Blue Apron Meal #12: Flank Steak au Jus with Roasted Cauliflower, Pickled Baby Turnips & Watercress

Hi Folks! I made my third and last meal from this week’s Blue Apron delivery and it did not disappoint! For those of you who have followed along, you know that I was in search of an easy (and affordable) was to get out of my recipe rut and a friend of mine suggested Blue Apron. This is not a sponsored post – I am simply sharing my kitchen adventures (and their yummy recipes) with you for giggles in the hopes you find them helpful. And because I need a hobby other than wine.

On the menu: Flank Steak au Jus with Roasted Dijon Cauliflower, Pickled Baby Turnips & Watercress

Let’s see how it went! I preheated the oven to roast the cauliflower and got to prepping. I peeled and quartered the turnips, peeled and minced the garlic, chopped the tarragon leaves, quartered the lemon and cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.

Next I pickled the turnips by boiling the smashed garlic, sugar and a cup of water with some pepper and a big pinch of kosher salt. I placed the quartered turnips in a bowl with the red wine vinegar and then poured the pickling liquid over them and set it aside.

I got the cauliflower ready for roasting by drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper and then popped it in the oven. Meanwhile I made the sauce for the roasted cauliflower by whisking together the Dijon mustard, tarragon, juice of two lemon wedges, salt and pepper and olive oil. Once the cauliflower was nice and roasted, I let it cool for a few minutes and then coated it with the sauce. Yum!

Next I seared the steak and made the jus. These steps weren’t all that pretty so I failed to take pics. It was super easy though and smelled yummy. Finally, I made a quick watercress salad and mixed in some of the pickled turnips, sliced up some steak once it had rested for a bit, topped with the Jus and dinner was on!

I will say that the steak was a little pinker than I would normally make it, but it was heavenly and actually just right. It would have been tough if I had cooked it any longer. All of the flavors worked together beautifully – the peppery watercress with the pickled turnips were nice and fresh, the roasted cauliflower with the tang of the dijon was fantastic, and the steak au Jus. Yum. Just yum.

Portion wise, this meal was a steal – resulting in 4 generous servings at only $5 each! Well done once again Blue Apron! Well done.

I am not sure what fun and exciting recipes will be in my next Blue Apron delivery, which should arrive on Thursday. I do know it will be 3 of these 6 possibilities! I am hoping for the steak tacos, chicken sliders and corn & pea fritters but they all look yummy! Stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes.

Cheers!

Gwen

Blue Apron Meal #11: Chicken Spring Ramen

Hey everybody! I reached the end of week 4 in my Blue Apron experiment and this week’s recipes did not disappoint!

Overall, I am still super happy with the service and have no plans to stop receiving shipments! I did change my schedule to every-other-week for a bit, just to give myself a break from cooking and maybe eat a frozen pizza. Don’t judge.

On the menu today: Chicken Tsukune Spring Ramen

I must say, I was really excited to make this one. Nothing like the comfort of a yummy noodle bowl! The ingredients were nice and fresh and pretty, prep was super easy. I minced the garlic and the ginger, cleaned and quartered the spinach, sliced the scallions, zested and quartered the lemon and cleaned and sliced up the mushrooms.

Next, I added the panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to the ground chicken and made the meatballs. Tip on this step – keep the chicken nice and cold just up until you are ready to make the meatballs, then make them quickly with wet hands to avoid a gooey, chickeny mess.

I heated a few teaspoons of oil in a large pot and sautéed the meatballs.

Once the meatballs browned I transferred them to a warm plate while I made the broth. I added ginger, garlic and white parts of the scallions to the pot with the chicken drippings and cooked them until soft and fragrant.

Next I added in the chicken demi-glace, soy sauce, lemon zest, juice of three lemon wedges and the mushrooms and quickly followed with 4 cups of water to make the broth. I added in about a teaspoon of sesame oil to add a little more flavor. As the broth boiled and then simmered, I cooked the fresh ramen noodles in a small pot of salted water.

I tossed the spinach with the juice from remaining lemon wedges with some salt and pepper in a medium bowl, then it was time to serve it up! I added some drained noodles to the bowl, then covered them in broth, meatballs, some of the dressed spinach, sesame seeds and the green parts of the scallions.

So pretty! And so yummy! This dish was phenomenal – so light and fresh, yet so full of flavor. And I must say that it was even better as leftovers on day two!  I will definitely be making this again.

