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You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Becoming A Better Cook: Blue Apron Review

January 21, 2015

Becoming A Better Cook: Blue Apron Review

I’ve been learning to become a better cook with Blue Apron! Check out my Blue Apron Review & get $60 off your first 3 boxes! This post is sponsored by Blue Apron

Tacos

Blue Apron Review

For years I made dinners flying by the seat of my pants. I rarely ever used a recipe, and didn’t actually know what we were having until I started to get hungry. While this method worked, it definitely kept me on my toes. We stuck to many of the same flavors and techniques each week. But, as you’ve heard before, when you have a child (or a busy job or a change in lifestyle) winging it just doesn’t work.

Over the past year we have worked hard to get organized in the kitchen. Meal planning and prep has been such a great change to our lives, and I wish we had started it sooner. One of the biggest pleasant surprises from this change has actually been bringing in a lot more diversity into our meals. From technique to flavor, cooking other people’s recipes has pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ve also learned quite a bit! We have enjoyed trying some of Blue Apron’s recipes – like the three included here! The meals at Blue Apron are chef-designed recipes that you can make at home, and they definitely step up the fancy a notch. Plus since all of the ingredients you need are shipped (for free) right to you, there is never any need for planning or waste at the end.

Get $60 off your first free boxes here!

BeefPasta

Here are 5 additions to my cooking repertoire that have resulted in extra delicious meals this year

1. Prep everything before you start cooking (and read the entire recipe!). I can’t tell you how many times I have planned something for dinner and not looked at the recipe until after I’m super hungry and ready to eat! Meal planning and prep has forced me to mentally prepare for our dinner recipe all day and sometimes before that. Now meats are thawed on time, marinades have soaked in and ingredients are chopped.

2. Lemon and lime all the time! This is a step I almost always used to skip. “Meh, you can’t taste it,” I would think. But following recipes has made me question that mentality and switch to the “if they say I should I probably should” one. FOMO = fear of missing out! I’ve started keeping lemons and limes on hand for use in my own recipes too. And yes, you can taste it!

Foodblog-5062

3. Use the right oils for the right things. This is something I researched more on my own, but it has made a positive difference in my cooking. This chart is absolutely amazing and will answer all of your questions!! We now use EVOO for dressings, drizzles and finishing and sunflower or coconut oil for higher-heat cooking.

4. Good ingredients can make or break a meal. Freshly baked bread. Flavored olive oils. Fresh pasta. Tomatoes canned at their peak. Local jam. Invest in the good stuff! If you’re saving money by cooking at home, then at least bridge the gap a little by investing in ingredients that will make your food taste restaurant-worthy.

5. The more fresh herbs the better. Herbs are annoying to buy at the grocery store. You pick out a bunch, sometimes pay a lot for it, use a few pinches and then it rots in your fridge. This has happened to me many times! One tip I have (unless you’re using Blue Apron which sends the perfect amount!) is to chop and then freeze the remaining bunch. While it’s not great as a garnish, the frozen herbs still work well for baking and soups. I have learned to use a greater variety of herbs too, thanks to following recipes. Like the lemongrass in the Thai Coconut Soup we had this week! This was my first time using it fresh, and YUM!

Thai-Coconut

Get $60 off your first free boxes here!

Blue Apron is the perfect bridge between a date night out and a date night in. The meals are fancy enough to feel special, yet they are simple enough for novice cooks to prepare. And all meals are more fun when you have company! Matt and I really enjoyed prepared these three Blue Apron dinners together last week. And Mazen enjoyed eating them!

Foodblog-5079

Filed Under: Lifestyle

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Comments

  1. Tamara Dabic says

    January 21, 2015 at 9:07 am

    Wow, the dishes look amazing! I feel like it would make me feel more organized if I had three meals each week I would definitely be making.

    Reply
  2. Linda @ TheFitty says

    January 21, 2015 at 9:46 am

    Really, lemon and lime? No way, I swear you can’t taste it. And not everything I eat is sour but should I try this?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 21, 2015 at 9:49 am

      The acidity brings out all kinds of flavors!

      Reply
  3. Tonya says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:13 am

    This did not feel like a sponsored post at all! Well done. Good tips and I like the Oil chart. thanks!

    Reply
    • Sabrina says

      January 21, 2015 at 12:55 pm

      agreed

      Reply
  4. Alex @ True Femme says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:19 am

    Even though I don’t have a family or SO to cook for, I really like this idea! I think I might sign up just to have a few meals planned a week…especially when I start my doctorate!

    Reply
  5. Kaila@HealthyHelperBlog says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Totally agree with lemon and lime on everything! They add such amazing zesty flavor….and I really think they enhance the taste of all of the other ingredients!!

    Reply
  6. Mom says

    January 21, 2015 at 11:00 am

    You are definitely a good cook, which I get a kick out of since you never went through a childhood cooking phase like so many kids do.

