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Cooking Outside of Our Comfort Zone

By Courtney 31 Comments

Ever since we were first introduced to Blue Apron last September, we’ve been hooked. We typically get a delivery scheduled every month or so, and it’s always such a nice treat to change things up from our usual go-to meals.

Many of the Blue Apron meals we receive would, honestly, never be something we’d think to create (or attempt) on our own. It’s not that the meals are too complex, though…rather, it’s more that they incorporate so many different ingredients and combinations that I’d just never think to do.

Blue Apron food prep

Like Fregola sarda pasta? Never heard of it until now!

Fregola sarda pasta

So if you guys have been reading over the past few months, then you probably already know about Blue Apron. But in case it’s new to ya, let me give you a quick overview…

Blue Apron is a meal delivery service (not pre-made meals) that allows you to create delicious, chef-inspired meals at home, using farm-fresh ingredients, in exactly the right proportions.  The recipes are delivered in a refrigerated box so ingredients will stay fresh even if you’re not at home when your package arrives (<—this is big for us, since I’ve yet to be home when a delivery has been made!).

Blue Apron offers two types of plans, the 2-Person Plan and the Family Plan. The Family Plan is perfect for feeding a family of four, and gives you the option to receive one or two deliveries per week (for $8.74 per person per meal), each delivery consisting of two meals to be served family-style. If you’ve got a large family, or are planning on hosting a few extra guests and want to impress them, then this would be a great option for you!

The 2-Person Plan is $9.99 per person, per meal (shipping is always free!) and gives you one delivery a week, each with (3) meals for two.

Blue Apron recipe cards

Each week, six new recipes are created for this plan, and you will be sent a curated menu of three recipes based on your dietary preferences (you choose these when you set up your account). This is the plan that we choose, and with some meals, there’s still enough to be able to give Lucas a small portion as well.

And this past week, the first meal that we cooked wound up being a HUGE hit for Lucas!

IMG_9495

We decided to cook up the Italian Wedding Soup with Fregola Sarda and Spinach on Sunday, since I wasn’t sure how much time it would take to make the meatballs and everything else.

satueed veggies

I should note that all meals can usually be prepared in 40 minutes or less…unless I have a whining toddler at my feet. Then it takes a bit longer. Fellow parents out there, I’m sure you can relate? Winking smile

IMG_9466

Thankfully, Jay was home to keep Lucas occupied, and I was able to get this meal put together in no time.

italian wedding soup

We love how incredibly fresh the ingredients are, plus the fact that they’re sourced from quality local suppliers and artisans.

spinach in soup

Let me tell you…the end result of this meal was amazing.

Italian Wedding Soup

And even by me cutting the recipe into 2 main servings + 1 toddler serving, we still had plenty to keep us full.

Italian Wedding Soup

The second meal we cooked up from this delivery was the Za’atar Spiced Steak with Rutabaga-Barberry Tabbouleh & Labneh Cheese.

diced rutabaga

Honestly, I thought this meal was going to wind up being a disaster. Lucas was being needy, I thought I overcooked the bulgar (which I’m still pretty sure I did), I got two phone calls while cooking, and then I almost forgot to add about 3 different ingredients.

Blue Apron ingredients

Eventually, the craziness slowed down, I was able to get back to the meal, and things started coming together.

sauteed rutabaga

And by the time I plated everything up, it looked even better than I could have expected.

Za’atar Spiced Steak with Rutabaga-Barberry Tabbouleh & Labneh Cheese

The rutabaga had some really unique flavors happening, and the steak was absolutely delicious; especially when it was paired with the Lebneh cheese (another thing I’d never heard of).

 Za’atar Spiced Steak with Rutabaga-Barberry Tabbouleh & Labneh Cheese

The third and final meal we cooked up from our delivery was Roasted Poblano Chilaquiles with Sunny Side-Up Eggs and Avocado.

Roasted Poblano Chilaquiles with Sunny Side-Up Eggs and Avocado

We made one slight alteration to this meal, and that was by making our eggs fried, rather than sunny side-up (I have a thing about runny yolks…just can’t do it). This was a great example of a meal I’d never think of making, but Jay and I both loved it as a different kind of meatless entrée…even if my mouth was on fire. Whew, baby, was it spicy!

Roasted Poblano Chilaquiles with Sunny Side-Up Eggs and Avocado

But they really do get us out of our cooking comfort zones (and comfort ruts!) and that’s another thing I love about Blue Apron…they offer such a large selection of recipes, and they’re always adding new dishes to their menu every week. For example? Right now, I’ve got my eye on Fresh Cavatelli Pasta with Endive, Pear, & Gorgonzola Cheese and this Cioppino Tagliatelle with Bay Scallops, Toasted Baguette & Garlic Aioli.

Want to see if they deliver to you? Check out THIS MAP! Blue Apron is available nationwide, shipping to over 80% of the country. Plus, there’s no commitment – you can skip or cancel the service at any time. The perfect reason to give it a try!

Discount Offer!

Blue Apron is offering the first 50 STSL readers two free meals on their first Blue Apron order. Just CLICK HERE to place your order!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Blue Apron, but there are no affiliate links and I do not gain anything for you signing up. Thank you, as always, for your continued support of STSL.

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March 17, 2015 Filed Under: Sponsored Tagged With: Blue Apron, Blue Apron discount offer, italian wedding soup, roasted poblanos, Za'atar spiced steak

About Courtney

I'm a working mom of two beautiful little boys, Lucas and Alex, and I began writing Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life in April 2010. I enjoy chronicling my love of food (healthy and indulgent!), baking, motherhood, fitness, fashion, and everything in between!

