August 14th Round-Up!

Happy Birthday Dorothy Tyler Florence! This week, August 8th to be exact, the youngest Florence baby celebrated her first birthday. Isn't she a cutie?
Check out her baby picture below. I love them when they are so tiny and cute! She looks just like Tyler in that bottom picture, don't you think?

One, two, three... aaaahhhwwww! So cute!

Ok, fawning over, back to the serious business of cookery. What have the Tyler Florence Fridays family members cooked up this week?
(Sorry for the jump in picture size, blogger is playing tricks and I didn't want to start over!)

Arlene of The Food of Love made these fabulous Tyler's Ultimate Burgers.
"This was burger heaven and we both ate two burgers, one on the bun and one naked just to use up every last topping." If anyone is picturing Arlene eating burgers naked - cut that out! This is a family blog. ;-)


Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog made Tyler's Country Meatloaf with Tomato Relish this week.
"I do love Tyler’s country meatloaf. I usually take a tiny piece and I am satisfied. I took two portions of this meatloaf. I am not sure what made it as good as it was but there is no doubt, it was delish. The relish on top was integral with the loaf and not an add-on."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made this colourful Salmon Carpaccio with Hearts of Palm Salad & Coconut Dressing.

"A very pretty dish that makes a nice starter salad or pupu, or even a light, warm weather lunch or dinner. A make again recipe that I might also try with some ahi or another local fish."

Heather of Girlichef made Tyler's Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes. Like me, she felt the flavours needed amping up. I think they purposely keep things mild for the general population.
"I am keeping curries and curry-type dishes part of my repertoire...I've come to adore the complex flavors and open invitation to experiment with new additions. This one is from Tyler Florence..."a good, fast vegetarian meal."

Heather of Heather is at Home made Tyler's Martini Noir.

"I selected to feature his Martini Noir from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen. I was excited, I mean Tyler and alcohol...where could I possibly go wrong.
First, apparently I'm a weakling. I could not drink a whole drink, much less more than a few sips..."

Don't worry Heather, I am sure some of your TFF friends can help you out with the leftovers!

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Shrimp Scampi with Linguine.

"My little shrimp monster and I enjoyed it, my other two boys liked it, but prefer regular spaghetti sauce over shrimp on their pasta. Oh well, I can't please everyone with every meal."
Truer words were never spoken!

Joanne of Eats Well with Others made a tasty Peach-Blueberry Pie.
"This pie was very good - not too sweet, which really allowed the flavors of the peach and blueberry to shine through. The crust was also AMAZING. My favorite part, actually, it was infused with this lemony flavor from all of the zest. It will definitely be my go-to fruit pie crust recipe in the future."

Karen of Something Sweet by Karen made Tyler's Bourbon Peach Cobbler after being away from the kitchen for awhile.

"This cobbler is full of fresh peaches, has a thick sauce with a background note of bourbon and just the right sweetness and spice. The biscuits on top are brushed with heavy cream and sugar before baking and are perfect – crunchy on top, moist underneath. I’m telling you, you won’t even need ice cream to go on top of this (although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt!)."

Congratulations Karen! This lovely and seasonal dessert has been chosen to be profiled on Tyler's own blog!

Kim of Stirring the Pot made Tyler's Greek Yogurt with Fig, Date and Honey Swirl.

"This recipe is insanely delicious and I am craving it daily. Tyler gets bonus points for this easy and healthy breakfast treat. The yogurt is very creamy, the dried fruit and honey adds a very balanced sweetness, and the nuts add the perfect crunch. This is a keeper recipe and one that I would recommend to all."

Michelle of Big Black Dog made Tyler's Blueberry Crumble.

"I love using what's commonly thought of as savory herbs in desserts. I've used Tarragon and Basil in cream cheese frosting and it's just wonderful! So when I found Tyler's recipe for Blackberry Crumble and he had added fresh Rosemary I knew I had to try it."

Nicole of Bay Area Foodie made Tyler's Corn Chowder with some fresh ears of corn that they received.
"We made a couple changes to the Tyler Florence recipe we found included adding BACON! Instead of using the butter we used the bacon drippings to saute the onion, garlic and thyme. We also sprinkled in some additional herbs and we substituted half and half for the cream to make it nice and light. Delish!"

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made this stunning Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini.

"I've always thought that I was not a big zucchini fan. It turns out that I'm just not a big cooked zucchini fan. Raw, it's a whole different ball game."

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I made Tyler's Coconut Shrimp with Basmati Rice, Apricots, and Lime. Like Heather, I increased the spicing.

"Even though I only made half a batch, I used all of the seasonings. I love intense flavour. This dish was perfectly delicious. I am sad to say that I don't have any left."

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Thanks for a great round-up guys, such wonderful food!

Remember our "Megan's Challenge" optional recipe is Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. You have until the end of the month to make it, the round-up will be on September first. (Get the recipe and details here).

Congratulations again Karen!

Congratulations Arlene!

