Blue Apron: Part 4

Chicken & Sage Biscuit Pot Pie

• I used half the sage, and I'm glad because the flavor was strong enough. I almost wish I used a little bit less, actually.
• Okay the biscuits were DELICIOUS. The bottom half soaks up the delicious pot pie juices, and the top half is perfectly crisp and toasted - this is an amazing idea.
• I wasn't a HUGE fan of the turnip - I would use potato next time, and leave out the carrot too. 
• The chicken and the sauce were very tasty! 

Mexican Spiced Salmon With Black Rice, Avocado & Orange Salad

• This one was okay. There was not enough spice rub for the salmon, I felt. The black rice was certainly interesting, but nothing special.
• I knew from experience that I would not like sliced oranges to be in my savory salad, so I sliced them and served them as a side.
• I left out the shallot vinaigrette as always, and just added olive oil to finish the dish.
• I'm glad I bought an avocado on my own a few days before, because the avocado that came in this box was way too green.

Seared Chicken & Mashed Potatoes With Maple-Glazed Carrots & Pan Sauce

• This one was tasty, although the pan sauce was lacking some flavor.
• The maple-glazed carrots surprised me with how much I enjoyed them, they were much softened and had great flavor from the maple syrup and melted butter. 

Spicy Orange Chicken Wings With Shiitake-Sesame Rice

• I never eat chicken wings, and I was surprised by how much I liked these. The spicy orange sauce was delicious, and caramelized the chicken meat.
• The shiitake mushrooms were a little rubbery, so I picked them out of the rice. I would substitute something a little crunchy, like corn with the rice, next time. 

Steak Tacos & Mole Verde With Radishes & Avocado

• These were very delicious! The mole verde sauce made with tomatillos was outstanding, and I would love to make it again.
• I don't eat radishes, so I left it out, but the mole verde, combined with the fresh avocados, meant that the dish needed no other flavors.

Blue Apron: Part 3

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Endive & Blue Cheese Salad

• I don't eat blue cheese, so I put the crumbles aside in a little dish for hubby to scatter over his sandwiches.
• This could've used more hot sauce - the teeny amount provided was barely enough.
• I was a little wary of this one because I had never cooked with chicken thighs before, always breasts, but I was pleasantly surprised by how meaty and flavorful this was.

Juicy Lucy Burgers With Frizzled Onion & Romaine Walnut Salad

• This dish instantly became one of my favorites. Inside the burger is melty cheddar cheese, and the salad looks elegant with its carrot ribbons! 
• I chose to make the frizzled onion apart and hubs ate it atop his burger.
• The burger was moist and flavorful, and tasted great with the simple salad as an accompaniment. 

Korean Tteok & Spicy Pork Ragu with Baby Bok Choy

• Delicious! Another favorite.
• Those chewy, yummy rice cakes were a new ingredient for us and I really liked them!
• The ground pork was spicy and very flavorful.
• Overall a winner!

Seared Salmon & Salsa Verde With Orange, Spinach & Farro Salad

• This one was disappointing. I did not like the salsa verde at all - the spicy bite of the raw garlic was so overpowering, I scraped mine off my salmon.
• The spinach and farro were delicious together, but I could've had it without the orange. The orange flavor was confusing, and I would definitely leave it out last time.
• In my last poll, I was extolling the virtues of quinoa, and now I must add my love for farro. I am really discovering some wonderful new grains!

Blue Apron: Part 2

In my last post, I reviewed the Blue Apron service after receiving our first week's worth of meals. Since then, we've had two more weeks and there were some definite winners in those boxes.

Since Blue Apron deliveries won't last forever in my household, I am going to start keeping track of what I did not like about the recipes, and suggested modifications for my future grocery shopping and meal planning.

Spiced Catfish & Poblano-Cheddar Grits with Stewed Collard Greens

Notes & Modifications:

• The poblano pepper didn't do anything for me - I would not include it in the future.
• The grits were great, and it was the first time either of us had cooked them. The only issue was the tiny chunk of cheddar cheese and butter that was included to add to the grits - the grits had zero flavor! Next time, I will add massive quantities of butter, cheese, and milk - I know they will be delicious!
• I had not eaten collard greens prior to Blue Apron, and I think we've had them come as part of three separate meals by now! Mike has discovered that he really enjoys them, so I will be sure to add them to our veggie repertoire. 

Ribeye Steak with Mushroom & Potato Hash

Notes & Modifications:

• This was another meal which worried me in terms of portion sizing, once I looked at the (raw) ingredients. ONE russet potato?! But somehow it worked! The potato hash, with sauteed mushrooms and rosemary, was delicious! 
• The steak was good too, but a bit chewy. I think Mike and I generally go for a better cut of steak anyways.

Chicken & Garlic Chive Meatballs with Quick Apple & Brussels Sprout Kimchi

Notes & Modifications:

• I was so intrigued about this one. I know that kimchi is a spicy Korean type of coleslaw from extensive Food Network watching - I have certainly never tried it before. I was blown away by how much I liked the granny smith apple, marinated in sesame oil and kimchi spicy blend. I didn't care for the Brussels sprouts, but I would absolutely make this again, with the same tart granny smith apple, and substituting butter or romaine lettuce for the Brussels sprouts.
• The meatballs were very hard to make, shape-wise. Ground chicken is SO sticky! These were good, although I don't think I would make them again.

