Whole Foods – T.W.O.

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.

Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

Published on February 11, 2014February 10, 2014 by twinswithoriginality3 Comments

Lamb. It’s so versatile! Lamb chops, leg of lamb, lamb kabobs, ground lamb, and our most recent recipe— Lamb Shanks! It was a perfect Saturday evening to cook this delicious dish. The lamb is braised in a red wine sauce for a few hours and the results are magnificent— tender, flavorful meat, falling off the bone and into your mouth. It is just heaven! The dish went well over creamy polenta. So next time you are thinking lamb, try this recipe out!

Ingredients

-2 Tablespoons olive oil
-4 Lamb Shanks
-1 Sweet Onion, sliced into half crescents
-2 Shallots, chopped
-4 Garlic cloves, chopped
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1 ½ cup Dry red wine
-2/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
-2 cups Beef broth, low sodium
-2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
-Montreal Steak seasoning

Begin by seasoning the lamb shanks with the Montreal Steak seasoning.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium to high heat. Brown the lamb shanks on both sides until golden brown. Remove the lamb from the pan and keep the remaining “fat” juices.

Reduce the heat to medium and begin sautéing the garlic, onions, and shallots. Add in the sugar. Cook until they are golden brown and caramelized.

Turn up the heat and deglaze the pan with red wine, making sure the mix while cooking. Cook until the red wine has reduced. Next, add in the balsamic vinegar, beef broth and brown sugar and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and allow the lamb to simmer for about 2.5-3 hours. You will know when the lamb is done when the meat begins to fall off the bone and the sauce has reduced into a thin glaze.

T.W.O. decided to throw in some baby carrots about 10 minutes prior to the lamb shanks being done. The carrots had a great flavor after being cooked in the wine sauce.

Polenta

Ingredients

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

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.

Plate the lamb shank over polenta, mashed potatoes, or quinoa! Time to eat!

Peanut Butter Coconut Popcorn

Published on February 10, 2014February 9, 2014 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

This past Saturday evening, T.W.O. spent their night in with a delicious home cooked meal, the Olympics and POPCORN! Peanut Butter Popcorn to be exact! And we cooked it the old fashion way- the stove! Instead of using olive oil for the bottom of the pan, we used coconut oil- and WOW, was that an excellent choice. The popcorn had a subtle taste of coconut and was complimented by the peanut butter we decided to add in. Sweet and Savory! We are excited to try what other “mix-ins” we can add next time we make the coconut popcorn. Until then- you have to try this recipe out!

Ingredients

-1 to 1 ½ cup Popcorn kernels
-1 Tablespoon coconut oil
-1/3 cup peanut butter
-Sea Salt

Begin by placing the coconut oil into a medium to high heated sauté pan that has a lid. When the coconut oil is melted, make sure that the entire pan is seasoned with the oil. You don’t want the popcorn to stick or burn. Next, add the kernels to the pan and cover.

The popcorn will begin to pop. Turn off the heat when you start hearing the popcorn to stop popping. We have a rule that if there is more than 5 seconds between the pops, then the popcorn is done- so turn off the heat! Place the popcorn in a large bowl and season with salt.

In a small dish, melt the peanut butter for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Once melted, pour over the popcorn and mix.

Now it’s time to sit on the couch and watch the Olympics!

Enjoy!

Smári Yogurt – It’s Icelandic

Published on January 20, 2014January 19, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

As Smári would say, its thykk, organic and Icelandic! What more do you need? T.W.O. discovered this fabulous new yogurt at Whole Foods and gives it two thumbs up. There is no doubt that we are going to incorporate Smári into our weekly grocery shopping trip. Smári has more protein per serving than any other yogurt in the United States and it doesn’t stop there…its fat free too! You would never think this delicious, creamy yogurt is actually good for you- it tastes like dessert! In each cup of yogurt, there is four cups of whole milk. Most the water is strained, leaving the yogurt one of the most concentrated yogurts on the market. Oh, and don’t panic…its organic too!

Smári comes in 4 flavors – Pure, Strawberry, Vanilla and Blueberry. T.W.O.’s favorite flavors are vanilla and blueberry. They both have this ‘thykk’ texture, with just the right amount of fruit and flavor that will make you want even more! Smári yogurt makes for the perfect breakfast, snack or even dessert. What flavors do you like?

Grilled Peach Caprese Chicken Salad

Published on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

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.

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.

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.

Wine Pairing: T.W.O. suggests a Rosé

Going Green with Gift Bags

Published on August 19, 2013August 19, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

How many times have you paid $5+ dollars for a gift bag? Or paid more for the wrapping than the cost of the actual gift? And how many times have you thought to yourself- wait, I can reuse this gift bag, but I don’t remember who gave it to me, so I probably shouldn’t use it. Well, T.W.O. has a solution for you! Reusable shopping bags! They are cute, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly! Plus, it just adds another gift to your gift!

What you will need:
-Reusable shopping bag
-Tissue paper
-Raffia

T.W.O. bought these bags from Whole Foods. Many other stores like Trader Joe’s or Sprouts sell these bags. So next time you see one that you like, buy it because it will come in handy for the next gift you need to wrap!