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My Experience with Blue Apron

By: Author Anna-Marie

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It started with a box on my doorstep.

a large cardboard box from Blue Apron on a kitchen floor

And when I opened the box…..this……

A box of bagged ingredients alongside of a grouping of recipe cards

….turned into this…..

four meals a soup with noodles and eggs a salad with trout a sandwich with roasted gai lan and a squash curry with peanuts on a series of placemats

And we in Beetsland lived happily ever after. I had the opportunity to try Blue Apron, a food and meal delivery service, and Mr. Beet and I became home chefs. I learned new cooking techniques, we tried many new flavors, and we ate meals we would never normally make for ourselves.

When the box arrived at my door, I opened it and examined all my ingredients.

ingredients such as eggs, arugula, carrots and mushrooms laid out on a table with a gray and white kitten looking up from under the table

Each meal comes with a very detailed recipe card, complete with step by step instructions and pictures to help you along.

a recipe card with step by step instructions on a white tablecloth

Though nothing I fixed was overly difficult, I highly recommend preparing all your ingredients before you begin any of the cooking. Most of the recipes begin with the preparation of ingredients, but not all. Once you start any of the actual cooking, the recipes do move fast. I was a bit overwhelmed a few times and I consider myself to be a fairly experienced in the kitchen. However, learning new ways to prepare and experience different foods was definitely a lot of fun.

For example, I learned how to soft boil eggs, and worked with chickpea miso paste,  sambal oelek (chili sauce), and ramen noodles to prepare a Roasted Onion Miso Ramen with Mustard Greens. This isn’t the ramen noodle soup from your college days, this was a delicious and filling dish.

a bowl of noodle soup with onions and soft boiled eggs in a white bowl on a green striped placemat

Who knew you could roast onions and they would be hearty and delicious?

a baking sheet with roasted onion wedges on parchment paper

I made a super easy Vidalia Onion and Kale Tart with a side of Yukon Gold Potato and Parmesan chips.

a pile of potatoes and garlic chips with an egg and kale pie tart in the bakcground on a black plate

Some meals were lighter than others. Like these Vietnamese Style Vegetable Sandwiches with sautéed mushrooms.

a colorful sandwich with shredded carrots and cucumbetrs on crusty bread with a serving a roasted greens in the foreground on a red striped placemat a cast iron pan of sauteed mushrooms and ginger

And surprisingly, Mr. Beet and I both loved the roasted Gai Lan that was served as a side to the sandwiches. I have never had Gai Lan but it was delicious tossed in a rice vinegar and sugar marinade.

a serving of roasted gai lan greens with white sesame seeds and a colorful sandwich in the background on a white plate

Mr. Beet really enjoyed the Asparagus and Summer Squash Curry. It was made with coconut milk and he is not a fan of anything coconut. However, I think this dish opened him to the possibility of coconut milk being used as a cooking liquid without making the entire dish taste like something from the islands.

a bowl of broth with carrots, zucchini, peanuts and a lime wedge in a white and black striped bowl on a blue and white placemat

My favorite dish was the Smoked Trout and Asparagus Salad. I turned ciabatta bread into garlic croutons and made a mustard seed glaze.

purple onions over bright greens and asparagus with large pieces of garlic bread croutons on a blue plate

So who would the Blue Apron service be good for?  Anyone who is too busy to spend time at the grocery store planning meals. Just pick your meals from any of the offerings on the Blue Apron website and pick it up off your doorstep. Blue Apron would be a great gift to a newlywed couple or a child venturing out on their own for the first time, maybe moving into a new house or apartment. Blue Apron would be wonderful for anyone who likes to taste new flavors and enjoy new cooking techniques.

a white stock pot with sauteed mushrooms and mustard greens with a wooden Earlywood spatula with a black cast iron tea pot in the background on a white stove

A few things to keep in mind: be sure to have a basic stocked kitchen – a few pots, pans, baking sheets, cutting boards, box grater and maybe a zester. Have a good Chef’s knife and a bottle of good olive oil. There is a pretty good selection of basic kitchen supplies on the Blue Apron website.

Don’t overlook the Vegetarian and fish dishes if you are a meat eater. We ordered the Smoked Trout salad but everything else we chose was Vegetarian and/or Vegan, and the flavors were amazing. Be open to new experiences, even if it means cooking without meat.

[bctt tweet=”My experience with Blue Apron. @blueapron” username=”BeautyandBeets”]

Again, be sure you prep all your ingredients before jumping into a recipe. Trust me on that. Mise en place people. Mise en place.

All meals are prepared with hormone free meat, farm-fresh, seasonal produce, sustainably sourced seafood, and non-GMO ingredients.

Give it a try- here is a link for you to check out the meals, pick your plan and place your order. And Blue Apron does not make you sign a contract, you can order as often or as little as you’d like. And heads up- this is an affiliate link –> Blue Apron Meals

I hope you guys enjoy being a fancy Chef at home as much as I did!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Blue Apron. I have been compensated through the SheSavvy Influence Network. All opinions remain my own.

Stephanie @IronGirl

Monday 17th of July 2017

I am such a fan of Blue Apron

Helen Corbin

Friday 14th of July 2017

All the meals look and sound great. What a fantastic service.

Joe @mansman

Thursday 13th of July 2017

I love the idea of having the ingredients but still being able to make my own food. I am not familiar with Blue Apron though. Will have to try

Sharon Walsh

Wednesday 12th of July 2017

WOW that all looks fabulous & very exotic

Tika

Tuesday 11th of July 2017

I may have to try blue apron. I have not liked some of the other meal delivery services I have used.