Sweet BBQ Chicken

One of the nice things about living in a drive through farming is that the local meat markets are flipping amazing! If you follow me on Instragram (and you if you don't you should I'm flipping amazing like that) you might have seen this picture

10 lbs of ground beef and 10 lbs of chicken for under $40. 

I'm happy to be using my grill again. Being able to grill is my favorite thing about summer.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast, cook in half
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1-12oz bottle of Open Bit Original Barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a Ziploc baggie.
2. Let marinate over night. (I actually put some of these in the freezer and when I pulled them out they tasted just as good.)

Enjoy,

Over and out,

A Engineer in the Kitchen

Chicken Potatoes & Beans

I've been trying to meal plan a little more, which means that we eat more at home then we do out. This is great it saves us a lot of money and it's better for us. It is kind of hard though mainly because with me back in school I don't get home on Tuesday and Thursday night until after 7, I then have to be back up at 10pm to be to work at 11pm. This is usually what happens, hmmm take an hour to cook, eat and clean up get an hour and half of sleep or get McDonald's and get two and half hours of sleep...can you see what usually wins? 

I've have been trying to make up some simple meals that I can make the night before and either have Big-D through in the oven when he gets home from work or in the crock pot before he goes to work. 

Place 3 to 4 chicken breast, potatoes and green beans in a oven safe si

Add butter and Italian dressing. 

Bake at 350° for one hour. 

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 Chicken Breast
• 2 cans of green beans
• 3 potatoes cubed
• Butter
• Italian dressing

Directions:

1. Place chicken, green beans and potatoes into oven safe dish.
2. Add butter and Italian dressing.
3. Bake at 350° for one hour.

Enjoy,

Over and out,

A Engineer in the Kitchen

Pizza Quesadilla

My mom use to make these for my brother and I when we were little. They are quick and easy to make. And when you are a kid, its like pizza which I still to this day can eat almost every day.

Place a tortilla in a greased skillet. (Use medium heat.)

Add favorite pizza toppings and cover. Cook until cheese has melted.

Let cool and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 10" tortillas
• Pizza sauce
• Favorite pizza toppings

Directions:

1. Place tortilla in a grease skillet, over medium heat.
2. Add favorite pizza toppings.
3. Cover and cook until cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Over and out,

A Engineer in the Kitchen 

Tacos

I love tacos, for one there are really easy to make and two everyone can make theirs the way that want it. I am actually finishing up leftovers as I am writing this post...

 I make up my own taco seasoning and two tablespoons is equal to one package from the store.

Brown and drain hamburger, add 1/2 cup of water and taco seasoning.

I bought this awesome old Pyrex dish at a garage sale for $5 but could never find something to use it with until now. Isn't it just awesome looking, the bottom is orange. The lady had a red bottom but no top so I just got the one, I now regret that decision.

Add whatever toppings you like. I like to use the larger tortilla shells only because I like to add a lot of lettuce and cheese to mine and I find the little ones not big enough.

Taco Seasoning Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 & 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

The seasoning makes just over two tablespoons, I tend to make a couple batches worth and store in it in an air tight container. This way I am not making it up every time I want tacos. 

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

Big-D doesn't like raisins. Even when I try to hide them or not tell him that I used raisins in a recipe he knows that I used raisins.

Then one day my Aunt and Uncle from Traverse City came down for a visit. Since Traverse City is the cherry capital of the United States, they brought down some cherries. The cherries that they brought came in many forms dried, fresh and even salsa (yummy). What do you do with dried cherries? Eat them but I prefer the fresh to dried, so they sat in the cupboard until one day I wanted oatmeal cookies.

Big-D will eat dried cherries and I found out he will eat dried blueberries as well, so I have no idea what it is about raisins. However, I did find a few more people that didn't like raisins as well so maybe he isn't that weird after all.

Mix oats and brown sugar together.

Mix egg whites, salt and almond extract together.

Mix egg mixture into the oats mixture.

Add the dried fruit of your choice and bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes.