Congratulations to Arlene of The Food of Love. Her Ultimate Jerk Chicken took us all on a trip to the islands and it was selected as the feature TFF recipe for Tyler Florence's Blog this week. Click here to see it in all of its glory! What a fun and tropical dish!

August 7th Round-Up!

Tyler has been busy the past few weeks, cooking with the hosts of The View and on Tuesday, canning with Ann Curry on The Today Show and making the most of the summer's bounty. Here is a photo Tyler Twittered, doesn't it all look delicious? Here is the link to the show and Tyler's tips and recipes for pickling. You can also read about it on his blog. 

Speaking of delicious...we have some delicious and delectable TFF recipes to drool over!

Jenny of All Things Edible says, "I see a trend happening here...Me. Tyler. Deep frying. See? A trend. I decided one day to make Tyler's Tempura Green Beans with Chili, Garlic and Seasame Aioli. But I couldn't let it go with just green beans, which were great, btw. So I doubled the tempura..." Tempura carrots, sweet potatoes, tilapia fingers, scallops and shrimp all followed. She says, "Oh boy, oh boy, it was soooo good."

Making two Tyler dishes this week is Heather from Heatherisathome. Trying The Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese first, she says, "It was good. Not my favorite lasagna but definitely a dish I would recommend others to try if you want something different than your typical everyday lasagna. The only reason I don't think it stacks up high on my list, is because of it's sweetness (which I'm guessing comes from the mix of cinnamon and nutmeg)"

She had better luck with Tyler's Creamy Parmesan Potato Gratin, saying "The potatoes were almost a given that they'd be a hit. Doesn't cheese make everything better?! I was glad I did a second dish of Tyler's this week, since I wasn't thrilled with my first pick."

Finding Greek yogurt in her local grocery store made Beth from The Seventh Level of Boredom very happy as she could make Tyler's recipe for Greek Yogurt With a Fig, Date and Honey Swirl. She states, "This unctuous concoction is like a little mouth full of heaven....superbly creamy, decadently sweet, with little bits of rich date and fig, and a crunchy crumble of toasted nuts on top. The swirl was like a little treasure trove of candy hiding in a milky cloud. I'm seriously considering putting it in my little popsicle molds and making frozen yogurt treats to last all summer! If you love yogurt....I don't care if you've never tried figs before, you are gonna LOVE this!"

For The Ultimate Jerk Chicken, Arlene from The Food of Love says, "Let's set the mood. You're on a beach, the sun is setting. In front of you is an icy tropical drink with rum and the requisite paper umbrella. Marley's singing in the background and...who's that I see over there? Why, yes, it's none other than Tyler Florence behind the grill. The sharp scent of allspice mingled with thyme and brown sugar wafts across the terrace and, while your salivary glands begin a dance, you look up and suddenly you're back in upstate New York, it's hot and that's a bottle of water in front of you as you peer out the window to make sure Larry isn't messing with the smoker you rigged up because it's time to cook some jerk chicken, Tyler style."

Crazy about Pita Bread and wanting to make them at home was Kim from Stirring The Pot who tried Tyler's recipe and says, "Who knew making pita bread was SO MUCH FUN??" She used Tyler's pitas to make both PB&J and Philly Cheesesteaks. Kim says, "I loved this recipe and thought it was big fun to watch the pitas puff up in the oven!! This yeast dough was a little bit quicker than baking breads with yeast. I wouldn't normally want to put my oven on 500F in the summertime, but these pitas were well worth it!"

Chaya from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog found another favorite recipe to love with Tyler's Spaghetti with Summer Squash and Tomatoes. Chaya states, "This is Tyler’s recipe and like all the recipes I have tried, it is the best. It has spaghetti – it is a comfort food...This should be titled, “Thank you, Tyler.” The pasta is given flavor from the vegetables and we loved it." Her hubby enjoyed it along with some cornbread, and she says that this pasta dish is "filling."

With a half of an avocado just waiting to be used, Nancy from The Dogs Eat the Crumbs decided to put it to good use by making this month's challenge recipe, Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. She liked it so much--she made it again! Nancy says, "This salad was so delicious! Although I would have been tempted to throw in some tomato, the avocado and onion made for a great duo, with fresh and flavorful support from the lime and cilantro. I licked the plate. Both times I made it. I'll be making this recipe again and again, no matter the season."

Grilling a chicken every week has given Pam of Sidewalk Shoes, plenty of leftovers. She says, "I flipped through Eat This Book: Cooking with Global Fresh Flavors and found Spicy Chicken Broth with Tortillas, Avocado, and Lime. I also found Mexican Tortilla Chicken Soup online which is very similar, but includes the addition of cheese. I am always, always, appreciative of the addition of cheese. I made the recipe as directed, though I didn't pan fry the tortilla strips, I just used some purchased tortilla chips. This was really good, very fresh tasting and also...wait for it...that magic word...easy!" 