Chicken & Udon Noodle Soup with Napa Cabbage & Dried Lime

Notes & Modifications:

• This one became one of my favorites! I definitely prefer the soups/stews side to Blue Apron, mainly because portion-wise, they work out pretty great and provide 4-6 portions.
• The soup is very flavorful - but I did substitute a can of chicken broth for some of the water called for to make the soup.
• The fresh udon noodles were thick and delicious! I can't speak for how much flavor the dried lime (such an odd looking thing) imparted on the soup, but perhaps it lent a more subtle flavor. 

Seared Cod & Date Vinaigrette with Browned Butter, Quinoa & Spinach Salad

Notes & Modifications:

• After one bite, Mike professed this dish to be his favorite thus far. I was less than convinced.
• The cod was absolutely delicious - I inhaled my portion in a few bites. The quality of the fish was perfect!
• I enjoyed the red quinoa, baby spinach, almond, and date salad under the cod - but I did not like the diced radish or minced shallot. I would leave both out next time, and make a more simpler vinaigrette of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and the diced dates. 
• It was so interesting to cook the radish and almonds in brown butter - I had never made brown butter before but it was very easy, and the house was perfumed with it's sweet, nutty scent for hours after. I would definitely make that again, to sautee almonds and possibly the spinach next time. 
• As a side note, I am learning about so many other types of grains through this program. With the kale/meatball stew from the first box, we ate faro, and now red quinoa. I really like learning about these healthy grains that are so packed with protein. 

Blue Apron: Part 1

Ever since I went back to work after maternity leave, it has been tricky trying to find my groove in terms of food shopping and making dinner during the week. My mom and my mother-in-law watch our daughter during the week, and we've fallen into the very easy habit of eating dinner at their respective houses during the week. Although easy, and incredibly kind of both moms to cook dinner the days that they also watch the baby, it was not fair on them, and quite frankly, I think Mike and I both missed spending any sort of real time at home.

So after weeks (and weeks) of trying to get into a habit of weekly grocery shopping and making dinner at home (and failing), my husband came up with a great idea: Blue Apron.

The concept is simple, $60 per week, and you receive three meals (in ingredient form) right to your door. This is very convenient for several reasons. I LOVE to cook, but I do not enjoy trying to figure out what to make, and then figuring out when I will go grocery shopping. Since I struggle mostly with being creative and figuring out what to make (Pinterest never helps!), the idea that someone has ALREADY figured it out, and sent me all the ingredients necessary (even if one of those ingredients is a tablespoon of butter!) is wonderful. For a busy mom like me, this is a dream.

I've read several Blue Apron reviews on other food bloggers, and a common complaint is the cost. My husband and I are used to very high quality food, whether we're talking about fish, meat, or fresh produce, so the idea of paying $60 for three meals for two, which can be broken down to about $10 per person, is absolutely normal. We eat out once a week, and typically go to nice, high-end restaurants where we know the food and wine is of high quality, so this price does work for us.

The recipes come in gorgeous, color-printed cards that I am keeping all together in a binder for future recipe. Easy step-by-step instructions (with further, more detailed instructional videos available on their website if needed) provide ease of mind for those unfamiliar with uncomfortable with food prep or cooking, in general (though not our case).

Another issue many people have with the service is the portion size. I eat like a bird, but my husband, the red-blooded Italian, is used to making four side dishes to accompany two proteins when cooking dinner for just the two of us. Accordingly, he is capable of ordering several appetizers to accompany his one (sometimes two!) entrees when we dine out. So, having said all that, I did have a slight panic attack when I opened the first Blue Apron box and discovered a 10 oz packet of ground beef for a meatball stew. I wouldn't buy less than 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef if I were to make meatballs for the two of us! However, this recipe proved me wrong. Perhaps because it was a stew, but this dish made enough for our dinner (including Mike's second and third helpings) as well as my lunch for work the next day.

Not all meals are the same ... the next night, we had half a roasted chicken served over collard greens. The collard greens cooked down to a laughably tiny portion, better suited for one person only. The half chicken, since it was not a breast, had very little meat, and was absolutely not enough for even one person. I steamed a bag of frozen corn to accompany the meal, because without it, the platter seemed tiny! This recipe was not my favorite, although I was impressed with my cooking of the chicken - this was the one step that made me nervous all week, as I typically only cook chicken breasts. I was terrified of undercooking the meat, but it came out great, with a nice crust from browning the skin in a skillet first.

That's another benefit that I've found by using this service. It pushes (forces me, actually) to make dishes that I never would otherwise. I would never have roasted half a chicken, or made kimchi (this is an upcoming receipt from the box we just received last night). I love that pretty much anything can come in the boxes (the only item I checked to NOT receive was lamb), and I will have to make it. It makes it fun for me, to have the decision-making process removed.

And now for the good part ... the finished products!

First Night - Salmon Bucatini

Second Night - Italian Meatball Soup

Third Night - Spice Roasted Chicken With Collard Greens