Who has time to go to the grocery store anymore, anyway? Blue Apron is a meal delivery service that sends a weekly box with exactly enough fresh ingredients for 3 meals. This was our first time trying Blue Apron out, and it was actually pretty awesome!
When I came home from work on Friday, we had a cardboard box sitting on our doorstep! The bottom of the box looked a little soggy, so at first I was worried something may have happened to the package. It still held together, though. Inside the box there’s a foil bubble bag keeping all of the ingredients inside and safe from the heat. Fall is almost here, but it’s still over 100 degrees outside in Texas. Inside this bag, the fresh veggies and mixings were on top of some Atlantic Cod sandwiched between two portable ice packs. The moisture was coming from humidity sticking to the ice packs. There were also 3 adorable illustrated recipe cards that you can save for later in a recipe box or binder.
The freshness of the ingredients was impressive. Many of the offerings could not be found at our local food stores and for the ones that could, there was a little variety from our same old same old. For example, the parsley was flat instead of curled. I usually buy or grow curled parsley.
This batch of recipes all take under an hour to make, although it can take me a little longer to cut and prepare the fresh veggies because I am a perfectionist. The first recipe Chris and I made together was this delicious summer udon noodle salad. It’s still late summer! I’ll hold on to that feeling for the next few days.
All of the Blue Apron recipes are available in their online cookbook. Also, the online library has special Tips & Techniques, including videos, to make your cooking come out extra delicious.
Summer Udon Salad Ingredients
1 Pound Udon Noodles
6 Ounces Cherry Tomatoes
2 Ounces Baby Kale
2 Scallions
1 Cucumber
1 Ear Corn
1 Summer Sweet Pepper
2 Tablespoons Mirin
1 1-Inch Ginger
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Furikake
¼ Cup Ponzu Sauce
Summer Udon Salad Instructions
Wash all of your product (of course). Quarter the tomatoes and season with salt & pepper. Cut the corn off the cob. Discard the stem & seeds from the pepper, and cut horizontally into ¼ inch rings. Halve the cucumber, scoop out the seeds, and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Discard the ends of the scallions, slice, and separate the light bottoms and white tops into 2 piles. Mince the ginger. Separate the udon noodles.
To make the sauce, combine the pozu sauce, mirin, half the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of water into a bowl.
In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil on medium high. Add the peppers, and season with salt & pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn, white scallions, ginger, and sesame oil. Season with salt & pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Add the noodles and sauce, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Add the kale, cucumber, and seasoned tomatoes. Stir thoroughly to combine, season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the green scallions and furikake, and enjoy!
I love the way Blue Apron gives you exactly the ingredients you need to make the meal. There’s nothing left over to crowd up the pantry. Also, it’s fun to have a weekly walk-through of new dishes. We’ll probably get pretty good at cooking if we keep up with it! Since Chris and I both have really busy schedules, it may be a bit ambitious to follow through with 3 new home cooked meals every week. Oh man, that’s embarrassing to admit (but true). I wish I were one of those women who could just do it all – work full time, always have a fresh meal on the table, and have time for my own projects and interests. The Blue Apron price is pretty reasonable, and the convenience of a meal delivery service does save grocery shopping and meal planning time.