August 21st Round-Up!

Can you believe summer is winding down and it is almost September? Where does the time go?! Hope you all are enjoying those last few of weeks of the season and getting a little relaxation time in. 

Let's take a look at who was in the kitchen with Tyler this week!

Heather from Heatherisathome found time to work in a Tyler recipe before heading off on a mini-vacay. She says, "For this Sundays dinner, I planned to grill some chops, heat some seasoned collard greens, and make Tyler Florence's Spicy Black-Eyed Peas. Verdict - Absolutely delicious!!! This was a price-friendly dish (5 cents for the chiles, less than a couple of bucks for the dried peas, several of the ingredients staples in my kitchen), that was super easy to cook up, with lots of flavor. This will, without question, be a repeat."

Jess from Black Cat Kitchen is back with us this week with two dishes from Tyler. First up she made Tyler's Broccoli, Parmesan & Lemon. Jess says: "This was a really nice side dish. Super easy, simple ingredients and great flavor. I really liked the lemon flavor, though Scott said it was a bit overpowering. However, he may just have gotten a bite with lots of lemon."

Next she tried the frosty Mojito Slushy, Jess says "Oh, yes, Tyler … you’ve done it again. Summer in a glass. While trying to decide what to make with the mint that came in our CSA box, I came across this recipe and knew I had to make it for Tyler Florence Fridays. This was simple and incredibly delicious. Then again, it’s mint, rum, and simple syrup – how much can go wrong? I loved that there were specks of the mint in here, but not chunks of mint like you sometimes get when muddling."

Let's welcome Alex from Recession Recipes who tried her hand at the Baja Fish Tacos with Mexican Slaw after seeing it on Tyler's "Twiterlicious" cooking lessons. Alex says, "I’m a big fish taco fan and have already posted about our favourite fish taco recipe. However after making these Baja Fish Tacos, me, Carlo, and our friend Mike, who came over for dinner, all agreed that these fish tacos are way better. It is probably the fried fish, which creates a nice crunchy base for all of the flavours from the spicy chipotle mayo and mango-radish salsa."

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Peanut Sesame Noodles this week. She says, "Whenever I need a recipe for TFF, I either look in my cookbook or the Food Network. I have not been let down yet. I type in the type of food, I want to make and up comes something tempting. So far, we have enjoyed each dish. Over the years,I have found numerous sesame noodles with peanut butter recipes but I have not come across one with the brown sugar." Did she like it? Chaya says, "I have been heating a bowl of this in the microwave, just to warm, and it is even better than cold. The flavors seem to seep into each other when warm."

Natalia from Gatti Fili E Farina combined two Tyler recipes. She says, "I'm finally back to Tyler's recipes with another success !! I had two corn cobs around so I found his recipe for a Corn Pudding that sounded very nice, then my brother called saying they were coming to Rome for a few days so I decided for 'the works' and I made his Chili as well. I must confess right away that other than growing them myself I wouldn't know where I could find all the wonderful peppers I needed so I just substituted them with Italian hot chili but the results were very nice even so."

Jenny from All Things Edible says, "Did I mention it was 34C, before the humidity, when I made this? Okay, so sometimes I'm not so bright. But I was in the 'need' for a comfort food and Tyler's Recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Cheese was calling out to me. I couldn't help it. The bacon added a nice saltiness to the mac and cheese, as well as a good crunch. I admit, this tasted better two days afterwards, when it seemed to be cheesier and gooeyer. I like gooey mac and cheese. Now I like gooey mac and cheese with bacon on it."

Tyler's Chicken Paillard with Creamy Parmesan Salad was this week's  pick from Kim at Stirring the Pot. Kim says, "My family loves the chicken paillard and I have already made it twice this month. The chicken has a wonderful crunch from the panko and is very moist and juicy on the inside. It is delicious served warm and equally delicious served cold and sliced atop a salad the next day. I followed Tyler's tip about refrigerating the chicken breasts after breading them. Refrigerating them helps to dry out the breading and ensures an extra crispy coating."

Mourning summer's decline but taking advantage of some slightly cooler weather, Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom found two perfect companion recipes in Tyler's Stirring the Pot; Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil and Grilled Cheese (Smoked Mozzarella and Basil Pesto). Beth says, "The sandwiches were gooey and chock full of flavor, and the soup was rich and creamy. I have a feeling this soup is going to become a staple in my kitchen."

Tammy from Sassafras Cafe says, "I am a good southern girl who has been making black-eyed peas since she was in diapers (I exaggerate...). Every New Year's feast, as well as every summertime farmer's market meal has been graced by the presence of black-eyed peas, good black-eyed peas that have cooked long and hard with ham, onions, and garlic. But this little recipe here changes history to replace the one I have used for several decades. Tyler Florence's Spicy Black-Eyed Peas left the others in the dust."

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies tried Tyler's Watermelon Gazpacho this week. She says, "I am on a cold soup kick this summer. I don't even know if I had ever had one before this year but I seem to be making them regularly lately. A soup you can make in a blender, what can be better than that? This gazpacho is lighter and a little sweeter with the addition of watermelon. I found it very refreshing. Perfect for a hot summer day."

And for me at Kahakai Kitchen, I had a "Tyler Twofer" this week with a pair of cold salads for a warm, muggy night's dinner. First was the Crab Parfait, a perfect combination of layered crab, mango and baby greens; a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. Then our optional challenge pick of Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad, (we will save that photo for the challenge round-up), a simple side dish with bright flavors that would be perfect with grilled dishes or Mexican food. Both are keeper recipes.

A great group of delicious Tyler recipes this week!  Thanks to everyone who joined us.

So what is our featured recipe this week to be posted on Tyler's Blog? A tough choice but there was something about the Mojito Slushy from Jess at Black Cat Kitchen that just seemed to capture these last sultry summer days before the real world kicks back in! Congratulations Jess! We will look for your thick, frosty cocktails on Tyler's site next week.

Don't forget there is still time to make this month's optional challenge recipe selected by Megan. I can personally vouch for how easy and good the Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad is and it's a great starter salad or simple side dish. You can find the recipe here.

Have a great weekend!