Add Adventure to Your Meals
Are you an adventurous eater? Do you enjoy trying new recipes? Do you like food prepared with quality fresh ingredients? Do you like the convenience of having ingredients prepackaged, pre-measured, and shipped directly to you? If so, then you may want to give Blue Apron a try.
Blue Apron
I stumbled upon Blue Apron accidentally when unbeknownst to me my sixteen year-old son ordered two packages of food from Blue Apron recently and then invited two of his friends over to prepare the meals, eat them, and share them with my wife and me. At least he was smart enough to use my wife’s credit card and wise enough to share the food with both of us.
Blue Apron is an online subscription service that sends you food each week in refrigerated insulated delivery boxes. The boxes contain everything you need to prepare a variety of different recipes that change each week focusing on foods that are in season. It provides you with exact portions of meats and fish, vegetables, cheeses, nuts, spices, and condiments to prepare each meal.
Currently, Blue Apron offers two programs. One program provides you with three meals a week for two people (six meals). The second program provides either four or two meals each week for four people (16 or eight meals). The cost is $60 for the six meals or $140 for the 16 meals.
On its website Blue Apron lists the recipes available each week for the upcoming four weeks. You schedule a delivery date and the food is shipped to your home. There is no additional shipping charge. There is no sign-up fee and you cancel shipment anytime you want. Blue Apron touts that its ingredients are fresher than those found in the supermarket.
The recipes come on high quality heavy paper with step by step instructions for each recipe. The instructions contain colored photographs for each major step in the recipe (usually five or six). Each meal takes about 30-35 minutes of preparation time and each provides 500 to 700 calories per serving. Cooking time ranges from 25 to 35 minutes to 35 to 45 minutes per recipe.
The instructions are easy enough for three 16-year-old boys to figure out and execute.
Thus far, we’ve tried the Black Bean and Red Quinoa Enchiladas, Grilled Cheeseburger with Feta-Watermelon Salad and Pickled Watermelon Rind, and Miso Roasted Chicken with Spring Peas and Jasmine Rice. All were very good. The portions are generous. Though pre-measured you still have to dice, slice, chop, and mince some of the ingredients.
One nice thing with the pre-measured ingredients is you don’t get saddled buying a box or jar of something that you may never use again but had to buy for that one recipe. In reality you can probably squeeze an extra serving out of the recipe, at least on the two person program. Each insulated box is neatly packed and organized.
I would have never tried pickled watermelon rind. It just so happens watermelon rind is high in citrulline which stimulates production of nitric oxide, which is probably the most important molecule in the body next to oxygen and water. We’ve written about the health benefits of watermelon juice in this post.
We are now planning a cook off – teenage boys against their parents. Who can prepare the best Blue Apron meal? Stay tuned for the results of the winner.
Hello Fresh is another company that ships tasty healthy recipes with pre-measured ingredients to your door each week.
