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Jodelene's Attempts to Cook & Bake

Admittedly, I am not a gourmet chef.  Okay, maybe not even a chef.  I grew up on delicious food prepared lovingly by my Pseudo Martha Stewart Mom.   As a teen and young adult, my Mother preached to me the importance of cooking basic meals which fell on deaf ears.  However, I did not wither away on Kraft Dinner or Mr. Noodles.  Once I had a family of my own (and a partially Vegetarian family at that!) I developed a liking for cooking 'fancy' meals (fancy = from cook book) and started to like cooking!  I've had some hits! and misses :( and have documented my experiments meals for you to try for yourself.  Eventually I wandered into the realm of baking.  However I realized that my scale (not my taste buds) was most impacted by my baking and declared that I was a 'good enough' baker so I would focus on cooking.   So grab your apron, a printer (for the recipe!) and enjoy!

Disclaimer - I cannot be held responsible for any food poisoning, kitchen fires, missed ingredients or general frustration.  I do not claim ownership or creator of any posted recipe and where possible, have included the Author and/or link to the original source.  If your dish tasted like crap, don't blame me! I am sure they'd love your feedback.

Chicken Cacciatore - Instant Pot

I bought a huge pack of tomatoes from Costco.  The funny thing is I don't really like tomatoes, something about firm and mush in one fruit.  But they were so perfect and red and I figured I could do *something* with them.

I learned that the packaging they came in with plastic film and some holes really extended the life, so I went on Amazon and bought these.  Hopefully they help keep my fruits and veggies fresher longer otherwise I feel like my fridge is just pallative care for healthy food. 

I found a recipe for stewed tomatoes from Brooklyn Farm girl but as per usual, I modified it.  So here is my version below:

Ingredients

  • 10 tomatoes on the vine
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow pepper
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp chopped ginger
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, plunge tomatoes in for 2 minutes. Remove, put immediately in some cold water.
  2. Peel the tomatoes. Discard the skins.
  3. Dice the tomatoes up to desired size.
  4. In a large pot on medium heat, combine all ingredients cept tomatoes and put on saute.  Once onions are ready, throw in the tomatoes.
  5. I used the Bean/Chili setting for 20 minutes.
  6. Then I threw in 3 chicken breasts (frozen) 2 large, one small and put on pressure cooker for 20 minutes

The output was a lot more soupy than I expected so I shredded the chicken and voila, meals for days.  I'm going to freeze the rest.
 

Treat Tuesday - Dulce de Leches cheesecake

My previous company introduced me to Goody Friday, a special day once a week where one person was designated to bring in a home baked (or store bought) sweet (or savoury) treat for the group of people signed up.  When I started at my current company, I had to implement the same program and renamed it 'Treat Tuesday'.  I was the first treater and I can't remember what I made but my turn came up again and I wanted to make something fancy as the desserts were getting more elaborate (Thanks, Vincent!).  So onto Pinterest I went and found a recipe I had saved for quite some time:

This one courtesy of Bake or Break.  Recipe is here.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRUST: [**I sKIPPED THIS - JUST BUY THE OREA PREMADE CRUMBS IN A BOX]

  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup dulce de leche*

 

*I am not aware that you can buy dulce de leche sauce so I made it.  The instructions were to buy a can of condensed milk, remove label and simmer in a pot of water for 1-3 hours.  I lasted 1 hour before I realized that with a 2 hour cooking time for the cake, I'd be up until 1am.  I pulled the can out at the 1 hour mark and the color had barely changed BUT the flavour was good.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons dulce de leche
  • chocolate shavings, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at half power in microwave in 30-second increments until butter has melted and chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Combine the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture, mixing until combined. Add the flour and salt, mixing just until combined.
  4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Set the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dulce de leche and mix until combined.
  3. Pour batter onto the cooled crust in pan. Spread evenly.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes.
  5. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Continue baking for 2 hours.
  6. Turn off the oven. Remove the cheesecake from oven and gently run a knife around the edges of the pan. Return the cheesecake to oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 2 hours. By 20 mins, the oven will be cold, might as well put it in the fridge now.
  7. Then, cover loosely and refrigerate overnight.

TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM:

  1. Place the cream in a large, cold mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat at medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken.
  2. Sprinkle the sugar over the cream. Whisk until combined. Add the dulce de leche.
  3. Continue beating until you can lift the whisk out of the whipped cream and a peak that curves downward forms in the cream. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Spread the whipped cream over cheesecake. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

 

The Verdict?

Like OMG, best cheesecake ever.  I got rave reviews and the cake was gone in 20 mins.  I will definitely make this again and will try to make the dulce de leche sauce properly.

 

I no longer suck at making waffles

I've tried so many waffle recipes and they all fell flat or were bland.  Yes, I made the buttermilk and yes I whipped the egg whites but no dice.  

So back to Google this morning because I really wanted waffles.  The waffle iron I have is the Cuisinart Griddler with the waffle plates, it's easy to clean and heat is distributed well.

Good ol' Google lead me to  http://www.thekitchn.com/ to this recipe:

 

Lightest, Crispiest Waffles

 

Makes about 4 to 5 (7-inch) waffles

 

What You Need

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk 
2 teaspoons cider vinegar or plain vinegar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional 
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Equipment
Sifter
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Waffle iron
Stainless steel or copper bowl
Wire whisk, handheld electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment
Silicone spatula

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Prepare the batter: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, vinegar, melted butter, and vanilla until well-combined. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to just combine, being careful not to overmix; there should be a few small lumps of flour in the batter.
  3. Prepare the waffle iron: Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  4. Whip the egg whites: In a perfectly clean stainless steel mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, then continue to beat until soft peaks form.
  5. Fold the whipped whites into the batter: With a silicone spatula, gently scoop the whipped whipped egg whites into the batter. Then scoop them from underneath, along with some of the batter, very gently turning the whole thing over. Repeat until just incorporated.
  6. Cook the waffles: Spoon or pour the batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually for 2 to 3 minutes. (You will need 1/2 to 2/3 cup of batter per waffle for a Belgian or big waffle maker, but the size can vary quite a bit. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for each model for specific guidelines.)
  7. Keep the waffles warm: To keep the waffles warm when making a big batch, place a baking rack on a baking sheet and arrange the cooked waffles in a single layer on it. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm.

 

The Verdict?

Well for one, they smelled delicious!  A little crispy and soft in the inside and not overly dense.  I'd give these a 9/10.  Best yet! Yum!

 

Meal Delivery Companies

Quick summary of the companies and their pricing for 3 meals.  Use my hyperlinked referral codes for discounts off your first week!

 

Name Website Meals Price Referral/Coupon Code
HelloFreshwww.hellofresh.ca3$70https://www.hellofresh.ca?c=JODWEI ($40 off first week)
Fresh Prepwww.freshprep.ca3$62https://www.freshprep.ca/?r=i3rv-pjbam (3 plates free)
iMealwww.imeal.ca3$69
https://www.imeal.ca/sign.php?r=2pl-59E409A1AF8C6  (2 plates free)
Chef's Platewww.chefsplate.com/3$66http://www.chefsplate.com/?r=3pc-pJHTiww (3 plates free)
Fuudwww.fuud.ca3$72Promo code - FirstOneFree ($25.90 off first week)
     

 

Chef's Plate

And I believe this is the last meal service I will try out as I've simply run out of promo codes!

Chef's Plate offers 2-3 meals.  $65.70/week with Tuesday or Friday Delivery via UPS.  The box showed up around 1pm by a very grumpy UPS driver.

This company uses the cardboard boxes with the removable liner.  Their ice packs were considerably bigger compared to their competitors.  My camera didn't save the pic that I took of the box and the contents so you'll have to imagine it ;)

3 bags with each meal and nice full sized recipe cards with a booklet that explains their service.

Our 3 meals for the week:

Spanish-style Steak & Parmesan Orzo

I really enjoyed this meal but my son was not a fan despite loving steak!  I'm not sure if it was the cut or my cooking but it was a bit chewier than expected.  The orzo was very yummy and I am a new fan of brusell sprouts!  

Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings

I just made this today and it was a lot of fun to make.  The filling was just enough for the four dumplings.  The recipe had stated a way too long cooking time and they almost burnt.  After it was plated, I realized that this really was just a meal for one.  2 dumplings and 1/2 of the sides on this plate wouldn't fill anyone up.  The taste however was a 10/10! 

This is all of the Bok Choy.  I ate most of the veggies raw but as you can see splitting this isn't really doable for two people.

