Blue Apron Review: Grains of Paradise-Crusted Steak

This was my third of three meals from my most rececnt Blue Apron shipment. It was definitely out of the box for me, as I have never cooked or eaten plantain before. It looks like an oversized banana, but tasted more like a sweet potato. I had never used grains of paradise either, but I really loved the flavor it added to the ribeye steak (which was a perfect cut of meat for this recipe).

Recipe: HERE



Grains of Paradise-Crusted Steak
w/ Mashed Plantain, Collard Greens & Ginger Peanuts

1 ribeye steak
1 black plantain
1 lime
1/2 bunch collard greens
1 bunch parsley
2 T. peanuts
1 T. butter
1-inch piece of ginger
1 tsp. grains of paradise








Makes: 2 servings / Calories: about 800 per serving (the most yet!)
Prep Time: 15 mins. / Cook Time: 20-30 mins.

This dish was delicious!! The combination of flavors were wonderful! The steak was perfect and was well seasoned with the grains of paradise, but not overpowering. I am a huge sweet potato fan, so I really enjoyed the plantain. The ginger peanuts were a nice touch to this recipe. YUM!!!

I can hardly wait to get my next BA box! I have paused shipments until Peter goes back to work the end of the month. I also have a discount that I can use for a future HF shipment (thanks to Wanda for signing up!), so I may give them another try soon too!

I highly recommend both of these meal services. I am spending less on groceries when trying to cook for one, plus, I am eating much better (and enjoying the cooking as well!).

Blue Apron Review: Seared Chicken w/ Sauteed' Purple Potatoes, Kale, & Apple

Another Blue Apron hit!! What amazes me is the simpleness of ingredients, yet the wonderful combination of flavor each recipe has had. Who would think to combine potatoes (purple at that), kale, onion, and apple with dijon mustard and almonds? Sounds weird, but it was actually very tasty! The other thing that amazes me is that even though the ingredient amounts seem sparse, the finished product is packed with flavor. Sometimes less is more in cooking, I guess. I tweaked the recipe only in that I cooked the chicken until done, rather than just searing it. (I actually used my BA chicken for my last HF meal by mistake since I had frozen it, so this ended up being skinless chicken).

Seared Chicken w/ Sauteed' Purple Potatoes, Kale & Apple

2 chicken breast

10 oz. purple potatoes

1 Granny Smith apple

1 yellow onion

1/2 bunch kale

2 T. sliced almonds

1 T. butter

1 T. whole grain dijon mustard

 

(1) prep the ingredients: Wash and dry the produce. Medium dice the potatoes. Peel and medium dice the onion. Remove and discard the kale stem; roughly chop. Peel, core and medium dice the apple.

 

 

(2) Brown the potatoes: In a medium pan, heat 2 tsps. olive oil on med-high heat until hot. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Cook; stirring occasionally 8-10 minutes, or until browned and slightly softened.

 

(3) Finish the veggies: Add the onion to pan, season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add kale, apple, and 2 T. water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-4 minutes. Add almonds, mustard, and 2 T. water; cook, stirring frequently 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

 

(4) Cook the chicken: I cooked the chicken in a skillet with olive oil on med-high heat until done. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a plate leaving any browned bits (fond) in the pan. Cover to keep chicken warm.

 

(5) Make the pan sauce: Add the butter and 1/4 cup water to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat, scraping any fond from the bottom of pan, 1-2 minutes until combined and slightly thickened.

 

(6) Plate your dish: Divide the veggies and cooked chicken between two plates. Top each plate with pan sauce. Enjoy!

 

 

Kamry {Day 14}

 

Kamry is 2 weeks old!

So far, things are moving forward at a pretty good pace. She is up to 24 cc of milk, and weighs 3 lbs.1 oz.!!! (her lowest weight only got down to 2 lbs. 10 oz.). She is still only on the oxygen strap and feeding line (drinking Mom's milk). Mom and Dad both are getting to hold her and Mom helps with her baths (which she is not a fan of). She is still being called feisty (one nurse told them she wouldn't be surprised to find the port hole door open and see Kamry trying to climb out). LOL

We bought her some pretty receiving blankets for her bed, so she now has her own, and pretty soon, they will start dressing her! We bought her this cute preemie outfit to start her wardrobe. After having two 10 lb. babies, I'm still amazed at the smallness of a preemie.The boys never wore newborn clothes and barely fit in 0-3 months for long. The size range on this outfit is up to 5 lbs. and 17 inches - which she will still swim in.... That's Crazy!

