A Week Of...???

[englanddg]

Plated Day 1 - Patty Melts (Part 2)

Step 4) Patty the Patties!

Unpack the ground beef and pat it dry with a paper towel.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

This is a common thing I note with all these recipes, and it makes sense considering there is a lot of moisture in the packing styles they have (bags or containers) vs the stuff you get from the grocery store shelves. It's not required, but it does help when it comes to handling the meat.

Toss the beef, chopped thyme, half of the chopped chives, 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and black pepper (you need to provide both of these). Mix well.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 5) Cook the Patties

Ok, here is where the recipe and I differ. They suggest that you split the beef in half, then ball up each half, then smoosh it into a patty, then put an "indentation" in the middle to keep it from "cupping" when you fry it in the pan. I find a far better way to cook burgers like this, even on a grill, is to ball it up, then use a dual spatula method to press the burgers into shape ON the heated surface. This prevents the burgers from breaking apart during cooking, and gives you a patty that is easy to handle during cooking and even shape to your bread.

It's an old fry cook method, but it works extremely well...and as far as those "burger presses" people buy...toss that stuff out. It's a waste of time.

Here's an example of the technique. You need to have two firm and flat spatulas to do this...

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 6) Cook the patties for about 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Remove the fries from the oven (they should be done about now...)

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 7) Spread butter (you need to provide this) on one side of both halves of bread. On two of the slices, spread the mustard provided liberally on it. Remove the cooked patties from the pan, then add the bread patties with mustard on it, mustard side up, butter side down. Fry them for about 2 minutes.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 8) Place a slice of the provided cheese on each slice of bread, then add one patty to each sandwich. Fry for another 2 minutes.

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Step 9) Add the rest of the cheese, one slice per sandwich, then top with the other slices of bread, butter side up. Cook for another minute, then flip the sandwiches in the pan.

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Step 10) Cook on this side for about 2 - 3 minutes. Then remove the sandwiches to a cutting board and slice in half. Serve with the fries and some wonderful ketchup for dipping.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

DEVOUR!

Overall, this was an excellent first meal. Quite filling. Not the most well balanced, but quite hearty. At 830 calories, it is certainly a slog of a meal if you are watching your weight, but not unaffordable as long as you balance your other foods throughout the day.

That said, nothing was really unique about the meal, outside of the bread. The multigrain bread provided was some of the best bread I've ever had, it was fantastic. I wish I could purchase a loaf of it instead of relegating it simply to a meal like this, as it would do wonderfully with other applications (it would be amazing for breakfast, for example).

I boxed up the second sandwich with the rest of the fries wrapped in tin foil, and ate it the next day for lunch. It microwaved well, and was tasty!

I give this meal a B. But, a nice start considering all this came in a box!

Coming up next...Chicken Marsala!

 

[MinnieM123]

Yea! I love reading your cooking threads!!

I've always been intrigued by these (all in one) meal delivery services that have been gaining in popularity, primarily in the (solo or couple) customer categories, of busy working people. Yours is the first review I've read.

The packaged ingredients looked fresh and appealing. And, as for the cost, you'd probably spend close to the same amount (or more likely, more) if you bought everything yourself in the store--the reason being that you can't always buy just a handful of an ingredient. Often when you need just a few items for a recipe, (if you're cooking for just one or two people), it's difficult to not overbuy, because the store may only sell one size. Hence, you end up paying full price, when you don't need a larger amount.

I also like how you incorporate your own ideas (the double spatula technique, for example). When you plated the food, it looked very appetizing. Seems to me (so far), like this is a great idea--not to mention that you also had some food left over for your (warm-up/microwave) lunch the next day. Looking forward to Chicken Marsala!

 

[englanddg]

Plated - Day 2 - Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is something I've made before using a different recipe, a few years back when I was still "learning" to cook. I wasn't very good at pan frying (I had a tendency to both be impatient with the meats and also get the oil too hot, so I burned a lot of things). It didn't turn out so well, and I remember it being very bitter and sour tasting. So, hopefully this attempt (both me with a few more years experience combined with the recipe) will be better!

Once again I unwrapped the green smaller ingredients package, and this recipe had a whole lot of goodies! I love how they included the Marsala wine even! I mean, I suppose they should do that, since it's part of the recipe, but it was actually a rather good vintage (I had a small sip), not like salty or cheap cooking wine. Very nice!

So, lets look at the recipe card.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

This tip of theirs about drying off the chicken is actually a good one! I've not tried that before, but it worked out nicely!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

I thought it was funny that they included the mustard as the sort of packets you'd get at a sandwich shop. Well, I guess it works. At least it's the good stuff (Grey Poupon...fancy!)



So, lets see how it turns out?

Step 1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and clean the mushrooms. Be sure to dry them with a paper towel and get the black specks off (the black specks are...manure, so...yeah, get that off)

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 2) Rinse and slice the Potatoes in half. You will note in this picture, there was one potato that had a bit of...rot to it. But, I've gotten this from grocery potatoes before as well. I simply cut off the tip. No complaints! The rest were perfectly store fresh.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 3) Remove the rosemary leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. Then finely chop the leaves. Also chop the parsley and set aside.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 4) Add 1.5 Tbls, chopped rosemary and the 2 packets of mustard (about 3 teaspoons) to a bowl, and whisk to create a dressing. The oil should actually thicken up a little bit as you do this. Add the potatoes and coat.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 5) Add the potatoes to a foil lined baking sheet, cut side down. As I mentioned in the last recipe, I prefer using a baking sheet for this type of thing, because it has a lip on it, but a cookie sheet would work as well. Drizzle any remaining dressing from the bowl over the potatoes, and be sure to also remove any of the herbs stuck in the bowl with a table spoon and distribute those goodies on them as well!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Bake for about 15 minutes. As it bakes, we'll do the rest!

Continued....