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Comments

  1. Taca @ A Side Of Dessert says

    March 17, 2015 at 6:19 am

    Oh wow, everything looks SO delicious! Their meals truly are amazing and such a treat!
    Reply
  2. Andrea @ Pencils and Pancakes says

    March 17, 2015 at 6:38 am

    Wow! The meals look amazing. It seems like it's nice that they give you portioned ingredients. That way you don't have to buy a whole bunch and have it left over .
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:37 am

      That really is one of our favorite things about it. I love cooking meals/recipes that I find online but there is ALWAYS so many leftovers (not always a bad thing, but still). These are perfect!
      Reply
  3. Britt@MyOwnBalance says

    March 17, 2015 at 6:43 am

    My favorite thing about Blue Apron is that you get all the recipes so you can always make the recipe again if you like it!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:22 am

      Yes, me too! We have a good little collection of past recipe cards that we keep :)
      Reply
  4. Brynn says

    March 17, 2015 at 7:43 am

    I love how creative the meals are with BA. My sister cooks this way on a daily basis, she is so amazing in the kitchen. Luckily she lives close enough that I can enjoy her talents frequently - ha!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:21 am

      I am in amazement of people who can create meal like this on their own, haha. Lucky you to have you sister close by to take advantage! ;)
      Reply
  5. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    March 17, 2015 at 7:47 am

    i need blue apron. no time to go to the store!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:21 am

      Yes you do! It's so, so good (and SUPER convenient!)
      Reply
  6. Kris says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:17 am

    The spiced steak is just mouthwatering!!! I'm a sucker for a good piece of beef :)
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:20 am

      Oh man, you and me both! It was SO good.
      Reply
  7. Shel@PeachyPalate says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:27 am

    Ah man I LOVE runny yolks! :) Enough for the two of us! The steak looks beautiful!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:20 am

      Gahhh, I just can't get on board with 'em! I know I'm in the minority, too, haha
      Reply
  8. Beks says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:31 am

    I would LOVE to try Blue Apron, but they don't come to my area yet. *pouts* Too bad they don't put their recipes up online for people who they can't service yet. I love checking out new things.
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 9:20 am

      You actually can see the recipes still! They're on this page: http://87k.eu/fu5g :)
      Reply
  9. Shawna says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:06 am

    you make these meals look good, and they aren't even things i'd eat! :) my roommate has done Blue Apron and i like the concept a lot, but i'm such a picky eater that it wouldn't work for me. nice job, though! def reminds me that i should cook more.
    Reply
  10. Missy says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:20 am

    OK, I have been eyeing Blue Apron and wanting to try for so long after seeing yours and other blogger reviews. I finally took the plunge and scheduled a delivery for next week. (Partially due to your wonderful discount--thanks!!!) So excited to try it! I agree that learning about and getting to try out new ingredients will be one of the biggest benefits to this. Now I'm hungry after looking at all the recipes....
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 10:23 am

      Oh YAY!!!! You'll have to let me know what you think! :)
      Reply
  11. Sarah says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:29 am

    Those bowls look SO AMAZING. Sounds like it's right up my alley :) Sarah Midwest Darling
    Reply
  12. Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:33 am

    I love trying new things, and seeing how creative these meals are makes me want to give Blue Apron a shot. Maybe when I'm home this summer, I can try it out. Those chilaquiles look absolutely incredible. Thanks for such a thorough review/description!!
    Reply
  13. Marielle says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:56 am

    Oh wow the food looks so yummy! I haven't tried Blue Ribbon yet but might be great to keep in mind with our new baby here....my cooking is going to be minimal :)
    Reply
  14. Heather @ Life In Leggings says

    March 17, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Yum!! I'm so excited to get my first Blue Apron delivery early April. Everything looks so delicious!
    Reply
  15. Carrie (This Fit Chick) says

    March 17, 2015 at 11:13 am

    I'm dying to try Blue Apron!
    Reply
  16. Ness says

    March 17, 2015 at 11:20 am

    lebanese food is seriously awesome.....zatar, leban and tabouli how could you go wrong!! Delicious
    Reply
  17. Nikki says

    March 17, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Wow those meals look amazing! Especially the steak! Yummy!! I with you on the runny yokes - I can't do it either!! As always, thanks for sharing!! :) Happy St. Patrick's Day!
    Reply
  18. Kristen says

    March 17, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    These meals look great. You may have answered this question somewhere in your comments, but how long did they take you to cook start to finish? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 2:02 pm

      I'm pretty sure most of these took between 40-60 minutes. It was a bit longer than it says on the cards, but I was also trying to keep a toddler occupied and do a few other things at the same time. Had a given just the recipe my sole attention, I'd say they each probably would have been 35-40 minutes
      Reply
      • Kristen says

        March 17, 2015 at 2:19 pm

        Even 60 minutes is not too bad. Thanks for the info!
        Reply
  19. Michelle says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Just ordered Blue Apron - coming next Friday! I can't wait that long!! Thanks so much for the discount!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      March 17, 2015 at 8:41 pm

      Awesome!!! Hope you love it (although I'm sure you will!) :)
      Reply
  20. Kristy @ Southern In-Law says

    March 18, 2015 at 2:24 am

    All of these meals look SO delicious! It's always fun to try something new!
    Reply

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Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Court Profile CircleI'm Courtney, a 30-something wife and working mom living in upstate NY. I'm a food lover, fitness enthusiast, baker extraordinaire and lover of all things sweet.
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