 

We take Allie one of her blankets to smell of every time we leave. So far, she approves of her little sissy! :O)

 

 

She has stolen our hearts even more...the last few days we were at the hospital.....she started smiling!!! When Mom and Dad talk to her, her face lights up, a thousand wrinkles appear, and the biggest smile you ever saw comes over her face!!! Lindsey sent us a picture of Logan holding her and I don't know who has the biggest smile - it melts my heart!! It still amazes me how you can love someone so much and form such a strong bond in such a short amount of time. For the rest of her life, Kamry will have these two people loving her, and making sure she will always be taken care of (as well as all of the rest of her family).

They are still at the Ronald McDonald house, mostly just showering and sleeping there. They are hoping a spot soon opens up at the Children's Center. It would be nice to just walk across the street and be there. We took some food to them last weekend as well as more stuff from home. We stayed with them at the hospital all day Saturday and a few hours on Sunday (or at least a I did - Peter had a cold and spent most of his time at the hotel or in the parking garage) :(  :( :( Germs in the NICU are frowned upon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sat with Kamry for about an hour on Saturday night, while Logan and Lindsey went downstairs to get something to eat. I mostly just sat there as she slept peacefully. I finally had a few quiet minutes to just soak it all in. I have a granddaughter, a tiny, beautiful, precious granddaughter! I can hardly wait to hold her, and read to her, and get kisses under that sweet little chin (which by the way took my eye from the moment I saw her - along with her mouth that looks exactly like her daddy's!!). :0)

Lindsey would have been 32 weeks this coming Tuesday. I think that is usually the magical number with preemies, so we will see how things progress over this next week. Premature babies, NICU, all this is so foreign to me. I feel like I have entered some strange world where everything here is unknown and scary and we somehow have to make our way blindly through it. We will be forever thankful to the doctors and especially, to all the wonderful NICU nurses who take such great care of these tiny little babies. So far, things seem to be taking a good course, and she is growing and not having any setbacks. We are taking things one day at a time and looking very forward to the day she comes home!

We got home on Monday. Peter left for work on Tuesday evening. We have barely had time to even think about how good his new schedule is going to be.The same day Logan started as Captain, Peter found out he was going on a new boat. This tour will allow him to now have a week off while Nathan is home and the other week while Logan is home. Answered prayer, especially now!

I can't believe I won't see Logan, Lindsey, and Kamry for 2 weeks!!! I have asked them to send daily pictures, because she seems to change her looks and grow even more every day! I literally see a difference every day! Her face is starting to fill out more - oh my those sweet cheeks! I am craving a kiss so bad! I can hardly wait to hold her for the first time!! :O)

We have LOTS of pictures of Kamry coming soon that I can hardly wait to share!! Then, I warn you and I am sorry (not sorry) in advance for cute granddaughter overload!! :O) :O)

Blue Apron Review: Zucchini & Parmesan Quiche

My second shipment of Blue Apron arrived last Tuesday while we were away at the hospital. I had planned to pause that week, since Peter's schedule had changed and he would be home after all, but I didn't get to the computer to change the delivery date in time. So once again, the meat went in the freezer and the fresh stuff would have to sit in the fridge until we could get home to use it. We ended up home one night last week, so onThursday night, I made the quiche recipe for our dinner. We both loved it and there was plenty of it, but Peter felt it lacked meat of some sort. I was fine with the veggies only, and actually even left a few bites, as it was very filling. The salad was plentiful too, but wasn't as good as the arugula salad I made in the first BA shipment. Here is the recipe:


Zucchini & Parmesan Quiches w/ Red Leaf Lettuce Salad & Pink Lemon Vinaigrette

 

 

 

 

2 farm eggs

2 pie crusts

4 cloves garlic

4 oz. spinach

1 head red leaf lettuce

1 pink lemon

1 zucchini

3 T. shaved parmesan

2 T. creme fraiche

1 shallot

 

1) prepare the ingredients: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the produce. Crack the eggs in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Peel and mince the garlic. Small dice the zucchini. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce and separate the leaves. Zest 2 tsp. of the lemon. Quarter and deseed the lemon - cut into quaters. Peel and mince the shallot - 2 T. needed. Place shallot in bowl with juice of all 4 lemon wedges. Set aside.

 

2) cook and drain the spinach: in a non-stick pan, heat 2 tsp. olive oil. Add spinach, season aith salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally 2-3 minutes. Transfer to strainer and drain. Transfer to cutting board and finely chop. Set aside.

 

3) cook the zucchini: In same pan, heat 2 tsp. olive oil. Add garlic and zucchini. Cook, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

 

 

4) assemble and bake the quiches: Place pie crusts on sheet pan. To the bowl of eggs, add the creme fraiche, lemon zest, and 2 T. water, season with salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Stir in zucchini and spinach. Fill both shells evenly, top with half the cheese. Bake 18-20 minutes or until crusts are brown and quiche is set. Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

5) make the vinaigrette: While the quiches bake, season the shallot-lemon juice mixture with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 2 T. olive oil until combined.

 

 

6) make the salad and serve: Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine lettuce, remaining chhese and salt and pepper. Add enough dressing to coat. Toss to combine. Divide the salad and quiches between two plates. Enjoy!

 

 

I had never made quiche before, but had wanted to try. This was an easy and delicious recipe! The salad was a little bland, but went well with the rich quiche. Definitely another win for Blue Apron!

 

 

Hello Fresh Review: Paprika-Rubbed Chicken w/ Barley, Tomato, & Avocado Salad

This was the last of three of the Hello Fresh meals. I just got around to making it a few nights ago, due to being away at the hospital. I had frozen the chicken and oddly enough, the other ingredients were still useable (not as fresh as they were when they arrived two weeks ago, but everything was usable). This was my first ever time cooking/eating barley, and I was surprised at how good it was. This recipe was very easy to make and was very, very delicious!

1) Cook the barley: wash and dry all produce. Remove the chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Place the barley and a little salt in a small pot and enough water to cover by 2-inches. Bring to a boil and cook 25-30 minutes, until tender. Drain.

2) Prep the ingredients: core, seed, and cube the tomato. Thinly slice the scallions, keeping the greens and whites separate. Peel the cucumber and cut out seeds, then put into 1/2 inch cubes. Halve, pit, and peel the avocado, then cut into small cubes.

3) Marinate the vegetables: toss the tomato, cucumber, scallion whites, and avocado in a large bowl with 1 T. Balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

4) Cook the chicken: with about 15 minutes left on the barley, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side. Let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

5) Toss the salad: toss the barley into a large bowl with the vegetables along with a large drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6) Plate: serve the chicken on a bed of barley, tomato, and avocado salad. Enjoy!

 

Calories: 553 per serving

 

This meal was a win! The combination of flavors was delicious! My overall experience was similar to my success with Blue Apron. I am still signed up with Hello Fresh and will get a shipment during the time Peter is away since (a) it isn't enough food for him, (b) it is too expensive for our budget unless cooking for one and getting 6 meals out of it,  and (c) I love to cook and have no problem coming up with and preparing good meals for our family. It has definitely solved my bad eating routine while home alone. I LOVE getting the boxes of food, preparing the delicious recipes, and enjoying the awesome meals!! I highly recommend both Hello Fresh and Blue Apron!!

 

If you want to save $40 off of our first shipment from Hello Fresh, use my code S9E8CM.

 

www.hellofresh.com

Hello Fresh Review: Shrimp & Chorizo Paella

I was very excited to make meal #2 from the Hello Fresh shipment. It actually was supposed to have been made first, but I overlooked the sticker on the box. I had never made or eaten Paella, but have always wanted to try it! This dish proved to be easy to make and super delicious!!