Then stack several cookies on top of each other before eating.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups instant oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup dried fruit

Directions:

• Mix the oats and brown sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl
• Beat the egg whites, salt and almond extract together until frothy in another bowl
• Mix the two bowls together
• Add dried cherries (or whatever fruit you choose)
• Place about 12 cookies on each greased cookie sheet
• Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Orange Pork Chops

No they aren't orange the color but orange the flavor and quite delicious.

I've discovered two ways to make this. My favorite way is on the grill, but personally I could use the grill all year around and like a lot of things on the grill. The other way is to bake it in the oven with all of the marinade. Both are quite yummy and I have cooked it both ways. Today, however, I will show you how to cook it via the grill.

Ingredients: Pork chops (4 to 6), orange juice, lime juice, salt & pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger.

Mix all of the ingredients (minus the pork chops of course) together. 

In a resealable container (ie: Ziploc baggie) place pork chops and marinade mixture.

Place in refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours.

Grill for about 4 minutes per side or until slightly pink in the middle.

(Please ignore my Halloween plate...the only plastic plates I own and I don't like taking glass plates outside.)

Ingredients: 

• 4 to 6 pork chops
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions: 

• Remove fat from pork chops and place in Ziploc bag.
• Mix rest of ingredients together.
• Pour the marinade over the pork chops and seal Ziploc.
• Place in refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours.
• Grill 4 minutes per side or until slightly pink in the middle.

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Special Rice Krispies

Okay there is a little story behind these Rice Krispie treats. One day I brought in a little snack for the guy that sits in the cubicle next to me; it happened to be Rice Krispie treats with melted chocolate and butterscotch on them. They weren't anything special or anything hard to make in fact waiting for the marshmallows and chips to melt is what takes so long.

But I didn't know that these were in fact special. See the guy that sits in the cubicle next to me mom passed away 25 years ago, she use to make these exact Rice Krispie treats and he hasn't had one since she passed away 25 years ago. I was glad to bring back the wonderful memories.

Now well all have probably made the recipe on the back/side of the box of Rice Krispies, but I will give it to you anyways.

 

Ingredients:

• 6 Cups of Rice Krispies
• 1 bag of the large marshmallows
• 3 Tablespoons of butter
• 1 (2 cups) bag of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 (1 cup) bag of butterscotch chips

Directions: 

• Melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add marshmallows and melt until smooth, stirring often.
• Mix marshmallows into rice krispies until covered.
• Spray a pan with nonstick spray and evenly spread rice kripsie.
• Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch over low-medium heat, stirring often.
• Spread chocolate mixture over the rice krispies.
• Place in refridgerator until chocolate layer is hard.

Enjoy,

Over and out,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup

Kind of, I cheated on the noodles but still got the same kind she used. Thanks dad for answering a completely random question to your confused child standing in the noodle section at 10PM.

This weekend I was missing my grandma and her homemade chicken noodle soup. I haven't made chicken noodle soup since she passed away in February. She was the one that taught me how to make the amazing dumplings. Of course as she got older, I was the one that would come over to make them for her because couldn't.

I use to think that chicken noodle soup was hard to make but really it isn't. I think the hardest part is making the noodles, so basically if you cheat with store bought noodles it's really not hard at all.

Basically, boil some chicken in chicken stock (you can either make your own or buy it from the store). Once the chicken is cooked I tear it into bite sizes pieces but one could cut it up if they wanted too. Add your choice of vegetables, I usually use celery, carrots and onion. Bring to a boil and add your choice of noodles. In my cheat version I used extra wide No-Yokes and cook until the noodles are tender.

There you go, you have chicken noodle soup. I always cook extras so I can freeze some and have it on a rainy day that I don't feel like cooking.

Over and out,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Lemon-Lime Pork Chops

It have been crazy hot up here in Michigan. To make the world a better place, we don't have AC. Not really sure how that makes the world a better place but it surely does mean that our electrical bill is crazy low right now because we aren't using that much electricity except to run some fans. Due to the fact that it is hot in the house I haven't wanted to cook in the house. Our grill has been getting lots of use, yay!!!