 

[englanddg]

Plated - Day 2 - Chicken Marsala

Step 6) Slice the mushrooms. I used a knife for this, but my preferred way to do this is actually with an egg slicer. I just couldn't find mine at the time I made this recipe (I found it a few days later in the wrong drawer, doh!). If you go to a restaurant supply store you can buy industrial grade egg slicers with blades, instead of wires, and these are MUCH better. Here's one for example:

You'll find they don't cost much more than the cheaper versions you'll find with wires at places like Target and Walmart. I certainly recommend this for any kitchen. I adore mine (when it's not hiding from me!!!).

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 7) Remove the chicken from the bag, and pat dry with a paper towl. Then place the chicken b.reasts into a gallon ziplock and flatten them with a meat mallot, working in a circle from the center to the edges as you strike, to make about 1/4 even consistency across the filets.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

You'll note I'm wearing latex gloves. I actually prefer to cook with them (something which started recently). It keeps all the garlicky or onion smells off your fingers, etc. That said, I find that the blue "durable" gloves break too easily. I found some black nitrile gloves at Home Depot that are slightly more expensive, but they work a million times better! In later recipes you'll see me wearing those, but for now, it's the blue ones.

Step 8) On a plate, mix the flour with some salt and pepper (you'll need to provide the salt and pepper, but it came with just enough flour!) I used about 1 tsp of each. Then liberally coat both sides of the chicken b.reasts making sure that it also coats around the edges and in any folds in the meat.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 9) In a large (non-stick) skillet, heat up 1 and 1/2 of the provided butter packets (about 1.5 Tbls) over medium heat. Once it's melted, swirl it around the pan and add the sliced mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper (1/4 Tbls is what the recipe calls for, I didn't measure). The recipe also calls for medium-high here, but I find for my cheap electric range, medium high is too much for stuff like this...medium does it better and prevents burning.

On a range, like my parent's induction range, where I have a lot more temperature control, I might consider that, but I say stick with medium if you just have a cheaper range (like many do). Stir it about every 2 minutes, and cook it for about 10 minutes (I also thought the 8 minutes it called for was a bit too little). What you are looking for is the mushrooms to shrink up and turn into little flavour-bombs, but the moisture to largely evaporate away.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

At some time during this step, you will want to check the potatoes. If they are browned and just starting to char at the edges, they are perfect!

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Step 10) Remove the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. Dry out the pan with a paper towel and then add 1/2 Tbls of butter and 1 tsp of Olive Oil (you need to provide the oil). Let that heat over medium until the oil turns translucent and easily runs around the pan when you tilt it. Then add the chicken and cook on the first side for about 3 minutes. Then flip and cook the other side for 4 minutes. You can tell it is cooking by watching the meat turn white.

The reason for the uneven cooking times is that I wanted a slightly lighter color for my "presentation" side, and didn't mind if the bottom gets a little charred while I let it continue to cook to be done on the other side. I find, when making meats this way, I want the oil to be clean and clear as well, so that way artifacts which char (but still taste good) are on the bottom of the meat.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 11) When the chicken is done, remove to a plate. You can use a thermometer to test for the proper temp, if you want, but I am comfortable using the touch test. What is that? Here:



DO NOT wipe the pan. Instead, add the mushrooms back to the pan. And add the chicken stock and Marsala (the recipe used all of both, which is nice! I HATE leftover chicken stock...) Increase the heat to medium high and simmer, stirring about every minute to minute and a half, for about 6 - 7 minutes. Basically, all you want is for the sauce to reduce by 2/3. Stir occasionally (about every 1.5 - 2 minutes) as it reduces. Use a firm spatula for this so you can scrape all the goodies off the bottom of the pan. This will add to your sauce!

Then reduce the heat to medium and add the heavy cream, chopped parsley and the juice from 1 lemon.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Whisk or stir this well. Another tip, allow the cream to come to room temperature (in other words, remove it at the start of the cooking and let it sit on the counter as you cook). This will help prevent curdling when you add it to the hot pan sauce, and increases the chance that it will do it's job and add a velvety mouth feel layer to the sauce. But, if it does curdle slightly when you add it (mine did), that's fine. Just be sure to quickly and vigorously stir until the small white spots blend into the sauce. If you do not, your sauce will still be good, but not quite AS good as it could be!

Step 12) Coat the chicken by adding the cooked b.reasts back to the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce (only the sauce) over the b.reasts and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes. This will infuse that taste into the breaded coating of the breast some, but you don't want to do it so long that the chicken loses it's crispness.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 13) Plate and DEVOUR!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Not a very colorful meal (lots of browns), but man, was this fantastic! It needs some herbage though...Pair this with a side salad, maybe a spinach strawberry salad with nuts and a raspberry vinaigrette? Really, any salad would do...but it needs something else to round out a full meal, imho.

I was a bit concerned about the size of the chicken b.reasts at first. They are SMALL. Nothing like the massive b.reasts you can get for 4 dollars at the grocery store. That said, after making it, I think the size was appropriate, and found this meal satisfying. The taste and quality of the b.reasts was excellent, so...small, but no complaints!

Anyhow, this was easily restaurant quality. Something I would expect if I ordered it from a place like Maggiano's or even Disney Table Service. This was really good stuff, and even if I don't get it again from Plated, I'm adding it to my recipe collection. MUCH better than my first attempt.

The sauce was savory, but didn't overpower the chicken, the mushrooms were a simple...well, I used the term earlier...flavour-bomb...that elevated each forkful, and were tasty on their own (there well be more on the plate than chicken!). I also really enjoyed the potatoes. Very simple, but quite tasty. I've never thought of using a mustard dressing like that to coat roasted potatoes, but the mustard really brought something. It also compliments this dish perfectly.

I give this recipe a solid A!

Well, that's 2 down, 1 to go. Tomorrow night, Sticky Sesame Broccoli...a vegetarian offering.

Stay tuned!

