Perfectly Imperfect Produce Box #7
Perfectly Imperfect Produce Box #7
Fall is here, and you can definitely see that in my produce box this week! The colors of the produce are getting darker with the dark green and purple hues! Check out to see what I did with the produce below!
What's in the box?
Zucchini: Chocolate Marbled Zucchini Bread
This week I wanted to make something on the sweeter side with the zucchini. This chocolatey zucchini bread is rich and flavorful. With the cinnamon and chocolate batter swirled together, the bread is balanced and delicious. The cinnamon enhances the chocolate flavor, and the addition of the chocolate chips brings it to the next level. If you are looking for a moist chocolate zucchini bread, this one is for you!
Recipe Here: I thought the recipe was really hard to follow and confusing. Below are the same ingredients but my version of how to put them together.
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
4 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2.5 cups flour - 1 cup for chocolate batter and 1.5 cups for cinnamon batter
Directions:
Enjoy warm! My favorite part is the top right out of the oven.
Green Bell Peppers: Triple P Pizza
This "triple p pizza" is topped with pepperoni, pineapple, and peppers. With homemade dough and freshly grated mozzarella cheese, this pizza reminded me of my childhood! When I was little, we used to make pizza at my grandparent's home all the time. It would be a contest who could put the most toppings on the pizza and still have it cook! Great memories!
I love the flavor the bell pepper gives the whole pizza, and personally, I love the sweetness from the pineapple. While my favorite pizza is ham and pineapple, the "Triple P Pizza" still hit the spot.
My mom's dough recipe below!
Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast (or 2.25 tsp.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil
about 2.5 cups of flour
Directions:
Apples: Apple Turnovers
I love a good bakery, and one of my all-time favorite bakeries is Gourmandise The Bakery located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bakery serves gourmet pastries, breads, cookies, cakes, sandwiches, salads, and more. For lunch or dinner, I absolutely love their salmon served in pastry. It is to die for.
One of my other favorite treats at The Bakery is their turnovers. They serve both apple and cherry turnovers that are light and flaky with the yummiest fillings and topped with sugar. Since moving to the other side of the country, I have been craving The Bakery's turnovers. So, when I saw the apples in the box, I decided it was time to recreate my own. While there is still something very special about The Bakery's turnovers, mine turned out pretty delicious. The apple filling was perfect, and the premade puff pastry made them so easy. Plus, these are more cost-effective! So until I can go back to The Bakery, I will continue making these! They sure disappeared fast and tasted so good! Give them a try! And all of you who live in the Salt Lake area, go try Gourmandise! It really is a special bakery.
Recipe Here
Potatoes and Carrots: Grandma Sloots Potato Soup
A favorite tradition at our house making "Grandma Sloots' Potato Soup." My grandma and great-grandma on my dad's side were born in the Netherlands. After World War II, my great grandparents picked up their little family and made the journey to North America. I am grateful for their sacrifices as their move and journey were not easy, especially since they came to the States without knowing English. I wouldn't be here today without them! And we also wouldn't have this delicious soup recipe! My Great Grandma Sloots would make this recipe for my mom and dad all the time, and one day she taught my mom how to make the soup. With potatoes, carrots, and celery combined in a creamy liquid topped with cheese and bacon, the soup hits the spot every time. It is delicious, warming, and brings happiness to everyone who eats it. It definitely is one of my favorites! Recipe below!
Grandma Sloots Potato Soup
Ingredients:
3-4 large carrots
2 celery ribs
6 medium russet potatoes (I used the yukon gold potatoes from the box)
1/2 onion diced
6 Tbs. butter
6 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups water reserved after cooking vegetables
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Bacon and cheddar cheese for toppings (These toppings really make the soup so do not forget them!)
Directions
Spaghetti Squash: Spaghetti Squash-Tots
I was very excited to get another spaghetti squash in this week's box! While searching the internet to find new recipes for spaghetti squashes, I came across spaghetti squash-tots! They are like tater-tots but made with spaghetti squash instead of potatoes. My husband hates tater-tots made with potatoes, so we decided to see if he liked them better made with spaghetti squash. They were very easy to make, and my husband ate almost all of them! They had the texture of a tater-tot but tasted like a spaghetti squash. They were actually really yummy! A success! Recipe below.
Recipe Here
Kale & Tomato: Shrimp, Couscous, & Veggie Foil Packets
Cooking in foil packets just has a "fun" element to it. They are easy as you just pile in the ingredients, seal up the tinfoil packet, and stick them in the oven. Plus, there are endless possibilities for what to put inside! This variation included kale, tomato, couscous, lemon, shrimp, and seasonings. I was a bit skeptical of how the shrimp would turn out, especially since I cooked the packets in the oven. But the shrimp were cooked perfectly, had the perfect lemony flavor, and worked well with the other ingredients.
This was my first time ever trying kale. I'll be honest... the flavor was good, but I did not prefer the texture. My husband ate it up like it was popcorn, but it was not my favorite. But I did love the couscous with the shrimp! Next time I would love to try carrots, zucchini, and squash cut julienned style (long skinny strips) with the shrimp, lemon, and couscous! Let me know if you try the foil packets!
