At Home with Blue Apron
PIN IT!Sometimes I find myself a person of contradictions – I swear I hate running but have started putting my sneaks to the pavement lately for weight loss purposes. I swear I’m not a cat person but can’t help but force snuggle any feline I can find (strays aside). I proclaim I’m an anti-fast food eater yet sometimes find myself 2 cars deep in the drive through for Chick-fil-A. And really most importantly, I say I’m a chef-to-be who doesn’t use printed recipes but then find myself cooking at home with Blue Apron.
Now, it’s okay to be contradictory at times – we’re not perfect. Running, felines and Chick-fil-A aside, there’s some pretty legitimate reasons for me putting my heart and my brand behind Blue Apron – connivence. I’m busy – like, around the globe in 8 different countries in 3 weeks busy, and I just don’t want to spend my free, fleeting hours at home trying to be on Chopped. I want to prepare a locally sourced, fresh meal that takes less than 40 minutes, doesn’t require 2 hours on Pinterest and results in a meal I’m proud of.
When they asked me to try out a box to review, that was why I agreed. I’ve had success with others in the past, I’m juggling 3 careers and my wasitline just can’t take another batch of takeout. What I didn’t expect was how true to life their claims on TV were. The ingredients are fresh – actually fresh. The kale is crisp to the bite, the meat looks like it was just pulled from the butcher that morning, the apples have not even the slightest inclination of a bruise. Now, I have to say, this was just my box, and yours could be different – but from first glance, their “fresh, local” claim seemed to stand up.
Beyond the ingredients, which I proudly photographed like a fool with my studio window open, the neighbors staring in with the ut-most-confusion, I found the recipe cards easy to follow. You chop this, mince that, stir this, whisk that. Plus the photos help even the most novice of chefs prepare it without any problems. After the box was opened, the cards poured over, I decided on the fish for the first meal – for one, always cook fish first. And two? I just got back from Austria and couldn’t stomach another hearty meal.
**KEEP READING TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET FREE MEALS!**
I followed the step by step, chef created instructions and much to my delight, dinner was done, plated, styled and ready to eat in less than 40 minutes.
Now, as a cook – I’ll admit, it was HARD to not add my own flair to the dish as it was being created. So, I added a bit of this super spicy chile infused olive oil I picked up on a recent trip as a drizzle to the end – just to add a touch of Claire.
So here’s where the contradictions come back – it’s a complaint in you have only the ingredients you need for the dish so there isn’t much wiggle room for creativity – however, I had no problem adding my own spice kick and addition despite the pre-portioned set-up. I think you can be as creative or as strict as you want with these. If you have some tomatoes in your fridge, nothing is stopping you from tossing them in to add more juiciness. Or nothing is saying you can’t add in some grainy mustard or a loaf of crusty bread. You can do as little or as much as you’d like to make each your own if you’re more experienced.
What I loved most about Blue Apron, and this meal, was it gave me time to actually set the table, grab some flowers for the garden and create a date-night at home that’s actually easy to replicate.
I’ll have to say, one of my favorite parts of this meal was the calorie count (which was just 525 for the entire meal), the ease of preparation and the freshness of ingredients. what I love most about the service is their commitment to recycling (you can find a recycling center near you that’ll pick up the boxes and recycle them for free with USPS); the endless array of recipes you get week after week (finding ending the bland chick breast dinner monotony) and the ease for busy families. Whether there’s just two of you or four, Blue Apron gives you some of the freedom of meal planning back so you can, you know, actually sit down and enjoy dinner again.
For me, it gave me a night to celebrate. It wasn’t an anniversary, a birthday or a special date at all – it was just a Tuesday. But I made it special, much in part to Blue Apron. And that’s why I’ll stand behind it – it really has the ability to turn any night into something just a little more extraordinary.
Now, as fun and lovely readers of mine, Blue Apron is offering you an amazing discount to try it out yourselves.
- First 25 readers will get two free meals on their first Blue Apron order! Just click here: http://34.gs/x52t
*NOTE: Blue Apron sponsored this post, but in no way are my opinions persuaded by this. My thoughts are 100% my own.
Lemon & Chia Seed Bundt Cake
This springtime lemon & chia seed bundt cake is the perfect accompaniment to your Spring table!
“This cake has a hole in it!”