 

[englanddg]

Plated Week 1 - Day 3 - Sticky Sesame Broccoli

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

This meal intrigued me. Now, I like my meats, don't get me wrong, but I've had some amazing vegetarian dishes over the years, and see this emphasis Plated makes on having at least one vegetarian dish per week, a learning experience. I have never been able to do vegetables well as a main course.

And, broccoli is a fantastic vegetable. Combine that with brown rice (something else I enjoy) and this sounded delish to me!

So, lets start with a few notes. How well did the shipped/boxed in vegetables last over 3 days? Honestly, about the same as they would have from the grocery store.

There were some browning "yellow" spots on the broccoli when I opened it up...but it wasn't bad (or even close) yet. Still something, that if cooked, no one would ever notice.

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Though, there were issues with the scallions (green onions). But, again, this isn't surprising. A bunch of store bought scallions barely even last 2 - 3 days...so, I'd say these did well to only wilt as little as they did.



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So, that said, lets get the goodies unpacked!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 1) Boil water with salt (about 2 tsp, you'll need to provide the salt) and add the brown rice.

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Step 2) While the rice cooks, cut the broccoli into florets and place in a bowl. Chop the cashews. Chop the end roots off the scallions, then chop the rest and place in a bowl and set aside. Also mince the garlic and ginger (not shown)

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 3) Heat the sesame oil (provided) in a large saute pan over medium heat, and then add the broccoli to it. The recipe calls for seasoning the broccoli with salt here. DO NOT DO THIS!!! (I will explain later)

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Saute for 12 - 15 minutes, until it starts to soften and brown. Then set aside in a bowl. About now, your rice should be pretty much done.

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Step 4) Strain the rice, and set aside in a bowl.

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Step 5) Wipe the pan clean and then add the sesame seeds over medium heat. Stir constantly for about 2 - 3 minutes (turn on a youtube video or something to distract you), and then set aside in a bowl once they start to brown. Some may pop, that's ok...but it's a good sign that you are getting close at that point.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 6) Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, still over medium heat. Stir consistently for at least 2 minutes, until they start to brown. If they brown in less time than that, reduce the heat a bit.

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Step 7) Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and honey to the pan, and the Sriracha I added ALL the sriracha, because I like the taste...but, you can do what you wish.

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What should happen as you stir it is that a thick sauce forms.

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Step 8) Toss in the broccoli, half of the scallions and the cashews. Stir constantly until everything is well coated with this excellent smelling sweet and spicy sauce.

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Step 9) Spoon some of the brown rice onto the plate, then add your broccoli sauced mixture. Top with the toasted sesame seeds and some scallions.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

DEVO>...cough cough...er....

Ok, this dish was barely edible. It smelled fantastic whilst cooking, and looked great as a recipe concept, but it is WAY too salty. And, I LIKE SALT! If you try this, do NOT add any of the occasional "add salt to taste" recommendations. The soy sauce has more than enough salty kick. Even if I hadn't followed the recipe, I still think this would have been a bit too much.

Had the rice been something which withstands absorption a bit more (like a Jasmine Rice), this may have turned out more palatable.

Fresh and hot, it was...ok. I did eat the entire first portion, but I found myself sipping water a lot during it.

But, like all these meals, I boxed up the second portion for lunch the following day, and after marinating (no...brine is a better word) overnight, and microwaving it for lunch, it was inedible. Perhaps if I was a deer, I'd like it, but I'm not...

I give this meal an A for effort, if I get this meal again in a box, I will use these ingredients in a different way. This was a flat out failure, and the fault isn't the fact the ingredients were bad, it's that the recipe is faulty from the get go.

Either that or I completely screwed up execution...which is possible, but I don't think so... I would at least skip adding ANY extra salt to this. The sauce brings enough. I only regret that, whilst the sauce smelled amazing whilst cooking, I didn't taste it, so I can't isolate it to the sauce, or the amount of salt that was added to the rice (a normal thing) or broccoli (again, a normal thing).

Also, I think this recipe would have been dramatically better, texture wise, with steamed broccoli instead of sauteed. That way the broccoli maintains it colour and brings a unique texture to teh dish.

This gets, from me, an F.

And I logged onto Plated and told them as much.

So, what does that mean? Well, as you get recipes from these services (well, at least Plated and Blue Apron) you are invited to log in about a week later and given the opportunity to rate them and give you feedback.

This brings up another point about these services. About a week ahead, you can review your meals and make changes. Your change menus are limited, but if I saw this pop up again in my queue, I'd be just as likely to simply skip it and replace it with something else, and these services allow me to do so if I wish.

My feedback was...not good for this.

Another thing this meal taught me is that there is still some meal order that should be considered with these box delivery services. It may have been better had I decided to go with more perishable meals first, instead of starting with the Patty Melt, which had the must "durable" ingredients of all three of the meals.

But, next we have Plated's largest competitor. BLUE APRON.

Are they better? They are a tad cheaper...does that mean that their recipes or quality is lower?

Stay Tuned!!

 

[MinnieM123]

That chicken marsala looked delicious!! And I can't believe they actually sent you the wine for the recipe, too! What most intrigued me was the prep for the rosemary--I never knew what to do with rosemary sprigs before, but I enjoyed reading how to take the "leaves" off the stem, discard the stems, and then chop up the "leaves" or whatever they're called. Oh, about that egg slicer--my mother had one of those!!! I haven't seen one in YEARS. (I guess I don't slice up eggs often, so I don't miss it--but that was a fun walk down memory lane seeing that photo.)

The broccoli dish looked very interesting, but I'm not a huge fan of veggie main dishes. Also, from what you said, that dish was a bit of a fail, anyway.

Looking forward to reading about more of these "pre-assembled" meals! I'm really enjoying this.

 

[englanddg]

Blue Apron - Week 1 - First Thoughts

Well, 3 meals down from Plated, and even though the final meal was a bit of a disappointment, I'm still enjoying the services so far. Now for Blue Apron.