Recipe Here
Tweaks: I cooked the packets in the oven instead of a grill. I preheated the oven to 400 and let them cook for 17 minutes (or until the shrimp were done). I also used the tomato in my box instead of cherry tomatoes. For seasonings, I added the zest of one lemon and a sprinkle of chili flakes.
Grapes: Snacks
The grapes this week were absolutely delicious. They disappeared fast as I washed them and left them on the counter. Yummy snack!
Beets
These two small beets haven't been eaten yet this week! What should I do with the beets? Let me know!
How did I do with this week's box? What would you have done with the produce? Let me know if you try any of the recipes above!
Fall is here, and you can definitely see that in my produce box this week! The colors of the produce are getting darker with the dark green and purple hues! Check out to see what I did with the produce below!
What's in the box?
Grapes
Zucchini
Tomato
Beets
Potatoes
Apples
Carrots
Green Bell Peppers
Kale
Zucchini: Chocolate Marbled Zucchini Bread
This week I wanted to make something on the sweeter side with the zucchini. This chocolatey zucchini bread is rich and flavorful. With the cinnamon and chocolate batter swirled together, the bread is balanced and delicious. The cinnamon enhances the chocolate flavor, and the addition of the chocolate chips brings it to the next level. If you are looking for a moist chocolate zucchini bread, this one is for you!
Recipe Here: I thought the recipe was really hard to follow and confusing. Below are the same ingredients but my version of how to put them together.
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
4 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2.5 cups flour - 1 cup for chocolate batter and 1.5 cups for cinnamon batter
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Shred two medium zucchinis (about 3 shredded cups) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, crack the eggs. Add brown and white sugar. Whisk together.
- Add oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Mix.
- Add salt and baking soda to the mixture. Stir well.
- Fold in shredded zucchini.
- Once zucchini is folded in, pour half the mixture into another large bowl. (You should have about two cups of zucchini mixture in each bowl.)
- In one of the bowls, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup flour, and chocolate chips to the wet zucchini mixture. Gently mix until there are no more flour white streaks. Careful to not over mix.
- In the second bowl, add cinnamon and 1.5 cups flour. Gently mix until there are no more streaks. Careful to not over mix.
- Oil/grease the bread pan.
- Grab two 1/4 cup measures (one for the cinnamon batter and one for the chocolate batter) and scoop in the batter alternating the cinnamon and chocolate mixture. Continue until batter is gone. This will fill up your entire bread pan. (It will rise up while baking instead of running over the sides. You can put a cookie sheet underneath is you are worried about it spilling into your oven, but it should be totally fine.)
- Using a knife or dowel swirl the mixtures creating a marbled look.
- Bake for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy warm! My favorite part is the top right out of the oven.
Green Bell Peppers: Triple P Pizza
This "triple p pizza" is topped with pepperoni, pineapple, and peppers. With homemade dough and freshly grated mozzarella cheese, this pizza reminded me of my childhood! When I was little, we used to make pizza at my grandparent's home all the time. It would be a contest who could put the most toppings on the pizza and still have it cook! Great memories!
I love the flavor the bell pepper gives the whole pizza, and personally, I love the sweetness from the pineapple. While my favorite pizza is ham and pineapple, the "Triple P Pizza" still hit the spot.
My mom's dough recipe below!
Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast (or 2.25 tsp.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil
about 2.5 cups of flour
Directions:
- In a small bowl, add sugar, warm water, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. Make sure yeast bubbles and starts growing. If not, start again.
- To your Kitchenaid (or large bowl), add yeast mixture, salt, and olive oil. Using dough hook, mix dough and keep adding flour in half cup intervals just until the dough does not stick to the bottom of the bowl. This should be about 2.5 cups of flour.
- Once the dough is formed, place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Stick bowl in a warm place and let dough rise until doubled (about 30 minutes).
- Once dough has risen, separate into breadsticks or roll out for pizza. Cook at 425 degrees until golden.
- Enjoy!
Apples: Apple Turnovers
I love a good bakery, and one of my all-time favorite bakeries is Gourmandise The Bakery located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bakery serves gourmet pastries, breads, cookies, cakes, sandwiches, salads, and more. For lunch or dinner, I absolutely love their salmon served in pastry. It is to die for.
One of my other favorite treats at The Bakery is their turnovers. They serve both apple and cherry turnovers that are light and flaky with the yummiest fillings and topped with sugar. Since moving to the other side of the country, I have been craving The Bakery's turnovers. So, when I saw the apples in the box, I decided it was time to recreate my own. While there is still something very special about The Bakery's turnovers, mine turned out pretty delicious. The apple filling was perfect, and the premade puff pastry made them so easy. Plus, these are more cost-effective! So until I can go back to The Bakery, I will continue making these! They sure disappeared fast and tasted so good! Give them a try! And all of you who live in the Salt Lake area, go try Gourmandise! It really is a special bakery.