College ramen all grown up! This was another success and a recipe I wouldn’t have likely tried on my own. Thank you Blue Apron!

Next up on the menu: Flank Steak au Jus with Roasted Cauliflower, Pickled Baby Turnips and Watercress

Stay tuned. I will let you know how it goes! And just a reminder, I am in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Blue Apron. I am just a fan of their service and want to share my kitchen adventures (good or otherwise) with you all. Thanks for joining me!

Cheers!

Gwen

 

Blue Apron Meal #10: Mixed Mushroom Toasts with Lemon-Basil Mayo & Tomato Salad

Hey there folks! So I am now in week 4 of my Blue Apron Experiment and am absolutely loving it!

The quality of the ingredients has been excellent overall (and in the case of the pork-gone-bad, their customer service refunded the cost of the entire meal immediately), the recipes have been simple and easy to follow and the value of the meals has been great with most making 3-4 portions versus only 2 as they claim.

There has not been a recipe I haven’t liked, and most I have absolutely loved.  The Pan-Fried Orange Shrimp from Meal #1 started this whole adventure with a bang and the potatoes in Meal #2 were just heavenly. The Fresh Beet Pasta is still my favorite so far, followed by the delicious summery comfort of the Fresh Gnocchi with Baby Zucchini and Brown Butter Sauce. The most adventurous recipe so far, Mushroom Steam Buns with Miso Butter & Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Salad, turned out to be absolutely wonderful!

Friday’s meal was no exception! After another painful week in corporate zombie-land (this one was particularly painful and zombie-like with the news of my company being acquired – eek), I was in need of some serious unwinding and some yummy comfort food. Deep sigh. Cue vino.

On the menu: Mixed Mushroom Toasts with Lemon-Basil Mayo & Bibb Lettuce and Tomato Salad

I was so excited to try this out. The prep was simple, bright and colorful! I chopped up all the pretty mushrooms, diced the shallot, picked the basil and thyme of their stems and chopped them up, separated the lettuce leaves, zested the lemon and quartered it, cut the gorgeous fresh tomato into wedges and sliced a piece of bread from the soft pullman loaf.

I got the tomatoes marinating in the red wine vinegar, half the shallot, some olive oil and salt and pepper.  I made the lemon-basil mayo with the garlic paste, lemon zest, basil, juice of two lemons and some salt and pepper. I sautéed the mushrooms with the thyme and remaining shallot then set them aside to toast the slice of bread in all the yummy goodness that was left over from the mushrooms.

My Friday zombie brain resulted in my forgetting to take pics of the middle steps. Oops.

I plated up a nice simple salad with a few bibb lettuce leaves and some of the marinated tomatoes. I took the perfectly toasted slice of bread, layered on the yummy lemon-basil and garlic mayo and then on went the gorgeous mushrooms!

Friday night comfort was served!

I must say, this meal was superb! So simple, yet so yummy and full of big flavors. Well done Blue Apron! You continue to surprise me and keep me out of my recipe rut! This recipe resulted in at least 4 generous portions (and a perfect Saturday brunch meal) with more still in the fridge calling to me! So overall a super deal at $5 a meal!

I cannot wait to finish all the yummy leftovers so I can try out the next recipes on this week’s menu:

• Chicken Tsukune Spring Ramen
• Flank Steak au Jus with Roasted Dijon Cauliflower, Pickled Baby Turnips & Watercress

Stay tuned to see how it goes!

Cheers!

 

Blue Apron Meal #9: Shaved Fennel & Pecorino Salad with Lollo Rosso & Farro

Hey folks! Week 3 of my Blue Apron experiment continues with a nice summer salad.

I know I have told you this in the past, but I want to remind you dear readers that I am in no way sponsored to review my Blue Apron experiences, I am doing so solely to share in my recipe adventures and to expand my hobbies beyond wine. Pinky-swear promise.

On Thursday night’s menu: Shaved Fennel & Pecorino Salad with Lollo Rosso, Farro & Lemon Vinaigrette.

How beautiful are these ingredients?

Prep was super easy and pretty. I started by cooking up the farro in a medium pot of salted water. I rough chopped the Lollo Rosso (a gorgeous Italian lettuce that I sure hope I can find locally) and the watercress. I quartered the lemon and thinly sliced up the fennel and put it in a little bath of ice water with some lemon juice to keep it from browning. I chopped up the parsley and diced the shallot and halved the gorgeous heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Once the farro was all cooked, I drained it and put it in the fridge to cool. I toasted the yummy sunflower seeds and set them aside.

