Ravioli

Ravioli

Allen asked me to make ravioli earlier this week so I got the ingredients I needed to make a quick and hearty dinner. This seriously took less than thirty minutes with jarred sauce and frozen ravioli filled with ricotta and pecorino Romano cheese. These shortcuts helped save time without cutting back on flavor. I bought organic ground turkey but you may substitute with ground chicken, ground sausage, ground pork, ground beef, or use a combo of ground meats. You can omit meat completely and make it vegetarian. Your preference. You can use your favorite spices, but I seasoned the ground turkey with 2 Gringo's Chupacabra Special Blend (link below), which is a company we love for many years and use their spices all the time. I added Italian seasoning to the pasta sauce (I used Prego Fresh Mushroom) and one bay leaf from Allen's parents backyard. See ingredients and directions below.

Ravioli

Ingredients
1 bag (25 oz.) Cheese Ravioli (Frozen)

1 jar (24 oz.) Pasta Sauce

1 lb. Organic Ground Turkey

1/2 Medium Spanish Onion, chopped

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Bay Leaf

2 tablespoons 2 Gringo's Chupacabra Special Blend (or your favorite spice blend)

2 Gringo's Chupacabra Special Blend

2 Gringo's Chupacabra Special Blend

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Tomato Paste

1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon Coarse Salt

Bunch of Parsley, chopped

Yummy ravioli

Directions
Heat skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Season both sides of the ground turkey with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt and 2 Gringo's Chupacabra Special Blend (or your favorite spice blend) and add to skillet.

Add the onions.

While cooking, heat a large pot filled with water on medium-high heat and boil.

Add 1 tablespoon of salt.

Cook the ground turkey until browned and use a spatula to break up the meat until it is in small pieces.

Ravioli done!

Add the pasta sauce, tomato sauce, garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning and mix together.

Turn heat to low and simmer while you cook the ravioli.

Add the ravioli to the large pot once the water is boiling.

Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Cook the ravioli according to package directions. My ravioli took 8 minutes to cook.

Adding more shredded Parmesan cheese

Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Drain and return to pot.

Turn off ground turkey pasta sauce ragu.

Add it to the large pot with the ravioli.

Add reserved pasta water and mix together with a spatula.

Add grated parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and combine.

Add parsley and combine.

Sprinkle a little extra parmesan just before serving.

Serve with Italian bread or a salad if desired.

To order 2 Gringo's Chupacabra Special Blend or other products, visit:
https://2gringoschupacabra.com/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Thrifty Ice Cream

Thrifty Ice Cream

Allen and his family used to go to Thrifty Drug Stores where they sold Thrifty Ice Cream in California. Owned by Rite Aid, Thrifty Ice Cream has been around since 1940. There are currently 8 signature flavors available at Rite Aid. In the past few weeks, I purchased the Rocky Road and Mint 'N Chip and we loved them both. I love the vintage design on the ice cream packaging. Thrifty is known for its cylinder shape scoop serving which is displayed on the carton.

Rocky Road

Rocky Road

The Rocky Road exceeded our expectations with its lush creamy chocolate ice cream, marshmallows and California almonds. It was dreamy.

Yummy Rocky Road

Rocky Road

Love the design

Cylinder ice cream scoops - so cute! 

Rocky Road description

The Mint 'N Chip was phenomenal. Allen and I loved it and each bite had a refreshing mint flavor and lots of chocolate chips. So decadent.

Mint 'N Chip

Mint 'N Chip

We look forward to trying the other flavors. I hope Thrifty Ice Cream is here to stay.

For further information, visit:
https://www.riteaid.com/thrifty

-Sophia/Two Frys

Bunny Tail Cookies

Bunny Tail Cookies

A few weeks ago while shopping for groceries at my local Stop & Shop I spotted a display with Betty Crocker Limited Edition Bunny Tail Shortbread Cookie Mix. I was tempted to pick up a box and pondered for a few seconds if I should but ultimately gave in. I made two batches of cookie dough from scratch but I wanted to give this a try and see if I would like the texture and taste.

