March 13th Round-Up!

Did you catch our guy Tyler on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Wednesday?  He was there with Iron Chef Cat Cora and The Take Home Chef Curtis Stone, helping families without much cooking knowledge make economical meals at home, and was looking as cute as ever. The Chefs "moved in" which actually meant they just hung out for two days at the viewers homes. As I was watching I kept thinking; what if he came to one of our houses? Probably not a good idea because there are a few homes where he would never be allowed to leave and the rest of us would never see Tyler again. (I won't name names but you know who you are...Donna!) If you didn't get a chance to watch, you can see excerpts and the recipes from the show at the Oprah site here.  

We are lucky to have two new members this week Jackie of foodwanderlust and Heather of girlichef. Be sure to stop by their blogs and welcome them!

So, who made it into the kitchen with Tyler this week?

Kim from Stirring the Pot whipped up two Tyler recipes this week. First was Tyler's Arugula, Fennel and Grape Salad. Kim found it light and tasty and says she lost two pounds that week. 

However she got the 2 pounds back with the Grilled Flat Bread with Caramelized Onion, Gorgonzola Mascarpone, and Crunchy Red Grapes. (That title is a mouthful on its own!) She found it "unique and flavorful with tons of textures and addictive".  


Kim really enjoyed both of these dishes and would recommend them for anyone looking for a little something different.

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes loved the fact that Tyler's Chicken Breast with Orange, Olives and New Potatoes is a recipe that has only seven ingredients and also that it starts on the stove and finishes in the oven for perfect and easy cooking. She found it very tasty and that the chicken was cooked perfectly with a hint of orange flavor. Sounds like a keeper recipe!

Joanne from Eats Well With Others thinks that it doesn't hurt to add a little bit of Tyler to every meal, so she made his Creamed Spinach as a side dish for some zesty baked tofu. She found the spinach recipe "super good and easy". Joanne made a couple changes to the recipe, lightening up the cream and swapping out the onions for the favorite trick of restaurant chefs, shallots. (A tip she picked up from reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential). 

Also finding Tyler to be a handy go-to guy for great vegetable side dishes is Kristen from Sogkonnite Living who made Tyler's Broccoli, Parmesan and Lemon to accompany a Mushroom Chicken Divan for dinner. The broccoli is roasted in the oven, then sprinkled with cheese and broiled until the cheese makes a crisp shell, Kristen and her family found it "very good".

Making baked goods for a recuperating friend, Donna from My Tasty Treasures chose Tyler's Chocolate Banana Bread this week. She found it to be a simple recipe, loaded with chocolate and banana flavor, and would be great with a cup of coffee. This recipe has gotten the thumbs up from a few of our TFF participants so it is one for the "must try" list.

One of our new members, Jackie from foodwanderlust, chose another Tyler favorite bread, his Coconut Bread with Pineapple Butter. Since brunch is one of her favorite meals and she loves to bake, this was a great recipe to start out with. She found the bread a bit dry, but loved the subtle coconut flavor and plans to throw in some chocolate chips the next time she makes it because (and I second this opinion), "almost anything is better with chocolate chips mixed in the batter!"

Karen from Something Sweet By Karen, introduced Tyler to George, whipping out her trusty George Foreman grill to make his Mozzarella Grilled Cheese sandwiches to use up some of the massive parsley bunch in her fridge. She and her boyfriend really enjoyed them, and she even woke thinking about them that night and again the next day so they will be a new addition to her "list of regulars"  

Our other new member, Heather from girlichef, kicked off her TFF journey with his quick and easy Toasted Almonds in Chili Oil. Heather likes some heat, so she found the nuts a little less hot than she was expecting so next time she makes them, she is going to add a bit more chili and maybe some kicked up habanero salt too.

Another popular recipe with TFF participants has been Tyler's My Big, Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies and Michelle from Big Black Dog found that she just had to make them too. Whether it was the weather, her mood or hearing so much about them, Michelle just went for it. Unfortunately she tried to substitute Splenda for the white sugar for diet purposes and it totally changed the texture, making them not chewy. Her plan for next time is to leave the sugar in and have everyone eat them in moderation.

Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice, fell in love at first site with Tyler's recipe for Ravioli Stuffed Acorn Hearts with Mozzarella Cream Sauce. Reeni made a couple swap outs, lightening up the cream and using ravioli instead of the tortellini Tyler uses. The cheesy, herbed sauce gave the acorn hearts a "toasty, bubbly, melt-in-your-mouth finish". They look decadent and delicious.

Fried chicken on her brain and an extra carton of buttermilk in her grocery cart, made it fate that Jenny of All Things Edible make Buttermilk Fried Chicken this week. She was happy with how the crispy, delicious chicken legs (her family's favorite piece for fried chicken), turned out. She also made Tyler's Cherry Tomatoes with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing to go with the chicken and found the dressing a bit strong for her taste but she loved the pairing of arugula and tomato.

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, had chicken on her mind too and made Tyler's Chicken and Coconut "Paella". Tyler called this recipe "paella" because of the cooking style, the ingredients are more Island/Indian than Spanish. Natashya amped up the spices to give it even more heat and flavor and found it to be a delicious and aromatic one pot meal. After a long days of errands and chores, it and a few beers was the perfect dinner.

At Kahakai Kitchen, I used Tyler's recipe for Japanese Beef Broth to make a delicious and hearty Beef Noodle Bowl. What Tyler calls a standby recipe from his "cheat sheet", pumps up the flavor of low-sodium beef stock by simmering with mushrooms, spices and kombu (dried seaweed).  I added thin-sliced beef, veggies and udon noodles for a warming and tasty bowl of noodles. Yum!

Natalia of Gatti Fili E Farina was delighted to make Tyler's Pan-Roasted Salmon with Roasted Root Vegetables and Lentil Stew from some salmon her Mother-in-Law brought. She really loved this rich dish with the flavorful lentils and the slightly tangy from the vinegar, caramelized vegetables. Natalia recommends any of the components of this dish, either together or individually, feeling they could stand on their own.

Andrea from Nummy Kitchen has had her eyes fixed on Tyler's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars for quite some time as she loves the lemon/blueberry combination and cheesecake. She got even more excited reading the recipe and finding out how easy they were to make in the food processor. Andrea loved the fact that they are not as sweet as some cheescakes and thinks they would be the perfect brunch or party dessert.

Megan of My Baking Adventures found her "mojo" this week with Tyler's Tacos Carne Asada. Trying to move her kids to taco fillings beyond ground beef, Megan found this recipe for marinated flank steak to be quick, easy and very delicious. It even had her kids running back to the cutting board for more little bites.  Sounds like a winner to me! 

Hannah from Sweet Cupcake Torture was also tempted by Tyler's Chocolate Bananna Bread recipe. (Tyler and chocolate is a lure that few TFF members can resist!). She found the bread to be great-- both chocolaty and moist and she might throw in some peanut butter the next time she makes it for a different twist. 

Note: Due to scheduling, the round up is being posted a bit early today. If you have a TFF entry posted for this week, send it in with photo and link to the post, by the regular time (3:00 PM EST), and it will be added in as soon as possible.

Another wonderful selection of recipes, both old favorites and new ones.

Thanks to everyone who cooked along with us this week. 

~

Don't forget about Megan's Challenge, our optional bonus challenge for March. 

Tyler's Ultimate Fish Tacos are a sure bet for kicking off Spring. 

Click here for details.