Appetizers – Twiins in the Kitchen®

Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Gluten-Free – Twiins Style

Published on October 26, 2020 by Twiins in the Kitchen1 Comment

Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Gluten-Free - Twiins Style

Servings: 6
Time: 20 minutes prep, Cook 40 minutes,
Difficulty: Easy

It's no secret our second favorite cuisine after Italian is Thai. Who can resist crispy, tender chicken bites coated in a scrumptious sweet chili & sesame seed sauce just like your favorite Thai restaurant? Since we haven't been going out during this pandemic, we wanted to reproduce the meals we would order at a restaurant. Tonight we served it over Jasmine brown rice which soaks up the flavorful sweet chili sauce. Our husbands gave us rave reviews so we hope your family will too. Try this recipe for a quick & easy weeknight meal or impress your friends & family with great appetizers once you can gather again. 😋😋

Ingredients

deep skillet or wok
oil for frying (peanut or canola or olive)
4 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch cubes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour)
3/4 cup corn starch
1½ cups Thai sweet chili sauce (store-bought or homemade, check the label to make sure it’s GF)
1/3 cup sliced green onions
2-3 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in a small, dry skillet
2 cups brown jasmine rice
4 cups gluten-free chicken broth

Directions

Place brown jasmine rice in a medium bowl filled with cold water, enough to cover rice. Set aside for 20 minutes. (soaking in water helps breakdown the bran and keeps the rice from sticking together.)
While the rice is soaking, use this time to start prepping the chicken & the remainder of ingredients.
After 20 minutes, drain the rice and place in a medium saucepan. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, lower heat to a low simmer and cover. Cover and cook approximately 40 minutes, check after 30 minutes.
Using a shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt & pepper and mix well.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Dip each piece of chicken into the egg then roll into the flour mixture to coat well. Repeat with all of the chicken pieces.
Heat about 3-inches of oil in a wok or deep skillet. Make sure oil is very hot before adding dredged chicken.
Fry 5-8 pieces of chicken at a time, depending on the width of your skillet, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd as it will cause the chicken to steam instead of crisping.
Remove and drain on paper towels then repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
Heat chili sauce until hot. Pour over the chicken bites to combine. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
Spread cooked rice on a plate and top with sweet chili chicken bites. Garnish with extra green onions and enjoy!

Prep all ingredients

Frying dredged chicken pieces in a wok

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet

Place cooked chicken bites on paper towels to absorb excess oil

Thai Sweet Chili Chicken ready to serve

Plate & ready to eat & enjoy!

NOTE: If you want to include more vegetables in your meal, steam some broccoli or cut green beans and add to the chicken before serving.

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Stuffed Mushrooms Alla Grandma Florence, Gluten-Free

Published on March 8, 2019August 9, 2019 by Twiins in the KitchenLeave a comment

Stuffed Mushrooms Alla Grandma Florence, Gluten-Free

Servings: 8-10
Time: 10 minutes prep, 15-20 minutes bake
Difficulty: Easy

One of the dishes we missed most at the holidays was Grandma Florence's stuffed mushrooms. Wow were they delizioso! 😋 We are excited we nailed it as they taste just like Grandma's did. We're happy to share it with you and hope you enjoy them as much as our family does. These can be served as appetizers, a side dish to a roast, chicken, veal or pasta or a main dish if using large Portobello mushrooms.

Ingredients

28 Baby Bella Mushrooms (1 – 1/2 inches wide)
10 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup 4C Gluten-Free Seasoned Bread Crumbs (may substitute with regular Italian seasoned bread crumbs if gluten is not an issue)
6 Tablespoons salted butter, melted to combine with bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon salted butter to sauté mushroom stems

Directions

Preheat oven to 425º F.
Wash & clean all the mushrooms, gently removing the stems. Set stems aside to chop.
Dry mushrooms well with paper towels.
Line a baking pan with tin foil and drizzle EVOO just to coat the pan.
Place the mushrooms on the baking pan.
In a small skillet on high heat, sauté the mushroom stems with 1 Tablespoon of butter, about 5 minutes until butter is absorbed.
In a medium-size bowl, add the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, oregano, parsley, melted butter, and minced garlic. Mix well then add the sautéed mushroom stems. Combine well.
Using a small spoon, spoon mixture into each mushroom cap (about 2 spoonfuls for each)
Place into a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or just until golden.
Remove from oven. Let sit about 5 minutes then serve.

Notes: We also made a batch of large Portobello mushrooms that were a meal in themselves with a side salad!

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Irish Soda Bread with Smoked Salmon & Chive Butter

Published on February 5, 2019August 5, 2019 by Twiins in the KitchenLeave a comment

Irish Soda Bread with Smoked Salmon & Chive Butter

Servings: 16 pieces
Time: 20 minutes prep + 55 minutes cook time
Difficulty: Easy

Get ready for St. Patrick's Day with this amazing appetizer. Smoked salmon topped with chive butter & dill ... all sitting atop a delicious piece of Irish soda bread. Your guests will devour this and the compliments will be endless! 😋☘️

- - 1 loaf Irish Soda Bread, recipe follows
  - 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
  - 1 stick butter, softened
  - 8-ounces smoked salmon, sliced
  - Fresh dill, for garnish

Irish Soda Bread Ingredients

- - 4 cups all-purpose flour
  - 1/4 cup sugar
  - 1 tsp baking soda
  - 1½ tsp Kosher salt
  - 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
  - 1¾ cups cold buttermilk, shaken
  - 1 extra-large egg
  - 2 tsp grated orange zest
  - 1 cup dried currents mixed with 1 Tablespoon of flour

Irish Soda Bread Directions

- 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment. Add butter & mix on low speed until butter is mixed into the flour & resembles peas.
  3. Shake the buttermilk before pouring into a 2-3 cup measuring cup. Lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, & orange zest with a fork. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour just to blend. Don’t over mix.
  4. Combine the currants with 1 Tablespoon of flour and add to the dough mixture. It will be very wet. Do not overbeat. You just want to incorporate the currants.
  5. Place dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf.
  6. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a sharp knife. (Do not press the knife deeply into the dough.)
  7. Bake 45 – 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean & bread is golden brown. When you tap the loaf, it should have a hollow sound.
  8. Cool on a baking rack.