In my research, Blue Apron consistently seems to top the lists of best value, and often for best overall service. It is one of the cheaper options, so I must admit, I am concerned what this bodes for quality. But, what most reviewers have stated is that they do it through portion control. Meaning, the portions are a bit...small. Lets dig in and find out!

The delivery service is exactly the same as Plated. A box just magically shows up!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

I do prefer, however, the thermal packaging for Blue Apron. It's a nice thermal bag, with a lid. The interior is pretty much the same.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

However, unlike Plated, which organizes your ingredients with stickers that tell you which dish said ingredient goes with, Blue Apron does not do this (with the exception of the small paper bags, which they call "knick knacks"). Not a big deal, but it does mean you need to glance through the recipe cards if you want to organize your fridge per meal (which is what I did with Plated, and really enjoyed...I cleared off a shelf in my fridge, and found it held the three meals and the next days leftovers for lunch (in rotation) perfectly!

Blue Apron also doesn't take the extra step of putting a small cardboard divider between the meats and the freeze packs, to prevent compression of the meats. But, that's a nit pick...

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3 days worth of NOMS!

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I'll take an aside here to mention a perfect example of one of the reasons I've looked into these services. Cooking for an individual is often difficult when it comes to controlling waste. Namely, most packaging is for larger bulk purchases, or provides far more of an ingredient than I need to use for a specific meal...meaning, you either need to plan your menus better (something I am capable of doing, and have done) to utilize leftover items more efficiently, or just resign yourself to the fact that waste is going to be something you accept.

But, note, for example, one of the Blue Apron recipes (the Korean Pork Tacos) calls for red cabbage. At the store, I'd have generally two options. IF the store has it, I could buy a bag of shredded red cabbage that is about equal to 1/2 a cabbage. A lot of stores do not carry this (they carry cole slaw or shredded green cabbage). Or, I'd have to buy a whole head of red cabbage, use a quarter, and then figure out what to do with the remaining 3/4.

Blue Apron sent me only what I needed for the recipe. I like!

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Like Plated, Blue Apron has recipe cards. I found these cards, after using them, to be a bit better than the Plated ones. The recipes focused more on mise en place and were easier to follow.

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What is mise en place?

I'll let Alton Brown sing it to you! (this is from his live touring show last year)



They always start with a "prep" step, and then move on to the actual meal themselves. Plated would have you do some prep halfway through (if you follow them in order, I did not). I think there are advantages to both. Plated is trying to show you how you can multitask during the meal, and decrease the actual "cooking time" by doing prep as you go. However, for a novice cook (or someone who doesn't read through the recipe thoroughly, either because they choose not to, or they get distracted at the stove and breeze through a step by mistake), this can be frustrating.

(heh, I say "novice cook"...I did this on last nights meal, not this one, but it was a Plated meal and I misread a step because I was in the middle of sauteing something and was paying attention to keep it from burning, and missed that I should have added the garlic at that phase...no biggie, I added the garlic, and a bit of water, and fixed it...but...a novice cook won't feel comfortable with that, or even know what to do...)

Another difference, though nothing which effects the food, between Blue Apron and Plated, is that Blue Apron sends along a fourth card which outlines the "vegetable of the week". This week, it was Radishes.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Next, meal #1 - Crispy Salmon!

Stay Tuned!

 

[englanddg]

Blue Apron - Week 1 - Day 1 - Crispy Salmon

(general note...just like Plated, you need to have on hand Olive Oil, Kosher Salt (or sea salt) and Black Pepper)

So, in keeping with something I learned with Plated, I decided to eat what I considered the most "perishable" dish first...so, that means fish!

Now, I adore fish...but, I actually don't make it very often. Part of this is due to the fact the Publix near me has a terrible selection. I do have some great fish mongers in the area (the H-Mart, which is an asian centered grocery store, and the International Market all have supurb offerings with real fish mongers that will sell you the whole fish, or for a small fee, will butcher the fish, or a portion of the fish, to your specifications)...

But, I don't go there very often...mostly because I do not own a car, and it's in the opposite direction from my house (unlike Publix, which is within walking distance of my house).

The other reason why I don't make fish very often is that....it goes bad...fast. By the time I'm done running around to get the fish, on a weeknight, I'm just too tired and ready to relax to want to cook even a simple meal when I get home. So, this brings up something else I've enjoyed about these box delivery services. They give me variety, but none of the frustrations or stresses of shopping. Nothing is worse than finding out that you either have to buy way too much of an ingredient, or have to run around to 5 different stores to find this one unique ingredient a recipe calls for... This...eliminates that. And, for cooking on a weeknight, when I really want to keep the whole process under an hour or less, not having to run to the grocery to get fresh stuff, or rely on frozen (and therefore remember to thaw it out the day before), is wonderful!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 1) Fill a medium saucepot with water and salt it with about 1 tbls - 1.5 tbls of kosher salt and a splash of olive oil (about 2 tsp?). Bring to a boil, and add the orzo pasta.

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Orzo is great stuff. I think of it like a poor man's risotto...though it's not rice. It's actually a pasta. So, you get that creamy sort of texture that is similar to a good risotto, but with MUCH less work. I haven't had it in a while, so I'm excited for this!

Step 2) As the water comes to a boil, and the Orzo cooks, prep! Peel the cucumber in alternating strips. I've done this before for cucumber based salads to make the slices look fancier, but this recipe calls for it to be diced afterwards, so I can only assume this step is to reduce the amount of cucumber skin in the finished dish?

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Slice the cucumber in half and deseed with a teaspoon.

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Then cut the cucumber down the spine (flat side down), and then once on each side of the spine. Line the cucumbers up next to each other and cross cut to make a nice dice! Place in a bowl.

Zest the entire lemon, and put the zest into a bowl. Then trim the ends off it and slice into quarters, place into a bowl.