I’m sorry – I just can’t make or write about a bundt cake without making that reference – especially now that a sequel is coming out. (For those who aren’t movie obsessed – I’m talking about My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Movie references aside, this might be one of the best cakes I’ve made to date. It’s so fluffy, it’s SO moist (I know), packed with citrus flavor and has just the right amount of sweet. I’ve made it four times since testing the original recipe, and – to a husband who is just “not a fan of lemon”, all cakes have been devoured.
Nothing screams spring like lemon desserts. The tartness, the vibrant color – it’s as integral to the season as the tulips blooming in my front yard (which may have drowned to their death thanks to the deluge of rain we had this weekend). Despite the rain, the weather has been relatively perfect for a Southern spring (see also: a Midwest summer).
Tacking it back to the cake, what decadent desserts did y’all make for Easter? It rained from Friday afternoon to this morning, so sadly no outdoor picnics, egg hunts or boozy rooftop brunches were in our cards at all. So, we (read: I) binge watched Dateline and then we met my brother in law, his girlfriend and adorable daughter for a falafel pita.
Totally screams Easter Sunday, am I right? It’s not exactly how one should celebrate an integral holiday, but we’re not going to get into religion or politics on this happy little space. The one thing that I love about being an adult (currently without children) is you can make your own celebrations and traditions and observe any day however you’d like. And for me, that meant watching crime shows with some hoppy IPAS and big slices of cake.
Now, since I’ve been an MIA blogger traveling around the globe again, I’m off to whip up some more incredible treats for you guys to share this week. Spring has put a little extra “pep” in my step, so expect quite a few bright and pretty dishes. (and more cakes, because #cakeforpresident).
Lemon & Chia Seed Bundt Cake
Yields 1 standard bunt cake (or 9 x 13 loaf) (about 10 servings). Adapted from Averie Cooks & Betty Crocker.
Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: About 42 – 45 minutes
Total time: >60 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce***
- 3 – 4* tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (white if you have it)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds **
For the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
- Fresh mint for garnish
*I added 4 whooping tablespoons of lemon zest, but that’s just because I love lemon flavor. Adapt to fix your needs!
** Can use poppy seeds if you’d like. I like the added health benefits of chia!
***Can use all canola oil if you’d prefer, I subbed in applesauce to cut the fat.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily spray a standard 6 -cup size bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, oil, applesauce, lemon zest and vanilla extract together until thick and creamy. Add in the flour and baking powder, beating until just combined (don’t over-beat!)
- Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the chia seeds.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and spread with a spatula until smooth.
- Bake for about 42 – 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan completely. Once cooled, carefully remove and place on a cake stand or plate.
- Prepare the drizzle by beating the butter, lemon zest, sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream until desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake and garnish with fresh mint.
Nutritional information per slice:
Calories: 266.5
Fat: 11.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 38.1 grams
Fiber: >1 gram
Protein: 4 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 8
Middle Eastern Tofu Salad + Freschetta Pizza Night!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreschEats #CollectiveBias
One food that always gets a much badder (worse?) rap that it deserves is pizza. Now, let me preface this by saying I get why there’s that “pizza is junk food, pizza is greasy and full o fat” stereotype. I mean, look at the deep dish, stuffed crust, loaded cheese, pepperoni and even pizza stuffed crusts that exist in our world today. As tasty as they are, you can’t eat them on regularity, especially not on a weekly pizza night. And to be honest, that’s why pizza night was so rare in our house, minus those few nights we succumbed to takeout or enjoyed a fresh slice of homemade ‘za. However, that’s about to change, because you know what? Pizza deserves a second chance.
That’s why I’m teaming up with the folks at Freschetta, who are changing the way we view, and enjoy, pizza. Freschetta is focused on the quality ingredients they use in their pizzas, and for Artisan Crust it is all about the 3 whole grains that go into the delicious crust. Plus, their brick oven pizzas (which are available everywhere, including Publix) feature wholesome, natural toppings, like mushrooms, fresh spinach and just the right amount of natural cheese.
And since the crust is naturally rising, it isn’t stuffed with weird chemicals or ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Now, I’d be happy to just talk about this pizza (how amazing does it look?) all day, but enjoying a slice was only half the challenge. I was tasked with creating a healthy, nutritious dish to enjoy along side these pizzas, something that even the pickiest of husbands (ahem, E) would enjoy. And, since I know I’d be pairing it alongside a vegetarian pie, knew immediately what this was going to be.