Recipe Here
Potatoes and Carrots: Grandma Sloots Potato Soup
A favorite tradition at our house making "Grandma Sloots' Potato Soup." My grandma and great-grandma on my dad's side were born in the Netherlands. After World War II, my great grandparents picked up their little family and made the journey to North America. I am grateful for their sacrifices as their move and journey were not easy, especially since they came to the States without knowing English. I wouldn't be here today without them! And we also wouldn't have this delicious soup recipe! My Great Grandma Sloots would make this recipe for my mom and dad all the time, and one day she taught my mom how to make the soup. With potatoes, carrots, and celery combined in a creamy liquid topped with cheese and bacon, the soup hits the spot every time. It is delicious, warming, and brings happiness to everyone who eats it. It definitely is one of my favorites! Recipe below!
Grandma Sloots Potato Soup
Ingredients:
3-4 large carrots
2 celery ribs
6 medium russet potatoes (I used the yukon gold potatoes from the box)
1/2 onion diced
6 Tbs. butter
6 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups water reserved after cooking vegetables
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Bacon and cheddar cheese for toppings (These toppings really make the soup so do not forget them!)
Directions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Chop the carrots and potatoes to roughly the same size and add to boiling water. Chop and add celery. Cook vegetables for 10 minutes or until vegetables are just cooked.
- Save two cups of the water and then strain the vegetables. Put the vegetables back into the large pot and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium pot, add butter and onion and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until onions are soft.
- Add flour, salt, and pepper, and whisk constantly for one minute. While constantly whisking, add milk and cook until thick. Once thick and bubbling, add 1 cup of the reserved water. Cook for another minute or two until thick. (Constantly whisk so it doesn't burn)
- Pour thickened mixture over vegetables and stir. Turn the heat back on and bring back to a boil. Make sure to stir the bottom as you don't want the milk on the bottom of the pan to burn.
- If soup is too thick or needs more liquid, add remaining reserved water (only if needed)
- Once the soup is back to a boil, it is done! Top with cooked bacon and cheddar cheese.
Spaghetti Squash: Spaghetti Squash-Tots
I was very excited to get another spaghetti squash in this week's box! While searching the internet to find new recipes for spaghetti squashes, I came across spaghetti squash-tots! They are like tater-tots but made with spaghetti squash instead of potatoes. My husband hates tater-tots made with potatoes, so we decided to see if he liked them better made with spaghetti squash. They were very easy to make, and my husband ate almost all of them! They had the texture of a tater-tot but tasted like a spaghetti squash. They were actually really yummy! A success! Recipe below.
Recipe Here
Kale & Tomato: Shrimp, Couscous, & Veggie Foil Packets
Cooking in foil packets just has a "fun" element to it. They are easy as you just pile in the ingredients, seal up the tinfoil packet, and stick them in the oven. Plus, there are endless possibilities for what to put inside! This variation included kale, tomato, couscous, lemon, shrimp, and seasonings. I was a bit skeptical of how the shrimp would turn out, especially since I cooked the packets in the oven. But the shrimp were cooked perfectly, had the perfect lemony flavor, and worked well with the other ingredients.
This was my first time ever trying kale. I'll be honest... the flavor was good, but I did not prefer the texture. My husband ate it up like it was popcorn, but it was not my favorite. But I did love the couscous with the shrimp! Next time I would love to try carrots, zucchini, and squash cut julienned style (long skinny strips) with the shrimp, lemon, and couscous! Let me know if you try the foil packets!
Recipe Here
Tweaks: I cooked the packets in the oven instead of a grill. I preheated the oven to 400 and let them cook for 17 minutes (or until the shrimp were done). I also used the tomato in my box instead of cherry tomatoes. For seasonings, I added the zest of one lemon and a sprinkle of chili flakes.
Grapes: Snacks
The grapes this week were absolutely delicious. They disappeared fast as I washed them and left them on the counter. Yummy snack!
Beets
These two small beets haven't been eaten yet this week! What should I do with the beets? Let me know!
How did I do with this week's box? What would you have done with the produce? Let me know if you try any of the recipes above!
More links:
Box #6 Crème Brûlée, Rose Petal Apple Pie, Cafe Rio Inspired Salads, Delicata Squash, Roasted Asparagus with Salmon, Minestrone Soup, Chicken Croissants
Box #5 Lemon Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce, Zoodles with Homemade Tomato & Meat Sauce, Beet Gnocchi with Goat Cheese, Stuffed Peppers, Plum Cake Round 2
**Box #4 Nectarine Vanilla Scones, Lemon Fajitas, Plum Cake, Zoodles Topped with Lemon and Parmesan, Sautéed Shrimp with Squash, Mango Salsa Salmon, Chicken Noodle Soup
Box #3 Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Omelet with Crispy Hash Browns, Butternut Squash Soup with Beet Salad, Pulled Eggplant Sandwich, Salmon with Roasted Zucchini
Box #2 Butter Chicken with Watermelon for Dessert, Very Homemade Sushi: Custom California Roll, Chicken Orzo with Vegetables, Waffles with Peaches
Box #1 Fruit Salad, Broiled Salmon with Vegetables, Eggplant Roll-Ups, Carrots with Hummus
**One of my favorite boxes
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