I’ve been learning to become a better cook with Blue Apron! Check out my Blue Apron Review & get $60 off your first 3 boxes! This post is sponsored by Blue Apron
Blue Apron Review
For years I made dinners flying by the seat of my pants. I rarely ever used a recipe, and didn’t actually know what we were having until I started to get hungry. While this method worked, it definitely kept me on my toes. We stuck to many of the same flavors and techniques each week. But, as you’ve heard before, when you have a child (or a busy job or a change in lifestyle) winging it just doesn’t work.
Over the past year we have worked hard to get organized in the kitchen. Meal planning and prep has been such a great change to our lives, and I wish we had started it sooner. One of the biggest pleasant surprises from this change has actually been bringing in a lot more diversity into our meals. From technique to flavor, cooking other people’s recipes has pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ve also learned quite a bit! We have enjoyed trying some of Blue Apron‘s recipes – like the three included here! The meals at Blue Apron are chef-designed recipes that you can make at home, and they definitely step up the fancy a notch. Plus since all of the ingredients you need are shipped (for free) right to you, there is never any need for planning or waste at the end.
Get $60 off your first free boxes here!
Here are 5 additions to my cooking repertoire that have resulted in extra delicious meals this year
1. Prep everything before you start cooking (and read the entire recipe!). I can’t tell you how many times I have planned something for dinner and not looked at the recipe until after I’m super hungry and ready to eat! Meal planning and prep has forced me to mentally prepare for our dinner recipe all day and sometimes before that. Now meats are thawed on time, marinades have soaked in and ingredients are chopped.
2. Lemon and lime all the time! This is a step I almost always used to skip. “Meh, you can’t taste it,” I would think. But following recipes has made me question that mentality and switch to the “if they say I should I probably should” one. FOMO = fear of missing out! I’ve started keeping lemons and limes on hand for use in my own recipes too. And yes, you can taste it!
3. Use the right oils for the right things. This is something I researched more on my own, but it has made a positive difference in my cooking. This chart is absolutely amazing and will answer all of your questions!! We now use EVOO for dressings, drizzles and finishing and sunflower or coconut oil for higher-heat cooking.
4. Good ingredients can make or break a meal. Freshly baked bread. Flavored olive oils. Fresh pasta. Tomatoes canned at their peak. Local jam. Invest in the good stuff! If you’re saving money by cooking at home, then at least bridge the gap a little by investing in ingredients that will make your food taste restaurant-worthy.
5. The more fresh herbs the better. Herbs are annoying to buy at the grocery store. You pick out a bunch, sometimes pay a lot for it, use a few pinches and then it rots in your fridge. This has happened to me many times! One tip I have (unless you’re using Blue Apron which sends the perfect amount!) is to chop and then freeze the remaining bunch. While it’s not great as a garnish, the frozen herbs still work well for baking and soups. I have learned to use a greater variety of herbs too, thanks to following recipes. Like the lemongrass in the Thai Coconut Soup we had this week! This was my first time using it fresh, and YUM!
Get $60 off your first free boxes here!
Blue Apron is the perfect bridge between a date night out and a date night in. The meals are fancy enough to feel special, yet they are simple enough for novice cooks to prepare. And all meals are more fun when you have company! Matt and I really enjoyed prepared these three Blue Apron dinners together last week. And Mazen enjoyed eating them!
Tamara Dabic says
Wow, the dishes look amazing! I feel like it would make me feel more organized if I had three meals each week I would definitely be making.
Linda @ TheFitty says
Really, lemon and lime? No way, I swear you can’t taste it. And not everything I eat is sour but should I try this?
KathEats says
The acidity brings out all kinds of flavors!
Tonya says
This did not feel like a sponsored post at all! Well done. Good tips and I like the Oil chart. thanks!
Sabrina says
agreed
Alex @ True Femme says
Even though I don’t have a family or SO to cook for, I really like this idea! I think I might sign up just to have a few meals planned a week…especially when I start my doctorate!
Kaila@HealthyHelperBlog says
Totally agree with lemon and lime on everything! They add such amazing zesty flavor….and I really think they enhance the taste of all of the other ingredients!!
