Three Meals with Blue Apron- Part 3

Sadly it's the third installment and final meal in our Blue Apron box. I have been so impressed by the quality of the food in these pre-planned meal boxes, and the step by step directions are so precise and easy to follow literally anyone can turn out a chef-quality meal at home. Not one of these meals took more than 30 minutes to prepare. I didn't spend a single minute grocery shopping or planning. They did it all for me! With these meal packages, there is absolutely no reason to visit a drive thru ever again.

Today's recipe is very French-inspired and features two things I truly love- chicken and lentils. This recipe is unique in that is features two salads- the lentils are tossed with vinaigrette and served as a warm salad, along with a fresh salad of arugula and radish. So French! Lentils are so good for you, protein packed and with the chicken breast you've got a healthy and filling meal. The box came with three fresh radishes for the salad, but I still had a couple watermelon radishes in the fridge that needed to be used soon, so I used one of those in place of two of the radishes in the box and snacked on the extras while cooking.  Let's get started.

The ingredients are:

2 boneless skin-on chicken breasts

1/2 cup French green lentils

3 cloves garlic

1 scallion

3 radishes

2 oz arugula

1 lemon

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons verjus blanc*

1 teaspoon lentil spice blend**

*Verjus blanc is a unique form of grape juice used for cooking. It's similar to an alcohol-free wine. Blanc is a white grape juice.

**Lentil spice blend contains ground thyme, ground bay leaf, mustard powder, ground white pepper

Cook the lentils- Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Using your fingers, inspect the lentils for any pebbles; discard the pebbles. Rinse the lentils and drain thoroughly. Once boiling, add the lentils to the pot of water and cook, uncovered, 24 to 26 minutes, until tender. Drain thoroughly and return to pot. Set aside in a warm place.

Prepare the ingredients- While the lentils cook, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the root end of the scallion; thinly slice, separating the white bottom and green top. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Peel and roughly chop the garlic, cut off and discard the ends of the radishes; thinly slice into rounds.

Make the vinaigrette- While the lentils continue to cook, in a bowl combine the mustard, half the white bottom of the scallion and the juice of all four lemon wedges. Slowly whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until well combined; season with salt and pepper.

Cook the aromatics- While the lentils continue to cook, in a medium nonstick pan heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium high heat until hot. Add the garlic, spice blend and remaining white bottom of the scallion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seonds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the verjus blanc and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to one minute or until the verjus has cooked off. Transfer to a bowl, wipe out the pan.

Cook the chicken- while the lentils continue to cook, pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. In the skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add the seasoned chicken, skin sides down, and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat.

Finish and plate your dish- To the pot of cooked lentils, add the cooked aromatics and half the vinaigrette; stir to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the salad, in a large bowl combine the radishes, arugula and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the remaining vinaigrette (you may have extra vinaigrette) to coat the salad. Gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the finished lentils and salad between two dishes. Top the lentils with the cooked chicken. Garnish the chicken with the green top of the scallion.

Doesn't that look fantastic? The watermelon radish slices added pretty color and I served the chicken sliced rather than a whole uncut piece of meat. I made this one evening that The Chef was working so the second plate I combined everything and tossed to make a protein packed salad for lunch the next day. It was perfect at room temperature. 

If you hate shopping but LOOOOVE eating healthy and beautiful food, I highly recommend you check out Blue Apron. It's exceptional quality and huge time savings make it a great option for busy people. I hope you check it out.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free with no expectation that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Three Meals with Blue Apron- Part 2

Today we are making recipe number two from our Blue Apron meal box that was gifted to us by the girls at The Spoon and Pint. You might remember our first recipe, Kale and White Cheddar Quesadillas. Today we are making burgers- Shiitake Mushroom Burgers with Miso Mayonnaise and Roasted Sweet Potato to be exact. The Chef and I love a good burger and I'm super excited to try this Asian-influenced burger with garlic, shiitake mushrooms and hoisin sauce. I'm a little anxious about the miso mayo however. My prior experience with miso is limited to soup and I thought it tasted awful, but I'm approaching this with an open mind and willingness to try something new, so here we go......