Next I made the simple (but absolutely lovely) vinaigrette by combining the honey, shallot and juice of three lemon wedges. I whisked in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and had a taste. While it was yummy as-is, I decided to deviate from the recipe slightly and add in a few tablespoons of champagne vinegar. Yum! I set the dressing aside and lightly toasted the sunflower seeds.

It was time to assemble the salad. I drained the fennel and mixed it along with the greens, the parsley, tomatoes, sunflower seeds and farro (note that I only used half of the cooked farro in the salad to lighten it up a little), then I tossed it all in the yummy vinaigrette with a little salt and pepper. Easy peasy. And so pretty.

I topped my salad with some gorgeous shaved ribbons of pecorino romano and dinner was served!

This salad was really tasty and surprisingly hearty with a robust mix of flavors. The Lollo Rosso was slightly bitter, balanced by the earthy farro and complimented by the lovely crisp fennel, peppery watercress, sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes, tangy vinaigrette and the perfect nutty saltiness of the sunflower seeds and silky ribbons of pecorino romano. This recipe made 4 generous portions and actually kept really well – I enjoyed leftovers for lunch in zombie-land two days in a row!

Well done Blue Apron, well done! You continue to surprise me!

Next up on the menu:

• Mixed mushroom toasts with Lemon-Basil Mayo and Tomato Salad.

Looks yummy! Stay tuned to find out how it goes!

Cheers!

 

 

Blue Apron Meal #8: Mushroom Steam Buns with Miso Butter & Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Salad

Howdy folks! Week 3 of my Blue Apron experiment continued with a very different and exciting recipe! I must say, I am loving all the new foods and techniques I am trying thanks to this service – not to mention all the yummy leftovers!

On the menu: King Trumpet Mushroom Steam Buns with Miso Butter & Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Salad

Let’s see how it went! Or not.

Well dear readers, turns out I was so excited to try this new recipe that I completely forgot to take pics while it was in the works. Oops. I did snap one at the end, so you do get to see how it all turned out, but I will only be able to tell you how things went down. You can check out professional step-by-step pictures here. Whew, thanks for saving me Blue Apron!

Prepping was super easy. I peeled and chopped the gorgeous purple sweet potato (sure hope I can find these locally), diced the mushrooms, sliced the scallions, chopped up the thai basil, then zested and quartered the lime.  I am bummed I don’t have pictures to share – it was all so colorful and pretty.

I cooked the potatoes and then let them hang out in the fridge to cool. Next I made the miso butter, which was a simple combo of butter, miso paste, lime zest and a little water.

I sautéed the diced mushrooms and then added in the white parts of the scallions and a sauce of cornstarch, soy sauce and water.

Then I made the MOST DELICIOUS POTATO SALAD I have ever eaten. Seriously folks, you have to try this at home. It was simply amazing! Once the gorgeous purple potatoes were nice and cool, I added in the sesame oil, mayo, rice vinegar, green parts of the scallions and the juice from two lime wedges. I seasoned it with some salt and pepper and tried not to gobble it all down immediately.

Finally I steamed up some of the most deliciously sweet and yummy chinese buns and dinner was served!

This meal was simply amazing. It was something I never would have made on my own, was super easy, but had the most remarkable combination of flavors and textures. The steam buns were light but super rich and sweet. The miso butter was just heavenly for dipping. And that potato salad. Yum. Like I said, make it now! You will not be disappointed.

The recipe made 3+ really generous portions so for $20 total the meal was a steal. This is now my third favorite Blue Apron experiment, surpassed only by the incredible fresh beet pasta and the sinfully delicious fresh gnocchi with brown butter sauce.

Next up on the menu, a nice summery salad:

• Shaved Fennel & Pecorino Salad with Lollo Rosso, Farro & Lemon Vinaigrette

Stay tuned! I will let you know how it goes.

Cheers!

Blue Apron Meal #7: Seared Pork Medallions with Rhubarb Chutney & Sauteed Freekah

Hey folks! Hope you have all had a good week. Sunday here and time to get you caught up on week 3 of my Blue Apron experiment. So far, each week has been an adventure in new recipes and ingredients and the service has been great. This week was of only one exception (which I will tell ya about shortly) but in the end I am still really happy with my Blue Apron experience!