Paella: Spanish: [paˈeʎa]; a Spanish dish prepared by simmering together chicken, seafood, rice, vegetables, and saffron and other seasonings.

Shrimp & Chorizo Paella w/ Smoked Paprika, Tomato, and Peas

 

 

8 oz. shrimp

3/4 cup Arborio Rice

1 pkg. dried chorizo

4 oz. peas

1 Roma tomato

2 cloves garlic

chicken stock concentrate

smoked paprika

1 tsp. parsley

1/2 oz. saffron

1 onion

olive oil

salt and pepper

 

1) prep the ingredients: wash and dry all the produce. Halve, peel, and dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Core, seed, and dice the tomato. Halve the chorizo lengthwise, then slice into thin half moons. Chop the parsley. Bring 4 cups of water , the saffron, and the stock conentrate to a simmer in a medium pot.

 

 

I have never cooked with or eaten chorizo, so I was anxious to try!

 

 

2) Start the Paella: Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chorizo, diced tomato, and half the paprika to the pan and cook, tossing, 4-5 minutes, until the chorizo renders its oils.

 

3) Stir in the rice: Add the dry Arborio rice to the pan and toss to coat. Cook - stirring 1-2 minutes. Add 2 cups warm chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer 25-30 minutes. Add more broth if needed.

 

4) Finish the Paella: When the rice is almost al dente, stir in the peas and increase the heat to high for 2-3 minutes until a golden crust begins to form on the edges of the pan. TIP: To get best results; do NOT stir rice.

 

5) Cook the shrimp: season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and the remaining paprika. Top rice with shrimp, cover with a lid, and let cook for 2-3 minutes until shrimp are pink.

 

{side note}: the picture on the recipe card is highly deceiving.....notice the 3 dozen shrimp in the picture....count the 10 shrimp in my picture! Luckily, they were pretty good size shrimp, because this was one of the meals that Peter and I both ate!

 

 

6) Finish & Plate: Sprinkle the pan with parsley, divide the shrimp and chorizo paella between two bowls.

 

 

Calories: 662 per serving

 

This meal was a HUGE win!!! We both thought it was absolutely delish. The blend of ingredients made for a very tasty dish! I will definitely be making PAELLA again soon!

Hello Fresh Review: Pan-Seared Steak w/Herb Butter

Thanks to Shellbell I just received my first shipment from Hello Fresh absolutely FREE! :O) I was very anxious to try this meal service since my experience with Blue Apron had been such a hit! I decided to try it while Peter was home (Nathan & Kayla would be away so that worked great since each meal is only 2 servings), and I made our first of three meals as soon as the box arrived. I am going to do a complete review and compare to BA.

The delivery: on time.



The packaging: packed nicely in a box with 3 individual boxes for each meal. The 4 ice packs were almost completely melted, but everything was still cold. With BA, the ice packs were frozen solid when box arrived. HF shipped UPS, BA shipped FedEx.

 
And I am just noticing the "make me first" sticker on the shrimp box! :O( I'll be sure to make this one next!!



The Ingredients: the ingredients looked very fresh. I liked BA packaging a little better.



The recipe: the food comes with recipe cards similar to BA. The directions were easy to follow as well.

Pan-Seared Steak w/ Herb Butter, Roasted Potatoes, & Green Bean Saute



12 oz. sirloin steak
12 oz. yukon gold potatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig parsley
4 oz. green beans
1 tsp. dijon musturd (a tiny jar was included)
1 T. butter (not included)
olive oil (not included)
salt & pepper (not included)




Calories: 639 per serving



my plate

Peter's plate

Overall thoughts: I guess I should have started with something a little more exciting than steak & potatoes, because while this meal was good, it just didn't WOW me. Also, it definitely wasn't enough food for Peter. I could easily have made two meals out of it, Peter probably could have eaten both plates. I'm anxious to try the other two meals in the box, since they are a bit more adventurous! Overall, I liked this meal, but the steaks we cook are hard to beat, so it was hard not to compare.