Chop the shallot into a very fine dice (mince) and place in a bowl.

Mince the garlic and place in a bowl.

Trim the tips off the green beans and then cut them into approx 1 inch pieces, place into a bowl. (A good rule of thumb for this, is...use the general width of your thumb for an "inch"...it's easier than pulling out a ruler!)

Remove some of the dill sprigs for garnish, then chop the rest. Place in a bowl (you seeing a pattern here yet?)

Chop the parsley and...ready for it? Place in a bowl.

There you go! Mise en placeeeee, Mise en placeee (everybody sing!)

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 3) At some point during prep, the Orzo should finish (it only takes about 8 minutes to cook). Drain the orzo and rinse it with cold water for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring it. This will get the released starch off the pasta to keep it from turning into a sticky gloopy mess later. Return it to the, now empty, pot you cooked it in.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 4) To a saute pan, add 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Again, these recipe's call for medium-high, but for my range, I think that's a bit much... When the oil shimmers, add the green beans and saute for about 3-4 minutes, until they start to soften. They may brown up a bit in places, and that's ok...but, I'll want to stir to try and prevent that or certainly prevent charring. Then add the garlic and shallot to the pan and season with a healthy pinch of salt (about 1 tsp) and some black pepper (about 1/2 tsp).

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Saute for another 2 - 3 minutes, stirring often (about every 20 - 30 seconds) until everything is softened...then move immediately to the next step.

Step 5) Combine ingredients for the orzo salad. In the pot with the orzo, add the green beans from the pan, the sour cream (again, they sent me only what I needed...that packet you see in the earlier picture was only half full, and was exactly 1/4 cup...NO WASTE!), diced cucumber, chopped parsley, chopped dill (not the unchopped stuff saved for later), lemon zest, the juice of 2 of the lemon wedges, and 1 tbls of Olive Oil.

As you can see, if you did the prep to bowls, this step will go REALLY fast, and be super easy. Mise en place! (Everybody sing!)

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

One other tip here....when dealing with lemons. I hate deseeding them. It's a pain in the rear. So, while the recipe calls for that, I, instead, use a fine mesh collander that (frankly) I only have around for these types of uses...I can't think of a time I've used it for anything else. But, it works perfectly. Just squeeze the lemons into the collander, and it will trap the seeds for easy disposal!

Mine is similar to that one, but it's got a slightly longer handle, and is large enough that I can rest it across the lips of pots...which makes it even easier!

Anyhow, stir the orzo mixture until the sour cream and other ingredients are well combined. It will turn into a creamy texture as you stir. This is exactly what you want! Take a small taste and add salt and pepper if needed (I felt it didn't need anything at this point, so I didn't adjust the seasoning at all)

(Continued)

 

[englanddg]

Blue Apron - Week 1, Day 1 - Crispy Salmon

Step 6) Remove the salmon from the container, then pat it dry with a paper towel.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Lets stop a moment and talk about quality. This did concern me a bit. These are not great looking cuts of salmon, but at least they are skin on.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

And, they are SMALL... Perhaps this is that portioning thing that people on blogs have been complaining about Blue Apron for? Dunno...but, I do know that even the paltry offerings at my local Publix...has better looking Salmon (or at least...larger).

That said, after patting them dry with a paper towel, they didn't look terrible... Season with salt and pepper on the skin side.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Then wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Add 2 tsp of olive oil to the pan and warm over medium heat until it shimmers. Then add the fish, skin side down. You should hear it sizzle. If you don't, hike up the heat to medium high for a little bit and then reduce it back to medium once you hear the sizzling start, and then make a note for yourself to let the oil heat more next time! This is essential to getting the crispy skin (which is oh so good!).

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Season the tops of the fish with salt and pepper whilst in the pan.

About 5 minutes in, flip the fish. Make sure you use a large, firm, but thin, spatula for this. You don't want to scrape the skin off the fish itself. Cook for another minute or so on the other side to finish off the fish. You don't have to be perfect here (warmed, but not bright pink, salmon is still delish, and perfectly fine to eat as long as the fish is fresh).

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

When the filets are done, remove to a plate.

Step 7) Plate the dish by scooping some of the orzo salad (I used an ice cream scoop, actually) onto a plate. Then carefully place your filet of choice, skin side up, leaning on the orzo. Top with some of the reserved dill (don't worry, it won't overpower the dish...it looks pretty, but also compliments the taste), and one of the lemon wedges.

DEVOUR!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

OH MY GOODNESS! This dish was amazing. Another, imho, restaurant quality offering. The orzo salad was lemony, but savoury. The cucumber and green beans brought a fresh crunch to it which complimented the fish perfectly.

Nothing really complex here, just a very simple, very straight forward and AMAZING dish. Hands down my favorite so far (even better than the Marsala, which I adored as well!).

Like always, I packaged the second portion for lunch the following day. I've got these neat little lunch packs that have a tray in them that I use. These work nicely to keep things I don't want to add (or don't want to microwave) until right before eating the dish. I've had these for a while. They are made by Rubbermade for their "lunchblox" series...and technically, are for salads...but I find them incredibly useful for other things as well!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

This worked incredibly well as a leftover meal. A quick "sensor reheat" in the microwave at work, add the still fresh dill and squeeze the lemon and it was almost as good as when it was fresh off the stove the night before.

I LOVE this recipe and this dish.

Chalk up a big fat WIN for Blue Apron.

I give this meal an A+!

As far as portions, I didn't find them lacking at all. I was satisfied after both meals...so...not sure what the complaint is? Sure, I could have had a slightly larger cut of fish, but frankly, this was probably a more appropriately sized portion...what I SHOULD be eating to watch the waistline, if ya know what I mean?

So, did I just get lucky? Or will Blue Apron stay the course of excellence?

Up Next...Korean Pork Tacos!

Stay Tuned!

