Homemade – Page 3

Shrimp Cocktail

Published on September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

For the month of September, T.W.O. decided to think outside the box and serve non-cheese appetizers. It wasn’t hard to come up with ideas and we can’t wait to keep sharing them in future posts! In this post, T.W.O. created a shrimp cocktail for some special guests. It’s an easy, light dish that everyone (seafood lovers) can enjoy. No recipe required, its just all about the prep and showcase. Here are a couple tips for your next shrimp cocktail.

1. Find a good shrimp cocktail mix. T.W.O. purchased Marinade Bay Products – Seafood Cocktail Sauce at Whole Foods.

2. Make sure to put the shrimp cocktail on ice – it will keep the shrimp cold during your happy hour.

3. Lemon slices add color and a tasty flavor to the dish. Organic meyer lemons are our favorite.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Published on September 25, 2014September 24, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Summer is over, but that doesn’t mean you have to change your menu completely! Here in Southern California the weather is still warm, so T.W.O. decided to whip up the Mediterranean quinoa salad. It’s easy, refreshing and easy for those weeknight meals!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
– 1 cup quinoa
– 2 cups chicken broth
– 2 cups chopped mini heirloom tomatoes
– 1 cup Persian cucumbers, quartered
– 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
– 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
– 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
– 1/2 cup feta cheese
– 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
– 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
– 4 Tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
– Salt
– Pepper

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa as directed using the chicken broth instead of water.
2. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, olive oil and balsamic. Season with salt and pepper. Let marinate for 5-10 minutes. Add the mint.
3. Once the quinoa is done cooking, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add to the vegetable combination and mix well. Top with feta and lemon juice and you have yourself a European salad!!

Kale Chips

Published on September 23, 2014September 23, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Here is another recipe to add to our cheese-less appetizer idea book – – – salty kale chips! With only four ingredients, this small dish is a great nibble for your guests while they wait for dinner to be served!

Kale Chips

Ingredients:
– 1 head lacinato kale
– 2 Tablespoons blood orange infused olive oil
– 4 Tablespoon fig infused balsamic
– 2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 315 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the kale. Chop kale into large chunks. Put in a bowl to toss.
3. Add olive oil, balsamic and salt to the kale and toss.
4. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Roasted Squash & Cranberries

Published on September 18, 2014September 17, 2014 by T.W.O.2 Comments

It’s not officially Fall, but that isn’t stopping T.W.O. to slowly start introducing Fall Foods into their recipes. Since it’s still warm out, we decided to take this semi-Fall dish and throw it over a bed of lettuce. Check out how we created this delicious, sweet tasting transitional salad.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Roasted Squash & Cranberries

Ingredients:
– 4 cups spinach
– 2 boneless chicken breasts
– 2-3 Persian cucumbers
– 1/2 cup dried cranberries
– 3/4 cups mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
– 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, diced
– 1 small butternut squash
– 2 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
– 1 Tablespoon nutmeg
– 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
– I Tablespoon chili flakes
– pear champagne vinaigrette dressing
– Krazy Salt
– Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the BBQ to medium heat.
2. Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, chili flakes, Krazy Salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cut the butter butternut squash into flat slices so they can be put on the grill. Season with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg. Set aside.
4. Once the BBQ is heated, place the butternut squash on the grill along side the chicken. Make sure not to turn the heat up too much, you don’t want to burn your squash. Cook for 20 minutes or until done.
5. While the chicken and squash are cooking, chop all the vegetables for your salad. Plate and add dried cranberries.
6. Remove the chicken and squash from the grill. Slice the chicken and cube the squash. Add to the salad topped with the pear champagne vinaigrette.
7. Grab your utensils and enjoy!

Quinoa Circus Bowl

Published on September 11, 2014September 9, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

One Sunday afternoon we decided to spice up our quinoa bowl with some fresh veggies and chicken. It wasn’t complete without the sriracha garnish. Check out how to make this healthy and flavorful dish for your next Sunday Night Dinner.

Quinoa Circus Bowl

Ingredients:
– 2 cups quinoa
– 4 cups water
– 2 teaspoons garlic powder
– 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
– 1 cup carrots, chopped
– 1 cup hearts of palm, sliced
– 2 cups Brussel sprouts
– 2 cups broccoli
– 4 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1/4 cup lemon juice
– 2 chicken breast*
– Krazy Salt
– Pepper
– Sriracha

* Marinate your chicken breast with Lawrys Season Salt.

Directions:
1. Preheat the bbq. Chop the brussel spouts and broccoli. Dress with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and Krazy Salt. Add the chicken to the bbq along with the brussel sprouts. (Brussel sprouts should go on a grilling pan or foil.
2. In a sauce pan, bring the water to a boil. Once the water is ready, add the quinoa, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Mix and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Mix in the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice.
4. Remove the chicken and brussel sprouts once done.
5. Plate the quinoa, top with the vegetables and sliced chicken. Top with sriracha.

Cheers ,

The Ultimate Veggie and Hummus Platter

Published on September 9, 2014September 9, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

For the month of September, T.W.O. is going to focus on appetizers that don’t involve cheese. Crazy right? I know we all love a charcuterie plate filled with cheese – goat cheese, port salud, manchego and gouda just to name a few, but we are going to think outside the box this month and feature some alternative appetizers. Our first post is filled with veggies – carrots, snap peas and hummus. It’s a light appetizer that won’t fill up your guests prior to dinner. Did we mention it is healthy too? Grab your favorite hummus and lets start appetizing.

