When I started receiving Blue Apron meals, I found that I was really enjoying the process of cooking. The recipes were so detailed that you felt really confident in them, and then when the meal turned out with absolutely spectacular flavors, as most of them do, it was such positive feedback. I learned new techniques, and became more comfortable with techniques I'd used before.
Today I shared this post with Rob on Facebook:
I'm happy that the making isn't so much a "con" anymore. :-)
So in addition to the Blue Apron meals, I've been cooking some other meals as well. Sometimes it's just using ingredients in a way that I learned through Blue Apron, but combining that dish with other things we happen to have in the house. Sometimes I actually plan enough that I pick up ingredients while grocery shopping for a specific recipe.
One of my favorite Mexican meals is enchiladas with a cheesy sour cream sauce, instead of a red sauce. Enchiladas are good without onions or garlic, they don't call for nuts, and they make great left-overs. In looking for a recipe for the sauce, I came across the Pioneer Woman's recipe, and tried it out. It turned out very yummy, but Emma thought it needed more spiciness, and I agreed it could use something else in the filling.
So today I made the enchiladas again, but modified the recipe a bit. And while the end result is delicious, I also really enjoyed the process. Shredding chicken, roasting a poblano pepper, dicing a jalapeno pepper, chopping fresh cilantro. Grating the cheese, adding the spices, spooning the filling into the tortillas and rolling them up, and finally pouring that cheesy sour cream sauce all over the pan of enchiladas and putting them in the oven.
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| Yum! and the remaining cilantro looks so pretty and green :-) |
Love enchiladas, and this looks like a good recipe. This is the first I've heard of Blue Apron meals. Judy also makes a great chilaquiles recipe.
ReplyDeleteI've never had chilaquiles --they look very interesting. I might have to send Judy a FB message asking for the recipe :-)
DeleteSometimes I like to cook, and other times I don't. For me, the hardest part is trying to come up with ideas every night without having the same things every week. Wish my husband liked to cook:) I've copied several recipes from The Pioneer Woman onto my Pinterest boards--I can usually count on them as being good.
ReplyDeleteI am also terribly at meal planning. This is exactly what I like about Blue Apron. It delivers the ingredients and detailed recipes for three meals each week (and you can skip weeks if you don't like them or are out of town). So, I'm committed to only cooking three meals a week, and I don't have to do the meal planning or the shopping! Rob can't cook to save his life :-) I've often wished he could!
DeleteI agree, Rose. Thinking up what to make for dinner (especially trying to please all three of us) is difficult.
DeleteSometimes I like to cook, sometimes I don't. I'd rather food just show up most days. But I do love to bake. I can't eat any dairy and have learned to cook around it although I refuse to give up parmesan or feta and sometimes sneak a tiny piece of cheddar. ;o)
ReplyDeleteNo dairy?! That must be hard. Cheese is one of my main food groups. I used to do a lot of baking, but now my daughter has taken that in hand. :-)
DeleteI make a lot of PW recipes, but I haven't made her White Chicken enchiladas in a long time. We just had her Mexican Rice Casserole last night, although I also tweaked it; I use half the tomatoes (I'm the only only tomato lover), add chicken, and instead of putting shredded Cheddar on top, I make a cheese dip to drizzle all over it. I can't seem to help fiddling with recipes.
ReplyDeleteOoh --that sounds yummy!
DeleteCooking dinner is pretty much my raison d'etre. It's the one task I rarely shirk. I don't know why, since my family isn't always interested in eating. I have always wondered if the Blue Apron packaging can be reused or recycled? I especially worry about Styrofoam.
ReplyDeleteThey don't actually use any styrofoam. Parts are easier to recycle than others. All their plastic containers and bags are recyclable, and if they contained veggies or herbs, they're clean enough to throw right in the recycling bin. Things like eggs and mushrooms are often packed in cardboard or brown paper or a combination. The toughest part is the gel packs to keep the food cold. They suggest that you can donate them to food banks, but that's not easy. However, because the BA community was concerned, you can now return the entire packaging of your box to BA (no shipping cost) and they'll recycle it for you. I know I sound like an evangelist :-) I've just been really happy with them. I don't think they'd work great for big families, but for 2 - 4 people, I think the process works very well.
DeleteI make spinach enchiladas, which my daughter loves. The filling is a mixture of cottage cheese (!), shredded cheddar, and spinach. For sauce I have used red sauce from a can, but recently discovered a recipe for homemade sauce. It was thicker and darker than the stuff from the can, but quite tasty. Of course, I liked it better but Daughter didn't. Someday I hope to try this white sauce.
ReplyDelete