From left to right: ground cumin, crushed red peppers, chili powder, lemon juice, lime juice and minced garlic. And of course boneless pork chops.

Trim the fat off the pork chops and then place in a Ziploc bag.

In a small bowl mix all of the ingredients (except the pork chops). I like to use a Tupperware dish so I can put the top on it and shake my ingredients together. I like things shaken not stirred. 

Pour the lemon-lime mixture over the pork chops and seal bag tightly.

Place pork chops in refrigerator for at least two hours. Remove and place on grill at medium to high temperature. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until slightly pink in the middle.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 to 6 boneless pork chops

Directions:

1. Trim fat off of the pork chops and place in a Ziploc bag.
2. Mix all of the other ingredients together and stir/shake.
3. Pour lemon-lime mixture to the pork chops and seal tightly.
4. Place in refridgerator for at least two hours.
5. Grill at medium to high heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until slightly pink in the middle.

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Meal Planning the College Student Way

I mention early in the month about in a post about Big-D and trying to eat out less. Thus far half way through the month we have been pretty good, except last week when I was really crazing Taco Bell (we will just keep that as our little secret though,okay?)

But I have ran out of things that are fun and easy to cook when its like bazillion degrees out. We only have a small window AC unit and to be honest if I have to cook anything on the stove or oven for more than like two minutes the house gets hot and fast. So I decided that I was going to try a little meal planning...yeah right, fail there too; I still call Big-D on his way home to stop at the grocery store and pick up what I need for dinner.

Here is how the college student in me does meal planning:

Monday:

• Breakfast: Cereal 
• Lunch: Peanut Butter Sandwich
• Dinner: Ramen noodles
• Meal that I eat at work: Chips from vendy machine & Raviolis

Tuesday:

• Breakfast: Cereal
• Lunch: Ramen noodles
• Dinner: Mac n' Cheese
• Meal that I eat at work: Something for the vendy machine & Raviolis

Wednesday:

• Breakfast: Cereal
• Lunch: Ramen noodles
• Dinner: Big-D call you mom find out what she is having for dinner and lets pretend like we love it so I don't have to figure out what to make for dinner tonight
• Meal that I eat at work: Something for the vendy machine & Raviolis

Thursday:

• Breakfast: Cereal
• Lunch: Ramen noodles
• Dinner: Goulash (because I can freeze it have leftover for a week)
• Meal that I eat at work: Leftover Goulash

Friday:

• Breakfast: Realize that I am out of milk or it has gone bad so I eat my cereal dry
• Lunch: Leftovers if I have any or Peanut Butter sandwich or Ramen noodles
• Dinner:Go to bar have them make me an amazing steak (true fact we go to the bar every week)

Saturday:

• Breakfast: Cereal or frozen waffles
• Lunch: Something for the vendy machine & Raviolis
• Dinner: BBQ

Sunday:

• Breakfast: Cereal or frozen waffles
• Lunch: Ramen noodles, Mac n' Cheese, whatever is in the cupboard
• Dinner: Pretend like I miss my mom and go over there at ear her food

I guess what I am asking here is how do all you busy people have time to meal plan, I've tried and failed. I mean I am busy as hell and usually forget to go grocery shopping once a week or even every other week. I go to the gas station to get milk (it's a 20 minute drive to go to the grocery store but the gas station is like 3 minutes away and I don't like driving all the way to the grocery store for milk.)

Please offer me some advice, I am perfectly fine eating Ramen noodles and Mac n' Cheese everyday but Big-D isn't in college anymore and doesn't like eating like it. Grrrr to marrying a man that has graduated college, how I envy him.

Over and out,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

PS: This post made me think of a really funny Ramen Noodle story that someday I shall share with you. as

Trying Something New

In the month of July we are going to try something new.

Since my life is quite chaotic at times, I don't always have time to make a good healthy meal or even eat at all. I know bad for me and all that but I do sometimes miss a meal due to I feel like sleep is more important at the time.

