Hi loves! This week has been absolute mayhem in TBB world — in all the best ways, of course. With the release of the Breaking Vegan book pre-sales, the giveaway I’m hosting for the book & the eBook I’m creating for everyone who pre-orders… I’ve been in book-centric la-la land for more days and hours than I can begin to explain. Also trying to maintain my social life (hello, balance!) and the bloggy in the process has been a challenge. And I am in the midst of planning my NYC trip, which is coming up in two short weeks. Yippee!
Since things have been so hectic around here, I have had to make some rules for myself that I am trying very hard to stick to:
- No making plans during the day unless they are 100% business related.
- Yoga every day, either early morning or late night (or sometimes middle of the day if I am feeling extra wild) because it keeps my anxiety at bay and is so necessary for my well-being!
- Cook more at home! It saves me so much time and money, especially when I am on a major time crunch like I have been lately.
So basically, as far as #3 goes, it was Blue Apron to the rescue this week! Have you heard of Blue Apron? It is a busy person’s DREAM… Especially a busy person who likes to cook and be healthy, but can’t be bothered (timing-wise) to grocery shop for all of the right ingredients, to research or create tasty and new recipes from scratch or someone who never seems to buy the right AMOUNT of ingredients for anything. Cough, cough: me. I am always left with an insane amount of leftovers that go to waste when I cook full-on meals on my own.
It’s also awesome for people like me who were once vegan or vegetarian… Because all I really know how to cook super confidently in the kitchen are dishes that are plant-based. It’s true that I am branching out and getting more accustomed to making chicken, fish and sometimes even beef dishes for myself, but it’s still hard for me when I was so used to popping my veggies in the oven, boiling my quinoa, drizzling my lemon juice and calling it a day!
Blue Apron uses all farm-fresh ingredients and delivers them right to your doorstep in exactly the right proportions. You can choose from the 2-person plan (which I did, even though I was mainly cooking for myself so I just had one meal of leftovers for every dish which was awesome) or the family plan, if you are cooking for your fam bam (it’s perfect for a family of 4).
I had so much fun making the meals because not only is there a specific, detailed sheet for each recipe with ingredients, method and photos from start to finish, but there is also an intro letter that explains which chef has created the recipe, where they are from and a little bit of their background story. You know I LOVE a good background story, and I love to feel like I am getting to know someone even from afar, so that was a particularly cool aspect, I thought. This week’s special highlighted chef is Melissa Perello, Executive Chef & Owner of San Francisco’s Frances. As a fellow Northern California girl… I was so excited to learn more about her. Now I want to visit her restaurant next time I’m in the city!
Each Blue Apron meal can be prepared in 40 minutes or less — for me, I found that each meal only took me about 25 minutes in total (score). The one that took me the longest was the chicken dish, and that’s only because the rice took about 20-25 minutes to boil and then I spattered the “Golden Mountain” sauce all over myself while it was on the stove but that was another story… and totally a typical #TBBdork moment.
If you want to try Blue Apron, the first 50 TBB readers who use this link will get two free meals on their first order with them!!! Awesome, right?! Thanks to Blue Apron for offering that killer deal.
Salsa Verde for the Sirloin dish before I mixed it!
A couple recipes from their site that I have been dying to try are the Spring Miso Ramen and the Salmon Rolls. (Are you kidding me, with those salmon rolls?!?!? If I could actually make those well I would die of happiness.) To check out all of their recipes this season, click here.
The recipes that I made this week were Dukkah-Spiced Salmon with Spring Vegetables & Oyster Mushroom Ragout (a.k.a my favorite veggie on the planet. SO stoked when this one came to my door!), Sirloin Tip Steaks with Potato, Asparagus & Radish Hash, & Laotian Larb Gai with Sticky Rice, Peanuts & Mint.
Funny Sidenote: When I told my BFF Jill, who is MUCH more of a whiz in the kitchen than I am, that I was making a “Larb Gai” dish this week she thought I was talking about an actual GUY that I was cooking for and she was very intrigued. Sadly, not the case… Lol.
This is what actual Larb Gai looks like!!
Head to the Blue Apron recipe page to get the recipes for each of these yummy dishes, and in the meantime, check out my photos from the experience!!!
Which one do you think would be your favorite? The salmon was my fav by far, and I knew it would be from the beginning because I am such a huge fan of both salmon and oyster shroomies. My second favorite was the chicken dish — so flavorful and yummy. Although watch out when this one is on the stove, because the “Golden Mountain” sauce might totally leap out at you, like it did to me!!!
All in all, Blue Apron made me feel like a total experienced chef this week and I loved it. If you follow me on Snapchat (at username jojoyounger!!), then you probably saw my photos and videos of me cooking all of this yumminess. I was very proud.
Here’s the yumminess I made this week…
Dukkah-Spiced Salmon:
Laotian Larb Gai:
Sirloin Tip Steak:
P.S. the “celeriac” in the salmon recipe is something I absolutely fell in love with! It’s basically a turnip-rooted celery / knob celery with edible roots. Otherwise known as a root veggie. It has minimal sugar and is a good source of calcium and Vitamin K. I am so glad I discovered it via this recipe and will be using it in many more dishes and kitchen experiments from now on!
Which recipe of theirs looks best to you?! Seriously, you should order and get those two free meals… What a steal!