Pear. Custard. Pie. All things I love. I’ll admit, all of them combined? Sounds a little strange, but it’s absolutely DELICIOUS! This recipe comes from Dinner at the Zoo. Check out all of their recipes-some of my favorites come from them-you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients
4 firm pears of any variety; cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup unsalted butter; melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for garnish
cooking spray
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9 inch round pan with cooking spray.
Arrange the pear slices in the pan.
Put the butter, eggs, milk, salt, granulated sugar, flour and vanilla into a blender; process until smooth.
Pour the batter over the pears. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is golden and firm to the touch. Dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.
My adventurous college self traveled to Taiwan and a tiny hole in the wall restaurant had what we called “peanut butter noodles”. I have no idea what they were actually called, but it has taken me all this time to find anything that comes close to our “peanut butter noodles”. This recipe is adapted from a recipe from from the Bettered Blondie that she is calling Pad Thai, so if you’re a fan of Pad Thai, this recipe is somewhat similar!
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, cubed
¼ cup green onion, chopped
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce (you can use less for lower sodium)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (you can also use water)
8 oz rice noodles (I prefer Annie Chuns-the Bettered Blondie specifically mentions this brand and comments I’ve ready mention their noodles didn’t cook thoroughly enough, but this brand worked great in my recipe!)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup peanuts, chopped
2 limes, one for juice and one cut into wedges for serving
Directions
Place the cubed chicken, green onions, and carrots into the Instant Pot.
In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, peanut butter, pepper flakes, juice of one lime, ginger, and garlic until well combined and pour over the ingredients in the Instant Pot. Add the chicken broth and stir well.
Put the lid on and set the instant pot to manual low pressure to 7 minutes. When time goes off, do a quick release and remove the lid after pressure has fully released.
Stir in the rice noodles and set the lid back on and leave it for 10 minutes. Stir together and check the doneness of the noodles. Replace the lid if they need a little more time to soften.
Once done, serve with fresh lime wedges and top with cilantro, green onions, and chopped peanuts.
I bake chicken thighs frequently because they can be juice, crispy, and flavorful all at the same time, but I often forget that drumsticks can have all of those things as well. They were recently on sale and I found this recipe from Healthy Recipes and now I’m hooked. They’re quick and simple, full of flavor, and they can be paired with any sides you have on hand.
Ingredients
8 skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 2 lb. total weight)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum for for easy cleanup and arrange the drumsticks in a single layer in the pan.
Mix the seasoning/rub: In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices.
Coat the chicken pieces with the seasoning paste.
Bake the drumsticks uncovered for 40 minutes or until their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Baste the drumsticks with the pan juices. Serve immediately.
Winter is in full swing, cold temperatures are here to stay, and EVERYONE is sick. So… soup it is! I’ve been dying for Max and Erma’s Chicken Tortilla Soup (RIP Max and Erma’s *tear*). I went on the hunt for a copycat recipe with the best reviews and landed on this one from Food.com. Now, I will say that I’m using the term “recipe” loosely here because the canned soup game is strong in this one. I mean STRONG. This also means that you can uncheck the “healthy” box on this recipe. However, if you have a craving for Max and Erma’s Chicken Tortilla Soup, this one comes fairly close, so I’ll take it! If you plan on feeding this recipe to less than an army, I suggest halving the recipe because it makes enough to feed an entire neighborhood. I also skipped making my own tortilla strips because… ain’t nobody got time for that! If you’d like to make your own, go for it… I will be impressed by your dedication to this recipe!
Ingredients
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cans Cream of Celery Soup
2 cans Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup picante salsa (Pace brand medium hot)
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
shredded Colby Jack cheese, for serving
Directions
In a large (8-10 quart) stockpot combine and whisk together until smooth all eight cans of soup.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salsa, green chiles, onion, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring all ingredients to a full boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
Add cilantro and chicken breast chunks. Simmer another hour.
Serve with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, and cilantro.