Bunny Tail Cookies

Cutie pastel Bunny Tail Cookies

But allow me to digress... When I woke up on Friday, April 19th I opened my fridge and noticed it was not cold. I was perplexed but ignored this and with one eye open made my coffee and got ready for work. It was later in the afternoon after speaking to Allen that he confirmed my fear that our fridge was BROKEN! So we were without a fridge for four days and on Wednesday our new one arrived. My plan was to start baking after work Thursday and Friday and finish in time by Easter. There was no baking for Easter due to our fridge fiasco until this weekend. I am so thankful to have a new and very pretty fridge, and to be baking and decorating again.

Close-up of Bunny Tail Cookies

I love how they came together

They are adorbs!

This was the first of my spring baking series and I was pleased with the great taste of the shortbread. The cookies have a nice crisp bite and are tender and flavorful (meaning very buttery) inside. The dessicated coconut over the powdered sugar truly elevates this cookie. All you need to add is 1 stick of softened unsalted butter to the shortbread mix and combine in a hand held or stand mixer for a few minutes. Follow the box directions. Easy peasy. If you cannot find this mix, just bake your favorite shortbread and tint the dough. If you cannot find pre-made tails and paws, buy marshmallows and cut each one into 3 equal sized slices, and roll one to make the tails. Then use a pink food decorating pen to draw on the non-sticky side, three toes and one pad as seen in the photo above.

Glad I bought this

What I used for this cookie project and just added butter

I separated the dough and tinted it in 4 colors: leaf green, violet, turquoise and pink. I used a cookie scoop and rolled the dough into balls placing 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I took two bowls and in one added powdered sugar and dessicated coconut in the other. After I baked the cookies and while they were warm, I dipped them in the powdered sugar and then in the dessicated coconut.

Left: powdered sugar. Right: dessicated coconut

Colored dough

I ordered bunny paws and tails edible decorations from Fancy Flours (link below). I put a little royal icing (if you do not have royal icing, you can buy ready made icing from Wilton or Betty Crocker) and gently pressed them into each one. I put the cookies on a sheet tray and covered them overnight to let them set.

Cookies ready for their tails and paws

Tails and paws I used

I fully recommend the Betty Crocker Limited Edition Bunny Tail Shortbread Cookie Mix. It was a fun project.

A dab of royal icing to stick onto the cookie

Turquoise Bunny Tail Cookies are done

For the bunny tails and paws and other great products visit Fancy Flours:
https://www.fancyflours.com/

-Enjoy!

Sophia/Two Frys

Stillwater Sweet BBQ Sauce

Stillwater Sweet BBQ Sauce
By Headwaters BBQ

This is the first in a series of reviews on products made by Headwaters BBQ of Bozeman, Montana. This is also the first BBQ sauce reviewed on Two Frys from Montana. Headwaters BBQ offer a six pack of products containing 3 BBQ Sauces and 3 Rubs/Seasoning. The first product I used is Stillwater Sweet BBQ Sauce. I baked chicken wings with this sauce after I gave the sauce a taste test.

Wings are ready to bake

Stillwater Sweet BBQ Sauce gave the chicken wings a great taste and texture, both sticky and sweet from the molasses and brown sugar. The spices in the sauce are not too hot and have just the right amount of heat. Stillwater also has a welcome balanced smoky and garlicky flavor profile. The smoky element comes from the natural Hickory flavoring and does not overpower the other ingredients. The ingredients include tomato puree, unsulphured molasses, white vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, natural Hickory flavoring and spices.

Stillwater Sweet Sauce so yummy on wings

This is a perfect sauce to share with your family and friends and with July 4th coming up, Stillwater will reign over your BBQ so fire up your grill. Stillwater is versatile, tastes great and will be a star compliment to your foods. I recommend using Stillwater on chicken wings, chicken thighs, steak, pork chops, ribs, burgers, and more...