The Ultimate Veggie and Hummus Platter

Ingredients:
– Hummus
– Carrots
– Rice crackers
– Snap peas
– Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Place romaine lettuce on a serving tray. Top with your hummus.
2. Add your vegetables and crackers.
3. Ready to serve!

It’s easy as 1-2-3!

Detox Tri-tip Salad

Published on August 27, 2014August 25, 2014 by T.W.O.2 Comments

Fruit in salads not only add flavor, it also helps cleanse your system. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants so there is no reason not to add this to your greens. (Antioxidants are essential to optimizing health by helping combat the free radicals that can damage cellular structures as well as DNA.) Blueberries also help improve memory! Hope you enjoy this salad as much as T.W.O. did!

Detox Tri-tip Salad

Ingredients:
-2 cups butter lettuce, chopped
– 2 cups baby romaine, chopped
-1 cup hearts of palm
-2 cups blueberries
– 3/4 cups dried cranberries
– 2 cups Persian cucumbers, diced
– 1/2 cup goat cheese
– Tri-tip season with Montreal Steak Seasoning
– Trader Joes Cilantro lime dressing

Directions:
1. Place the tri-tip on a heated barbeque. Cook for 30 minutes or until done.
2. While the tri tip is cooking, chop all the vegetables. Leave blueberries and cranberries whole.
3. Plate veggies, top with fruit and goat cheese.
4. Once the meat is done, let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Slice thinly and add to the top of the salad. Pour dressing as needed.

Enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Published on August 25, 2014August 24, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Ice Cream. The perfect sweet tooth craving for after dinner. It’s light, refreshing and soothes the palette without making you feel too full. Ice Cream has always been one of our favorite desserts and this past summer we have been obsessed with our new ice cream maker! Why buy ice cream when you can make it? Check out this simple recipe for Classic Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
– 2 cups 2% milk
– 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
– 3 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened
– 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
– 2/3 cup granulated sugar
– 2 Tablespoons vanilla
– 2-3 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Combine 2 tbsp. of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese until smooth. Combine the remaining milk, cream, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla.
2.Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat, bring back to a boil, and stir with a spatula until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3.Whisk the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese until smooth. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly before churning.
4. Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. With about 5 minutes left, add the chocolate chips. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Cauliflower Couscous Salad

Published on August 21, 2014August 21, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

It’s summer time and who wants to turn their stove on? We don’t! Well, at least T.W.O. tries to avoid it! We whipped up this “couscous” cauliflower recipe for a side dish one Friday evening. When cauliflower is put into a food processor, the consistency is very much that of the real couscous. It’s a great gluten-free alternative for couscous and still has extraordinary taste and texture! It is a must try!

Cauliflower Couscous Salad

Ingredients
– 1 head of cauliflower, cut into chuncks
– 1 red bell pepper, diced small
– 1 yellow bell pepper, diced small
– 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
– 3 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
– 3 Tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
– 3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– Spicy Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Instructions
1. Place half of the cut cauliflower florets to the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds or until the cauliflower resembles couscous. Place into a bowl and repeat for the remaining cauliflower chunks.
2. To the processed cauliflower, add the remaining ingredients including the vinaigrette. Add as much vinaigrette as you wish. Season with pepper and salt. Toss and serve.

Spicy Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients
– 1 cloves garlic
– Zest of 1 lemon
– 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
– 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
– 1 Tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley
– 1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves
-2 teaspoons sugar
– 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
– salt
– pepper
– ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
– ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
– 3 Tablespoons olive oil

Preparation
Add all ingredients up to and including the red pepper flakes into the bowl of a food processor and process to blend well. Add the olive oil slowly while processor is running. Blend well. Use immediately or keep covered in the fridge.

T.W.O. Three Berry Pie with Flaky Crust

Published on August 19, 2014September 5, 2017 by T.W.O.4 Comments

Berry Pie is a great dessert for those warm summer nights, cold winter evenings or even for breakfast. Pretty much anytime. T.W.O. decided to make a three berry pie for our girls night with our mom. We had so much fun in the kitchen prepping this creation. We perfected a crust that we will be using for years and years to come! Happy Baking!

Ingredients:
Pie Crust:
– 2½ cups flour
– 1 tablespoon sugar
– 1 cup unsalted European butter, cubed (you can use regular butter too)
– 5-6 tablespoons ice water
– 1 egg, beaten for pie crust top
– 1 tablespoon sugar to sprinkle on top of crust
Filling:
– 2 cups blueberries
– 2-3 cups blackberries
– 2-3 cups raspberries
– 1½ cups sugar
– ⅓ cup cornstarch
– 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
For the crust:
1. Combine flour, sugar, and in a large bowl. Add cubed butter till mixture is sandy.
2. Add water by the tablespoon, stirring with a fork after each addition. Make sure not to add too much water – you don’t want the dough become too wet.
3. Form dough into two discs, wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the filling:
4. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon then toss with the berries. Make sure to not over mix – you don’t want the berries to break.

To assemble:
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Roll one disc to an 11″ round. Lay in the bottom of a 9″ pie pan and crimp the edges. If your filling is liquidy, add some cornstarch to the bottom. Pour filling over.
7. Roll out the other disc till it is even. Cut long strips to make the lattice. Carefully place on the pie top, weaving the strips in and out.
8. Brush top with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
9. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes to an hour or till pie is golden and bubbly. Watch carefully and if the edges are turning brown, cover with foil.
10. Let cool well before cutting.