Category: Recipe of the Week

Roasted Beets with Citrus

Roasted Beets with Citrus

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

img_6410Beets are probably one of my favorite vegetables, but for some reason I’ve never actually purchased fresh beets.  I always heat them up out of a can, which I guess is ok, but of course like every other recipe post, Misfits Market changed that!  This week there were two giant golden beets in my box.  Finally, the search was on for a great beet recipe.

I found what seemed like the perfect recipe from Love & Lemons.  I altered the recipe a bit based on what I had in the kitchen, but it’s probably one of my favorite side dishes now.  If you prefer your beets warm, you could even just roast the beets according to the first few steps of the directions and call it a day.  They’re delicious simply roasted, even before marinating!

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 small or medium red or yellow beets (I used the 2 large golden beets I had and they worked out great with this recipe!)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 large navel orange
  • balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
  • Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
  • Handful of watercress leaves, arugula or microgreens, or other leafy vegetable of choice
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Flaky sea salt, optional

Optional Toppings

  • Goat or feta cheese
  • Chopped walnuts or pistachios

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Place each beet on a piece of foil and drizzle generously with olive oil and pinches of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil and roast on a baking sheet for 35 to 60 minutes, or until soft and fork-tender. The time will depend on the size and freshness of the beets. Remove the beets from the oven, remove the foil, and set aside to cool. When they are cool to the touch, peel the skins. I like to hold them under running water and slide the skins off with my hands.
  3. Use a citrus peeler to peel long strips around the orange, avoiding the white pith. Grated zest would work here also. Slice ¾ of the orange into segments and reserve the remaining ¼ wedge for squeezing.
  4. Slice the beets into 1” wedges or chunks and place them in a bowl. If you’re using red and yellow beets, place each color into separate bowls so the red beets don’t stain the yellow beets.
  5. Drizzle with olive oil and sherry vinegar, then add the lemon juice, orange juice squeezed from the remaining wedge, and a few pinches of salt and pepper and toss. Chill until ready to serve.
  6. Taste before serving and season with more salt (flaky sea salt, if using) and pepper or more vinegar (for more tang), orange, or lemon juice, as desired.
  7. Serve on a platter with the orange segments, watercress, and citrus curls.
Baked Jicama Fries

Baked Jicama Fries

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

img_6236Misfits Market strikes again… yet another vegetable I’ve never prepared.  This was an interesting one-I had to Google pictures of root vegetables to figure out what it even was.  Now, I know that a jicama makes a delicious side dish!

I found this recipe from Spend with Pennies.  I paired this recipe with Lemon-Garlic Aioli and it was amazing as a side dish!

Ingredients

  • 2 large jicama
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Peel jicama and cut into ‘fries’. Boil 10-12 minutes.
  3. Drain and dab dry. Toss with remaining ingredients.
  4. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake 20 minutes.
  5. Flip and bake an additional 20 minutes or until golden
  6. Serve warm with ranch or aioli.
Crockpot Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Crockpot Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Enchiladas are always a big hit, but this is by far my favorite recipe and it’s so easy.  Crockpot… how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways… ok, you get the point.  Set it and forget it recipes are my favorite.  I love this recipe because it has such a different flavor than traditional enchiladas, but it always gets rave reviews.  The hardest part is putting the enchiladas together and baking, so I call it a win!

I have adapted this recipe over the years from a recipe I found from One Good Thing.  I use the slow cooker to cook the chicken in the marinade used in the original recipe.  Instead of marinating already cooked chicken, I find this really gets the flavor in the chicken and makes for great enchilada sauce in the end!

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp honey
  • 5 Tbsp lime juice (2 large or 3 small limes)
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 bell pepper (any preferred color), diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 lb chicken (or extra to freeze for later!)
  • 8-10 flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer corn enchiladas)
  • 1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (or cheese of choice-I use whatever I have on hand and all varieties have turned out great)
  • 16 ounces green enchilada sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream (don’t have heavy cream?  Make your own if you have whole milk and butter on hand – mix 2/3 cup whole milk with 1/3 cup melted butter.  No grocery trip, FTW!)

Directions

  1. Place chicken in crock pot.  Add diced bell pepper and onion.
  2. Mix honey, lime, chili powder, and garlic powder together until well blended.  Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables.  Cook on low 8 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked (at least 165 degrees).img_6187
  3. Shred the chicken and reserve the drippings for the enchilada sauce.
  4. Pour about 1/2 cup green enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan.
  5. Stuff the tortillas with the chicken mixture and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas (or more if you love cheese… who doesn’t love cheese???).
  6. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade from the chicken.
  7. Pour the sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with leftover cheese.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy on top.
Pan Fried Zucchini with Easy Lemon Garlic Aioli

Pan Fried Zucchini with Easy Lemon Garlic Aioli

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

img_5795Yep… more zucchini.  There is an over abundance of zucchini this time of year, so I always try to find ways to prepare it other than zucchini bread.  This recipe is pretty simple and easy to prepare, although it’s a little more time consuming than baking.  If you want a side dish with a little crisp, this is the recipe for you!

