Last week we received a complimentary package from Blue Apron–and we loved it!  The nicely packed package contained the ingredients to prepare 3 meals:  Shiro Miso Soba Noodles, Butternut Squash & Kale Minestrone, and Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Einkorn and Crispy Sage.   All the ingredients arrived unharmed and they remained fresh until we used them–which was within 5 days.

Here is the Shiro Miso Soba Noodles dish that we prepared.  It included a green we never tried before:  yu choy. In fact, one of our favorite things about Blue Apron is that it encourages us to try new ingredients.  We enjoyed this dish. The adjustments we made were we sautéed with water instead of oil and we omitted the eggs. (To read about how we saute with water, click here). The recipe was meant to serve 2 people, but we actually had 4 servings from it. Marc and I each had a plate for dinner, I had a bowl the next day for lunch, and our son took a tupperware container of it back to Ann Arbor for our daughter.

Saturday we prepared the Butternut Squash & Kale Minestrone with Horseradish Gremolata and Toast. Our modifications to make this vegan included simply omitting the parmesan cheese. We sprinkled on our own homemade vegan “parmesan” topping–click here for recipe.  Our son, Mark, was home from college this past weekend, so I added a can of diced tomatoes to the soup to make it go farther. And, as usual, instead of sauteing with oil, we used water. We use oil sparingly.  We have found that an easy way to reduce the amount of oil we consume is by sautéing with water or vegetable broth instead.  (Oil damages the endothelial lining of blood vessels–any oil, even olive oil and coconut oil.   For more information from reliable doctors about this issue, click here). Cannellini beans made this soup filling and its rustic nature was perfect for a cold Michigan afternoon. We enjoyed 4 large servings from this recipe.

Monday I made the third meal from Blue Apron:  Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Einkorn and Crispy Sage. Wow! This was our favorite meal of the week because it was filling and flavorful. The einkorn was combined with lemon zest and diced Granny Smith apple which combined nicely with the earthy sage and sweet roasted cauliflower.  This recipe was accurate in that it did provide 2 large servings.  In preparing this dish, we once again omitted the fat–the olive oil and butter– and used water instead.

These meals from Blue Apron were convenient, tasty, and a good value.  We had ten meals from this package. We appreciated the fresh herbs that Blue Apron provided.  We don’t often buy fresh herbs because they often go to waste as only a little is needed for recipes.  With this service, you get just the right amount with no waste, and fresh herbs add so much more flavor than dried herbs.  We also like the new foods we tried–yu choy and einkorn. We will definitely order from Blue Apron again!