May 22nd Round-Up!

Welcome to Tyler Florence Fridays! We are kicking off a long Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. and I hope, wherever you are, you join me in taking some time to think about the many people in military service all over the world who have given their lives to protect all of us. 

The weekend also kicks off the summer season and is the perfect chance to spend time enjoying your family and friends and of course some delicious food too. We have no shortage of great food in today's TFF round-up.

My favorite "Sweet Potato Queen", Joanne from Eats Well With Others, starts us off and takes Tyler's spaghetti carbonara to a new level with her version of Sweet Potato Carbonara. Using sweet potato pasta, broccoli for color and extra nutrients and some turkey bacon to lighten it up, she had a bright and delicious, make again dish.   

Jenny from All Things Edible, wants it known that despite her "lack of enthusiasm" for roasted chicken, she is really a chicken lover and she is happy to report that Tyler's Chicken Paillard recipe supports that fact. It was so good, her children "inhaled" the reheated leftovers the next day, making it a winning recipe at Jenny's house.

A bottle of wine, a loaf of good bread, some of Tyler's Baked Goat Cheese paired with her own tapenade, made a fun afternoon lunch for Heather of girlichef and her husband to share. She says "The nice crisp of the crostini with the soft, earthy goat cheese spread and the saltiness of the olives was nicely washed down with a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio." A great way to kick off summer and the kids last day of school.

It's nice to see Kristin from Sogkonnite Living back at TFF this week! Kristin visited Tyler's Blog and found his recipe for Ultimate Barbecued Chicken, then stopped by the My Coke Rewards site where Tyler is teaming up with Coke this summer, and found the perfect accompaniment for the chicken, Grilled Potato Salad. Both were hits at her house and a great reason to fire up the grill!

Michelle from Big Black Dog, found the perfect way to a man's heart, Tyler's Ultimate Mac 'N Cheese with Bacon.  A decadent macaroni and cheese with an even more decadent topping of bacon, onions and herbs and loads of garlic, Michelle says this is a yummy and "very adult" version of a classic dish. The full recipe was quickly gobbled up, (mostly by her hubby), a definite hit!

Another classic dish, French Onion Soup didn't get such a rave review from Glennis at Can'tbelieveweate. Something, whether it was the proportion of ingredients, the cooking of the onions on her stove, the red wine; made this soup just "fine" for her, when she was expecting something more. Her husband liked it and Glennis found that when she added the melted gruyere, she liked it much better. Melted cheese makes everything better!

Looking for a good side dish for some crock pot barbecued pork, Megan from My Baking Adventures, tried Tyler's Coleslaw recipe from the Food Network site. She found the addition of some hot sauce in the slaw gave it "a nice bite without being overpowering". Crunchy coleslaw with savory pulled pork sounds like a perfect pairing to me!

Also trying Tyler's Coleslaw was Amanda from Oddball Oven Mitt. Looking for a basic side dish to serve with her Cheeseburger Buns, Amanda didn't have a small red chili, so she used part of a jalapeno. She found the coleslaw nice and creamy but thinks she'll add more pepper and a bit less mustard next time.

After her success with Tyler's Carbonara, Arlene from The Food of Love wanted to try another of his pasta dishes and chose his Baked Penne with Eggplant and Sausage. Lightening up some of the ingredients and reducing the oil greatly, Arlene found the dish to still be "very satisfying and flavorful" and a great one to serve a crowd.

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made two Tyler recipes into one delicious meal. She tried his Lemon Curry Chicken with Mango Basmati Rice. She found the chicken to be a simple and flavorful dish with  the unique flavor combination of lemon, curry and sesame oil. Natashya adapted the rice dish to work in her rice cooker, making it very easy to make. The whole meal was delicious!

Kim from Stirring the Pot, tried Tyler's Veal Picatta with Lemon, Capers and Parsley-Butter Sauce this week. She was happily surprised at the low price of the veal, and loved how flavorful it was in this dish. Kim says this would be a perfect meal if you are looking for a "quick, affordable, somewhat sophisticated dish".

With her husband asking for Shrimp Scampi all week, Susy from Everyday Gourmet, knew Tyler was the man for the job and used his recipe. Served with whole wheat pasta and a green salad and topped with some grated Parmesan, Susy says it "took minutes to make and tasted great!" The perfect dinner for a busy night. 

If you are looking for a delicious, impressive brunch recipe, look no further than Tyler's Salmon Potato Hash which I made over at Kahakai Kitchen this week. With roasted salmon, crispy potatoes and a poached egg, and topped with Hollandaise (I lighted my sauce up with yogurt), it was a winner. It requires a bit of effort but it is worth it and perfect for a special occasion breakfast/brunch or a light dinner. 

What a bunch of terrific recipes again this week!  Thanks to everyone who participated.

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Stay Posted! 

We have some very exciting things coming up at Tyler Florence Fridays in the next few weeks that we will be sharing with you on this site and through email to our lovely participants, so be on the alert! You won't want to miss what is coming up at TFF!

Have a wonderful weekend!