This recipe comes from Maria’s Mixing Bowl if you’d like to check out the original!

Ingredients

Zucchini Bites:

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups  Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1/4 cup canola oil

Garlic Aioli Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

Zucchini Bites

  1. Slice the zucchini into 1/2″ thick rounds.

  2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and ground black pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. And pour the Panko into a third bowl.

  3. Coat the zucchini with the flour mixture and then dip them into the beaten eggs. Cover them entirely with the Panko.

  4. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Once heated, place zucchini bites flat in the pan (only one layer at a time), and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked all the way through.

Garlic Aioli Sauce

  1. Combine mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

  2. Serve zucchini bites hot with the sauce and enjoy!

Easy (No Cook!) Chicken Soft Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Easy (No Cook!) Chicken Soft Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

Once upon a time I came across this awesome chicken soft taco recipe from Kroger in a packet of coupons.  I put that awesome recipe in my handy dandy recipe app to keep it “safe”.  Then, after upgrading my phone I lost all of my recipes.  The end.

Sorry… that story didn’t have a happy ending, but I was determined to find at least a similar recipe to the original.  I didn’t.  BUT… I am piecing together what may end up being even better than the original, so I’ve put it together here for the masses.  You’re welcome.

These tacos are delicious and there is no cooking involved.  Seriously!  No baking, grilling, or crock-potting.  Yes, I just made crock-potting a verb.  I also use my favorite Copy Cat Chuy’s Creamy Jalapeno dip recipe for these tacos.  The cilantro slaw portion of this recipe is inspired by One Lovely Life.  It is a great mix of sour, sweet, and crunch to top the tacos.  If you love the slaw, check out the rest of the recipe for great fish tacos!

Ingredients

Copy Cat Chuy’s Jalapeno Dip

  • 1 whole large jalapeno, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
  • 16 oz light sour cream
  • 1 oz package of ranch dressing mix
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 4-6 Tbsp milk

Cilantro Slaw

  • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 2 Tbsp cilantro
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 3/4 tsp honey
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper

Chicken Tacos

  • 1 Rotisserie chicken, meat separated and shredded
  • Corn tortillas (or hard shells if preferred)
  • salsa of choice
  • avocado, sliced (optional)

Directions

Prepare Creamy Jalapeno Dip

  1. Combine jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro in blender or food processor.
  2. Pulse until finely chopped.
  3. Add light sour cream, ranch dressing mix, and lime juice and pulse to combine.
  4. Add milk and pulse. You can add it slowly to get the consistency you want. The Chuy’s version is pretty thin, so I liked 6 tablespoons.
  5. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to combine.

Prepare Cilantro Slaw

  1. In a medium or large bowl, combine red cabbage, cilantro, lime juice (start with 1 Tbsp), honey, salt, and pepper.
  2. Taste and add additional lime juice or honey as desired.
  3. Stir to combine well and set aside until ready to serve.  The salt and lime juice will help soften and break down the cabbage.

Prepare Tacos

Add chicken, avocado, slaw, and jalapeno dip to a tortilla or hard shells and serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.  Enjoy!

Greek Zucchini Bake

Greek Zucchini Bake

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I love having this recipe when I end up having an abundance of zucchini.  It’s that time a year again… zucchini season!  That means A LOT of zucchini will be consumed and we begrudgingly making a million loaves of zucchini bread.  While I love zucchini bread, sometimes I want something different.  This recipe is just that. My kids love it, too!

I found this recipe from Ready Set Eat.  This recipe uses Egg Beaters, but usually use regular egg and it turns out great-and possibly better.  It also has feta, so I’m usually a fan of any recipe with feta.  This is also a low-fat recipe, which makes it even better!

Ingredients

  • 3 small zucchini, sliced thin
  • 1 cup fat free small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup Italian seasoned croutons, crushed slightly
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese with garlic and herbs

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Place zucchini in medium microwave-safe bowl.  Cover; microwave on high 5 minutes.  Drain well, patting dry with paper towels.  Layer zucchini in bottom of baking dish.
  2. Combine cottage cheese and egg in same bowl; mix well.  Spread cottage cheese mixture over zucchini.  Top with croutons and drained tomatoes; sprinkle with feta cheese.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
  3. Bake 15 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10 minutes more or until bubble around edges and set.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Better Than McDonald’s Egg McMuffins (Freezer Friendly!)

Better Than McDonald’s Egg McMuffins (Freezer Friendly!)