On the menu: Seared Pork Medallions with Rhubarb Chutney & Sauteed Freekah. And drumroll… we finally get to learn what the heck freekah is! Let’s see how it went…

Six meals into my experiment with Blue Apron deliveries and this was the first quality issue I encountered. Boo. As I started to open the pork tenderloin medallions I noticed that the color of the meat was funky and found there were itty bitty holes in the packaging. But fear not, folks, the meal continued!

And bravo to Blue Apron for excellent customer service! I sent a message about the pork and they responded almost immediately, crediting me $20 for the entire meal!

So, after a quick trip to the shop to pick up some center-cut chops (no tenderloin to be found). I was back at it in the kitchen.

Vino was poured. Duh.

Prep was quick and colorful. I started by cooking the freekah, which dear readers turns out to be a middle-eastern super grain from roasted green wheat. It cooks up just like quinoa. Next, I started the rhubarb chutney with the ginger, honey, lemon zest and some lemon juice. It smelled fabulous!

And while it started out pretty… the chutney was a fail. The flavor was great, but the texture not so much. Lesson learned – I should have peeled the tough strings off the rhubarb before cooking. Fortunately, I had some applesauce in the pantry to I added some lemon juice and a little ginger to it and it did the trick!

Next, I seared up the pork chops. I forgot to take a pic of them cooking, so just go with me here folks. Pork chops, pan, a little olive oil and some salt & pepper. Easy peasy.

Next, I toasted up the chopped almonds in the reserved pork drippings, added in the asparagus and sautéed them for a few minutes, then added in the currants, cooked freekah and thyme. Note that I only used half of the thyme called for in the recipe since it is a potent little herb, and it was still a little more than I would have liked.

Dinner was served! And I must say, it was pretty yum! Pork and chutney hiccups aside, the flavors were great and the meal was super-duper easy to make. Since I got a full credit from Blue Apron, the meal resulted in 3 good-sized portions for the price of a few pork chops. Not bad!

So, another yummy meal thanks to Blue Apron. This one wasn’t as exciting as some of the recent recipes, but will be a good go-to when I get a hankering for pork chops.

Next up from this week’s menu:

• Mushroom Steam Buns with Miso Butter & Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Salad
• Shaved Fennel & Pecorino Salad with Lollo Rosso & Lemon Vinaigrette

And in the next box:

• Mixed Mushroom Toasts with Lemon-Basil Mayo and Tomato Salad
• Chicken Tsukune Spring Ramen
• Flank Steak au Jus with Roasted Dijon Cauliflower, Pickled Baby Turnips & Watercress

I must say I am pretty excited about this week’s recipes! Stay tuned to see how it goes.

Cheers!

Blue Apron Meal #6: Fresh Gnocchi & Baby Zucchini with Crispy Squash Blossoms & Lemon Brown Butter

Hi there! Well, week two of my Blue Apron experiment has come to an end and even with Chicken War Z that went down on Wednesday night, so far I am very impressed with the quality of their delivery service, the food and the easy recipes.

On the menu Friday night: Fresh Gnocchi & Baby Zucchini with Crispy Squash Blossoms and Lemon Brown Butter. But I must confess. Pork Medallions with Rhubard Chutney and Sauteed Freekah was actually next in the recipe lineup, but once I saw the gnocchi in my latest delivery… I was powerless. I was super excited to make this – so let’s see how it went…

Vino was poured.

Deep sigh. It was a brutally long work week. But hooray! I survived and my boss is on vacation for the next three weeks. Whew.

Prepping was super easy and quick. I started the salted water for the gnocchi, quartered the baby zucchini, zested and quartered the lemon, de-stemmed the squash blossoms and rough-chopped two of them.

I made the rice flour batter and heated the oil for the squash blossoms. I battered and quickly fried them up, then transferred them to a paper towel-lined plate and salted them immediately. Yum, they looked so pretty and tasty… I forgot to snap a pic! Next I made the brown butter sauce and added in the chopped squash blossom, lemon zest, zucchini, salt and pepper and the juice of 2 lemon wedges. As the zucchini was softening up, I cooked the gnocchi just until they started to float in the boiling water. (Important thing to remember – keep your gnocchi in the fridge right up until you are ready to plop it into the water so it doesn’t soften into a doughy mess!)

I added the cooked gnocchi to the zucchini and brown butter and reserved a cup of the pasta water for the sauce.

