My Adventures with Blue Apron

When a friend of mine sent me a link for a free week of Blue Apron, I figured that I might as well try it out! For those of you who aren't familiar with Blue Apron, it is a company that sends you fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and detailed instructions (complete with pictures!) to create 2-4 meals per week for a family of two or four. The fee is pretty reasonable and the package for the week is delivered for free to your house in a refrigerated box, in case you aren't home when the package arrives. For my free trial week, I received ingredients for 3 dinners. I have to admit that I didn't have high expectations because the cost, while reasonable, is certainly more than I spend at the grocery store on 3 dinners per week. However, by the end of the week I was sold!

First of all, for someone who loves to cook and try out new recipes, this is the ultimate fun experience. It took me out of my comfort zone of the typical types of meals I make, and exposed me to exciting new recipes. I received ingredients for salmon burgers, pork bolognese, and chicken pad kee mao. I have made something similar to the pork bolognese before, but the others were a new experience for me! I also really enjoyed that there were vegetables incorporated into each meal; we try to eat veggies with dinner, but often I just take the easy way out and microwave a frozen bag of broccoli. These recipes made me enthusiastic for eating vegetables. The recipes all took about 30 minutes to make, and had 600-700 calories per serving.

I have always wanted to make Thai food, but didn't want to invest in a lot of unique ingredients that I may not use again. With Blue Apron, I was able to try cooking pad kee mao at home without the major investment - it was a total success. Thai food now feels like a cuisine that I can make on my own whenever I have the craving!

And I have never even ordered a salmon burger in a restaurant because I didn't think I really liked salmon, but I ended up loving the burger! And it was served with a corn and arugula salad that I was very hesitant about, but it was one of the best salads I've had. The recipe was broken down into easy steps, and my husband and I had fun cooking this meal together. I suppose I'll have to stop telling people that i hate arugula.

The pork bolognese was a simple but delicious meal, and we actually ended up making it again (with beef the second time around) the following week. The portions for this recipe were huge, and there was enough for leftovers - my favorite kind of meal.

The only negative that I felt with Blue Apron is that we had to chop our own vegetables - I will do almost anything to avoid chopping an onion! It is a small price to pay in order to end up with 3 amazingly delicious meals that I can easily cook (or let my husband cook!) without having to go to the grocery store. I don't plan to get a Blue Apron delivery every week, but I intend to try at least one delivery per month. I can't wait to see what my next delivery brings!

Mozzarella, Roasted Red Pepper, and Basil Stuffed Chicken

I apologize for not posting any recipes in awhile - I've had my hands full the past few months! But since having a baby, I appreciate even more the importance of finding healthy recipes that are fast and easy to make (ideally, 10 minutes or less of prep time, since that's about as long as Little Man will allow me before he gets fussy!). 

I discovered this recipe a few months ago, and was amazed at how delicious it was for less than five minutes of prep time. I love mozzarella cheese, and chicken is a staple in my house, so it was bound to be a winner! The first time I made this recipe, I used store-bought roasted red peppers, but this time I made my own and they were also very easy to make. I made the peppers over the weekend, and they kept well in the refrigerator for two days until I was ready to make the chicken dish. 

Luckily my husband loved the meal as well, since I plan to add this into the regular rotation! I served it with a simple side of roasted broccoli (I use a version of this recipe, but without lemon juice and with garlic salt or a Parmesan seasoning).

Mozzarella, Roasted Red Pepper, and Basil Stuffed Chicken

(from Barbells and Bellinis)

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts
8 0z. fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices (it's easiest if you buy a fresh mozzarella log)
6 oz. roasted red peppers (jarred or make your own)
fresh basil leaves
approx. 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
approx. 2 tbsp grated parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice chicken breasts in half through the long side of the breast, stopping just short of the other side, to butterfly the breast. Open up each chicken breast and lay them in a greased baking dish or on a greased baking sheet.
3. Place 1/4 of the roasted red peppers, basil, and one slice of fresh mozzarella on the inside of each butterflied chicken breast. 
4. Fold the top half of the chicken back over, and sprinkle the top of each breast with Italian seasoning.
5. Bake chicken for approximately 30-35 minutes, until the juices run clear.
6. Take the chicken out of the oven and set the oven to broil on high. Place the remaining slices of mozzarella on top of each chicken breast, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 
7. Broil for approximately 5 minutes, until the mozzarella is brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

Serves 4 (you can easily cut this recipe in half or double it, as desired)