, depending on how hot your grill gets. While the chicken is grilling, start chopping up your lettuce, cucumbers, and mushrooms. After the chicken has been grilling for about 8 minutes, place your peaches on the grill, cut side down. Keep a close eye on the peaches and chicken because you don’t want them to burn! Assemble your tomato and cheese stacks.

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When the chicken and peaches are done, cut the chicken into strips and the peaches into slices. Alternate the chicken and peaches in between the cheese stacks to create your “caprese” salad. Next place the caprese salad on top of the bed of lettuce with cucumber and mushrooms. Finish the dish with a balsamic dressing of your choice. Wah-lah! Now you can enjoy this original, gastronomical dish this holiday weekend with your family and friends.

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Wine PairingT.W.O. suggests a Rosé

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Zucchini Noodles

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When in Rome, you eat pasta.  When cooking with T.W.O, you make zucchini noodles!  This is such an easy dish that can be transformed into a snack, a summer salad or an entrée.  The most important part of this dish is the peeler….a julienne peeler! You can find it at SUR LA TABLE or even TARGET.

Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:

–  4 zucchini
– 1 clove garlic, diced
– 1 lemon; juiced
– Olive oil
– Krazy Salt

After washing the vegetables, place the zucchini flat on a cutting board.  Hold with one hand the top of the zucchini that is furthest from you, while holding the zucchini peeler in the other hand. The key to creating “noodles” is to peel the zucchini using only one stroke.  From top to bottom, peel the zucchini in a straight line.  This will form your perfect “noodles”.  Continue until the zucchini is all peeled.

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Place all the “noodles” in a bowl and add lemon juice, diced garlic, olive oil and Crazy Salt to your desire.  Let the noodles marinate for about 10 minutes.

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Once the “noodles” have marinated, squeeze the excess juice out of the “noodles” so your meal isn’t soggy. Now comes the question….What can I do with these “noodles?”  T.W.O decided to make a summer salad.  To make this, you will need the following ingredients:

Summer Salad

– Zucchini noodles
-8 to 10 mini balls of fresh mozzarella
-1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
– 4 Tablespoons fresh basil
-Balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Add the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil to the noodles. Finish the dish by drizzling the noodle mixture with balsamic vinegar. Now it’s time to enjoy this tasty, light summer salad poolside!

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Toasted Quinoa

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Quinoa. A superfood, high in protein and dietary fiber. By now, everyone has either heard about it, cooked with it, or both! It is a great addition to any breakfast, lunch or dinner! But most of the recipes out there are just so similar- so soft!! So T.W.O. has decided to change up the texture of this superfood and “crunch it up!” Toasted Quinoa! It is a great addition to any dish you would like to add some crunch and protein without the added fat or gluten.

Toasted Quinoa

Ingredients:

 -2 cups of water
-1 cup of Quinoa, rinsed
Crazy Salt
-Garlic powder
-Cayenne pepper powder
-1 tablespoon of olive oil

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Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan. Once boiling, pour quinoa, crazy salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper into water. (Please note that seasonings can be added to your liking!) Bring water to a boil once again, then reduce to low-medium temperature and cover pan. Allow quinoa to cook for about 10-12 minutes. When complete, use a fork to “fluff” quinoa and transfer to a cookie sheet to cool down. Once quinoa is cooled, heat up a sauté pan with olive oil. When pan is hot, place quinoa in pan and reduce heat to medium. Make sure to mix the quinoa often so it doesn’t burn. Toast the quinoa for about 6 minutes or until golden brown. Wah lah- it’s done! Toasted quinoa can be eaten hot or cold and can be stored in an air-tight container for about 5 days. Just make sure that the quinoa is cool before placing the lid on the container- you don’t want it to get soggy!

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T.W.O. decided to add the warm, toasted quinoa to a salad. It added not only crunch, but protein to this gastronomical meal.

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T.W.O. has also added the toasted quinoa to Greek yogurt and fruit. It was just like granola, but better! If you are planning on using it with yogurt, T.W.O. would suggest eliminating the seasonings above (salt, garlic and cayenne) and add cinnamon or nutmeg!

Enjoy “crunching” it up!

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Fresh Tomato Bun Burger with Avocado

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Love hamburgers? But don’t seem to eat them because of the carb-loaded bun? Well, we have a solution for you. Tomatoes! You will definitely not be missing that bun after you sink your teeth into that sweet, juicy tomato, complemented by that savory beef patty. This recipe is a healthy, gluten free option that works great for your next meal. Or just add a toothpick and serve as an appetizer for your next dinner party. Check out the recipe below:

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Ingredients:
-4 large tomatoes
-1 lb lean ground beef
– 1 teaspoon ground pepper
– 3 Tablespoons sriracha
– 2 Tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
– 1 cup mushrooms, diced
– 1 cup bell pepper, diced
– 2 shallots, diced
– 3 cloves garlic, diced
– 1 avocado
– lettuce
– mustard (spicy, regular or dijon)
– ketchup
– mayo (optional)

In a bowl, mix the beef, ground pepper, sriracha, Montreal Steak Seasoning, mushrooms, bell peppers, shallots and garlic. Make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed between the meat. Form 5 patties and press them out on parchment paper.

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Now, let’s GRILL! You can grill the burgers on the bbq, but if you don’t have a bbq, try using a stove top grilling pan. Cook the patties to your liking. (Rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, well-done)

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While the burgers are grilling, cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seed membrane with a spoon. Set aside. Cut the avocado in thin slices.

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Once the burgers are done, place them on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease. Place the patties on the cut tomatoes and add the avocado, lettuce and your favorite burger condiments. T.W.O put a squeeze of ketchup and spicy Dijon mustard on ours!

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Wine pairing suggestion: Old Vine Zinfandel

** Please note, if the tomato is too big or won’t stay on your plate cut the tops off so it creates a flat surface.