So easy, and so pretty. And I must say it smelled like heaven. Thank you Blue Apron for teaching me just how simple and fabulous brown butter sauces are! Just a bit of butter goes a long way. I added nearly all the Pecorino cheese, saving just a little for garnish, 1/2 cup of the reserved water in 1/4 cup increments and then it was ready to top with a crispy squash blossom and a splash of lemon and dig in! I was so excited!

And this meal did not disappoint! The crispy, salted squash blossom was just divine. But the little pillows of heaven, tossed with the slightly-softened baby zucchini, and THAT SAUCE… no words. Simply heaven in a bowl.

This was just what I needed to end my week and ring in the weekend. I was both bummed and relieved that it didn’t make more than 2-3 portions. I may have eaten it all in one sitting it was so yum. Well done Blue Apron, well done!

This is now second to the amazing beet pasta from last week! It was super-duper easy, but resulted in a serious restaurant quality meal. Another great option for summer comfort food!

Next up on the menu:

• Seared Pork Medallions with Rhubarb Chutney and Sauteed Freekah (nope, still not clue what that is)
• Shaved Fennel & Pecorino Salad with Lollo Rosso, Farro & Lemon
• Mushroom Steam Buns with Miso Butter & Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Salad

Fingers crossed that the Blue Apron experiment continues to deliver! Stay tuned.

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

Blue Apron Meal #5: Lemon-Parsley Chicken Thighs with Squash & Zucchini Salad and Red Quinoa

Hey there folks! Week two in the Blue Apron experiment continues! The week was a little nutty on the work-front, so I am just now getting caught up on telling you about this week’s recipes.

On Wednesday night’s menu: Lemon-Parsley Chicken Thighs with Squash & Zucchini Salad and Red Quinoa

The ingredients were all nice and fresh. The chicken was well-packaged and vacuum sealed. But folks, I must tell you. I am very picky about my chicken. White meat. No bones. No questions. So, needless to say I was a little skeptical about making bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. But as you dear readers know, this Blue Apron experiment is all about getting out of my recipe rut and trying new things.

Prepping was easy. And colorful! I got a pot of salted water boiling for the quinoa, picked the parsley, mint and basil from their stems and chopped them up. Peeled and minced some garlic. Zested the lemon then quartered and de-seeded it. I sliced up the squash and zucchini, cleaned and dried the chicken, then seasoned it with the lemon zest, parsley and half the garlic, salt & pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

While the quinoa cooked, I lightly toasted the pine nuts then set them aside. And this is when things got a little crazy…

Translated = Thank the kitchen gadget gods and all things Holy for my grease splatter screen!! Yikes. As the chicken violently splattered away, I made the most beautiful squash and zucchini salad – tossed with the mint, toasted pine nuts, half the feta cheese, salt & pepper and juice of 2 lemon wedges. Because of Chicken War Z, I forgot to snap a pic of the salad. Sorry folks – it was a matter of life and death.

Once the chicken was cooked (and nearly every surface of my kitchen and Syd the Cat were thoroughly coated in grease), I toasted the cooked quinoa in some of the reserved chicken drippings and added the basil, remaining garlic and finished it with juice from the remaining lemon wedges.

The dish was served. And was particularly pretty, given the greasy chaos of the cooking process. Whew!

Well folks. Being the chicken purist I am, I will say that this dish was a little richer than I would normally make or eat. But it was sinfully delicious. Seriously. The chicken was so full of flavor from the lemon, garlic and herbs. Pure comfort food with the nutty basil and garlic quinoa. The salad balanced it all out perfectly and was superb with the toasted pine nuts and yummy salty feta. This recipe resulted in at least 4 portions (even more of the salad) so for $20 total, $5 a meal, it was a bargain!

I will make this recipe again for sure, but will likely trade out the thighs for boneless, skinless breasts and I will likely grill them to lighten it up a bit and avoid another grease fest. But all things considered, this was a success! Well done Blue Apron! Five meals in and you haven’t disappointed!

Next on the menu: Fresh Gnocchi & Baby Zucchini with Crispy Squash Blossoms & Lemon Brown Butter

I am so excited about this one! Stay tuned…

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

Blue Apron Meal #4: Fresh Beet Pasta with Swish Chard, Goat Cheese & Walnuts

Hey everyone! Two weeks into my Blue Apron adventure and I am still loving it. This recipe was no exception and I am excited to share it with you! I also thought this might be a good time to tell you that I am in no way sponsored to write about Blue Apron – I am doing so just to share my journey with you, let you know my thoughts on their service and how the recipes turn out. I hope you enjoy.