Introducing this beautiful, Middle Eastern tofu salad! Now, I’m clearly no stranger to the tofu salad concept – see it here. However, I knew I watned to blend some of those exotic spices I’ve picked up on my many jaunts overseas and give this salad a bit of a Middle Eastern flair. So, I baked the tofu with a blend of Moroccan spices and harissa, and tossed the salad with a few of my favorite, protein packed, low-calorie favorites; red onions, chick peas, kalamata olives, feta cheese and red quinoa.
The greatest thing about this salad is it stands up on its own, even against pizza. However, the pairing of the Brick Oven Naturally Rising Mushroom and Spinach Pizza was a true match made in heaven. The soft baked crust and simple toppings made every bite of the spiced tofu and zesty quinoa that much greater.
So go ahead, bring pizza night back to your house, and when you do, make sure this Middle Eastern Tofu Salad is on the menu too. It was picky husband approved, which isn’t an easy feat.
Learn more about Freschetta’s new, natural pizzas on Twitter and YouTube!
Middle Eastern Tofu Salad
Serves about 4 – 6.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 45 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
Ingredients:
For the tofu:
- 8 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Moroccan spice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the salad:
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 1/4 cup cooked red quinoa
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 15 ounces chick peas, drained
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
For the dressing:
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 3 teaspoon spicy harissa paste
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 9 x 13 baking dishes with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Remove as much excess water from the tofu as possible. Then, cut into bite-size pieces. Scatter the tofu pieces along both baking sheets. Liberally add the spice to the pans, tossing the tofu to ensure it’s evenly coated. Then drizzle each pan with one tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Toss the tofu and flip. Cook an additional 10 – 15 minutes, or until browned and firm. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, mix all of the salad dressing ingredients together and shake. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the greens, quinoa, onion, chick peas, olives and feta cheese. Add in the tofu and toss to mix. Drizzle the salad with dressing and serve alongside your favorite pizza!
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 425
Fat: 15 grams
Carbohydrates: 17 grams
Fiber: 4.5 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Weight Watchers Points:
Learn more about Freschetta’s new, natural pizzas on Twitter and YouTube! This post was sponsored by Freschetta and Publix, but all of my opinions and thoughts are my own. Be sure to visit your local Publix to get 2 pizzas for $10, for a limited time only!
Healthy, Protein Packed Breakfast Cookies
These healthy, protein packed breakfast cookies make the perfect grab-n-go snack!
Freaking Thanksgiving. Scratch that, freaking holiday season. Why does it always have to cause such a damn wreck to my body? I know I sound like a Scrooge, but when most of your life is completely outside of your control and the only thing you have some control of is how you look and feel, things can be a little stressful when even that falls to the wayside.
I know it’s just one speckle of time, and my workouts should combat it, but everything feels and looks like half-set Jello. Jiggly, wiggly and very unattractive. How I still have a boyfriend who doesn’t want to lock me permanently into a gym is beyond me. Maybe it’s my witty charm or the fact I keep feeding him the sweets I’m stress-baking. We’re both struggling with ourselves this year. In fact, I feel more and more like THIS and less and less like THIS. I find myself struggling with sleep again, daydreaming about what butter-laden treat I’m going to make and forcing myself to do anything that would benefit me as a person – like write, apply for jobs, pin things for our new house.
I guess on the plus side, we finally have a house and we’re moving in at the end of December. It wasn’t the place I alluded to in this post (jerks pulled it off the market), but is instead a nice, two-bedroom condo with updated appliances and beautiful windows in this adorable neighborhood called Rogers Park. It requires no work to start with, but we’re already daydreaming about the beautiful bathroom updates we’re going to make to the ones we currently have.
A new year in a new place is always a good start to something, especially since last year started off with so much uncertainty. Knowing my year will be starting in a beautiful new place in a city I just adore with a man who I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have found and with two jobs that actually pay me. I guess it could be worse, huh?
Healthy, Protein Packed Breakfast Cookies
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Yields about 8 – 10 cookies.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
- Dash of salt (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup homemade peanut butter (I love this recipe)
- 2 tablespoons pure clover honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 large bananas, smashed
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup chopped or sliced almonds
- Drizzle of honey for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, salt and pumpkin pie spice together. In another bowl, whisk the peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, bananas and almond extract together. Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir to combine.
