vegetables – Page 2

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!

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

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.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken Fajitas

Published on March 4, 2014March 3, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Taco Tuesday can get a little old after a while, so T.W.O. decided to change things up a bit and make some chicken fajitas – with t.w.o. twists! These are not your average fajitas you order at a Mexican restaurant, because we decided to add cannellini beans and Rimel’s “Green Sauce.” This is a great dish not only for Tuesday, but for any day of the week! And it is great for a crowd! So invite your friends over and let’s have a fiesta!

Ingredients
-4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
-1 fajita mix
-Mini sweet bell peppers, sliced into stripes
-1 sweet onion, sliced into wedges
-2 jalapeños, sliced into stripes
-1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
–Rimel’s “Green Sauce”
-Corn tortillas*
-1 Avocado, sliced
-Salsa
-Cilantro

*T.W.O. uses the La Tortilla Factory brand of corn tortillas

Begin by cutting the chicken breasts into stripes. Heat up a sauce pan with olive oil. Add chicken breasts, fajita mix and ½ water. Cook chicken until done.

Remove chicken, keeping the juice to sauté the vegetables. Sauté the vegetables for about 5-8 minutes. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the chicken back into pan. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of the “Green Sauce” and mix. Keep on the heat for about 2 minutes then remove.

Heat up the corn tortillas. Now it is time to make the fajitas! We like to top our fajitas with salsa, avocado, cilantro and a little of the “Green Sauce.” Now it’s time for a salsa dance!!

Ole!

Pesto Artichoke & Mushroom Pizza

Published on February 14, 2014February 13, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

It’s Friday Night Pizza with T.W.O.!! First off, Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!! Hope you are spending the day with loved ones and enjoying some delicious food! If you haven’t already decided on dinner plans, here is a great last minute recipe to add to your night. Pesto Artichoke & Mushroom Pizza. The pesto combined with the artichoke hearts and mushrooms make this pizza a savory meal that your special someone will surely enjoy! Warning: this pizza contains garlic!

Ingredients
– Pizza dough
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Pesto*
– 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, sliced
– 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
– 3to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2 to 3 cups mozzarella

* T.W.O. used Bolani Basil Pesto (all natural, low fat)

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF.

Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next, spread the pesto onto the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Then sprinkle the mozzarella to the pizza. Spread the garlic evenly on top of cheese along with the artichoke hearts and mushrooms.

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼF. Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Keep the oven door close so the heat stays in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes. Once done, take the pizza out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

Cheers to another successful Friday Night Pizza Night!

Asian Kale Salad

Published on February 4, 2014February 2, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Are you a fan of Chinese Chicken Salad? Well, you are reading the right recipe! If you aren’t, that’s okay. Try it out anyways; you might be pleasantly surprised. Thanks to a co-worker, T.W.O. was introduced to Lacinato kale. It is also known as Tuscan kale, Tuscan cabbage, or Italian kale. It is lightly a little sweeter and more delicate than your traditional curly kale. The smooth leaves combined with the rice noodles, crunchy almonds and the mandarin oranges makes this salad a perfect meal!

Ingredients

– 1 bunch Lacinato Kale
– 1 cup mandarin oranges
– 2 cups thin rice noodles
– 1 cup carrots, shredded
– ½ cup roasted almonds, chopped
– Lemon Vinaigrette dressing (Recipe HERE)
– ¼ cup Rice Vinegar

Bring pot of water to a bowl. Once it reaches to a boil, remove from heat and add your rice noodles. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes. Once the noodles are done, drain and add rice vinegar. Set aside.

Chop the kale and put in a big bowl. Add your rice noodles, mandarin oranges, carrots and almonds. Toss in the lemon vinaigrette dressing. Plate and serve! Feel free to add chicken or any other protein to make it a meal!

Cheers to another healthy meal!

Broccolini White Pizza

Published on January 31, 2014January 29, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

TGIF! It’s time for Friday Night Pizza Night!!! Today we are using a new ingredient on our pizza….broccolini. This vegetable looks like mini-broccoli and is often misidentified as young broccoli, but it is a hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan,

Ingredients:

– Pizza dough
– Cornmeal
– 2 Table spoons olive oil
– 2 Tablespoons dried basil
– 2 garlic cloves, chopped
– 4 stems broccolini
– ½ cup olives, diced
– 1 – 1 ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, sliced
– 3 cups mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet.

Next take the olive oil and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Sprinkle the diced garlic and basil evenly on top of the olive oil.

Add your mozzarella cheese, followed by the broccolini, artichokes and olives. Spread the toppings evenly.

Once done the pizza is done, take it out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Cut and serve. Once again, another successful Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

Cheers,

Lemon Goat Cheese, Artichoke, Mushroom Pizza

Published on January 17, 2014January 15, 2014 by T.W.O.5 Comments

It’s Friday. It’s Lemon Week. So why wouldn’t we end it with our famous Friday Night Pizza Night- using lemons! This Lemon Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Mushroom Pizza satisfies all taste-buds. It’s zestful, sweet, spicy and appetizing. How so? The zesty and tart taste comes from the Meyer lemon, then complimented by the creamy, sweet goat cheese. The spice – well that comes from the garlic! And what wouldn’t be more appetizing than marinated artichoke hearts, mushrooms, all covered with a fresh arugula salad? T.W.O. has the perfect pizza to finish off this Lemon Week!

Ingredients:
– Pizza dough
– Cornmeal
-Flour
-2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
-2 Meyer lemons
-1 large log goat cheese
– 2 Tablespoons dried basil
-1 cup Crimini mushrooms, sliced
-1 small can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut
– 5 garlic cloves, diced
-3 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
– Arugula

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF.
Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet.

Spread the olive oil on the dough using a spoon. Sprinkle the dried basil leaves on the dough, making sure to evenly distribute. Add 3 of the diced garlic cloves.

In a bowl, mix the goat cheese, dried basil and the juice one lemon. Set aside. Add the mushrooms and marinated artichoke hearts to the pizza dough. Place small spoonfuls of the goat cheese mixture onto the dough about ½ inch apart from one another. Make sure the cheese reaches the edges.

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼF. Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Do not open the oven door, as you want to keep the heat in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes.

While the pizza is cooking, make your arugula salad for the top. In a bowl, mix together the juice of the remaining lemon, 2 diced garlic cloves, spicy brown mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the arugula and mix. Set aside.