    Reply
  7. Christy @TheMuddyApron says

    January 21, 2015 at 11:13 am

    My mom just ordered from The Blue Apron and she is really excited to start it. It’s just her and my dad now so the portions can be adjusted. It will be interesting to see if she likes it too.
    C.

    Reply
  8. Elise says

    January 21, 2015 at 11:39 am

    This concept is still lost on me. Don’t you still go to the grocery store to pick up food for the week? It just seems so expensive. I know none of my home-cooked meals cost $9.99/serving. Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to find recipes that appeal to you and buy the ingredients yourself, during the trip you’re already making to the store? I suppose this service isn’t for someone who enjoys the hunt of finding an awesome recipe, or someone trying to save money by cooking at home.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 21, 2015 at 12:44 pm

      No the food is all delivered in the exact amounts you need so there is no waste. Shopping yourself would definitely be cheaper but not easier.

      Reply
      • Elise says

        January 21, 2015 at 1:35 pm

        What I meant was it just doesn’t seem worth it to spend all that extra money when it’s not that much more difficult to get the ingredients yourself, especially since you’ll still have to go to the store to get other staples like milk, eggs, etc.

        Reply
        • Ella says

          January 22, 2015 at 5:05 am

          I am with Elise on this.
          I have seen something similar in Germany. If I am so busy that I have no time to go grocery shopping, I have not time to cook either. I have the feeling that this kind of service is trying to fill in a market gap so thin that is almost non-existent.

          Reply
      • Meg says

        January 22, 2015 at 1:30 pm

        To say there is no waste is somewhat disingenuous in the sense that there is waste – the packaging and energy used to ship (and presumably refrigerate) these ingredients door to door – in particular given that this expense and expenditure of energy/packaging (waste) is in addition to the money and energy spent by households using this service to provide for the other dozen or so other meals to be consumed in any given week by still having to visit the grocery store.

        Reply
        • KathEats says

          January 22, 2015 at 2:32 pm

          I meant no food waste because the ingredients are precisely measured. Of course the packaging waste is not ideal.

          Reply
  9. A. says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    I always say this and will say it again, but it is so not environmentaly friendly, all the packing, the shipping, for a service that is expensive… I just don’t get it. Maybe it is good if your grocery store is far, but mine is 1 minute away by walk. I think for the same price and a similar carbon footprint, I will get delivery from a restaurant I like, sushis or indian food, and no dishes, no prep.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:53 pm

      But you’d miss out on the cooking experience with your partner! Blue Apron isn’t for everyone though.

      Reply
  10. Shel@PeachyPalate says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    Curry and chicken tacos…both look heavenly!!!

    Reply
  11. Hannah @ eat, drink and save money says

    January 21, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    Great tips! I totally agree about the quality ingredients. I know that is saves us money because I get excited to use our fancy ingredients. I’ll play in the kitchen instead of going out to eat. I also agree that meal planning has helped us save time and money.

    I need to start using lemons and limes more. I usually have lemon juice on hand, but it isn’t the same as the fresh stuff.

    Reply
  12. rebecca lovatt says

    January 21, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    Oooo that pulled chicken taco looks AMAZING! Definitely giving it a try x

    Reply
  13. Dana | fresh simple five says

    January 21, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    I like following recipes, but often times modify them to what I have on hand which sometimes means leaving out spices, citrus juice, etc. Your tips have me second guessing those decisions! Maybe they’d be the difference between a good meal and an outstanding one…

    Reply
  14. jen says

    January 21, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    Motherhood has definitely made me become a different cook, even if not a better one. I used to try new recipes all the time, but now I’m much more into rotating through a few basic themes with variation, pasta night (creamy with chicken and veg or maybe marinara with meatballs), rice bowl night (burrito or asian inspired), etc. I just read this article from the Kitchn about “dinner templates” and realized that’s exactly where my cooking is headed right now. It allows me to meal plan and still be flexible enough to buy what looks good. And most importantly, without having to spend too much time thinking about it!

    Reply
    • jen says

      January 22, 2015 at 1:25 pm

      Ooops, meant to link the article
      http://www.thekitchn.com/the-power-of-dinner-templates-loving-food-while-losing-weight-215184

      Reply
  15. Sara says

    January 21, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    This is great for someone like me who is so indecisive in the kitchen. I like that they give you a plan. I think I might try it.

    Reply
  16. Anna says

    January 21, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    I’m curious how this fits in with your efforts to eat locally? I saw a few “local” food providers on the Blue Apron website but none were in VA (or my state), so it seems that there would be a huge carbon footprint for just one of these meals, never-mind the waste from all the packaging!
    Does Blue Apron offer organic meats, sustainably raised shrimp, pasture-raised ingredients, organic produce? It seems hard to get this information from their website besides their cherry-picked examples. I much prefer the idea of going to the store and knowing where my ingredients are from. I don’t see how that would create more waste- I see a recipe that calls for 8 oz. shrimp, I go to the store and buy 8 oz. of shrimp. It’s not rocket science!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 21, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      I see Blue Apron as an experience…not a lifestyle.