I apparently missed the bread making craze during the COVID lock-downs. I shouldn’t have overlooked all of the hype! Especially if I had known bread making would be THIS easy! Guys… GUYS! This bread reminds me a lot of the bread you’d find at Carrabba’s or the other amazing breads at Italian restaurants. This bread only has 4 ingredients (most I’m guessing you already even have in your pantry), no kneading needed (see what I did there 😉 ), and comes out moist on the inside with a great crust on the outside. I found this recipe from Joy Food Sunshine. Enjoy this with oil and herbs Carrabba’s style or for artisan sandwiches… you can’t go wrong however you eat it!
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water, 105 degrees Fahrenheit (YES! The temperature is important… if the water is warmer than 105 degrees Fahrenheit it will ruin the active dry yeast and your bread won’t rise properly… it’s chemistry, y’all!)
Directions
Mix the dry ingredients well in a mixing bowl.
Mix the warm, 105 degrees Fahrenheit water into the dry ingredients well until it forms a dough.
Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover the entire bowl with a damp tea towel.Place the bowl in a warm, undisturbed area of the kitchen for 18-24 hours to rise (preferably 24 hours).
An hour before serving, preheat a small (approximately 2.4 L) Dutch oven with lid in the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare the dough while the oven is preheating by removing the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Incorporate a few tablespoons of flour into the dough until the dough feels floppy or limp. Cover the dough with a floured tea towel to maintain moisture until the oven and Dutch oven are preheated.
Remove the Dutch oven from the preheated oven and remove the lid. Spray the inside of the Dutch oven thoroughly with nonstick spray. Carefully add the floured dough to the Dutch oven and make sure the dough is dispersed in the Dutch oven easily. Replace the Dutch oven lid.
Bake the dough covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and bake the bread uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack before serving. Cover the bread in a tea towel to maintain moisture if not serving immediately.
Serve with your favorite oil and herb or oil and vinegar combination, for sandwiches, or with your favorite soups. Enjoy!
Great bread calls for a great dipping oil. Enter Carrabba’s. Say no more, right? Enjoy this recipe from Savory Experiments! I think it’s spot on… let me know what you think! If you’d like an easy bread to try with your new favorite dipping oil, check out this recipe!
Ingredients
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
3 cloves minced garlic
extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Mix all dry ingredients well in an air-tight storage container.
Place desired amount of dry ingredients/herbs in a small bowl or dish. Add desired amount of extra virgin olive oil and enjoy with bread.
We went apple picking this weekend and our youngest decided we didn’t have enough apples in our already full basket. My first thought was applesauce, but neither of the kids LOOOVE applesauce that much. Then I thought apple crisp. Then I thought apple pie. So, apple pie it was!
I’ve made pumpkin pie from scratch and I remember it being, well, an experience. It was a Monday holiday and I only had our youngest home with me that day, so I figured, why not? I have a whole day, right? For some reason I could only find good recipes for the filling OR the crust, but not both combined, so I took what I liked from two I found and compiled them for you here. The crust recipe came from New York Times cooking and the filling recipe comes from Allrecipes.
Crust
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 -4 Tbsp ice water, as needed
Directions
In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms small pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time and pulse until the dough comes together. The dough should be moist, but not wet.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Filling
Ingredients
8 Granny Smith apples (or other tart, firm variety), peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
Add water, white sugar, and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Preparing Crust, Filling, and Baking
Once the crust has refrigerated for at least an hour, remove it from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out with a flour coated rolling pin to approximately 1/8″ thickness. Roll the dough onto the floured rolling pin, then gently unroll over the pie crust. Cut excess dough approximately 1″ away from the rim of the pie pan. Fold the excess dough under and pinch the crust using an index finger and thumb all around the pan. Combine excess dough together and roll out with the floured rolling pin to 1/8″ thickness. If the dough becomes too warm to work with, refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm enough to work with. Slice the dough into strips to later create a lattice crust or cut into shapes using a cookie cutter.