Note: Irish Soda Bread recipe adapted from Ina Garten, 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home.

- 1. Slice the soda bread into 1/4-inch thin slices
  2. Cut each slice into a 2-inch square or rectangle until you have 16 pieces. Wrap the remaining bread in plastic wrap & store in a cool dry place.
  3. Mix the softened butter and chives together then spread a small amount onto each square.
  4. Top with a small fold of salmon & garnish with a small sprig of fresh dill.

Note: Recipe for salmon and chive butter adapted from Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, The Hearty Boys at Food Network.

Salmon Chive Butter Dill Irish Soda Bread

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Broccoli Patties

Published on January 26, 2019July 11, 2022 by Twiins in the KitchenLeave a comment

Broccoli Patties

Servings: 9 patties
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Don't know what to do with those leftover veggies? Why not turn them into a delicious side or appetizer that is sure to please kids & adults! We often have leftover broccoli or zucchini as it's our husband's favorite vegetables. We were inspired to make these patties as a result of all the leftover breadcrumbs & egg while making breaded chicken cutlets. Our Mom taught us to not waste so she would mix these leftover ingredients together and form patties to fry with the chicken cutlets. As kids we loved them more than the chicken cutlets! 😋

Ingredients

12-ounces chopped broccoli florets, cooked
1¼ cup Italian style breadcrumbs (we used Progresso, not gluten-free)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3/4 shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp salt (omit if salt sensitive)
dash of pepper to taste
Cooking Spray to coat baking sheet
1 3½” lid (we used the lid from a 16-ounce Argo cornstarch container. Any size lid of your preference will work but the Argo lid was the perfect width & thickness of our patties)
plastic wrap

Directions

In a large bowl combine beaten eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, cheddar cheese, oregano, cooked chopped broccoli, onions, garlic, salt & pepper, mixing well. Add the breadcrumbs mix together with a fork then mix by hand as you would making meatballs or meatloaf. Must be a thick, pasty texture.
Preheat oven to 400ºF and spray baking pan with cooking spray.
Place the plastic wrap over the lid, overhanging 3-inches in all directions. Fill with mixture slightly mounded, press down with your fingers, flip the patties over onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until bottom is golden brown.
Flip patties and continue baking another 7-10 minutes.
Remove from oven let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
Can be dipped into your favorite dipping sauce i.e. ranch dressing, blue cheese, or tzatziki sauce.

Note: This is a great way to make use of any leftover vegetables and makes a great grab-n-go snack.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Empanadas for Valentine’s Day ❤️ February 14, 2021

Published on January 24, 2019February 12, 2021 by Twiins in the Kitchen2 Comments

Empanadas are little hand-held pies that can be served as an appetizer, lunch or dessert depending on the size and filling. Traditional empanadas are shaped like half moons. We were inspired by the upcoming celebration of Valentine’s Day so we shaped ours into hearts that you can enjoy with your special someone. ❤

These empanadas smelled so good while they were baking, for a moment we thought we were walking down a street in Argentina! We could hardly wait to eat them. They are filled with a delicious combination of meat, vegetable & cheese.

Servings: 6-8 (depending on the size of your cookie cutter. We used a 5″ x 4″ heart-shaped)

Ingredients

1 Easy Empanada Flaky Dough Recipe
3 Tablespoons EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced (or frozen cubes)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 ounces fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
3 Tablespoons salted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese (cheddar or any cheese of your choice)
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan Reggiano
2 lbs bulk hot country sausage, no casings (we use Neese’s)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Easy Empanada Flaky Dough
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Sauté onion & garlic in EVOO on medium-low until soft & lightly golden, 5-10 minutes. Add oregano & cumin. Stir another minute.
Turn heat up to medium and add spinach, cook, stirring until spinach is wilted & soft, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat & let cool. Season with salt & pepper.
Put bulk sausage in skillet, Cook and brown while breaking up into smaller pieces until done.
Remove from heat and spoon sausage meat onto paper towels removing as much fat/grease as possible. Do not clean skillet at this time, keep sausage fat in skillet.
Add flour to the skillet and whisk the milk gradually until mixture is smooth.
Add butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs. Return to heat and cook, stirring until mixture comes to another boil and thickens, the sauce will be a paste consistency.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Chop the cooled spinach, onion & garlic mixture. Add into the cheese sauce along with well-drained sausage.
Roll out the empanada dough to 1/8″ thickness. Cut 2 hearts with a 5″ x 4″ heart-shaped cookie cutter. Brush the edges of 1 heart lightly with egg wash.
Place 2 Tablespoons of filling in center of the heart, cover with another heart-shaped cutout. Press edges together firmly all around with thumb or forefinger forming a sort of scalloped edge. Brush with egg wash then bake about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Best served warm.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.