Anyways since I won't have any classes for the whole month of July and almost all of August, I have decided that we will only eat out once a week. That is it once a week no excuses. We out way to much right now because it is convenient or I have an hour between classes and I don't feel like cooking.

I have been looking at my recipes that I have and thinking since I am home virtually for all three meals of the day, I think I am going to get tired of leftovers relatively quickly.

So here is my question to all of my wonderful readers...what is your favorite recipe?

Over and out,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Ranch Dressing

Okay me and Ranch dressing are best friends. I put it on salads, dip vegetables in it, and sometimes I just stick my finger in it (I really love ranch dressing.) If I don't put Ranch on it that's because I put Ketchup on it. Yes I am one of those, nothing is safe on my plate.

I remember growing up my mom would tell my brother and I that we weren't allowed to put Ketchup on something because it was an expensive cut of beef. That only worked until we started raising cattle, then I would tell her that I raised it, I can put whatever I want on it.

Anyways back to Ranch dressing, I love the Hidden Valleys packets that you can buy at the grocery store and then mix it into mayonnaise and sour cream. But one day I was looking for something a little different and after I mixed a couple of different recipes together, I came up with one that I love and eat all the time.

The spices from left to right: salt, dried parsley (fresh can be used), dried chives (once again fresh can be used), dill weed, garlic powder and pepper.

In a mixing bowl add REAL mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice and sour cream, I do use the light version for both but real mayonnaise is need none of the Miracle Whip stuff. Then add all of the spices.

Mix everything all together and add a splash of milk (the more milk you add the thinner it will be). I make it so I can dip vegetables in it.

Place in some type of resealable container. I found these crazy cute containers at Meijers and fell in love with them. The only problem was I had no idea what I was going to use them for so I didn't end up buying them. When I started making this recipe I ran back to the store and bought them because I finally had a purpose for them.

Let cool in refrigerator for about an hour then enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of real mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup of sour cream
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1.5 teaspoon of dried chives (1 small bunch of fresh chives)
• 3 teaspoon of drive parsley (1 small bunch of fresh parsley)
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons for garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed
• Milk (as much as you choose)

Directions:

• Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil and lemon juice together.
• Then add spices (either one at a time or all at once).
• Add as much milk as you desired, the more milk added the thinner the dressing will become.
• Place dressing in some type of resealable container.
• Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Italian Dressing

This is just a simple Italian Dressing recipe.

I use Italian dressing quite often as a marinade. It use to be all I would eat on salads but I have since then fallen in love with Ranch dressing and no longer us Italian that much on salads.

From left to right: Salt, dried parsley, dried celery leaves, dried oregano leaves, onion powder, garlic powder, ground basil leaves, dried thyme leaves and pepper. Mix spices together add vinegar (whatever kind you want, I go back and forth between white and red wine) and olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons or garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 2 tablespoons of oregano
• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of ground basil
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried celery leaves

Directions:

• Mix all spices together in a resealable container
• When ready to make dressing add 2 tablespoons of dressing mix with 1/4 cup of vinegar of you choosing, 2 tablespoons of water and 1/2 to 2/3 cups of olive oil.

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

The Chicken Marinade

I know such an original name, hope I don't come up with another marinade for chicken because what am I going to call that...Chicken Marinade Junior or The Second.

Anyways, this is so amazing it's not even funny. It is really just a little bit of that a little bit of this.

From left to right: Dried oregano leaves, garlic powder, dried thyme leaves, ground mustard, dried rosemary leaves, salt and pepper. Mix all of the spices together add some red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Mix all of the spices, vinegar and olive oil together in a resealable containter
• Add chicken breast 
• Give the container a good shake or two
• Let marinade in the refrigerator over night
• Grill chicken until no longer pink in the middle

 Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

I LOVE shrimp.

I love it raw, I love it grilled, and I really think I'd love it anyway you could give it to me.

From left to right: lemon juice (you can use fresh but I'm lazy and don't like squeezing lemons), garlic (once again laziness, cloves would be excellent), cilantro leaves, crushed red peppers, thyme leaves, and parsley leaves. Oh and I left out the olive oil opps. Mix all together in a small bowl or bag, something that is resealable.
 

