March 27th Round-Up!

Can you believe next week is April already?! Where does the time go? Hopefully spring has sprung in your little corner of the world and your March is going out like a lamb!  

Lets see who cooked with Tyler this week and what they made:

Nancy from The Dogs Eat the Crumbs made Tyler's Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich. A "mean grilled cheese maker" herself, Nancy found Tyler's take on this classic to be more creative than traditional. The sandwich "fit the bill for a melty, toasty, savory sandwich" and she loved the combo of the basil and tomatoes with the gooey cheese and crusty bread.

Finding herself with more time and a bigger kitchen at home in New York, Joanne from Eats Well With Others, decided to attempt last month's optional challenge Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prosciutto, and Ricotta on her vacation. (Brave girl!)  Although her family is full of picky eaters, they cleaned their plates and there were no leftovers; the ultimate success!

Deciding to "step away from the deep fryer" and try a healthier classic, Jenny from All Things Edible, made Tyler's Chicken Parmesan this week. She doubled the sauce based on the recommendations of her fellow TFF friends but found the dish to be a bit boring for her taste buds. It did get eaten by her family, but Jenny wanted a little something more. (Does that mean a return to the deep fryer next week?)

Natalia from Gatti Fili E Farina took the challenge this month and made Tyler's Ultimate Fish Tacos. Natalia used flakey cod filets and thanks to Tyler, she discovered the wonders of panko for the first time. Even better, her kids loved the tacos too!  We will be including her tacos in the challenge round up during the first week of April. 

Although Amanda from Oddball Oven Mitt calls Tyler's Beef Goulash a "disaster" for her, she isn't blaming Tyler, it's the meat she bought that did it. (You can read all the beef trials and tribulations on her post!). She ended up with a somewhat soupy dish, which she served over rice. The good news is that although she didn't find it to be something she'd make for company due to it's appearance, it tasted great!

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies went all exotic and Middle Eastern this week with her Roast Chicken with Moroccan Spices and Tabbouleh Salad. Simple, sweet and savory spiced, the chicken was "delicious" and Natashya served it over rice to soak up the juices. Also on the plate, Tyler's tabbouleh with crunchy veggies. Combined it was the perfect healthy, economical meal and a "winner" at her house.

Making the "turf" component of Tyler's version of surf and turf (the lump crab meat required for the "surf" is a bit too hard to find in her neck of the woods), Pam from Sidewalk Shoes has a gorgeous Roasted Tenderloin of Beef to share this week. She loved the "pure genius" of Tyler and how he has the tomatoes roast in the oven right along with the meat after it is browned. Pam says this tasty steak is "mighty fine" on it's own, no crab salad required!

Heather from girlichef, was feeling a bit run down and sleepy this week and wanted a simple Tyler recipe, so she chose his easy Chickpeas Marinated in Olive Oil, Whole Cumin, and Chile. (Tyler ended up eating three bowls of these in Valencia). Although she didn't eat as many as Tyler, Heather found these "tasty little morsels" be the perfect snack and recommends pairing them with some wine or beer.

A low-effort dessert that tasted delicious was what Karen from Something Sweet by Karen was looking for this week and she found it in Tyler's Strawberry-Lemon Puddings. Using some simple store-bought ingredients this dessert goes together quickly and easily. Karen says it is "just like a traditional strawberry shortcake but with lemon thrown in the mix."  She found the lemon curd whipped cream really rich and "to die for." Yum!

Kim from Stirring the Pot made two Tyler recipes this week with mixed success. His Lamb Shank Stew with Russet Potato Top, wasn't really "up her alley" in terms of the flavors and she found the potato top to be a bit hard. This is her least favorite Tyler dish so far.

On the other hand, Kim found Tyler's Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie to be one of the best pies she has made in awhile. She calls this pie "rich, decadent and sinfully delicious" and recommends that you have people to share it with so you don't eat it all yourself! 

Andrea from Nummy Kitchen, went for a classic this week, making Tyler's Macaroni and Cheese. She jazzed it up by using some spring-like flower-shaped pasta and even served her kids their mac & cheese in some adorable little flowerpots (how cute is that!?!). Andrea says this is a good, basic macaroni and cheese that would be a great starting off point to personalize with different cheeses or  a breadcrumb topping.  

At my blog, Kahakai Kitchen, I went "totally tropical" with my TFF entry this week, making two recipes from Tyler's last visit to the Oprah show; his Tropical Popcorn and Tropical Smoothie. I loved the sweet, salty and crunchy combination of the popcorn mix and the , thick, fruity smoothie was a great accompaniment. This is a fun, healthy and tasty snack that both kids and adults will love!

Jackie from foodwanderlust made Tyler's Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken accompanied by his Smashed Broccoli and Garlic. The chicken turned out to be "the star of the show", it was moist and flavorful and the aroma while cooking was "tantalizing." Jackie didn't really love the smashed broccoli, although she found the flavor combination great, she thinks she is probably a "crunchy broccoli type of girl"

Since they are big calamari fans at her house and she found it on sale this week, Michelle from Big Black Dog decided to make Tyler's Calamari Fritti. She found Tyler's version "delicious" and loved the Smoked Jalepeno Aioli too. (Since one sauce would be plenty, she didn't try the Tomato Basil sauce). It was a big hit, giving Michelle both a great dinner and a good experience making calamari for the first time!

Megan from My Adventures in Baking has the comfort food going on this week, making two Tyler recipes. To use up some of the potatoes from one of the 20 lb Costco bags she keeps buying, Megan made Tyler's Crisp and Creamy New Potato Pie. The kids found the idea strange at first, but they loved the pie as a side dish for dinner and with eggs for breakfast the next day.

Tyler's Chocolate Pudding was also a big hit at Megan's house. The kids liked the mild chocolate flavor!

Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice, also took up the optional challenge this month and made Tyler's Ultimate Fish Tacos. Reeni was never a big fan of even the thought of fish tacos but Tyler's may have converted her; she loved the crispy panko and chili mayo. Instead of Tyler's Mango Salsa, Reeni whipped up her own super spicy Creamy Ancho Chili Slaw to go with the tacos. (So far these fish tacos are proving to be a big hit! They will all be featured again in the challenge round up).

Hannah from Sweet Cupcake Torture tried the ever popular Tyler recipe, My Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookie. She calls these "ginormous" cookies "amazing" and "delicious!" and a must try for anyone who loves big, chewy chocolate chip cookies. (She notes that there is a video of Tyler making these cookies on Food network in case anyone needs a Tyler fix!) Since Hannah says this is her "second favorite" cookie, I want to see her number one favorite as it must be out of this world!

An unfortunate mandoline incident (I have been there and ouch!), prevented Christy at Enjoying My Favorite Things, from photographing and posting Tyler's Kettle Chips as planned. Instead, she offers a warm bowl of Tyler's comforting Chicken Noodle Soup. To make it healthier, she used less tortellini and swapped out the meatballs for some shredded rotisserie chicken. Christy says this is "a great chicken noodle soup!"

Wow! A great turn out for Tyler Florence Fridays this week and lots of delicious recipes to share. Thanks to everyone for cooking along with Tyler and TFF!

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There is still a little time left for Megan's Challenge, our optional bonus challenge for March.

Tyler's Ultimate Fish Tacos are a sure bet for kicking off Spring and they are getting rave reviews from everyone who has made them!

Click here for details.