To order Headwaters BBQ products and for further information, visit:
http://www.headwatersbbq.com

-Allen/TwoFrys

Bonfatto's Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce

Bonfatto's Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce & Marinade 

Bonfatto's Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce & Marinade is a hotter version of their highly popular Original Wing Sauce. The Original is a rich and buttery smooth tasting wing sauce that truly compliments your wings. This same profile is used for Fire in the Hole yet it is kicked up a few notches with the addition of more hot peppers in the ingredients. Fire in the Hole is fairly hot and spicy, but will not knock ya down. The heat lingers on your tongue for a bit in a most satisfying way. I agree with the website and the fact that the sauce creeps up on you. The Bonfatto's heat scale is 3 Dragon Heat Flames so it is hot and even my wife Sophia enjoyed our Fire in the Hole chicken wings, and she usually goes for more milder sauces.

Wings with Bonfatto's Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce & Marinade

Fire in the Hole is fantastic and it made our wings so flavorful and with each bite the heat was level was ever present and welcoming. If you cannot deal with spicy sauces like Fire in the Hole, then check out the Original instead. I am recommending Fire in the Hole for a more intense heat experience on your wings.

Some of the ingredients in Fire in the Hole are: pepper sauce, unsalted butter, honey, spices and garlic powder. This is my new favorite wing sauce and our family thinks this sauce is spicy and packs a punch that will have you craving more with each bite.

Our wings with Fire in the Hole; spicy and delish

Based in State College, PA Bonfatto's is a sauce company by Letterman Industries that we have loved and supported since first meeting David Letterman many years ago at the former Atlantic City Food Network Food and Wine Festivals. It was at the Grand Market where we first came across Bonfatto's products and we have been hooked since. Bonfatto's also own a restaurant in Pennsylvania. Not only do Bonfatto's make great wing sauces they also offer a wide variety of other BBQ sauces that are really great.

Wings are ready to bake

To make the chicken wings, I pat them dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with coarse salt. Add wings in a large resealable bag and 1 cup of Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce & Marinade, sealing the bag and making sure the sauce coats all the wings. Adjust the amount of sauce depending on how many wings you are making. I let the sauce marinate in the fridge for a few hours, but if you can do so overnight. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the wings for one hour turning them at the half hour point.

Order some Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce & Marinade today for both your indoor cooking and outdoor BBQing. With July 4 coming up, here's a perfect excuse to use Fire in the Hole on wings to share with your entire family.

To order Bonfatto's Fire in the Hole Wing Sauce & Marinade and their other fine products visit:
http://www.feeltheflavors.com

-Allen/Two Frys

K POP Sauce

K POP! Sauce with Beef Stir-Fry
Medium Heat Korean Chili Sauce

I discovered K POP! when I was doing research on Korean hot pepper paste. I recently heard Gochujang pepper pastes are good when blended into ketchup. Then I came across K POP! Sauce, not a ketchup but a spicy pepper sauce. I was interested in this type of condiment. K POP! Sauce is a very good sauce to add to your cooking as well as a straight forward condiment.

Beef Stir-Fry with K POP! Sauce

We made beef stir-fry (recipe below) with K POP! and it came out fantastic and the flavors really popped. There was no need to add other sauces or spices, except for seasoning the veggies, and beef strips with a little salt and pepper. K POP! has all the flavor you need to create a stellar stir-fry dish. I also tried K POP! on pork fried rice and pork steamed dumplings takeout from a local Chinese restaurant.

The sauce accompanied both our homemade stir fry and the takeout foods perfectly. K POP! Sauce has a medium heat level and a bit of sweetness culminating in a warm, vibrant, and tasty sauce that was so satisfying.

Jasmine Rice

K POP! Foods is based in Southern California and recently released Seaweed Snacks. The flavor profile of K POP! Sauce comes from ingredients such as: Gochujang hot pepper paste, hot pepper powder, soy seasoning, garlic juice, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and more... The ingredients blend into a thick but textured sauce.

Pick up some K POP! Sauce online to add to your pantry and try cooking and topping your foods with it for a sweet-heat flavor burst, Korean style. This is the best new Asian sauce I have come across in years so check K POP! out.

