Chicken Thighs

Chicken Thighs

Chicken Thighs

I like to serve chicken thighs with potato salad or spanish yellow rice with olives and black beans. Tonight, I went with potato salad and you can get the recipe at: http://twofrys.blogspot.com/2011/04/potato-salad.html. 

I always bake my chicken thighs. Unlike chicken breasts which can end up dry and plain, chicken thighs are juicy, full of flavor and I prefer dark meat. I usually buy the 10 pack of skinless, boneless chicken thighs since it is alot cheaper and I get a few more meals out of it.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Use large Pyrex glass baking dish or whatever you have.

Take chicken thighs and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Rub thighs on both sides with vegetable oil.

Season both sides of thighs liberally with kosher salt.

Season thighs liberally on both sides with Badia Gourmet Blends Poultry Seasoning or whichever brand you use.

Chop 1or 2 onions in chunks and place them around and on top of the thighs. This is optional but it really does pump up the flavor.

Bake for 40-55 minutes and turn half way through cooking process.

Chop some scallions and sprinkle over top and serve.

Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. If you do not plan to eat leftovers the next day or two, freeze the remaining thighs.

-Sophia/Two Frys

Turkey Salad

Turkey Salad

Turkey Salad sandwich - so yummy! :)

I brought turkey home from my Mom's Thanksgiving feast and after eating some on Friday and still having leftovers, I made this turkey salad recipe for dinner. I love dark meat so that is what I used for this recipe. I am listing the ingredients I used but not how much since you should add as much or as little of each ingredient according to your taste preference. I used alot of relish.

Ingredients:
Cut Turkey into small chunks and add to a large bowl.

Add finely chopped Shallot.

Add Mayonnaise.

Add Relish.

Add Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.

Add Apple Cider Vinegar.

Add a little freshly squeezed Lemon.

Mix ingredients together and put aside.


Turkey Salad with pickles and chips!

Spread some butter on Sesame Seed Buns or whatever bread you have on hand and toast on grill. Make your sandwiches and add your favorite toppings. I used roma tomatoes, lettuce, and shredded carrots. Serve with chips (like sour crean and onion or salt and vinegar) and pickles. We love Crazy Steve's Insane Pickles which have the perfect kick - just the right amount of spice and are so delicious! You can add pickles to your sandwich but we enjoyed the pickles on the side. Enjoy!

For more information and buying locations for Crazy Steve's Pickles & Salsa go to:
http://www.crazystevespickles.com/.

-Sophia/Two Frys

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

This is my go to Apple Pie recipe I adapted from the Pillsbury site. The only thing I do different is add more cinnamon and ground nutmeg to the original recipe for more flavor.

For the crust:
I use 1 box of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts and let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

For the filling:
5-6 apples thinly sliced. I use firm Granny Smith apples since I like the tart taste. Sprinkle a little lemon juice on them as you slice to prevent them from turning brown.

3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

1/4 teaspoon salt.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

For the crust topping:
Gently beat 1 egg white.

1 teaspoon granulated sugar to sprinkle over crust.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After pie crust has reached room temperature, place 1 pie crust into pie dish. Press the crust firmly on the bottom and sides.

In a large bowl, gently mix all the filling ingredients until they are all combined. Place into pie dish and top with the second crust. Take any excess crust and tuck in and seal together and crimp. Make 4 slits on top of crust and add any decorative crust cut outs like the apple ones I used from Paula Deen. Brush the crust lightly with egg white and sprinkle sugar over it.

Bake the pie for 40-55 minutes until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover the edge of the crust with a pie shield or with cut strips of aluminum foil after the first 20 minutes to prevent burnt edges.

After you take pie out of oven, let it cool on a cooling rack for 2-3 hours before serving.

Enjoy with a dollop of whip cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. :)

-Sophia/Two Frys

Asian Stir Fry Beef & Noodles

Asian Stir Fry Beef & Noodles

Asian Stir Fry Beef & Noodles

We have not gotten our new electric stove yet so we are depending on several electric appliances for our cooking these days. We bought an electric skillet and this was the first dinner concoction I came up with. This meal is delicious and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients
Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Water
1 - 1 1/2 packages of Asian Stir Fry Frozen Vegetables
1 package of Beef Round Stew Meat cut into small chunks
1/2 - 1 bottle of Stir Fry Sauce (La Choy Stir Fry Original Sauce)
1 tablespoon Less Sodium Soy Sauce (Kikkoman Soy Sauce)
1 teaspoon Japanese Sesame Oil (Sushi Chef Sesame Oil)
2 packages of Ramen Noodles

Add Vegetable Oil to Skillet.
Season both sides of Beef with Kosher Salt and when skillet is hot add Beef, close lid and cook for 8-10 minutes. Flip Beef over half way through cooking time.
Add Water, Stir Fry Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil and frozen Stir Fry Vegetables. I added a lot of Stir Fry Sauce because I like a lot of sauce, so start with half of the bottle and eyeball it to your preference. I also had half of a Stir Fry Vegetable package in the freezer so I added it to have extra Veggies in the dish. I used 1 1/2 packages. Close lid and cook for 6-8 minutes.