Mom says
You are definitely a good cook, which I get a kick out of since you never went through a childhood cooking phase like so many kids do.
Christy @TheMuddyApron says
My mom just ordered from The Blue Apron and she is really excited to start it. It’s just her and my dad now so the portions can be adjusted. It will be interesting to see if she likes it too.
C.
Elise says
This concept is still lost on me. Don’t you still go to the grocery store to pick up food for the week? It just seems so expensive. I know none of my home-cooked meals cost $9.99/serving. Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to find recipes that appeal to you and buy the ingredients yourself, during the trip you’re already making to the store? I suppose this service isn’t for someone who enjoys the hunt of finding an awesome recipe, or someone trying to save money by cooking at home.
KathEats says
No the food is all delivered in the exact amounts you need so there is no waste. Shopping yourself would definitely be cheaper but not easier.
Elise says
What I meant was it just doesn’t seem worth it to spend all that extra money when it’s not that much more difficult to get the ingredients yourself, especially since you’ll still have to go to the store to get other staples like milk, eggs, etc.
Ella says
I am with Elise on this.
I have seen something similar in Germany. If I am so busy that I have no time to go grocery shopping, I have not time to cook either. I have the feeling that this kind of service is trying to fill in a market gap so thin that is almost non-existent.
Meg says
To say there is no waste is somewhat disingenuous in the sense that there is waste – the packaging and energy used to ship (and presumably refrigerate) these ingredients door to door – in particular given that this expense and expenditure of energy/packaging (waste) is in addition to the money and energy spent by households using this service to provide for the other dozen or so other meals to be consumed in any given week by still having to visit the grocery store.
KathEats says
I meant no food waste because the ingredients are precisely measured. Of course the packaging waste is not ideal.
A. says
I always say this and will say it again, but it is so not environmentaly friendly, all the packing, the shipping, for a service that is expensive… I just don’t get it. Maybe it is good if your grocery store is far, but mine is 1 minute away by walk. I think for the same price and a similar carbon footprint, I will get delivery from a restaurant I like, sushis or indian food, and no dishes, no prep.
KathEats says
But you’d miss out on the cooking experience with your partner! Blue Apron isn’t for everyone though.
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Curry and chicken tacos…both look heavenly!!!
Hannah @ eat, drink and save money says
Great tips! I totally agree about the quality ingredients. I know that is saves us money because I get excited to use our fancy ingredients. I’ll play in the kitchen instead of going out to eat. I also agree that meal planning has helped us save time and money.
I need to start using lemons and limes more. I usually have lemon juice on hand, but it isn’t the same as the fresh stuff.
rebecca lovatt says
Oooo that pulled chicken taco looks AMAZING! Definitely giving it a try x
Dana | fresh simple five says
I like following recipes, but often times modify them to what I have on hand which sometimes means leaving out spices, citrus juice, etc. Your tips have me second guessing those decisions! Maybe they’d be the difference between a good meal and an outstanding one…
jen says
Motherhood has definitely made me become a different cook, even if not a better one. I used to try new recipes all the time, but now I’m much more into rotating through a few basic themes with variation, pasta night (creamy with chicken and veg or maybe marinara with meatballs), rice bowl night (burrito or asian inspired), etc. I just read this article from the Kitchn about “dinner templates” and realized that’s exactly where my cooking is headed right now. It allows me to meal plan and still be flexible enough to buy what looks good. And most importantly, without having to spend too much time thinking about it!
jen says
Ooops, meant to link the article
http://www.thekitchn.com/the-power-of-dinner-templates-loving-food-while-losing-weight-215184
Sara says
This is great for someone like me who is so indecisive in the kitchen. I like that they give you a plan. I think I might try it.
Anna says
I’m curious how this fits in with your efforts to eat locally? I saw a few “local” food providers on the Blue Apron website but none were in VA (or my state), so it seems that there would be a huge carbon footprint for just one of these meals, never-mind the waste from all the packaging!