 

[englanddg]

That chicken marsala looked delicious!! And I can't believe they actually sent you the wine for the recipe, too! What most intrigued me was the prep for the rosemary--I never knew what to do with rosemary sprigs before, but I enjoyed reading how to take the "leaves" off the stem, discard the stems, and then chop up the "leaves" or whatever they're called. Oh, about that egg slicer--my mother had one of those!!! I haven't seen one in YEARS. (I guess I don't slice up eggs often, so I don't miss it--but that was a fun walk down memory lane seeing that photo.)

The broccoli dish looked very interesting, but I'm not a huge fan of veggie main dishes. Also, from what you said, that dish was a bit of a fail, anyway.

Looking forward to reading about more of these "pre-assembled" meals! I'm really enjoying this.

Rosemary is fantastic to cook with. My go to application for it is actually to use it to flavour oil/butter when pan frying a ribeye.

Like this:


I make this exact recipe a few times a year (when I can find good artichokes).

Another interesting application, one which will actually come up on Plated Week 2, is to pan fry the leaves in olive oil, and then use them as a flavourful garish. It will be a few days before I get to that dish, but it is great!

As far as the broccoli dish, it had a lot of promise when I read through the recipe...but, I really think the combination of the hoisin sauce and the soy sauce was what overpowered it. Hoisin sauce isn't sweet at all...rather, it's sortof...hard to describe. On its own, it's NOT a good taste...sortof like fish sauce isn't...but it can bring a lot to a dish.

I really fault the recipe for this. If you ever do get it, add NO salt to the recipe. And, as I noted, I would have steamed the broccoli instead of pan frying in sesame oil. That brought nothing to the dish, and I think actually detracted from it (it doesn't stand up to the saltiness of the soy sauce as well). Also, using a white rice (like Jasmine or some other long grain) would have been better. I can eat a bowl of white rice with soy sauce and love it...but brown rice doesn't absorb and distribute the sauce the way that a white rice would...so, it was super concentrated saltiness in this application.

 

[englanddg]

Blue Apron - Week 1 - Day 2 - Korean Pork Tacos

Ok. Here is a recipe that has one of those unique ingredients that would have you driving all over the city (if you can find it) to get some...and then probably purchasing an 8 or 16oz jar of the stuff that you will never use again unless you make this recipe (or track down other recipes) with it. This is...frustrating, but again, something these services alleviate!

Now, I happen to live near a rather large Asian community. I'm right on the border. So, going to Asian markets isn't difficult for me to do (which are fantastic to do, btw...if you live in a large city, for fish and vegetables, asian markets are fantastic...for pork and chicken, go to the Carniceria (Hispanic)...MUCH better than your local Kroger, and far cheaper!)....however, it also means that I have Korean food...a lot. At least once a month I'll have a business lunch or something that will be at a Korean restaurant. The type of Korean restaurant where the Koreans eat (in other words, it means the food is authentic, and delish!)...

So, I was a bit curious how this meal would stand up to actual Korean food. Well, I can say (before getting too far into it)...it's...Korean Lite. If you like Bulgogi and the wonderful banchan that comes with it...you won't find it in this recipe. However, if you've never had Korean food, or are just craving something quick without going to an Asian market and buying the authentic stuff, or making a whole much of marinated vegetables and meats on your own...quick and easy, with a hint of those flavours, it does hit the spot.

But, what is Korean BBQ? In one word, it's amazing!



Well, the ingredient I'm referring to is gochujang, which is a Korean red chili paste (similar to the "Thai Red Chili Paste" you can get at most asian sections in grocery stores). This recipe came with just enough for the pork, and therefore I won't end up with an unused bottle of the stuff that sits in my cupboard for the next year until it either goes bad or I decide to make this again. Nice!

So, ingredients out! (ignore the cherry tomatoes, I pulled those out by mistake for this picture...you can see why I prefer Plated's method of actually labeling the ingredient by meal as well?)

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Lets take a look at the recipe!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

(I WANT THOSE TACO HOLDERS!) One moment....off to google!

Ah hah, me likey!

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Hold...&sr=1-26-spons&keywords=taco+holder+set&psc=1

Ok, couldn't find those, but I found a set that I like just as much! $13 spent on Amazon Prime, lets move on.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 1) Mince the garlic into a paste...put it in a bowl.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Here's the method I use:



Slice the red cabbage, place in a bowl. Slice the roots off the scallions, cut off the white bottoms and slice those, then slice the green parts at an angle, and place in separate bowls. Thinly slice the radishes and place in a bowl.

Mise en place!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 2) Make the marinated red cabbage salad by combining the sesame oil (included), sugar (also included), half of the garlic paste, half of the white bottoms of the scallions, and 3/4 of the rice vinegar. Stir with a spoon and set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes (I let it go for a good half hour, actually).

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 3) Make the drizzle sauce. Mix the sour cream (again, it came with just enough) and the remaining rice vinegar. Whisk in a small bowl until well combined. It should turn into a nice sauce consistency, not separated.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 3) Heat tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Then add the ground pork (I patted my pork dry as well with a paper towel). Cook like you would any other ground meat, separating it with a spoon until browned, about 5 minutes. Then add the ginger, remaining garlic paste, remaining scallion bottoms (NOT the tops) and the gochujang (I added all of it...I mean, these are supposed to be SPICY, right?). Stir to combine, then cook for about 3 minutes. Then add 3/4 cup of water and stir some more. This will create a sauce that coats the pork crumbles. Cook for about 6 minutes, until most of the water has been evaporated. Hit it with a bit of salt and pepper (a pinch of each) before adding to a bowl and setting aside.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 4) Wipe down the pan and return it to heat. Toast the tortillas for about 30 seconds per side, and place on a plate.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 5) Set out your condiment bowls and assemble the tacos. Pork, then radishes, then sliced scallions, then drizzle (liberally!) with your sour cream sauce.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 6) Plate...now, I didn't have any nifty soft taco holders, so I used the red cabbage slaw as a base. It worked fine, imho.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

DEVOUR!