While the Veggies are doing their thing, make 2 packages of Ramen Noodles according to package directions and break each in half. Do not use the seasoning packet, either reserve for future use or discard. Add Ramen Noodles 1 minute before Stir Fry Veggies are cooked through, mix well and close lid.

After 1 minute serve and enjoy. So tasty. You will love this. Yum! :)

-Sophia/Two Frys

BBQ Chicken Drumettes & Wings Crock Pot Style

BBQ Chicken Drumettes & Wings Crock Pot Style


Chicken Drumettes & Wings ready to cook for 3 hours

Ingredients
2 packages (2 1/2 - 3 pounds) Chicken Drumettes & Wing Portions
1 16-19 oz bottle BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons White Vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
1 Yellow Onion
Kosher Salt

Take Chicken and pat down dry with paper towels.
Slice 1 Yellow Onion into wedges.
Season both sides of Chicken Drumettes & Wings with Kosher Salt.
Add Chicken and Onion wedges to Crock Pot.

BBQ Wings w/Guy Fieri Barbeque Sauce Kansas City Smokey & Sweet

In a bowl, combine (Guy Fieri Barbeque Sauce Kansas City Smokey & Sweet) BBQ Sauce, (Amore Double Concentrated Tomato Paste) Tomato Paste, White Vinegar, and Worcestershire Sauce. Pour over the chicken.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Yum! Freeze leftovers.

-Sophia/Two Frys

Meatball Hoagies

Meatball Hoagies

This meal was made using my Crock Pot and many more recipes using it will posted in the near future. On October 13, a shorted feeder cable fire caused a manhole explosion in the street in front of my building. We did not have power for 16 hours and the gas was not restored in our building due to some safety tests the building did not pass. Instead of fixing the gas problem, (for financial reasons I presume) the landlord decided to convert the entire building to electric stoves. This means over 70 units need to have electrical wiring installed before the new electric stoves are set up in each apartment. I am really bummed out since we love to cook and we are in this situation for about another month or so. On October 21, our gas stove was removed and we have been using the Microwave, Rice Cooker and Crock Pot to get by. This upcoming week we are purchasing a George Foreman Grill thanks to a gift from my mother-in-law. If we have enough money left, we may also get an electric skillet. I created this super easy recipe using the Crock Pot and it was so delicious.

Meatballs when cooked. Yum!

Ingredients
1 package Hoagie Rolls
Provolone Cheese
Tomatoes
1 package-32 oz Frozen Italian Style Meatballs
1 Red Onion
26 oz Marinara or Meat Pasta Sauce
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

(Note: I put the brand I used in parentheses but of course you can use any brand you like. I buy what I find on sale these days).

Martin's Hoagie Rolls

Cut a red onion into wedges and place in a Crock Pot and top with (Cooked Perfect) Frozen Italian Style Meatballs.

In a bowl, combine (Hunt's) Meat Pasta Sauce, (Rienzi) Red Wine Vinegar, (Badia) Crushed Red Pepper, and (Badia) Italian Seasoning. Pour the sauce mixture over the balls. Make sure they are coated evenly.

Cook on high setting for 2 hours.

Before serving, stir Meatballs together.


Meatball Hoagie

Slice Tomatoes. Take (Martin's) Hoagie Rolls place Provolone Cheese and sliced Tomatoes and about 4 Meatballs in each. Top with sauce and some of the Onions if desired. Enjoy.

Store the leftovers in a freezable container for future meals.

-Sophia/Two Frys

Cook Like A Rock Star 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets – Anne Burrell

Cook Like A Rock Star 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets – Anne Burrell
with Suzanne Lenzer
Foreword by Mario Batali
Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York


Cook Like A Rock Star - Anne Burrell

I have been watching Anne Burrell on the Food Network since her first season of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and enjoy watching her as co-host of Worst Cooks in America and as Mario Batali's Sous Chef on Iron Chef America. The recipes in this cookbook look delicious and Chef Anne Burrell breaks things down to simplicity so the home cook is comfortable making these dishes no matter the level of cooking expertise. Chef Anne's vibrant and colorful personality is captured perfectly in this cookbook and the recipes are just like her exciting and beautiful.

