Perfectly Imperfect Produce: Box #19

Perfectly Imperfect Produce: Box #19

Perfectly Imperfect Produce Small Mixed Box

A lot of hard things going on in the world, and a way that I cope with stress is to cook.  For me, cooking relieves stress and makes me happy.   This week I have several yummy recipes for you!  Including one of my new favorite meals that will go on my rotation for a long, long time: Greek wraps!

• See my past 18 boxes: Here
• My Perfectly Imperfect Produce Referral Link: Here
• Check out my page on Instagram: @lemonandbutterlove

What's in the box?

Sweet Potato

Mustard Greens

Red Onions 

Pears

Roma Tomatoes

Apples

Brussel Sprouts

Lemons 

Oranges 

Broccoli 

Mango

Cucumber

Broccoli & Lemon: Lemon Flatbread

When I stumbled upon this recipe, it immediately caught my eye.  Lemon on a savory flatbread!?  Yum!  Plus, the recipe called for bacon, burrata cheese, and a hot honey?  I was immediately sold!

The flatbread starts off with a naan dough.  I had never made naan dough, and it seemed very dense compared to other pizza doughs I have made in the past.  I thought maybe I had done something wrong, but I kept going as it did not have yeast in it.  Then I formed four individual flatbreads and brushed them with a mixture of olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic.  Next came the toppings: mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced lemons, mostly cooked bacon, broccoli, and burrata cheese.  Then into the oven they went!

Once the cheese had melted and the toppings became crispy, the flatbreads were done!  And boy, were they delicious!  Topped with hot honey after they baked, all the flavors exploded in my mouth.  The bacon and broccoli bring richness, the lemon brightens it up, the honey is sweet yet slightly spicy, and the burrata cheese is just delicious.  If you haven't had burrata cheese, it is a stuffed ball of fresh mozzarella.  The balls are hollow, so they feel light when you pick them up.  The inside is filled with cream and stracciatella which together have almost the consistency of cottage cheese (but different taste.)  So when it melts, it just steals the show!  I highly recommend trying burrata cheese!  (If you can't find burrata cheese, I would just sub in fresh mozzarella and then half the shredded mozzarella in the recipe.)

Even though the dough seemed dense before cooking, once baked, the naan turned out delicious!   Light, golden brown, and crispy from baking it covered in the olive oil mixture, the naan was a perfect base for all the delicious toppings.  I will definitely be using it for flatbreads in the future.  Yum!

Recipe: Here
Tweaks:

• I would halve the oil brushed on the flatbread (keeping the same amount of garlic and lemon zest.)  
• I would also serve it with a salad!  It is very rich, but oh, so yummy!  
• Next time I would also take the rind and white part off the sliced lemons as they were bitter.  It would be easiest to cut it off before it went on the pizza.

Flatbread Ready for the Oven

Baked Flatbread 

Oranges:  Glazed Orange Muffins

With a new thing of baking powder, I decided it was time to make these orange muffins.  I am usually not a huge fan of muffins, but I definitely enjoyed these.  Packed with orange flavor and topped with an orange glaze, I bet you can't eat just one!  I couldn't!

My favorite part of these muffins is the orange glaze on top.  Once baked and cooled from hot to warm, you dunk the muffins into a mixture of orange juice, powdered sugar, and orange zest.  When the glaze dries, it has the texture similar to a cinnamon roll glaze/frosting.   I was worried the glaze would sog out the perfect texture of a freshly baked muffin, but it did the exact opposite: it highlighted the muffin top.

These muffins almost reminded me of an orange roll in muffin form... but a lot easier!  They are far from a cupcake and have the consistency of a muffin.  They are not too sweet, just fluffy and orangy.  If you need a food item to take to a brunch or bridal shower, these are perfect.

And for my Seinfeld fans out there... these muffin tops would go perfectly in Elaine's muffin top store! (If you know, you know!)  Recipe below!

Recipe: Here

Glazed Oranged Muffins

Sweet Potato, Brussel Sprouts, & Apples:  Sheet Pan Meal

The Tasty app has a new feature where you can type in three ingredients from your kitchen, and it will filter recipes for you!  I tried it with the sweet potato, Brussel sprouts, and apples, and out popped this sheet pan meal.  Seasoned with garlic, rosemary, and thyme, the veggies, chicken, and apples tasted amazing!  I would highly recommend this meal as it is quick and easy with little clean up after. Win-win!  Plus, the apples almost turn into dessert roasted on the sheet tray.  I will have to remember this recipe for Thanksgiving time.  Yum!

Recipe: Here
*Tweaks:  I used dried thyme and rosemary instead of fresh.  I wasn't too picky with my measurements of the spices.  I just sprinkled a bit over until the spices touched everything.  Turned out great.

Sheet Pan Meal with Chicken, Apples, Sweet Potato, and Brussel Sprouts

Cucumber, Red Onion, & Roma Tomatoes: Greek Wraps

Everyone needs to try these wraps!  I was so surprised by how yummy they were, and I can't wait to make them over and over again.  Packed with Greek flavors, I was transported to Europe.  With a bright yogurt sauce, flavorful chicken, fresh tomatoes and spinach, pickled red onion, and creamy feta cheese, the wraps are balanced and delicious.  Plus, they were so easy to make!

The pickled onions definitely shined in the wrap.  This was my first time quick-pickling anything!  You boil together apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, and then throw in the thinly sliced red onion.  After they have sat for a couple minutes, they are ready.  The onion turns sweet and adds the perfect amount of acidy to the dish.  Highly recommend!

Recipe: Here
*Tweaks:

• I used the cook-them-yourself tortillas.  I highly recommend, as they go so well with the dish! 
• I used spinach instead of lettuce.  Both would be yummy! 
• I used a rotisserie chicken.  I cubed the chicken and threw it in a pan with melted butter and the spices.  Once the chicken was warmed, I took it off the heat!  Easy and flavorful! 

Greek Wraps

Mustard Greens & Red Onion:  Orzo Salad

The surprise of the box was the mustard greens.  I had never tried mustard greens before.  Once tasting them, I exclaimed, "Who would have thought mustard greens taste like dijon mustard!"  Seriously, it is crazy that a leafy plant can taste like mustard.  They were even a bit spicy!  Who knew?!

The mustard greens went perfectly into this orzo salad.  Packed with orzo, salty nuts, sweet dried fruits, and spicy mustard greens, it is the perfect side dish.  We ate it with salmon, and they went perfectly together!  This orzo was fancy yet so easy.  Recipe below!

Recipe: Here
*Tweaks:

• I used red onion instead of white.
• I used almonds instead of pistachios.
• I used craisins instead of dried cherries.

Orzo Salad

Mango: Mango Salsa Salmon

Every time I see a mango, I get excited because that means Mango Salsa Salmon time.  What can I say?  It's definitely a favorite at our house.  Maybe one of these days, I will branch out and try something different with the mango.  But for now, I am happy with this salmon dish.  Let me know if you try it!  Recipe below!

Recipe: Here

Mango Salsa Salmon

Pears: Snacks

This week I went to grab the pears, and I couldn't find them.  I asked my husband, and he said he had already eaten them!  Silly boy!  He said they were delicious.



How did I do with this week's produce?  What would you have made?  Let me know your ideas and if you recreate any of the recipes above! 

More links:

• My Perfectly Imperfect Produce Referral Link: Here
• Morgan's Boxes 1-18:  Check out what I did with my Boxes 1-18!
• Follow me on Instagram: @lemonandbutterlove