On this week’s menu: Fresh Beet Pasta with Swish Chard, Goat Cheese and Walnuts. I was so excited about this recipe as soon as I saw it in my box! Let’s see how it turned out…

Vino. Check.

Prep. Check.

The prep took a little time. Lots of peeling and chopping, but it was all really easy. BE WARNED! If you have never cooked with fresh beets you must know they will stain EVERYTHING they come in contact with bright pink – hands and all! It is worth it though – they are so yum.

Fresh Red Beet Linguini. I sure hope I will be able to find this locally!

The cooking was simple. And pretty.

This was so much fun (and so easy) to make – gorgeous colors and it smelled incredible. I toasted up the walnuts and set them aside. Then sautéed the beets, onion and garlic with some salt and pepper, added in the diced chard stems, the gorgeous chopped leaves and lemon zest. Then in went the pasta! I finished it all with 1 cup of the pretty pink pasta water, a little butter, the juice from two lemon wedges and 1/2 of the toasted walnuts.

The final product! Topped with yummy goat cheese, more toasted walnuts and the rest of the fresh lemon juice.

Folks, hear me now. Seriously, listen up… if you love beets and swiss shard and struggle to find good summer comfort food, then YOU MUST TRY THIS DISH! It was heavenly. Honestly one of the best meals I have ever made, and probably one of the most amazing I have ever tasted! The recipe made 4 generous portions, so for what ended up to 5 bucks a meal it was an absolute steal!

I don’t know about you all, but there is something about making myself a nice meal with a glass of vino or two that just helps the nonsense of a day at the office melt away. This dish was a wonderful surprise and one I will make again often. Yum!

Next up on the menu:

• Lemon-Parsley Chicken Thighs with Squash & Zucchini Salad and Red Quinoa
• Seared Pork Medallions with Rhubarb Chutney and Sauteed Freekah (Seriously no freekah clue what that is, but this is all about the journey folks. Stay with me.)

Cheers!

 

 

Blue Apron Meal #3: Ratatouille-Filled Zucchini

Hey Folks! I made the third and last meal from my very first Blue Apron delivery last night. If you aren’t familiar with Blue Apron, you can check out details about the service and my first box in one of my first posts.

On last night’s menu: Ratatouille-Filled Zucchini with Tomato & Basil Quinoa (a recipe AND a spelling challenge!)

So far, I must say I have been pleasantly surprised by my first Blue Apron experience. Meal #1 was super yummy Orange Shrimp and Meal #2 was equally yummy Lemon Thyme Turkey Cutlets. I wasn’t quite as excited about  recipe #3 since I don’t typically cook vegetarian dishes, but this whole experiment is all about getting me out of my recipe rut and trying new things, so let’s see how last night went down…

Vino was poured.

All of the ingredients were perfectly packaged and still fresh after delivery over a week ago! The eggplant and the pepper were JUST starting to get a little pruny, but since both were soon to be rat-tat-touilled it was fine.

The recipe was very easy to follow and the prep was really simple.

I consider myself and Intermediate cook and would rate this recipe as Easy. The Ratatouille smelled absolutely divine while cooking. The red wine vinegar and red pepper flakes really made the flavors pop.

It took about 10 mins more than the recipe called for to get the zucchini boats to roast up right – so the goat cheese and bread crumbs were nice and bubbly-browned. The quinoa with tomatoes and basil was a little blah, so I added a few splashes of my favorite fig-balsamic vinegar and more salt, which did the trick and gave it a little more oomph! Here is how it all came together:

I must say, this meal was absolutely YUM! I was very pleasantly surprised (and surprisingly full) after this veggie experiment. The $20 meal resulted in 4 very generous portions versus the 2 it claims, so overall a pretty good deal. And a totally unexpected addition to my recipe box!

Since week #1 of Blue Apron was a success, and fun, I kept my weekly delivery schedule and received Box #2 Friday. On the menu this week:

• Seared Pork Medallions with Rhubard Chutney and Sautéed Freekah (nope, I don’t know what that is either)
• Fresh Beet Pasta with Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Walnuts
• Lemon-Parsley Chicken Thighs with Squash & Zucchini Salad and Red Quinoa

I will keep you posted!

Cheers!