Cook Like A Rock Star is divided into six sections: Piccolini (a.k.a. my little nibbles), Firsts (the introduction), Pasta (my passion), Seconds (the main event), Sides (the sparkle factor) and Desserts (my sweeties!). The cookbook starts with a six-page Introduction, and a list of Chef Anne Burrell's favorite tools, basic pantry must haves and a breakdown of terms and Anne-isms necessary to follow the recipes. It's very easy trust me! The pictures are beautiful and I love that Chef Anne Burrell takes the time to offer great cooking tips and techniques from her many years of cooking experience and expertise. Chef Anne loves bacon and it shows in many of the recipes that feature a love for all things pig. For days when you want to stray away from meat there are many vegetarian recipes as well to indulge in.

I recently saw Chef Anne make Zucchini & Parm Fritters on The Chew and it is one of the recipes in the Piccolini section. There are many scrumpous looking recipes to make here great for entertaining with friends, family or with your significant other. These small bites look divine, such as Polpettini (Yummy Little Meatballs), Sausage & Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms, Grilled Corn, Bacon & Chili Crostini, Truffeled Deviled Eggs, Cipolline Tempura With Aïoli, and White Bean Purée With Prosciutto.

Firsts features appetizers and there are a variety of delectable recipes to choose. The recipes are diverse and look delicious, such as Grilled Pizzetta With Stracchino, Sausage, Arugula & Chili Oil, Grilled Porcini With Poached Egg & Parmigiano, Spiced Chickpea Soup With Crispy, Crunchy Croutons, Pumpkin Soup With Allspice Whipped Cream & Fried Leeks, Roasted Beet & Many-Herb Salad, and My Big Fat Chicken Soup. Is your mouth watering already or what?


Chef Anne Burrell

Pasta is of course my favorite chapter in this cookbook and it is Chef Anne's passion. The first thing the chapter starts out with is Chef Anne's All-Purpose Pasta Dough and Whole Wheat Pasta. All the recipes look amazing but I really look forward to making Spag & Excellent "Meatbawls," Chef Anne's Light-As-A-Cloud Gnocchi, Sweet & Spicy Sausage Ragú, Pasta Carbonara, Pasta Fagioli, Buccatini All'Amatriciana, Wild Mushroom Ragú, Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe Pesto & Sausage, Chef Anne's Risotto – Without-A-Recipe and Killer Mac & Cheese With Bacon.

Seconds features main course recipes and I hope to make every one of them within the next year. Some choice picks to try are Polpetti Burgers, Chicken Thighs With Mushrooms & Almond Purée, Pork Milanese & Escarole Salad With Pickled Red Onions, Hazelnuts & Pecorino, Cheater's Duck Confit & Bitter Greens, Braised Lamb Shanks, Seared Red Snapper With Sicilian Cauliflower & Parsley Salad, Dry Rubbed Bone-In Rib Eye (Just Good Stuff), and Halibut In Paper With Yummy Summer Veg.

Sides are a special part of every meal and Chef Anne has a lovely selection that pair wonderfully with the other recipes in this cookbook. I am excited to make her Cannelini Beans With Pancetta & Rosemary, Spice-Roasted Cauliflower & Jerusalem Artichokes, Stewed Zucchini With Tomatoes, Oregano & Pine Nuts, Sweet Potato & Apple Hash, Chanterelles, Fava Beans & Spring Onions and Crispy Crunchy Duck Fat Potatoes.

The final chapter Desserts has 14 recipes that will compliment your dinner party or satisfy your sweet tooth any day of the week. The recipes I am compelled to make are Hazelnut Cake With Nutella Mousse, Zeppole & Chocolate Dipper, Strawberry-Raspberry Shortcakes, Lemon Curd Tart With Almond Crust, Blueberry Nectarine Crisp, Juicy, Jammy, Jelly Tart and Apple & Olive Cake With Sautéed Apples & Mascarpone.

My thought on Cook Like A Rock Star is that is a kick-ass cookbook coming from a culinary rock star. I fully recommend Chef Anne's debut cookbook and really look forward to cooking with her in my kitchen. Thanks hubster for buying me this! Love It.

For more information on Chef Anne Burrell, check out:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/anne-burrell/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/secrets-of-a-restaurant-chef/index.html

-Sophia/Two Frys

Fall Harvest Festival - NYS Agriculture Tastings - Yonkers, NY

Fall Harvest Festival
At Empire City/Yonkers Raceway - Yonkers, NY.
Saturday October 22, 2011
5:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Kick off the Fall season with the Empire City Fall Harvest Festival.