Another fantastic meal. It was very light and tasty. I had it with a Red Stripe (beer) fresh from the cooler in a frozen mug. I really enjoyed this meal a lot. Not quite as good as the salmon, but I'd certainly not complain if this came up again in my queue!

Stand outs were the red cabbage slaw. Very easy, and quite tasty. Good warm or cold (it was room temp when I had it the night of, but I microwaved it the following day, and it was great warm as well). And, that simple sour cream rice vinegar sauce was incredible! Do NOT be stingy with that sauce!

Like every other day, I packed up the second serving for lunch the following day.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

You can see why I like these little Rubbermaid containers. I was able to put my still fresh radishes and scallions, as well as the sour cream sauce (in that little container) in the tray on top, and the red cabbage and tacos in the bottom. When time came to eat, I removed the top tray, nuked the bottom portion, and assembled my tacos!

NOM NOM!

I give this dish a B+. The only knock? Well, I wish the pork had been just a touch spicier, actually. It worked well, but really didn't stand out as much as I'd expected it would.

So, good grades for Blue Apron so far! Next is Blackened Chicken.

I...am...drooling...

Stay Tuned!

 

[englanddg]

Blue Apron - Week 1 - Day 3 - Blackened Chicken

Ah HAH! So this is the recipe those cherry tomatoes belong to!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Also, it came with Crème fraîche!

Though, it says it is suppose to be Mexican Crema...ok, time to get OCD on this...

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Sour cream has a lower fat content than Crème fraîch. As a result, it tends to break up easier, and be more liquidy (less of a buttery texture). This means it's great for cold applications, like cucumber and potato salads, or as a topping, but has a tendency to curdle a bit when added to heated applications. Hence why many chefs prefer Crème fraîch for things like soups, etc, where you want a tang similar to sour cream, but don't want to risk the curdling. Mexican Crema is something else entirely. It's runnier and creamier than either of the other two. And, while it has tang, it's actually sweeter than either of the other choices as well.

So...TAKE THAT BLUE APRON! PWNED!

All that said, for most applications, the three can be treated and used interchangeably with only minor considerations. There are tricks for this, but it's not that big a deal. A good example is Beef Strogonoff, which can be made with Sour Cream, but the sauce will turn out better (more velvety, for lack of a better term) if you can get your hands on some Crème fraîch. I just wanted to be a food nerd, and it popped out at me when I saw what I delivered vs. what the recipe called for.

So, lets step back and take a look at produce quality for a moment...this is the 3rd day, and there are some things to note.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Well, nothing terrible. Again, I've seen worse at the grocery. The lime pitting a bit won't be an issue at all, as there's no call to use lime zest, so the interior juices will be just fine still. So, not a biggie.

The corn, however, after shucking....left something to be desired.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

But, again...I've seen the same or worse at the grocery...but, thought I'd mention.

Oh, and if you have never shucked corn...a good way to get all the floss off is to rub it under cold running water.

Recipe card time!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Well, fairly straight forward. Like all of these Blue Apron recipes, we start with the Prep! (I will NOT be able to get that Alton Brown Mise en Place song out of my head from now on...hums it)

Step 1) Slice the Zucchini in half, then place the flat ends down. Cut along the spine, then again (one or twice) down the edge of each side. Line them up and dice. Place in a bowl.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Trim the end off the corn cob so you can position it safely and vertically on the cutting board, then cut, with a slight sawing motion, to get the kernals off the cob. Place in a bowl.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Trim the tips off of, and then quarter the lime

Cut the root ends off the scallions. Separate the white tips from the green. Cut the white tips, and then slice the green tops at an angle. Put each in a bowl.

Chop the cilantro leaves and stems. (insert bowl thingy here)

Quarter the cherry tomatoes. Put them in a (you get it by now).

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 2) Make the lime crema sauce. Mix the Crème fraîch with the juice from two of the lemon wedges. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper (about 1/8th tsp of each). Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 3) Heat 2 Tbls of olive oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pot, until shimmering. Then add the garlic, let it saute for about 20 seconds, and then add the zucchini.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Cook for about 2 minutes, until the zucchini starts to soften. Then add the rice and 1 cup of water. Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, for 12 mins, covered.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

(Continued)

 

[englanddg]

Blue Apron - Week 1 - Day 3 - Blackened Chicken (Continued)

Step 4) Remove the chicken from the bag, and pat dry with a paper towel. On a plate, add all the ancho chili powder, some black pepper and salt, and mix. Coat the chicken, liberally, with the ancho powder, then add salt and pepper.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 5) Heat 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. When shimmering, add the chicken. Saute each side for about 5 - 6 minutes per side.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Don't worry if it looks burnt, that's fine. It's just the chili powder. It is called "blackened chicken"!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 6) Around this time, your zucchini rice should be about finished. So, set the chicken aside on a cutting board, and remove the zucchini rice from the heat. Do NOT wipe out your pan, rather go ahead and add the corn directly to it. Some of the seasoning left over from the chicken will carry over into this part of the dish. If the pan is a little dry, add a tsp of olive oil (I did). Be sure to scrape the bottom for goodies!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Cook for about 2 minutes until the corn begins to soften, then add the tomatoes, the bottoms of the scallions (white part) and remaining garlic. Give this a hit with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each) and saute for about a minute or until the tomatos start to wilt.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Remove from the heat and add half the cilantro and half of the green scallion tops, and stir.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Uncover the zucchini rice and squeeze the juice from the remaining 2 lime quarters into the rice, and fluff with a fork.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Carve the Chicken.

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Step 7) Plate by putting the rice on the bottom, then a liberal serving of the veggies, and topping with your sliced chicken drizzled with lime crema and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and scallions...DEVOUR!