Add about twentyish shrimp, shake a little and place in the refrigerator for two to three hours. When ready place on place on grill.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (4 cloves if using cloves)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro leaves
• About 20 shrimp Enjoy,

Directions:

•  Mix all of the ingredients in a resealable container
• Add shrimp 
• Give container a good shake or two
• Mariniate in fridge for about 2 to 3 hours
• Grill

Enjoy,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Shish Kebabs

Is it kebabs or kabobs...does it really matter?

I like kebabs cause everyone I know says kabobs and I like to be different.

The thing that makes kebabs the best thing in the whole world if you are feeding more then one picky person (Big-D can be rather picky and I had friend over that is kind of picky as well) is that everyone got to make their own. Okay I made Big-D's lets be honest here. 

I am also very happy that I got the HUGE grill because we cooked a lot of food all at once. From left to right, red potatoes, corn on the cob and the shish kebabs in the really cool rack thingy that I got from Target. 

For the veggies I used green, yellow and orange peppers, a sweet onion and pineapple (I know that's not a vegetable.) For the meat I used sirloin streak marinated in Italian dressing, chicken marinated in what I will call the chicken marinade (I know I am so clever) and Lemon Garlic Shrimp.

The red potatoes were first boiled until a knife stuck in them smoothly, and then I cut them into eighths added about a half a stick of butter (cut up into chucks) and sprinkled with pepper and Accent. Then used some tin foil to steam the potatoes on the grill.

The corn on the cob was soaked in water for about 30 minutes before they were placed on the grill.

The skewers were stuffed with as much yumminess that we could possibly put on them and cooked until chicken (may concern) was fully cooked.

Stay tuned in for the next couple days I will post the marniades that I used for the steak, chicken and shrimp.

Over and out,
A Engineer in the Kitchen

Spicy Chicken Nachos

WARNING: These nachos are very spicy but so good.

Even after I told my dad a billion times that these were really really spicy he still decided to dive right on in and ate them relatively fast which resulted in him getting major heartburn.

First I must state that this recipe is a spin off of the Pioneer Woman's Beef Fajita Nachos.

Big-D loves these, I love these, and even the guys at work love them.

First I made the marinade for the chicken (while actually the first thing I did was to cut up the chicken). Using the a blender I mixed together some lime juice, garlic, chipolte peppers and canola oil.

Blend the ingredients together until combined.

Next using a plastic sandwich bag mix the marinade and the chicken together. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, the longer it marinates the better it will be.

Chop up the onion and peppers into nice bite sized pieces. 

Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and cover with scoops (make sure that the scoop part is up).

Cover the scoops with a nice layer of cheese and place in oven until the cheese is melted.

Next place onions and peppers in a frying pan and cook until slightly tender. 

Place the chicken into a frying pan and cook until no longer pink in the middle.

Once the onions and peppers are cooked, cover the scoops with the vegetables.

When the chicken is fully cooked evenly cover the scoops.

Look at how yummy!!!

Cover with some more cheese and place in oven until cheese is melted.

Yumminess (yep just made that word up)!

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breast
• 1 onion
• 2 bell peppers
• Tostito Scoops
• 4 Chipolte peppers from a can
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• Shredded cheese (2ish bags)

Directions:

• Cut the chicken, onion and bell peppers into bite size pieces.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Use a blender or food processor to mix the chipolte peppers, garlic, lime juice and canola oil (this is the marinade) blend until smooth.
• Place chicken and marinade in a baggie. Let marinade for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
• Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil, and cover with scoops and cheese. Place in oven until cheese is melted.
• Using a frying pan cook the onions and bell peppers until slightly tender.
• Evenly disperse the onions and peppers over the scoops.
• Using a frying pan cook the chicken until no longer pink in the middle.
• Evenly disperse the chicken over the scoops.
• Cover with some more cheese and place in oven until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!

Over and out,
A Engineer in the Kitchen