      Reply
  17. Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola says

    January 21, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    I completely agree with you about preparing all of the ingredients in advance and reading the recipe all the way through. I’m horrible about finding a recipe online, assuming I have all of the ingredients I need and getting to work in the kitchen. Then I find halfway through that I’m missing something, that something is taking longer to prep than I had anticipated, etc.

    Reply
  18. Amanda L. says

    January 22, 2015 at 5:54 am

    I clicked on the Blue Apron link to redeem the offer and it took me to their site, but it wouldn’t go past the “enter your e-mail and delivery zip code” page. 🙁

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 22, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      I’m sorry…I’m investigating!

      Reply
  19. Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food says

    January 22, 2015 at 8:36 am

    That beef bolognese looks so delicious!! Actually, all of those recipes look so good!

    Reply
  20. Jennifer says

    January 22, 2015 at 10:28 am

    I’d much rather use Cook Smarts! I believe that shopping, choosing ingredients and then preparing them is part of the “becoming a better cook” experience. This just seems to fill the all too common American-wasteful-but-“easy” lifestyle because there’s more waste to even if there isn’t food waste. I’m sure it’s an experience but it’s an expensive one.

    Reply
  21. Joshua Hampton says

    January 22, 2015 at 10:52 am

    I definitely agree with meal planning and prep. I used to fly by the seat of my pants in the kitchen too, especially before I got married. But now that I have kids, meal planning and prep has become essential for us.

    Reply
  22. Mary Kate says

    January 22, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    This is completely off topic but I was wondering if you would share how you manage/store your electronic files/photos. Do you copy to an external drive regularly? Do you upload to a photo site? I find it a tough task to manage and I don’t like the feeling of all my photos of my children only being on my computer. Perhaps you could do a post about this? Thanks!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 22, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      I copy my files to a harddrive, but they aren’t as organized as I’d like them to be! I have all Mazen photos in one big folder, so they are sorted by date only (which is convenient for a baby I suppose!) Another for videos. And another for family trips. I don’t keep my blog work because my actual blog is backed up x3!

      Reply
      • Mary Kate says

        January 23, 2015 at 9:24 am

        Do you delete photos from your computer once they are on the external drive? How often do you do it?

        Reply
        • KathEats says

          January 23, 2015 at 5:13 pm

          I haven’t needed to yet

          Reply
  23. joelle (on a pink typewriter) says

    January 22, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    Meal planning and prep is something I really need to work on.. I am usually just doing whatever is easiest when I get home, but when you’re cooking for someone else (in my face, my boyfriend), you can’t really make scrambled eggs EVERY night. 🙂

    Reply
  24. Lori says

    January 22, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    Absolutely, lemon and lime on everything. I love the Blue Apron concept, and might take a look at it during the busy summer months when I’m working 6 days a week.
    Take care,
    Lori

    Reply
  25. Jeri says

    January 22, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    I made the Thai Curry Shrimp. It was really good. Something I think about it… if you double it DO NOT double the curry unless you like really spicy. Also double or even triple the shrimp. I used a pound and it wasn’t enough for 4 of us. And that is with doubling the recipe.

    Reply
  26. Lindsay says

    January 22, 2015 at 11:01 pm

    YUM! I wish Blue Apron shipped to Hawaii;) But then again…there’s a lot of plus sides to living on island! However I appreciate the recipe ideas and we’re constantly looking for ways to mix it up. I love spending time in the kitchen, and with a budget crack down this year, we’ve also upped our meal plan game. Makes me feel so good to have good food at home and ready!

    Reply
  27. Jen says

    January 22, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    I’m wondering if you follow the recipes exactly as written? I had the same exact meals last week and the tacos and soup were SPICY! And I only used half the recommended amount of curry paste in the soup. Does Mazen really enjoy such spicy food? If so he has a very mature palate. Also, my tacos didn’t come with sour cream, which really would have been helpful to tone down the heat. I cancelled my order after 3 weeks. The recipes were too hit or miss for me and my family.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      January 23, 2015 at 2:33 am

      The soup was spicy but M seemed to like it – as much as a 2 year old would. Matt put in the curry and I don’t believe he used it all after a taste test.

      Reply
  28. Maria says

    January 27, 2015 at 12:12 am

    I’m with you on how lemon can add just the right zip to a dish. Just today I added half a lemon to my broccoli cheddar soup to help brighten the flavor. I too recently tried blue apron thanks to a friend and it was cool to make such a gourmet meal I would never attempt otherwise. I think it’s helped me branch out a little more.

    Reply

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