They are celebrating harness racing and New York State agriculture (New York State Apple, Cheese and Wine) product sampling. Bring the whole family for horse racing, live music, food and more.

The leaves begin to change color, a sure sign that Autumn is in the air, and that the Fall Harvest Festival is back for its third year at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday, October 22. The one-day celebration of New York State harness racing, agriculture and produce for fans of all ages is on the schedule from 5:30 to 9:30 pm on the horse track apron. Admission is free.

There will be activities for the young and those young at heart: harness races, pony rides, a petting zoo, pumpkin painting, and musical entertainment. There will also be New York State Apple, Cheese and Wine product sampling. Two large tents will house the musical entertainment, as well as a wide variety of food and beverages for the entire family (Last year they had BBQ Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sausages, Drinks and much much more for reasonable prices). There will be a free pinecone scented candle giveaway, for Empire Club members, as well as a pie-eating contest featuring Yonkers Raceway's drivers squaring off against public contestants.
 
Check the Empire City Website for more details and directions.
 
This is a fun annual event we like and think you will also.
 
-Allen/One of Two Fry's

Part 1 of 2: Party In Guy's Garage: The Festival Closing Party

Part 1 of 2: Party In Guy's Garage: The Festival Closing Party


Allen rocking the neon shades and having grub

Sunday, October 2, 2011, 9pm-Midnight
Highline Stages, 440 West 15th Street, 9th and 10th Avenues
Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival
Presented by Food & Wine
Proceeds Benefit Food Bank For NYC and Share Our Strength

Allen and I had a great time at Party In Guy's Garage: The Festival Closing Party. Highline Stages is located in the heart of the Meatpacking District and across from the Chelsea Market and Food Network. As we entered, we each received a nifty Guy Fieri glass. The music was festive, loud, and pure 80s with clips of cheesy films from the era on a huge screen in the front room. There was plenty of great food, drinks and loud music.

Celebrity Chefs spotted throughout the evening were Robert Irvine, Claire Robinson, Anne Burrell, Andrew Zimmern, and Nadia G. Guy had his own food station and served the crowd yummy pork sliders and sausages featuring his new line of BBQ sauces and signature salsas. There was a mob around this area when Guy was there, but I was able to get a few decent shots. Unfortunately, Guy was surrounded by his manager, security guards, friends, and the crowd was HUGE, so we were unable to speak to him or get a picture with him.

Guy Fieri giving fans pork sliders

Guy Fieri (far left), Robert Irvine and Guy's Krew



Delicious sausage at the Guy Fieri table, sauces are tasty too

As you listened to 80s tunes, you could go around both rooms and sample food from these participating eateries: Artichoke Basille's Pizza, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef, Led Zeppole, The Commodore, Levain Bakery, No. 7/No. 7 Sub/Weather Up. I had a pork slider from the Guy table with one of Guy's BBQ sauces. The pork was flavorful and juicy, and the crunch from the slaw and Guy's BBQ sauce was yummy. I also had a Mini Beef Patty from Golden Krust, and it was a little spicy and delicious. I tried samples of dark chocolate peanut butter and oatmeal raisin cookies from Levain Bakery, and they were so rich and comforting. I wanted more but held back!


Mini Beef Patties from Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill



Spicy Chicken Wings from Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill


Allen's Comments: I really loved the Artichoke Pizza from Artichoke Basille's Pizza and was some of the best pizza I ever had. This NYC based company has my heart and now stomach at their disposal. I never had such a great tasting pizza, it was heavenly. It reminded me of awesome soup flavoring (homemade of course), topped with cheeses and artichoke goodness. I wish I could replicate this but instead will go dine at one of the fine establishments they run. This pizza rocked right up there with Guy Fieri's table which was right next to them and featured "mucho" beef, pork, sausage, Guy Fieri BBQ Sauces, tortilla chips and salsas. There was not a dull item here. The sausage was awesome with the hot edged (but not burning) Guy Fieri Carolina #6 BBQ Sauce. Slap that sauce on your grub because it rocks. They also served the best beef, and on the side I had a favorite of mine Guy Fieri Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce, which I ordered from the Food Network site last month. There was delicious Guy Fieri Salsa Verde Green & Mean and a selection of red salsas and they loaded everyone up with fresh tortilla chips.


Allen's Artichoke Pizza from Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef served some killer sandwiches that tasted as fresh as you can get. A+ food! I look forward to visiting their eatery in the near future. 

