There was a time as a young woman that I liked to cook. Then I married a finicky eater who didn't eat fish or poultry of any kind, which narrowed the recipe choices. Along came children who brought their own set of dislikes: little noses turned up and lips sealed shut for mushrooms, peas and pasta to name a few. How did I -- who eats most anything -- end up with such a food-fussy family? At one point I decided I really hated to cook.
Now the children are grown, and my sweetheart has passed away, so there's just me and I can eat whatever I want. I've been trying new recipes on a hit-or-miss basis. I had heard about Blue Apron, and after checking out their website, I ordered a discounted trial box. Here's what came:
I got the box that offers 3 meals for 2 people, which for me is 6 meals. There was an accompanying note that they were unable to obtain a good quality oregano for one of the recipes, so they substituted basil, which was also fine. All of the ingredients were fresh, and the little finishing ingredients are grouped together in a small paper bag labeled "knick knacks", along with nutrition info. Every ingredient is pre-measured, individually packaged and labeled.
One problem off the giddyup -- the recipe I was most looking forward to was a salmon dish, except that the salmon was nowhere in the box! Also missing were 3 cloves of garlic (which I always have on hand anyway). And there was a mysterious cucumber included which didn't go with any recipe. I immediately called and they were most apologetic and although they couldn't ship the salmon, they did credit me the price of the entire meal since it was missing the main ingredient.
There is a lot to like here. First of all, all of the meals were delicious. I bought my own salmon so I could complete that meal. It was accompanied by a yummy mixture of freekah (ever heard of that?), spinach, peppers, olives, dates, lemon and almonds. Yesterday's chicken in mustard sauce with a side of roasted potatoes and onions was quite good; and the previous day's grilled cheddar cheese with a filling of peppers and olives was delish, accompanied by butter lettuce and cherry tomatoes with a homemade dressing. I shelled fresh peas yesterday for the first time ever, and they were so fresh and tasty!
The web site offers tips for easy ways to prep the food. My favorite so far is an ingenious way to halve cherry tomatoes in a jiffy. I also like that all of the ingredients are provided, some of which I have never heard of: labneh cheese (used in the dressing), freekah (a grain). There was even a tiny packet of red wine vinegar, a small bag of flour, 4 olives, 2 dates, a sprig of tarragon ...you get the idea. Had I seen these recipes in a cookbook, I no doubt would have rejected them just because the cost of buying unusual, one-use ingredients (what do I do with the rest of it?) would have been prohibitive.
I'm really enthused about the directions that come with each meal. It's printed in color on sturdy stock (I plan to save them). Each one starts with step-by-step prep work so that by the time you actually begin cooking, the oven is heated, the parsley is chopped, the produce is washed, the peppers are seeded and sliced and so on. I lined them up in odds and ends of cups and small bowls and felt like a TV chef! The rest of the instructions are set out in a sensible and clear order. All of my finished meals looked very much like the recipe photos; and I will no doubt be making my favorites again at home.
The cost of this 3-meal plan for two is just under $60 a week, with a $30-off coupon initially. For $240 a month, that leaves me plenty of budget left for breakfasts and lunches. There is also a larger family plan and I think there is a vegetarian option. You can skip any week, or cancel entirely with no obligation. Three menu items are pre-selected each week, but you can choose "change" and another 6 or 7 possible choices are shown. You select 3 no later than Thursday, for delivery the next Wednesday. I can see and change the menu about a month ahead. Worth checking out at
Blue Apron!
As I was prepping the sweet little yellow and orange peppers tonight, and they smelled so good and fresh, I realized that I am actually enjoying cooking again! Who knew?