The ingredients are-

10 ounces ground beef

2 potato buns

2 cloves garlic

1 scallion

1 sweet potato (1/2 lb)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons sweet white miso paste

1/4 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

Prepare the ingredients and make the miso mayonnaise- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the fresh produce. In a bowl combine the mushrooms and 1 cup of HOT water; let stand for at least ten minutes. Halve the buns. Halve the sweet potato lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root end of the scallion; thinly slice, separating the white bottom and green top. In a bowl, combine the miso paste and mayonnaise; season with salt and pepper.

Roast the sweet potato- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the sweet potato on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer. Roast 16-18 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven, leaving the oven on, and transfer to a plate. Set aside in a warm place. Discard the foil.

Form the patties- While the sweet potato roasts, thoroughly drain the mushrooms (discarding the water) and transfer to a cutting board. Finely chop. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the ground beef, garlic, hoisin sauce and white part of the scallion, season with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into two 1/2 inch thick patties, transfer to a plate.

Cook the patties- While sweet potato continues to roast, in a medium skillet heat 2 teaspoons olive oil on medium high heat until hot. Add the patties and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare, or until browned and cooked to your desired doneness, transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place.

Toast the buns- Place the buns, cut side up, on the sheet pan and toast in the oven for  3 to 4 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven and transfer to clean, dry work surface. 

Assemble burgers and plate your dish- Spread a layer of the miso mayonnaise onto the cut side of the toasted buns. Top the bun bottoms with the cooked patties. Complete the burgers with the bun tops. Divide the burgers and roasted sweet potatoes between two dishes. Garnish the sweet potato with the green top of the scallion.

So how was it? Delicious! The burger was so juicy from the added mushrooms. They really added a ton of moisture and flavor to the meat. The garlic, hoisin sauce and minced scallions (I minced the white part so they would mix into the burger more evenly) gave the juicy meat an Asian flavor. Remember how afraid I was of the miso? It was delicious!! It added a different level of flavor to boring mayo- lightly sweet, definitely savory. I think this might encourage me to try more miso recipes.

The only drawback was the one burger per person in the recipe. That's fine for me but The Chef is a growing boy- he usually eats a couple burgers. To make up for it we supplemented the sweet potato with an extra sweet potato and increased the olive oil accordingly. Also, after I took my picture I picked all the green scallion tops off the potatoes and put them on the burger as well- I highly recommend doing the same.

This meal was absolutely my favorite of the three and something I will make again, thanks to the enclosed recipe card!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free with no expectation that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Three Meals with Blue Apron- Part 1

We see the commercials on television all the time, those upscale membership clubs that deliver everything you need for a home cooked and somewhat bistro influenced meals. Very clever idea and a great way to get people cooking fresh and healthy food themselves, almost like cooking school in a box. The lovely ladies at The Spoon and Pint surprised The Chef and I with a three-meal package from Blue Apron so I didn't waste any time getting on the website and choosing our three menus. The choices were like dishes I'd order in a  restaurant but the recipes make it easy to prepare at home.

What did I choose? The first meal package I chose was the Shiitake Burgers with Miso Mayonnaise and Roasted Sweet Potato. Meal number two is Seared Chicken and French Lentils with Arugula and Feta Salad. The third and final meal is Kale and White Cheddar Quesadillas with Radishes and Fried Eggs. 

Opening the box was an experience as well. The box is packed with insulated lining and huge ice packs. All the ingredients are individually packaged and clearly marked. Produce is packed in plastic bags so you can clearly see what is in each bag. Eggs tucked safely in a cardboard carton. Meats are wrapped and packed separately from the fresh produce and knick knacks- the knick knacks are the small bits and bobs, like packets of spices, miso paste, mayo, cheeses and things like that.

Each recipe includes a recipe card with a picture and description of the finished dish, a list of ingredients with photos, and step by step directions on the back. It's almost impossible to make a mistake with these kits. The ingredients are packed in pre-measured amounts, all you have to do is assemble the ingredients and follow the directions, which also includes a picture of the steps. The very first step is to prepare your mise en place, and the rest just flows.