Does Blue Apron offer organic meats, sustainably raised shrimp, pasture-raised ingredients, organic produce? It seems hard to get this information from their website besides their cherry-picked examples. I much prefer the idea of going to the store and knowing where my ingredients are from. I don’t see how that would create more waste- I see a recipe that calls for 8 oz. shrimp, I go to the store and buy 8 oz. of shrimp. It’s not rocket science!
KathEats says
I see Blue Apron as an experience…not a lifestyle.
Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola says
I completely agree with you about preparing all of the ingredients in advance and reading the recipe all the way through. I’m horrible about finding a recipe online, assuming I have all of the ingredients I need and getting to work in the kitchen. Then I find halfway through that I’m missing something, that something is taking longer to prep than I had anticipated, etc.
Amanda L. says
I clicked on the Blue Apron link to redeem the offer and it took me to their site, but it wouldn’t go past the “enter your e-mail and delivery zip code” page. 🙁
KathEats says
I’m sorry…I’m investigating!
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food says
That beef bolognese looks so delicious!! Actually, all of those recipes look so good!
Jennifer says
I’d much rather use Cook Smarts! I believe that shopping, choosing ingredients and then preparing them is part of the “becoming a better cook” experience. This just seems to fill the all too common American-wasteful-but-“easy” lifestyle because there’s more waste to even if there isn’t food waste. I’m sure it’s an experience but it’s an expensive one.
Joshua Hampton says
I definitely agree with meal planning and prep. I used to fly by the seat of my pants in the kitchen too, especially before I got married. But now that I have kids, meal planning and prep has become essential for us.
Mary Kate says
This is completely off topic but I was wondering if you would share how you manage/store your electronic files/photos. Do you copy to an external drive regularly? Do you upload to a photo site? I find it a tough task to manage and I don’t like the feeling of all my photos of my children only being on my computer. Perhaps you could do a post about this? Thanks!
KathEats says
I copy my files to a harddrive, but they aren’t as organized as I’d like them to be! I have all Mazen photos in one big folder, so they are sorted by date only (which is convenient for a baby I suppose!) Another for videos. And another for family trips. I don’t keep my blog work because my actual blog is backed up x3!
Mary Kate says
Do you delete photos from your computer once they are on the external drive? How often do you do it?
KathEats says
I haven’t needed to yet
joelle (on a pink typewriter) says
Meal planning and prep is something I really need to work on.. I am usually just doing whatever is easiest when I get home, but when you’re cooking for someone else (in my face, my boyfriend), you can’t really make scrambled eggs EVERY night. 🙂
Lori says
Absolutely, lemon and lime on everything. I love the Blue Apron concept, and might take a look at it during the busy summer months when I’m working 6 days a week.
Take care,
Lori
Jeri says
I made the Thai Curry Shrimp. It was really good. Something I think about it… if you double it DO NOT double the curry unless you like really spicy. Also double or even triple the shrimp. I used a pound and it wasn’t enough for 4 of us. And that is with doubling the recipe.
Lindsay says
YUM! I wish Blue Apron shipped to Hawaii;) But then again…there’s a lot of plus sides to living on island! However I appreciate the recipe ideas and we’re constantly looking for ways to mix it up. I love spending time in the kitchen, and with a budget crack down this year, we’ve also upped our meal plan game. Makes me feel so good to have good food at home and ready!
Jen says
I’m wondering if you follow the recipes exactly as written? I had the same exact meals last week and the tacos and soup were SPICY! And I only used half the recommended amount of curry paste in the soup. Does Mazen really enjoy such spicy food? If so he has a very mature palate. Also, my tacos didn’t come with sour cream, which really would have been helpful to tone down the heat. I cancelled my order after 3 weeks. The recipes were too hit or miss for me and my family.
KathEats says
The soup was spicy but M seemed to like it – as much as a 2 year old would. Matt put in the curry and I don’t believe he used it all after a taste test.
Maria says
I’m with you on how lemon can add just the right zip to a dish. Just today I added half a lemon to my broccoli cheddar soup to help brighten the flavor. I too recently tried blue apron thanks to a friend and it was cool to make such a gourmet meal I would never attempt otherwise. I think it’s helped me branch out a little more.