- Scoop the dough (about 2 – 3 tablespoons dough) and roll slightly into a ball. Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on the parchment paper. Press the cookies down with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
- Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until browned. Let cool slightly on the parchment paper and then let cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Serve immediately or freeze for up to 2 – 3 months.
Nutritional information per cookie:
Calories: 280
Fat: 14.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 29.7 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Protein: 8.9 grams
Apple Cheddar Hand Pies
These amazing apple cheddar hand pies are the perfect mix of cheese, apple spice and buttery crust, all in one bite!
About my overall lack of preparedness for any holiday:
Y’all, I know not all of you have your Thanksgiving s&*^ together. I’m just not convinced that everyone in the US is completely prepared for this upcoming holiday. I mean, please. I can’t possibly be the only person on the planet who is scrambling to figure out what to make for my first Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his family. (Yes, I’m still FREAKING out about it and NO, I HAVEN’T DECIDED WHAT ON EARTH I’M GOING TO MAKE).
Okay, that’s not entirely all true. I have about 10 things pinned that I could make, but none of them are really singing to me. That’s neither here nor there, though. Let’s go back to that question I posed earlier – y’all can’t all be ready for Thanksgiving, right?
I’m holding onto hope that a few of you are planning on hitting the grocery store tonight, after a long day of work, and are going to start in the wine aisle and hope that you at least remember to pick up a turkey or potatoes after opening said wine and chugging it as you throw everything but what you need into your cart (Christmas themed Oreos, anyone?) I’m praying that a few of you haven’t even looked at a holiday recipe, better yet picked up any ingredients for said Pinterest-worthy perfections. I’m just crossing my fingers that a few of you are hoping that your in-laws won’t mind that the beloved turkey is being served on the fanciest of Chinet paper plates because your youngest child decided it would be fun to smash your nice plates during a temper tantrum and you’ve been too busy to worry about buying other ones.
I’m just really hoping that a few of you are going to buy your pies from the store’s bakery section, pull them out of the boxes, arrange them on your nicest cake stand and add a few dollops of whipped cream (from a can) and toss some cinnamon sticks on a few minutes before your overly critical mother comes over and pretend you made them yourself.
A few of you are doing these things, right? Even if you’re not, maybe just say you are so I don’t feel like a complete and utter failure for being busy, stressed, a little depressed and completely overwhelmed this year. It doesn’t have to be true, but just tell me, okay?
Apple Cheddar Hand Pies
Yields about 8 pies. Slightly adapted from Oh Sweet Basil.
Prep time: About 45 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
Ingredients:
**For the crust:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup cold water
For the filling:
- About 2 large apples, core removed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple pie spice
- About 4 ounces (1/2 cup) Cabot sharp cheddar, cut into bite-size chunks
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg white
- Splash of water
- chopped walnuts for garnish
***You can sub in store-bought pie crust if you don’t have time (or patience) to make your own.
Directions:
- To prepare the crust, whisk the flour, salt and brown sugar together. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add water, 2 – 3 tablespoons at a time, or until mixture starts to come together. You want the crust to be relatively crumbly, but should form a soft enough dough when formed with your hands.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly with a floured rolling pin. Roll into a disc and wrap tightly with saran wrap. Chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the apples, lemon juice, honey, brown sugar, corn starch and apple pie spice together. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Once the pie dough is done chilling, remove from fridge. On a floured surface, roll the dough out with a floured rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thickness, or however thick you want it. Using a circle cookie cutter (about 3 – 4 inches), stamp out about 16 circle shapes, or as many as you can get.
- Add about one spoonful of filling into the middle of half of the crusts. Add 1 – 2 chunks of cheddar cheese over the apples. Carefully cover the apple mixture with the remaining crusts. Using a fork or your hands, press the edges together and crimp to seal (so the filling doesn’t spill out). Poke the top of the crusts with a fork or cut a cross in the middle.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the top crusts and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
Nutritional information per serving (about 1 pie):
Calories: 300
Fat: 17 grams
Carbohydrates: 38 grams
Fiber: 2.4 grams
Protein: 7 grams