Allen's sandwich from This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef

I had the Adult Cheese & Crackers from The Commodore and it was the best spread on a cracker I have had in years. It was way tasty.

Adult Cheese & Crackers from The Commodore



Hominy, and Sandwiches from The Commodore



Allen with his nifty Guy Fieri glass

Volunteers were going around with trays of food so I had more from Artichoke Pizza, This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef, and a Mini Beef Patty from Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill. Everything I tried was great. Special Note: An A++ goes to ALL the nice and courteous volunteers that made the event go smooth. All the volunteers were into what they were doing. This was one of the best events I have attended that had such awesome volunteers and all for a great cause, Food Bank For NYC and Share Our Strength.
-Allen/One of Two Fry's


Levain Bakery, so yum!

Pickles, Tacos from No. 7/No. 7 Sub/Weather Up

A volunteer, had to get a shot of the tee!

Go to part 2 for more Party In Guy's Garage: The Festival Closing Party...

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys

Part 2 of 2: Party In Guy's Garage: The Festival Closing Party

Part 2 of 2: Party In Guy's Garage: The Festival Closing Party

Guy Fieri on stage



Guy Fieri on stage with The Ronald Reagans

The second and larger room had more food stations, the stage, and about 4 80s arcade games. I remember seeing Pac Man, an old favorite of mine. When Guy came on stage, he announced a band from California, but I cannot remember if their name was Hearts of Romaine or Heads of Romaine. I was in the first room sitting down and munching when they performed a few songs. The band had a retro vibe and sounded cool.
 

Nadia G, some dude, fan that got the Guy shirt

 

Nadia G and fan rockin' out. Cool shirt.



Nadia G and Guy Fieri take the mic


Guy thanked and wished a "Happy Birthday" to the man responsible for putting the event together (think his name was Don or Dan) and got the crowd amped for the band. He told the audience one fan would get the shirt made by Pucker Vodka. Guy hand picked the fan rocking out the hardest. This fan is pictured above and she rocked the shirt and was allowed to stay on the side stage the rest of the night. 80s tribute band The Ronald Reagans were a blast, and got the crowd dancing and singing to hits like Def Leppard "Pour Some Sugar On Me," Bon Jovi "Livin’ On A Prayer," Guns 'n Roses "Sweet Child of Mine," Beastie Boys "Fight For Your Right," Nena "99 Luftballons," Joan Jett "I Love Rock N Roll" and countless other songs.

Andrew Zimmern rockin out with The Ronald Reagans



Guy Fieri showing the audience Andrew Zimmern's face on his hoodie - hilarious!

Guy Fieri and Andrew Zimmern rockin' out!


As seen above Guy rocked out on stage, even sang a little with the band, and with Chefs Nadia G and Andrew Zimmern. When Andrew Zimmern came on stage he sang and played air guitar with a hot pink fender and the crowd went nuts. It was such a great time even though all the 80s songs made me feel real old! The band performed about four extra songs thanks to Guy. 


Nadia G singing it loud and proud with The Ronald Reagans

  

Awesome Guy Fieri Glasses we got! :)

I hardly ever drink beer these days but really wanted the pretty Negra Modelo glass I saw people with. I went for it, tried Negra Modelo and actually liked the dark brew. I got two Negra Modelo glasses and by the end of the night, ended up with 4 Guy Fieri glasses which are great for hot and cold drinks. They have a snazzy design too…We also got cheesy sunglasses in neon green that volunteers were giving out. I love Badia spices and use them daily so it was cool to get a bunch of seasoning packets: Jerk, Sazón Tropical, Sazón Completa, Crushed Red Pepper, and Whole Black Pepper. Yum!

Pretty Negra Modelo glasses I got us



Ticket Stubs, band and our neon green party glasses!



Badia Seasonings we were given

For further information about the eateries at this event, please visit:
Artichoke Basille's Pizza http://www.artichokepizza.com/.
Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill http://www.goldenkristbakery.com/.
This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef http://www.thislittlepiggyny.com/.
Led Zeppole http://www.ledzeppolenyc.com/.
Levain Bakery http://www.levainbakery.com/.
No. 7/No. 7 Sub/Weather Up http://www.no7restaurant.com/.

Links to check out:
Food Bank For NYC www.foodbanknyc.org/.
Share Our Strength http://www.strength.org/.
The Ronald Reagans www.theronaldreagans.com/.
Guy Fieri http://www.guyfieri.com/.
Andrew Zimmern http://www.andrewzimmern.com/.
Nadia G bitchinlifestyle.tv/.
Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/.
Food & Wine http://www.foodandwine.com/.

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys