More Memorial Day Menu Ideas

Posted by on May 23, 2013 Leave a Comment

Before K and I start delving into a whole new season of summer recipes, we wanted to share a few of our favorites from the 2S2C archives.  With Memorial Day weekend coming up (seriously people, I’m pretty concerned about what just happened to the entire month of May- eek!), I have been starting to plan my menu for the holiday weekend.  If you are looking for even more Memorial Day menu ideas, be sure to check out our Memorial Day Weekend and Fourth of July menu round-ups from last year.  In addition, K’s post about our Fourth of July family reunion party from last year is chock-full of patriotic menu and decoration ideas.  I really want to make her DIY Patriotic Pennant Banner to have on hand for all the patriotic holidays!

Even though the weather forecast is looking pretty lousy for the Boston area this weekend, I’m still hoping to do a lot of grilling.  In addition, we are going to have our first lobster night of the summer- can’t wait!  I’m also going to try to make some of the 10 summer recipes shown below.

10 Memorial Day Menu Ideas

Salt Potatoes: an upstate NY summer tradition

Salt Potatoes

Baked Beans: a great side dish for summer cook-outs

Baked Beans {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Greek Pasta Salad: the perfect side for hot dogs and hamburgers

Greek Pasta Salad (from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Orzo and Spinach Salad with Lemon-Cranberry Vinaigrette: a family favorite (and a 2S2C old-school photo flashback!)

Orzo Salad

Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip: serve with red and blue tortilla chips! {I realize I put this dish in just about every round-up that I do, but you will not regret making this for your next party!!}

Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip
Mediterranean Dip: this recipe is great for showcasing fresh summer produce

Mediterranean-Dip-with-Pita-Chips
The Classic Margarita: get the weekend started off the right way with this perfect margarita (5 more weeks to go until I can sample one!)

The Classic Lime Margarita {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}
Sausage, Pepper, Onion, and Potato Bake (I’m making this tonight- one of my favorite summer dishes!)

Sausage, Pepper, Onion, & Potato Bake {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}
Frozen Cupcake S’mores: a great summer treat!

Frozen Cupcake S'mores {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}
Patriotic Star Sugar Cookie Cut-outs: for the very ambitious Memorial Day celebraters!

Star cookie cut-outs

Well, it looks like K is a way better summer-blogger than I am considering that 80% of the above recipes are hers.  I can’t promise that I’ll be able to catch up to her pace this summer with baby #2′s arrival, but I am still hoping to share a few of my new favorite summer recipes over the next few months.  What do you have planned for your Memorial Day weekend menu?

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DIY Baby Closet Dividers

Posted by on May 20, 2013 Leave a Comment

DIY Baby Closet Dividers {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I’ve mentioned in a lot of my last posts that I have been busy nesting and getting ready for baby #2′s arrival.  This time around, I realize that the nursery does not need to be finished by the time the baby comes since he will be in a bassinet next to our bed most nights, but time will likely be a rare commodity with two little munchkins.  I’m trying to get as many things done ahead of time with just T around.

I wanted to share one of the latest baby projects that I just finished- DIY baby closet dividers.  These baby closet dividers are all the rage on etsy and I was originally going to just buy some.  I realized they would be fairly easy to make myself however so I decided to give it a try.  I had a few rolls of gray chevron contact paper that I picked up at Marshall’s a few months ago and I had put them aside for any projects that might come up.  I decided this paper would be perfect for making my own baby closet dividers.  {Side note: I’m not sure I’ve mentioned this in a past post, I decided to decorate this baby’s nursery in dark gray, bright green, and white.  Check out this post for a peek at baby T’s airplane-themed nursery that I did a few years ago.}

DIY Baby Closet Dividers

Materials

Materials for DIY Baby Closet Dividers

  • empty cereal, cracker, or snack cardboard boxes
  • large circle trace (I used a plastic take-out container)
  • small circle trace (I used a spice jar)
  • pencil
  • scissors
  • decorative contact paper
  • stickers or labels

Instructions

DIY Baby Closet Dividers {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

  1. Use the scissors to cut two large squares out of the decorative contact paper (make sure the squares are larger than the large circle trace you plan on using.)
  2. Remove the backing from the contact paper and place on both sides of a flat piece of cardboard.  The squares should match up so that when you cut a circle out of the cardboard, the contact paper will fully cover the circle on both sides.
  3. Using a pencil and large circle trace, trace a circle on one side of the square contact paper.  Then, using the small circle trace, trace a small circle in the middle of the large circle that you just traced.
  4. With your scissors, follow the large circle trace and cut the large circle from the piece of cardboard.  Then, cut two small even slits to cut out the small circle trace from the center.  Neaten any edges so that both circles appear even and smooth.
  5. Repeat this process 5-8 times depending on how many baby closet dividers you want to make.  (I made six of them since I will likely be storing away the baby clothes once the baby grows out of them.  I will then change the sticker out on the divider for a larger clothes size.)
  6. Label 6-9 stickers with common baby clothes sizes: newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, 18-24 months, 2T, 3T, and 4T.  Apply sticker or label to top of clothes dividers.
  7. Hang in closet and organize baby’s clothes by size!

Baby Closet Dividers {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I love how this project turned out!  Plus, I love being able to look at that first newborn onesie every time I open the closet door- I can never get over how little and cute newborn clothes are.  It barely even fits on the mini hanger!

T never had a closet in our city condo since the closet in his nursery served as my husband’s main closet.  I used a lot of baskets to divide his clothes by size and type and stored them on a bookshelf.  While that system worked well, I really like having everything organized and hanging in a closet this time around.  It’s much easier to visualize what I have by size with everything in sight.  I still need to do a little more organizing once I move the dresser and changing table into this room, but it’s come a long way from the catch-all closet it used to be.

Baby Nursery Closet

Have you ever seen an idea on Etsy or a retail store that you decided to make yourself?

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Carnita Tacos

Posted by on May 14, 2013 2 Comments

Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onions

Well, I missed the Cinco de Mayo train with this recipe.  I was getting ready to post this last Sunday, but I got into a cleaning mood all Sunday morning and completely cleaned every surface in my house.  I even vacuumed my balcony.  Who does that?   It was one of those moments when your realize that you are totally turning into your mom.   I am having those a lot lately!

I feel like May is going by so fast.  I was shocked the other day that it was already May and now we are already halfway through.   We are on summer time already apparently.   I know it’s no longer Cinco de Mayo, but one of the great thing about Mexican food is that you can eat it all year round.

Carnitas

Since I have moved to California, Carnitas have become my favorite kind of taco.  What are Carnitas you ask?  Carnitas are the Mexican version of pulled pork.  The pork is shredded and then cooked a little longer to caramelize.  What’s better than carnitas?   Well I would say carnitas in a corn tortilla topped with salsa verde and your choice of pickled onions or cabbage slaw.   Oh yeah, that’s what I am talking about.

Carnitas Tacos

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Carnita Tacos
Author: 
 

Ingredients
  • 4-6 lbs. bone-in pork shoulder
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • Kosher salt

Instructions
  1. The night before- Cut pork shoulder into 3-4 inch pieces, trimming off the excess fat. Sprinkle pieces of the the pork with kosher salt and stick in a large sealable bag to refrigerate overnight.
  2. The day of- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  3. In a large Dutch oven or pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear pork pieces on all sides about 2-3 minutes on each side. You may need to do this in 2 parts to lay all the pork pieces down flat. Remove the browned pork to a plate.
  4. In a 1 cup measuring cup squeeze a lime and orange and fill remaining cup with water. Pour into the Dutch oven and scrape the brown bits off the bottom. Add in chili powders, bay leaves, cumin, garlic, onions, and a pinch of kosher salt to the liquid. Return the pork back into the pot and then add water so that ⅔rds of pork is covered.
  5. Place in oven to cook for 2½ to 3 hours without a lid. Turn the pork a few times during the cooking time. The pork is cooked when most of the liquid is gone and pork falls apart easily with a fork.
  6. Shred the pork with two forks. Return pork back to the oven and cook until pork crispy and caramelized. This will take 15-20 minutes.

 

Pickled Onions

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Pickled Onions
Author: 
 

Ingredients
  • 1 red onion, sliced thin
  • ½ cup vinegar, apple cider or white
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1½ tsp. Kosher salt

Instructions
  1. Mix vinegar, warm water, sugar and salt in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add onions into a mason jar or sealable container. Add vinegar mixture to jar and refrigerate for at least day.

Cabbage Slaw

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Cabbage Slaw
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup Shredded red cabbage
  • juice from ½ lime
  • fresh cracked salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
  1. In a container stir together cabbage, lime juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Source- Carnitas and Pickled Onions adapted from Shared Appetite, Cabbage slaw adapted from Skinnytaste

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Top 20 Recipes for Mother’s Day

Posted by on May 10, 2013 1 Comment

Is anyone else wondering where this week has gone?  I can’t believe it’s Friday afternoon.  It’s been a pretty busy week around here with doctor’s appointment, my dad visiting for a night, book club, playgroup, a new swing-set for T, and getting stuff checked off the “holy crap, I’m due in 7 weeks” to-do list.  I’m looking forward to a fun (and hopefully somewhat relaxing) mother’s day weekend!

Unfortunately, neither K nor I will get a chance to see our mom for Mother’s Day this weekend, but we will see her next weekend for little sister M’s big college graduation weekend!  If we had the opportunity to see her this weekend though, we thought of some recipes we would consider making for her.  This list originally started off as our top 10 recipes for mother’s day, and quickly grew to 20!

For a Fun Brunch:

Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Chocolate Chip Skinny Scones

Chocolate Chip Skinny Scones {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Homemade Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

Iced Coffee Recipe

Bacon & Green Onion Quiche

Bacon & Green Onion Quiche

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

For a Mid-Afternoon Snack

Caramel Corn

Caramel Corn {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Soft Pretzels with Jalapeño Dipping Sauce

soft pretzels with jalapeño dipping sauce

Blueberry Lemon Popsicles

blueberry lemon mint popsicle

Basil Lemonade

basil lemonade

For An Easy & Elegant Dinner:

Girls’ Night Pasta

Girls' Night Pasta {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream

corn pancakes with smoked salmon

Slow-Roasted Beef with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Slow Roasted Beef with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Roast Chicken with Garlic, Lemon, & Parsley

roast chicken

Chicken Piccata

chicken piccata

For a Special Dessert:

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Coconut Lemon Bars

coconut lemon bars

Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot fudge sauce

Happy mother’s day mom, our #1 reader at 2 Sisters 2 Cities!

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P.S. If you are also looking for gift ideas for mom, check out my often-updated gift guide on Pinterest for some gifting inspiration!

 

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Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Dip your chip in this!

Posted by on May 3, 2013 3 Comments

Cinco De Mayo Recipes: Guacamole, Pico De Gallo, and Salsa Verde {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I started looking for Cinco de Mayo recipes to make last weekend.  I found really good-looking recipes for guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsa verde on the blog Shared Appetite.  I was so inspired by all of Chris’s photos and Mexican recipes, I planned a whole weekend of Mexican foods to cook.  There are even more recipes I want to try, but I decided to start with these three.

Guacamole

Guacamole

What goes more perfectly with margaritas than a bowl of fresh homemade guacamole and tortilla chips?  M and I have given you several recipes for guacamole over the years.  Think of this as an update to those.  I have to say this recipe is the closest to restaurant guacamole that I have ever made.  The best part of making guacamole is that it is so easy to make and you don’t need to cook anything-  just mix!  If you use my bag method, it is even easier.

The Best Guacamole

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Guacamole
 

Ingredients
  • ¼-1/3 cup finely chopped red onions
  • 2 tsp. chopped garlic, about 1-2 cloves depending on size
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and deveined, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1-2 tbsp. lime juice, 1-2 limes depending on how juicy limes are
  • ½ large tomato, seeded and diced
  • ¼ c. cilantro, chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions
  1. Add red onion, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin into a large plastic bag.
  2. Cut the avocados in half and remove pits. Using a dull knife, like a butter knife, slice a grid pattern in the avocado making sure to not cut the skin (about 3-4 vertical, 4-5 horizontal). Flip the skin inside out over a bowl, and small squares of the avocado should fall out. Take a spoon and scrape off the rest. Repeat for the rest of the avocado halves.
  3. Once avocados are in the bowl, stir together and mash up to your liking ( I leave mine a bit chunky.)
  4. Add the avocado to the plastic bag with the other ingredients and add 1 tbsp. of lime and chopped cilantro. Seal bag and mix ingredients together with your hands on the outside of the bag. Add salt and pepper to taste and add additional lime if need.
  5. Let set for 30 minutes in the fridge in the bag for better flavor. Serve and enjoy.
  6. When storing leftovers make sure to place plastic wrap directly on guacamole to prevent browning.

Source- slightly adapted from Shared Appetite

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo is basically a fresh tomato salsa.  Salsa is one of my favorite condiments.  I like salsa with chips, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, taco salads,  baked potatoes, and even perogies.  When I was single, I used to go through a huge jar of salsa every week.   When I go to Chipotle, I love their mild fresh tomato salsa on my burritos and in my salads.  I love it so much that I even get a side of it to go with their lime & kosher salt chips.  I have been searching for years for a recipe that is like their salsa and this recipe is totally it!

Whether you call it Pico de Gallo, fresh salsa, tomato salsa, or mild salsa, it is delicious and so easy to make!

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Pico De Gallo
 

Ingredients
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded, deveined and chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp. lime juice, about 1-2 limes depending on how juicy the limes are
  • ⅛- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • Kosher salt

Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir together. With cilantro and lime, start with the lower measurement and work up to higher measurement depending on your liking. Add kosher salt to taste.
  2. Let sit at least 30 minutes before serving.
  3. Store in an air tight container or jar in the refrigerator for up1-2 days.
  4. Serve with tacos, chips, fajitas, or quesadillas.

Source- slightly adapted from Shared Appetite

Salsa Verde with Chips

Salsa Verde

Let’s talk some more about salsa.  This salsa is green from the tomatillos that you put it it, instead of tomatoes.   There is a taco place in San Fran called Tacolicious and they often come to our market lunches and sample sales.   I love their carnitas or brisket tacos covered in some of their salsa verde!  Sooooo good.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.   I made all these sauces and salsa this weekend like they were going out of style!  Can you tell that I love Mexican food?!

Jar of Salsa Verde

This salsa is easy to pull together by roasting all your veggies on a baking sheet.  You then simply process everything together and you have salsa.   Dip it with chips or top some tacos and you are good to go.

Roasted Tomatillas

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Salsa Verde
 

Ingredients
  • 6-8 small tomatillos, peeled,cleaned,and halved
  • 3-4 cloves garlic (still in its skin)
  • 1 onion, cut into 3-4 round slices
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons lime juice, about 1-2 limes depending on how juicy the limes are
  • ⅓ cup loosely packed cilantro
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and drizzling part of olive oil down on the pan to prevent sticking. Place tomatillos, garlic, onion, and jalapeño on the baking sheet. Take remaining olive oil and drizzle over vegetables and sprinkle with 1-2 tsp. kosher salt.
  3. Place baking sheet in oven for 18-20 minutes. After baking, turn broiler on for 3 -4 minutes to slightly char the top of vegetables. Take pan out of oven and let cool.
  4. Place tomatillos and onions in the food processor. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and add to food processor. With gloves or plastic bags on your hands, remove top and seeds from jalapeño. Add to food processor . Keep some seeds on the jalapeño for spiciness. Add in cilantro and 1 tbsp. lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend all together until smooth.
  5. Taste, add additional lime, salt and/or pepper if needed. Blend an additional couple seconds if adding ingredient.
  6. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator and serve with tacos, chips, or whatever type of food you would put salsa on.

Source- slightly adapted from Shared Appetite

Check back soon for more Cinco de Mayo recipes- taco and quesadilla recipes coming up!

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Tres Leches Cupcakes

Posted by on May 2, 2013 Leave a Comment

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I typically buy healthier items when I grocery shop at Whole Foods (versus a typical Boston-area grocery store such as Stop & Shop or Shaw’s.)  However, the one thing that gets me everytime is the tres leches cake from prepared foods section.  It’s always located on the last end-cap we have to go around before we head to the cashier.  I can practically hear it calling my name from the shelf!  I often find myself picking up a slice to split with my husband for dessert.

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

While K and I were discussing what Cinco de Mayo recipes we were going to post, I told her about my obsession with the WF tres leches cake.  I’ve never made one before and she told me that I had to try making tres leches cupcakes instead.  K just bought me some awesome new cupcake pans for my birthday so I figured it would be the perfect chance to use them.

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

If you haven’t had a tres leches cake (or cupcake) before, tres leches means three milks due to the three varieties of milk used in the recipe.  This recipe actually has four types if you count milk and heavy cream as separate types of milk (the other two are evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk.)

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

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Tres Leches Cupcakes
Author: 
Recipe type: dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 18
 

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
  • 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 eggs, yolks and egg whites separated
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • ⅓ cup whole or 2% milk
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the tres leches glaze
  • 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
  • 1 14-ounce sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
For the cupcake topping
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions
For the cupcakes:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two cupcake pans with paper liners (this recipe makes about 18 cupcakes.)
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar. Beat them together using the whisk attachment until mixture is well combined. Add the milk and 1 and ½ teaspoon vanilla; continue to beat until combined.
  3. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture and stir together gently with a spatula. Wash out the mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Once dry, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks appear. Add ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until combined.
  4. Using the spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the other large bowl. Mix until just combined and pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 15 minutes or until center of cupcakes reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
For the tres leches glaze
  1. Line a baking sheet with foil and transfer the cupcakes once they have cooled. Using a fork or a skewer, poke about 10 holes into each cupcake.
  2. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ½ cup heavy cream. Pour mixture over the cupcakes (some residual glaze will spill over onto the foil.) Place the baking sheet of cupcakes in the fridge and allow to chill up to 30 minutes.
For the cupcake topping
  1. In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Using the whisk attachment, mix together until stiff peaks form. Use a spatula or spoon to top cupcakes with whipped cream topping.
  2. Store cupcakes in refrigerator.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman, Alton Brown, and The Latin Kitchen

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The Classic Margarita

Posted by on April 30, 2013 Leave a Comment

Classic Margaritas

You all know how much I love themed-blogging!  I made all sorts of Mexican food this weekend to share with you this week to help plan your Cinco De Mayo celebrations for this upcoming weekend.  Or, if you are like me and love all Mexican foods all the time, there will be plenty of new recipes for you to try anytime.

I am going to start this fiesta off right with my favorite margarita recipe.  I made this for a group of friends at a bachelorette party I was at last year and for my family last Memorial Day weekend.  It was a hit both times.

Pitchers of Margs

As I have mentioned before, I am not a huge liquor drinker  Until last year I didn’t have to much experience with drinking margaritas.  In search of the perfect after-work happy hour place with two of my co-workers in NY,  we found a restaurant close by that served amazing margarita for five dollars during happy hour.  You are probably thinking that’s a rip-off, but in NYC that is a steal for a drink that is served in a glass cup.  Sad, but true! Anyways, I fell in love with margaritas and especially love them served with freshly made tortilla chips salsa and guac.  Needless to say, we frequented this place a lot and always had a good time.

Making your margaritas at home is always the best because you can control the amount of liquor you want in it and you can put extra salt on the rim!   This recipe makes four drinks so feel free to double or halve it as needed.   Serve with a salt-rimmed glass and ice!

Lime Margaritas

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The Classic Margarita
Author: 
Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 8-12 limes)
  • ¾ cup (6 oz) silver tequila
  • ½ cup (4 oz) orange liqueur
  • lime wedges/slices for garnish (optional)
  • kosher salt for rim of glass (optional)

Instructions
  1. In a sauce pan, heat up water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Place simple syrup in a jar or pitcher and let cool.
  2. Using a juicer or citrus press squeeze 8-12 limes until you have 1 cup of lime juice. For easier juicing bring the limes to room temperature and roll the lime back and forth with the palm of your hand against a hard flat surface (like counter-top) and apply pressure to the lime as you roll.
  3. Add lime juice to cooled sugar water. Stir in tequila and orange liquor.
  4. To prepare the glass rub a lime wedge on the edge of glass to add a small amount of moisture. Place some kosher salt on a plate and turn glasses rim in the salt until covered, add in ice and pour in the margarita! Enjoy!

Source- adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Margaritas

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Baked Panko Chicken Tenders

Posted by on April 29, 2013 Leave a Comment

Baked Panko Chicken Tenders {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

As promised, here is a post with another toddler-friendly recipe!  Every couple of months I try to make a huge batch of chicken tenders and freeze them.  I can then just pull out a couple and reheat them for a quick lunch or dinner for T.  I usually serve them with a small bowl of homemade ranch dressing or ketchup and a side of steam veggies.  I’ve tried a lot of various recipes for chicken tenders, but this one for Baked Panko Chicken Tenders seems to be the biggest hit with him.  I prefer baking versus pan-frying them since it’s usually easier to cook and clean up a large batch of baked chicken tenders.

While I’ve categorized this recipe for baked panko chicken tenders as a toddler and kid-friendly recipe, I will admit my husband and I both heavily “sample” the tenders as soon as I pull them out of the oven.  These chicken tenders could easily be converted to an “adult meal” by serving them on top of a mixed greens salad dressed with the aforementioned ranch dressing.

If you’ve ever made any kind of chicken or fish that is dunked in buttermilk or an egg wash, then flour, then the liquid, and then another layer of breadcrumbs, you may have encountered what I like to call “monster hands.”  All four layers stick to your fingers and after repeating this process for a few times, your fingers look like they have contracted elephantiasis.  To avoid this, I recommend dunking your fingers (or tongs) in a bowl of warm water each time to rinse off all the layers.  This will help keep each individual bowl somewhat clean as well and prevent huge clumps of ingredients falling off your fingers and  into each bowl.

Baked Panko Chicken Tenders {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

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Baked Panko Chicken Tenders
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • -2-3 pounds chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into tender-sized strips)
  • -1 and ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • -1 and ¼ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
  • -2 cups buttermilk
  • -2 cups eggs
  • -1 cup all-purpose flour
  • -4 cups panko (Japanese style breadcrumbs)
  • -1 teaspoon thyme
  • -cooking spray
  • -bowl of warm water

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare two or three baking sheets with foil sprayed with cooking spray.
  2. Lay out chicken on a large platter or cutting board. Season both sides of chicken with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Prepare three bowls for chicken to be dipped into and add the following ingredients:
  3. ) buttermilk and egg, whisked together
  4. ) flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, mixed together
  5. ) panko and thyme, mixed together
  6. Dip each individual chicken tender into the buttermilk mixture (1), the flour mixture (2), once again into the buttermilk mixture (1), and finally into the panko mixture (3.) Lay the covered chicken tender onto the prepared baking sheet. Once you fill up a tray of chicken tenders, spray the top of the chicken tenders with a light layer of cooking spray.
  7. Cook for 15-20 minutes until chicken tenders start to turn golden and the internal temperature of each piece of chicken reaches at least 160 degrees F. Continue to prepare and cook the remaining chicken tenders.
  8. Serve chicken tenders warm with ranch dressing or ketchup. Alternatively, allow baked panko chicken tenders to cool and place them in gallon-sized freezer bags. To serve, take out the desired amount of chicken tenders and reheat in the oven or microwave until warm.

 Source: Adapted from The Picky Palate Cookbook and Recipes for Baby and Toddler: 365 Quick & Healthy Dishes

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Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Posted by on April 28, 2013 1 Comment

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

Last weekend, my family and I went to Chicago for our cousin’s wedding.   It was a great trip for several reasons.  First, I got to see my family for the first time since Christmas and my extended family since Fourth of July weekend.   Secondly, both my boyfriend and I had never been to Chicago before so it was all new to us.

My boyfriend and I had a better time of getting to Chicago than the rest of our family.  The majority of my family’s flights out of Syracuse got canceled because of flooding in Chicago (which oddly enough didn’t affect me coming from California.)  My two sisters (Our very own M and little M), my brother-in-law, and my nephew (plus soon-to-be nephew) were locked down in Boston because of the search for the Marathon Bomber suspect #2.  One second, I was so excited to see my family and the next my mom called to tell me no one except me, my boyfriend, and my sister C were going to make it to the wedding.  Of course this was right before take-off so for the whole four and a half hour flight, my boyfriend had to console a very sad and disappointed K.   Upon landing, the texts started to come in that everyone scrambled to get new flights and would be coming staggered throughout the weekend, but would all be there for the wedding.

Excited and hungry we got off our non-dramatic SFO-to-Chicago flight and cabbed it into the city.  We quickly checked into the hotel, dropped off our stuff and were on our way to find some Chicago-style grub.   It was windy and cold mixed with a little snow/hail as we walked to find Al’s Deli,  which in my mind is how I imagined Chicago all my life.   Our hotel was in the middle of everything so it was only about a 10-15 minute walk.

Our cousin had listed some places to visit for food in Chicago on her wedding site and Al’s Beef for a “hot dog dragged through the garden”  was one.  As we were ordering, we ordered an Italian Beef Sandwich with hot peppers and I then asked for a “hot dog dragged thru the garden.”  The girl looked at me strange and said “I don’t know what you are talking about,  dragged thru the garden?”  I then explained that I didn’t know what it meant, but my cousin said I had to get it.   The check-out girl went to go ask her manager and he responded with “yeah, that means everything.”  Rest assured, I got my hot dog “dragged thru the garden”  or as I will now just call it “everything.”  We split both and liked them,  but were especially impressed with the hot dog.

Right across the way from Al’s Deli is Portillos.  This place wasn’t on our list, but it looked pretty hopping.  After checking it out on our iPhones, we realized it was also pretty famous for their hot dogs and Italian beef as well.   We decided we had enough room to split another hot dog so we proceeded to do so.  Also very delicious,  and we both sort of liked it more then our first!  Sorry Al!

As we headed back to hotel, we saw all the places for Chicago-style pizza like the original Pizzeria Uno’s.   I promised Matt that we would try some the next day because there was no way I was going to eat more before the rehearsal dinner that night.   The next day, my sister C, my mom, and I got our hair done at this awesome Blow Dry Bar called Blow-By Blow, highly recommended if you are ever in the area.   I also think I found my new love for Blow Out Bars,  mimosas and getting my hair shampooed and styled…ummm, yes please!    My boyfriend and dad went out to get more hot dogs and to possibly try to get a pizza to bring back to the hotel.   The pizza places all had a 45 minute wait for pizzas because that is how long they take to make.   They ended up not having enough time to wait so they brought back more hot dogs for all.   We never did have time for the Chicago-Style Deep-Dish pizza.

The week we got back, I decided to surprise my boyfriend by making a deep dish pizza since we never did get any.    It was surprisingly easy to make and so tasty!   I had one piece and I was so full!   I put turkey pepperoni on ours because that is what we had in the fridge- that’s why its sort of curling up, but you can top with whatever you like.

Slice of Deep Dish Pizza

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Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza
Author: 
 

Ingredients
Dough:
  • 1 ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (in-between 8.1-8.2 oz. on scale)
  • ¼ cup yellow cornmeal (Not corn starch M!)
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1⅛ tsp. instant yeast
  • ½ cups plus 2 tbsp. water, at room temperature (5 oz.)
  • 1½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Sauce:
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp. grated onion,
  • ⅛ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • ⅛ tsp. sugar
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil, coarsely chopped
  • 1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Additional Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Assembly:
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Sliced pepperoni (optional)

Instructions
Dough:
  1. Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and yeast into the bowl of your mixer. With dough hook attachment mix on low speed for about 1 minutes until all ingredients are combined.
  2. Slowly add in water and melted butter and continue to mix on low speed for about 1-2 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides to get all ingredients incorporated.
  3. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes. The dough should become smooth and glossy.
  4. Take a large bowl and add in 1 tsp. olive oil. Using your hands coat the oil on the bowl and add the dough ball to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place at room temperature in an area without drafts, for about 1 hour.
  5. To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry work surface. Form dough into an 8- by 6-inch rectangle. Using a spatula or butter knife spread the 2 tbsp. of softened butter evenly on the dough leaving about a ½ inch of un-buttered dough around the edges. Stating at the 6-inch side, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder shape, pinching the ends together. Place the seam side down and flatten the dough into 9- by 2-inch rectangular. Fold dough into thirds, folding up the bottom side and then folding the top side over. Pinch the seams to form a ball. Place the dough ball back in the oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let set for 40-50 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Sauce:
  1. This can be done while the dough is rising. Melt 1 tbsp. of butter to a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add in onions, oregano, and salt. Stirring occasionally, cook onions until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. You should be able to smell garlic. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the the heat to about medium high. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low and keep at simmer for about 25 minutes. The sauce should thicken and reduce to about 1¼ cup. Take the sauce off heat and stir in basil and 1½ tsp. olive oil. Set aside.
Assembly:
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Take dough out on to a dry clean work surface and roll into a 13- inch wide circle. Place the dough in the cake pan and lightly press into the corners and up the sides so that it just reaches the top edge of the pan.
  3. Add the mozzarella cheese to the surface of the dough. Top with the tomato sauce and spread with a rubber spatula so it covers all of the cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and then add desired toppings.
  4. Bake for 20-30 minutes until crust in golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Source- adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Cook’s Illustrated

Deep Dish Pizza

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Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dipping Sauce

Posted by on April 26, 2013 Leave a Comment

Homemade Ranch Dressing {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Hello again poor, sweet neglected blog.  It’s been so hard to find the motivation to blog these past few weeks, but I am finally feeling inspired once again on this sunny spring day.  I have a whole series of kid-friendly (and especially toddler-friendly) recipes lined up.   First up on my list is homemade ranch dressing.  Many of the family cookbooks that I own recommend dipping sauces to get your toddlers interested in eating healthier items.  I can certainly attest that T literally licks his plate clean if I give him a little bowl of homemade ranch dressing, ketchup, or hummus to dip his food into.

While it’s certainly easier to buy a bottle of ranch dressing at the store, I prefer to make my own salad dressings for two reasons.  First, I like to have control of what goes into the dressing…fresh herbs, organic ingredients where possible, a controlled amount of salt, and no preservatives.  Secondly, I think homemade dressing just tastes way better than any bottled stuff.

Ranch Dipping Sauce {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

This homemade ranch dressing is pretty versatile…kids can use it to dip chicken fingers and baby carrots.  I know some people cannot eat a slice of pizza without some ranch dressing on the side.  It tastes really awesome with a bowl of potato chips (I know, I ate all the chips for my lunch after taking these photos!  I ate the carrots too!)  Or, simply use the ranch dressing as it was originally intended- to dress up a simple mixed green and tomato salad.

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Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 
Total time: 

 

This delicious ranch dressing is great for salads or as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, vegetables, and chips.
Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 cup light mayonnaise
  • ½ cup light sour cream
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions
  1. Mix the garlic and salt in a small bowl and mash them together with a knife. Add in the finely chopped herbs and mix together with the garlic salt mixture.
  2. In a bowl or large measuring cup, add the remaining ingredients and the herb/garlic/salt mixture. Adjust ingredients to taste and add more buttermilk if you wish for a thinner consistency. Transfer ranch dressing to a sealed container, such as a mason jar. Refrigerate the ranch dressing for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld together.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

If you are interested in other salad dressing and dips, check out our recipes for

Thousand Island Dressing:

Homemade-Thousand-Island-Dressing

Dill Dip:

Dill Dip

Baked Potato Dip:

Baked Potato Dip

Cheers to a great weekend!

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