Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to try out Blue Apron, a meal delivery service that brings to your door, everything you need to cook innovative, seasonal, and healthy meals. Truth be told, as much as I love creating my own recipes and cooking delicious dinners (hopefully that is obvious!), it’s challenging for a couple reasons. First off, there is that whole “I have a full-time job” thing. Most nights after an early morning rise, a full day’s work, and a workout, my cooking creativity level is right around “buttered noodles.”
Secondly, beautifully interesting and delicious dishes often involve at least one ingredient that most normal cupboards don’t hold. How many of you have bought a bottle of champagne vinegar, a jar of tahini, or a $27 baggy of saffron in order to make one recipe and then never used it again? I mean, I’m ashamed to admit I’ve spent as much as a meal out on the town for four in order to get all the little pieces to make one meal for myself at home. The perfectly portioned and sometimes rare and expensive ingredients provided made this second gripe non-existent.
Alright, let’s getting into more of the details of my Blue Apron experience and I’ll tell you more about how it all works! I’ll also toss a pretty sweet discount your way, courtesy of the kind folks at Blue Apron, to try it all out yourself..
I received the 2-person plan that provides three full meals for two people (or dinner and work lunch the next day for just one person!) Every week, the refrigerated box that keeps everything cold until you get home, contains something different. You’ll get an email before your delivery telling you what’s on the menu for the week. Here’s what I had on tap:
– Center-Cut Pork Chops with Beet, Heirloom Carrot & Hazelnut Salad
– Crispy Chicken Thighs with Kumquat Relish & Freekeh Salad
– Pan-Roasted Salmon with Spicy Miso Broth & Wakame
I made all three meals and was really impressed by the flavors of each and the quality of all the ingredients. I had a few of those “I wouldn’t have thought of this recipe myself” moments. All the meals come with detailed step-by-step recipe cards and are between 500-700 calories per serving and can be cooked in 35 minutes or less. Here’s a little glimpse into my handiwork with the salmon dish.
The recipes were well explained, easy to follow, and all required an intermediate level of skill around the kitchen. If you’re a total kitchen novice, I would say bring in your cooking savvy friends on the first couple meals because all recipes require a few knife skills and a bit of multi-tasking!
I had such a fun time making all of the meals and enjoyed eating them even more than I did making them–which is usually how it goes, right?
A few last things:
– You can select a vegetarian plan and even further, specify if you don’t eat: beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, or shellfish.
– In addition to the two person plan I received, they have a family plan that delivers either one or two deliveries a week of two family-style meals that serve four people.
– Shipping is always free and they currently deliver to 80% of the country (delivery map here)
– There is no commitment and you can cancel or skip a week at any time
Last but not least, One Happy Place readers who sign up for any plan by clicking here, get two free meals with their first Blue Apron box (30% off!)
(Note: This post was sponsored by Blue Apron. All opinions (always), for better or worse, are my own!)