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

img_4764Breakfast foods are some of my favorite foods… biscuits and gravy, eggs and bacon, and of course… breakfast sandwiches!  I’ve made breakfast sandwiches at home for years, usually one at a time, but that became a pain when kids came along (ain’t nobody got time for that!).  Since then I’ve perfected my breakfast sandwich game big time.  I hope this saves you time AND money at the drive-thru!  The best part about making these is the kids LOVE them!  They’re so easy to freeze and thaw in the microwave and come out perfect every time.

I use a whoopie pie  or muffin top pan (you can find them on Amazon!) for perfect eggs.  You can also use a cupcake or muffin pan, but they don’t turn out as evenly done.  Ramekins also work, but I find that they’re a little more of a pain since they’re not confined to a single pan.

Ingredients

  • 12 English Muffins
  • 12 eggs
  • 12 slices White American cheese (or any other cheese that you prefer-Gouda is excellent on these sandwiches!)
  • 12 slices of bacon (usually about a pound turns out just right), 12 sausage patties, or 12 slices of ham (Canadian bacon)
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare bacon or other desired meat.
  3. Spray the whoopie pie or muffin pan with nonstick spray.  Crack an egg into each cup.  Gently break the yolk of each egg to allow for even cooking.  Add salt and pepper to each egg to taste.  Cook in the oven 10 – 15 minutes or until yolks are cooked through.
  4. While the eggs are cooking, separate all of the English muffins and place on a working surface like a pan or covered counter top.  Place a slice of cheese on the bottom half of each muffin.  Fold the corners in so no cheese will melt outside the muffin.
  5. Once eggs are thoroughly cooked, place an egg on each slice of cheese.  Top with bacon or meat of choice and add the top bun.
  6. Allow the sandwiches to cool completely and add to a Ziploc bag.  Place all sandwiches in a large freezer bag and place in the freezer.img_5384
  7. To thaw the sandwiches, wrap the sandwich in a paper towel and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes and 45 seconds on 50% power, turning the sandwich over every minute.
  8. Now, wave goodbye to the drive-thru line!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

img_5286Fingerling potatoes – yet another thing I never would’ve tried if it weren’t for Misfits Market.  These potatoes are a bit like a regular russet potato roasted, but they seem to have a little more flavor.  This is definitely a new side dish I’ll be making from now on!  It’s easy, quick, and is a good twist on the typical potato side dish.  This recipe was adapted from a recipe from Inspired Taste.  Their recipe has a potato salad sauce that would be great with this side dish!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes, scrubbed, and halved lengthwise
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, coat the potatoes in olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper.
  3. Place seasoned potatoes on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until browned to the desired golden color.
Fall Off the Bone Crock Pot Ribs

Fall Off the Bone Crock Pot Ribs

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

For some strange reason making ribs has always intimidated me.  I guess because it’s something other than boring chicken or a roast.  Who knows the real reason, but I finally decided to attempt ribs in the crock pot.  I bought two racks of baby back ribs a while ago and made one rack in the Instant Pot.  I wasn’t particularly impressed, so I wasn’t too thrilled about making the other rack that has been in the freezer making me feel guilty every time I open the freezer door to thaw my (boring) meat for dinner for the past month or so.

I knew there had to be an easier way than the Instant Pot for ribs, so the search was on for a great crock pot recipe.  Spend With Pennies NEVER disappoints!  I started with their Crock Pot Ribs recipe and tweaked the ingredients based on what I had on hand and the amount of ingredients I needed.  They turned out amazing!  I will never make ribs any other way from now on and I will no longer be intimidated by ribs!

Ingredients

  • 2 racks baby back ribs
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Barbecue sauce

Rib Rub

  • 2 Tbsp paprika
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Combine all of the ingredients of the Rib Rub together well.
  2. Remove the silver membrane on the back of the ribs.  Cut ribs into more manageable pieces for the crock pot.  I usually cut mine into sections of two ribs.
  3. Add water to the crock pot.  Coat ribs in the Rib Rub evenly and add to the crock pot with the onion and garlic.
  4. Cover ribs in a thin layer of barbecue sauce.
  5. Cook ribs on low for 8 – 10 hours or until tender.
  6. Add ribs to baking sheet and brush on a thin layer of barbecue sauce.  Place sheet of ribs in the oven under the broiler until they reach a desired crispiness.
Roasted Acorn Squash

Roasted Acorn Squash

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Yes… more squash!  Don’t tell me you’re sick of squash already!  This one happens to be for acorn squash.  It’s now one of my favorites!  I found this recipe on delish.com and it’s definitely a keeper.  It is so simple-cut in half, add simple ingredients, bake, and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread butter on inside of each squash half.
  1. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and small pinch of salt.  Sprinkle over squash.
  2. Place squash, cut side up, on a large baking sheet and roast until for tender (55 – 60 minutes).