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Untitled by englanddg, on Flickr

Another restaurant grade meal here. I thought the ancho might be a bit much, but when combined with the vegetables and the rice, it was actually perfect. Like Plated, the chicken were small, but not quite as small as the Plated ones were.

An excellent meal, I give it an A-. The negatives would simply be the size of the chicken breast and the condition of some of the vegetables...none of which really impacted the final dish much at all.

So, that's it for the first week! 3 Days of Plated, 3 Days of Blue Apron.

Coming up, how did they fare against each other? What was the value/cost? What will week 2 look like?

Stay Tuned!

 

[englanddg]

So, lets look at week 1.

Plated - Cost $72 - 3 meals
Tues - Patty Melts with Bakes Sweet Potato Fries - Grade - B
Wed - Chicken Marsala with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes - Grade - A
Thurs - Sticky Sesame Broccoli - Grade - F

Blue Apron - Cost $9.94 (I got $50 off this week)
Fri - Crispy Salmon with Orzo, Green Bean and Cucumber Salad - Grade - A+
Sat - Korean Pork Tacos with Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw - Grade - B+
Sun - Blackened Chicken with Zucchini Rice, Corn and Cherry Tomatoes - Grade - A

Overall, Blue Apron's recipe's and variety were preferable to me. I didn't see the portion issues that people complained about. They are exactly (and I do mean, exactly) two healthy portions. Perhaps people are so used to cooking with overrun and waste that they expect there to be second helpings? I suspect that may be part of it.

Plated had the same trend, in this respect. They send you exactly what you need (with exception of the few items you need to provide, like olive oil, salt and pepper), and when you are done you are left with exactly what is needed for two plates.

That said, if you look at the meal grades, even if you strip out the Broccoli dish from Plated, which was an abject failure, Blue Apron still fares better. I found their recipes more enticing, the blend of ingredients more interesting, and felt more satisfied off their meals than I did the Plated offerings.

That is not to say that Plated wasn't excellent (it was, except for the Broccoli), but Blue Apron was better.

So, for this week, Blue Apron is the winner! Not only is it cheaper per meal (actually, not a terribly bad price, even if I had no discount, considering what I got), but I enjoyed their meals far more, on average, than Plated. They were just more...unique.

But...we can't stop there, lets move on to Round 2!

 

[MinnieM123]

Your (box) assembled meals adventure is fascinating. So far, I agree that the Blue Apron offerings are better (as least for my taste.) The Korean tacos were different, and I think I'd like those. The blackened chicken looked absolutely delicious.

And even though all the ingredients are packaged up for you, there is still a decent amount of chopping and cooking going on (I would have thought the process might be easier). Still, these are some good looking meals, and I think it's great that you have enough for lunch the next day.

Going back a little bit here to using rosemary in certain dishes, I only used rosemary once before. I didn't know how to cook with it--I put the whole stem and leaves on top of a lamb and veggies in a crock pot. Didn't realize that the leave would fall off into the sauce (it was sort of a lamb stew), and I ended up trying to fish out all the little leaves before I served the dinner! (Live and learn as they say! ) Oh, I liked watching the Gordon Ramsey video about steak and rosemary--I learned a few things watching him. Never would have though that rosemary would go well with steak, so thanks for including the video. Sometime down the road, I'll try it.

 

[englanddg]

Your (box) assembled meals adventure is fascinating. So far, I agree that the Blue Apron offerings are better (as least for my taste.) The Korean tacos were different, and I think I'd like those. The blackened chicken looked absolutely delicious.

And even though all the ingredients are packaged up for you, there is still a decent amount of chopping and cooking going on (I would have thought the process might be easier). Still, these are some good looking meals, and I think it's great that you have enough for lunch the next day.

Going back a little bit here to using rosemary in certain dishes, I only used rosemary once before. I didn't know how to cook with it--I put the whole stem and leaves on top of a lamb and veggies in a crock pot. Didn't realize that the leave would fall off into the sauce (it was sort of a lamb stew), and I ended up trying to fish out all the little leaves before I served the dinner! (Live and learn as they say! ) Oh, I liked watching the Gordon Ramsey video about steak and rosemary--I learned a few things watching him. Never would have though that rosemary would go well with steak, so thanks for including the video. Sometime down the road, I'll try it.

I tend to drag out the prep stage for each meal (because I fiddle on the internet). If I were to cook it start to finish, each one would take about a half hour. The prep for most (aside from the first night when I had to pick the leaves off the thyme) would take about 10 minutes. I stretch this out over a TV show, respond to forum comments (here and elsewhere), etc...but, I enjoy that.

The lunch the next day is merely the second portion that comes with the meals. If there were two people eating off this, there would be no leftovers.

With respect to Ramsay videos...I default to that steak recipe (it works with pretty much all cuts) when I'm put to task. It works fantastically. I've done it with filets and NY Strips as well, but ribeye truly is the best for it.

If you liked that one, here's how I prefer to make scrambled eggs!

 

[MinnieM123]

I tend to drag out the prep stage for each meal (because I fiddle on the internet). If I were to cook it start to finish, each one would take about a half hour. The prep for most (aside from the first night when I had to pick the leaves off the thyme) would take about 10 minutes. I stretch this out over a TV show, respond to forum comments (here and elsewhere), etc...but, I enjoy that.

The lunch the next day is merely the second portion that comes with the meals. If there were two people eating off this, there would be no leftovers.

With respect to Ramsay videos...I default to that steak recipe (it works with pretty much all cuts) when I'm put to task. It works fantastically. I've done it with filets and NY Strips as well, but ribeye truly is the best for it.

If you liked that one, here's how I prefer to make scrambled eggs!

Chives in scrambled eggs . . .hmmm . . .

 

[englanddg]

Chives in scrambled eggs . . .hmmm . . .

Scallions work as well...

 

[LieutLaww]

That's how I always do my Scrambled eggs