The first recipe we are going to share is the Kale and White Cheddar Quesadillas with Radishes and Fried Eggs. This recipe is a unique take on what many people consider a kid menu item, the quesadilla. Using corn tortillas instead of flour is the first difference- corn tortillas add a lot more flavor and texture, in my opinion. Next replacing the huge glob of cheese with healthy sauteed kale and a small amount of white cheddar makes this a lighter and much more nutritious dish. It comes with a seasoning packet that you can use to spice it up as much or as little as you want. The radishes, served thinly sliced, add an authentic touch to the dish and the fried egg on top is a modern and on-trend way to boost the protein in a dish that usually is served dripping with gloppy cheese and messy salsa. 

Let's take a look at the ingredient list-

2 eggs

4 corn tortillas

3 radishes

1 clove garlic

1 lime

1 bunch kale

2 tb creme fraiche

3 oz white cheddar cheese

1 tsp quesadilla spice blend*

*Ancho chile powder, Chipotle chile powder and cumin

Simple, clean and easy, right? Let's make quesadillas.

Prepare the ingredients- Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Remove and discard kale stems, roughly chop the leaves. Quarter the lime. Grate the cheese. Cut off and discard the stems and root of radishes, halve lengthwise then thinly slice crosswise.

The kale is so fresh and crisp- it's hard to believe this came
through the mail and wasn't picked from my garden.

Cook the kale- In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and kale, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, one or two minutes until the kale is wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water and up to 3/4 of the spice blend, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently 3 to 5 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water had cooked off. Turn off the heat, stir in the juice of two lime wedges, season with salt and pepper.

Make the lime creme fraiche- While the kale cooks, in a small bowl combine the creme fraiche and the juice of the remaining lime wedges. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble and cook the quesadillas- Place the tortillas on a clean, dry work surface. Divide half the cheese between two of the tortillas; top with the cooked kale and remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Complete the quesadillas with the remaining tortillas.

Wipe out the pan used to cook the kale. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and heat over medium high heat until hot. Add the quesadillas and cook 2-3 minutes per side until the tortillas are browned and the cheese has melted. Place on two plates; set aside in a warm place.

Wipe out the skillet and heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat until hot. Crack the eggs into the pan, keeping them separate. Season with salt and as much of he remaining spice blend as you'd like. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks re done to your desired doneness. 

Season the radishes and plate your dish- Place the radishes in a bowl and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat thoroughly. Top the cooked quesadillas with the radishes and fried eggs. Serve with the creme fraiche on the side. 

That was SUPER easy to prepare. So how did they taste? AMAZING. I'll be honest, I expected this one to be my least favorite of all the meals. I only chose it because the other three options were things I knew The Chef would not like or were salmon, and we all know how I feel about salmon. The kale was such an unexpected ingredient in a quesadilla but it was so delicious. The white cheddar cheese was just the right amount of cheesiness. I'm one of those rare people who thinks Americans use waaaaay too much cheese in cooking, it's cheese on everything, but these were just perfect. The seasoning packet added a nice heat without being too hot, the lime creme fresh added a nice creamy touch. It's quite common to find radishes in Latin dishes and they added the perfect crunch here. The egg took some coaxing on my part. I'm definitely not a runny yolk lover, but I was a big girl and ate most of my egg without complaining. It was good, but I would probably leave it off next time. All in all, this was a tasty and filling dish.

The packaged dinner clubs/memberships are a pretty cool idea really. I didn't have to grocery shop for anything at all and had a freshly prepared dinner in about 20 minutes. I like what Blue Apron stands for too. The company focuses on organic produce and meats, cage free eggs and sustainability. Our box contained a booklet with the story of Bill Niman, the well known California rancher who raises livestock, and shares his story and opinion on grass fed vs grain finished cattle. It was a great read and very informational. We also got an ingredient card focusing on olive oil, it's different types and a recipe for classic vinaigrette. Blue Apron is a great company with a great product and I'm sure we will be cooking with them many times in the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free with no expectation that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."