Steamed Veggies

Beef Stir-Fry with K POP! Sauce
Ingredients
1-2 cups Jasmine Rice

1 bag Frozen Chinese Stir Fry Vegetable Blend

1 pound Beef Round Strips

Coarse Salt

Himalayan Pink Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon lukewarm Water

1/2 - 1 cup K POP! Sauce

Beef strips simmering in K POP! Sauce

Directions
Set your rice cooker to the cook setting with desired amount of jasmine rice, water, and season lightly with Himalayan Pink Salt.

Season stir fry veggies with salt and pepper, and steam just until al dente.

Season beef strips with salt and pepper.

Add steamed Veggies and with tongs combine 

In a skillet on medium-high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil, water, and beef strips.

Cook for about 5-6 minutes.

After three minutes, add desired amount of K POP! Sauce and with tongs, stir together.

Using tongs, combine and serve

Add the steamed veggies to skillet and stir together.

Serve the beef stir-fry with jasmine rice.

For further information, visit:
http://www.kpopfoods.com

-Allen/Two Frys

Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce

Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce

If you love to BBQ this sauce is one for you to check out! Texas based Briggs True has a stellar Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce that delivers on taste. The sauce has 3 out of 5 peppers on the bottle with a mild but spicy heat level that is just right. I made baked chicken wings using this BBQ sauce and the flavor was superb. Briggs True offer BBQ Sauces, Hot Sauces, Texas Mustard Sauce, Seasoning Rubs, and Jams & Jellies and I recommend you try their products.

Chicken Wings with Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce

To make the chicken wings, I patted them dry with a paper towel, seasoned both sides with kosher salt, and put them in a large ziploc bag. I added 1 cup of Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce and sealed the bag making sure the sauce coated all the wings. I let the BBQ Sauce marinate in the fridge for a few hours. I heated the oven to 375 degrees and baked the wings for one hour turning them over at the half hour point. Please keep in mind oven temperatures vary so adjust time accordingly.

Yummy wings with Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce

Some of the ingredients are: tomato concentrate, Bourbon, distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, bacon flavor, salt, onion powder, cayenne powder, natural Hickory Smoke concentrate, garlic powder, anchovy puree, etc... This BBQ Sauce is rich and features bold flavors and makes outstanding wings. Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce would also be great on ribs, brisket, burgers, and steak.

Briggs True Spicy Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce

For further information, visit:
https://briggstrue.com/

Like Briggs True on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BriggsTRUE/

-Allen/Two Frys

Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning

2 Gringos Chupacabra Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning

For the last few years, Allen and I have used several products from 2 Gringos, and can honestly say we love to cook our meats with their seasonings/rubs. Some of the products 2 Gringos offer are: Rubs, BBQ Sauces & Marinades, Texas BBQ Beef Jerky, Sausage, Salsas, Pork Cracklings, Tortilla Chips, and more... I made chicken thighs with Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning for dinner the other night and the chicken was packed with flavor and was so good! Chicken thighs are my favorite part of the bird. The dark meat is juicy and more flavorful than its healthier counterpart the chicken breast, and you can either cook it with the skin and bone-in or boneless skinless, which is what I did in this recipe.

Chicken Thighs with 2 Gringos Chupacabra Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning

Pat dry both sides of the chicken thighs with a paper towel and then season each side with a little salt and a generous amount of Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning. Then add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet on medium-high heat and cook the chicken thighs for about 15-20 minutes flipping them over half way. The chicken was tender, juicy and tasted great with this poultry seasoning.

Chicken Thighs with Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning is so so good!

Chicken to me is like a blank canvas and seasoning such as Cluckalicious is a great way to make it a flavorful and memorable dish for your family. Using Cluckalicious really elevated the chicken thighs and I look forward to trying it on turkey legs and on other chicken recipes.

Cluckalicous Poultry Seasoning is delish!

If you want your chicken to stand out, I wholeheartedly recommend 2 Gringos Chupacabra Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning. It will not disappoint.

2 Gringos Chupacabra Cluckalicious Poultry Seasoning

Enjoy!

For further information, visit:
https://www.2gringoschupacabra.com/

Like Chupacabra Rub on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ChupacabraRub

-Sophia/Two Frys