Place apples into the center of the pie crust. Allow the apples to slightly mound in the pie crust. Add lattice crust or crust shapes over apples.
Slowly pour filling mixture over the crust and apples making sure it doesn’t overflow, but is covered evenly.
Bake in the oven 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for 35-45 minutes or until apples are soft and crust is golden brown.
This is definitely one of my weeknight go-tos when I don’t have anything thawed or planned. I buy naan when it’s on sale and keep them in the freezer. They go from freezer to oven and bake for 5 minutes. YES… 5 minutes from frozen! You can customize them any way you like-my favorites are traditional and Mediterranean or Greek. You can find mini naan or regular sized naan in most grocery stores in the bread/deli section. The best part about naan pizzas is you can use anything you already have on hand!
Ingredients
Naan (frozen or fresh)
tomato sauce (I use Basil Garlic pasta sauce because I usually have it on hand, but pizza sauce will work, too)
Toppings
You can use any toppings you typically like on your pizza. Here are some combinations we’ve tried that have become our favorites!
Traditional
Shredded mozzarella
Pepperoni (we prefer turkey-it’s less greasy than traditional)
Black olives
Mushrooms
Mediterranean/Greek
Fresh sliced mozzarella
Fresh basil
Kalamata olives
Artichoke hearts
Feta cheese
Dried oregano
Directions
Preheat oven according to naan package instructions.
Place all pieces of naan on a baking sheet (fresh or frozen).
Add sauce to each piece of naan. Top each piece of naan with desired toppings.
Bake naan pizzas in oven according to package heating instructions or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Chili is definitely one of my top go-to recipes when I don’t know what to make. If its a little chilly outside (pun intended…), I need a complete meal in a pinch, or if I just don’t know what to make, it’s chili to the rescue!
I adapted this recipe from one I found on Food.com. This recipe is so versatile and can be made using lean ground beef or turkey. I usually decide on what to use based on whatever I have the most of at the time. Use whatever you have on hand! Don’t like kidney beans? Use black beans! Don’t like bell pepper? Don’t add any! Customize it how YOU like it.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey or lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped (or use diced frozen onion to save time and cleanup!)
1 bell pepper, chopped (I usually prefer red or orange, but any color will do!)
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes, diced
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
Directions
Over medium heat, spray a large dutch oven with non stick cooking spray.
Saute ground turkey or beef, bell pepper, and onion until lightly browned and onion and pepper are soft.
Add remaining ingredients and water and stir well.
Cook covered over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheese, oyster crackers, and sour cream. Enjoy!
I have no idea why, but I always forget about sheet pan meals. They’re delicious, healthy, and you can use whatever vegetables and seasonings you happen to have on hand. Today is the first day of fall, sooooo time for fall foods! This recipe is great because you can customize it however you like with whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand. Some great vegetables to use are squashes, brussel sprouts, or even cauliflower or broccoli. You could even use chicken breast or legs instead of thighs. I prefer the chicken thighs because they seem to come out crispy on the outside, but not too dry on the inside. I adapted this recipe from one I found from Flavour and Savour.
Ingredients
8 skin on, bone in chicken thighs (any number will do!)
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into approx. 1 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into approx. 1 inch pieces
small golden potatoes (any amount is fine, whatever you prefer)
2 medium shallots, sliced
1 honeycrisp, gala, or other sweet apple, sliced with peel on
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp rosemary
sea salt and pepper, to taste
Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Add chicken thighs to a plastic Ziploc bag. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and pour the marinade into the Ziploc bag with the chicken thighs. Seal the bag and allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator while preparing the vegetables.
Cut all of the vegetables and fruit into uniform size pieces.
Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray. Add all vegetables and fruit to the sheet pan.
Place marinated chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and fruit and pour any extra marinade over the chicken.
Bake in the oven 35-45 minutes or until the chicken reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F. If you prefer even crispier chicken, place the pan under the broiler for a few minutes after the chicken thighs have fully cooked.
The Engineered Mama 