Michelle from Big Back Dog says, "I made Tyler's Creamed Garlicky Mussels last week and they were so delicious that I decided to try Tyler's Steamed Mussels this week! The Creamy Garlicky Mussels and Streamed Mussels are very similar but the Steamed Mussels recipes does have fresh tomatoes and hot pepper flakes added to the sauce. I enjoyed this meal but Mr. Tastebuds loved it! In fact he said several times that he liked this version over the Creamy Garlicky Mussels. But, I like the Creamy Garlicky Mussels. So the next time I make this dish I will just make the sauce and divide it and add the tomatoes and hot pepper to his half!"

A new (adorable!) puppy has kept Karen of Something Sweet By Karen too busy to do much cooking lately. Still she wanted to join in the TFF fun this week and says, "I made this back in January and never posted it because I felt I couldn’t take a decent picture of it to save my life. But this Apple Cider Chicken was so GOOD and I thought it should be shared since apple cider season is getting into full swing. I also had made Tyler’s Rice Pilaf as an afterthought, just kind of throwing it together using dried herbs I had on hand. The chicken had a great flavor and was slightly sweet. I will make this again without a doubt, especially now that apple cider is starting to pop up everywhere again." 

Melissa from The Kitchen Canister tried and liked the Sesame Chicken Salad with Spinach, Cucumber and Cilantro from her newly purchased Tyler's Ultimate. She says, "I was flipping through the book and thought this chicken recipe would be a really great summer meal. It was light, not too much prep work involved, and I had almost all of the ingredients in my cupboard. A real shocker, since I almost never have the ingredients Tyler cooks with. This is partly my fault, though. When I make up my own recipes I'm not very out of the box. Now that I have been cooking with Tyler Florence Fridays, I find it more and more exciting to venture into the kitchen."

Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies says, "This week I made Tyler's Ultimate Fried Chicken from Tyler's Ultimate. I thought it was pretty good but did have some room for improvement. When I looked up the recipe online, I found one which read as vastly superior. I would make the online version next time. That being said, the book one was nice. I liked the idea of flavouring the oil with garlic and herbs. Nice! It was also good cold.. standing in front of the fridge in the morning eating it out of the tupperware container... not that I do that..."

At Kahakai Kitchen, finding a second round of fresh figs at the farmer's market had me back "getting figgy" with Tyler this week and making his Prosciutto-Roasted Figs. YUM! All those great flavors--both sweet and salty; figs, cheese (blue and manchego), prosciutto (or in my case Serrano ham), honey and black pepper, came together in these perfect little treats, Easy to make and way too easy to eat, they are a great appetizer or part of a light meal. Another keeper fig recipe for me!

Another great selection of Tyler recipes!

That means it is time to chose our winner for the featured recipe this week, to be posted on Tyler Florence's blog. And the winner is....

Arlene of The Food of Love with her delectable and tropical Ultimate Jerk Chicken! Such a fun, summer-perfect treat, we just loved the island mood her chicken and her post put us in! Congratulations Arlene! Your dish will be posted on Tyler's blog next week. 

Remember our "Megan's Challenge" optional recipe is Tyler's Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad. You have until the end of the month to make it and you can see from Nancy's feedback it is a good one and perfect for summer. (Get the recipe and details here). 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Congratulations Deb!

Congratulations to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who made this gorgeous Chicken Paillard with Fresh Fig Salad and Blue Cheese. What a wonderfully colourful and seasonal dish.

Deb's post is featured on Tyler Florence's own blog this week! Click here to check it out.

Quinoa Pilaf Round-up!

Tyler knows how hot you are, honest he does!

Here he is making you (and me!) cocktails, to cool us down this summer. What a gentleman. Notice the very cool way he opens those ginger beer bottles. Just a touch of danger there, nice!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the round-up.

Check out the quinoa pilafs submitted this month, each so unique and delicious.

Jenny of All Things Edible made Tyler's Quinoa Pilaf her own this month, using feta and green onions, yum! Jenny is the only one in the house who eats quinoa, oh well, more for her!

Kristin of Sogkonnite Living made Tyler's Quinoa Pilaf her own as well this month, tailoring the challenge to what she had on hand.
"It makes an excellent pilaf. This was quick & easy and had a very nice flavor."

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen made the pilaf earlier this week and was happy with how healthful it was.

"This one is pretty healthy so I didn't make many changes, other than using things I had on hand and adapting it a bit to my tastes."

Over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I served the pilaf with some lamb chops. I loved the combination of flavours and would definitely make it again. I am a sucker for anything with kalamata olives in it.

Curious about August's Challenge?

Megan chose a simple..

...

Avocado, Cilantro and White Onion Salad

Tyler Florence, Food Network

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 limes, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium, ripe avocados
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced (I would make them sweet white onions)
1 cup fresh picked cilantro leaves

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add the garlic, lime juice, sugar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and give it a quick whisk to combine.
Split avocados in half and remove the pit. Spoon out the flesh, put on a cutting board and slice into chunks. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the onion and cilantro leaves. Add the vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat just before serving.

As always, this challenge is optional and adaptable - have fun with it! The round-up will be September 1st. (My daughter's 20th birthday!)