Crispy Fish Tacos with avocado tomatillo salsa and corn tortillas

This was a good meal, it was super light on dressing (compared to the other one I raved about).  I had never had tomatillo's before and I definitely will be buying them in the future for part of my recipes.

 

I had a good experience with all three meals so I would definitely recommend this service.


Want to try it out for yourself? Click here to get 3 FREE plates on your first delivery.

Fuud, dude!

Okay, are these titles getting cheesy?

#4 out of the 5 meal delivery services I am trying.

This is Fuud.  They have three meal plans, omnivore, vegetarian and GF.

For 3 meals a week the price per plate is $23.90 or $71.70 for the 'week'.  You can also increase or decrease the # of meals from 6 - 2.  The only downside is that their delivery is on a weekend so I'll have to work my schedule around when they are going to drop by.  I'm not sure how much notice I'll be given, I'll post that later.

They have 9 options including desserts and drinks.

My upcoming menu:

  • Dragon Bowl with Miso Gravy
  • Cod Tacos with Lime Crema
  • Wild Salmon Confit with Cream Sauce

Sunday came quick and I was a bit nervous about the delivery as I still didn't have a specified time of delivery, only 10am-6pm as stated on their website.  Even pizza delivery is now on an App to track by the minute.  

By 12:40pm, I received a text from a local # that the Fuud was on its way!  About 10 mins later, my bell rang.  The delivery driver handed me these two bags:

 

No branding but that was okay because ultimately they were heading for the recycling bin.  They would have been reusable but the handles were broken on one bag so wasn't worth attempting to reuse it.

Inside:

  

On the flip side of the card:

Tonight I decided to make the Dragon Bowl which I haven't had in years as I am nowhere near Kits.

I grabbed the box from the fridge and it was veggie heavy!

Staring at it I felt something was missing but I couldn't place it so I continued to prep.

Started on the potatoes and that was pretty straight forward but the nutritional yeast (On the right, above) was confusing.  What was it?  What was it for? Read more here.

Got the potatoes in the oven and started on the cauliflower, carrots and beets.  This is the first time I've prepared beets.  A warning that *everything* would be red/pink would have been nice.  I grabbed a pair of latex gloves to save my hands but soon there were little beet pieces everywhere as I had to shred the veggie as part of the slaw.  My kitchen was a mess.

The rest of the recipe was fairly easy.  This meal had no protein.  That's what was missing lol.  It was truly Vegan.  I'm not a vegan.

So how was it? I really liked it.  The Miso Gravy is a Naam special so I've had it before and you can buy it at Save on Foods.

Super fresh and great taste but I Googled the actual bowl in the recipe and it did have brown rice, tofu and the peanut sauce.  3 things I really like.  So next time I'd add those three things.

Meal #2 - Cod Tacos w/ Lime Crema

After a long day at work I was ready to make something quick and you can never go wrong with tacos!  I'm not a spicy fan so I had to omit the cayenne pepper and would have liked to see them provide a sub spice as an alternate (or give the option for spicy vs non).  I had some Mexican seasoning in my cupboard so I used that instead.  The cod cooked quickly, in 3 mins.  Prep for the filling was quick.  Tomatoes + cabbage were chopped.  The tomatoes were a little underripe so I had some from another meal kid.  I find that's a common ingredient they all use.  The cabbage was more than enough.  I had the two tacos to myself (I was starving, ok?) and I didn't absolutely stuff them but there was a ton leftover.  The last part was adding the two cream based sauces.  For one thing, they provided a TON of sauce.  The crema came in what looked to be a paint bottle.  They were more than delicious and I didn't want to waste either so I probably used more than I should of.  I'd give this meal a 9/10.  Oh and I added one thing, avocado.  I can't eat tacos without it!   

Meal 3 update coming soon!

 



Wanna try them out? Use FirstOneFree during your checkout promo code.  From what I can see, they do not offer a referral program.

I ♥ imeal

There is no shortage of these meal delivery services and the vouchers are a plenty so I'll keep going until I run out!

This week I'll be trying out IMeal.  They have a 2 person plan vs a family plan.

For 3 meals a week the price per plate is $23 or $69/week.  You can also decrease/increase the meals to 2 or 4.

They have 6 options to choose from.   Their menus are visible 2 weeks in advance but you can cancel up to 3 months in advance so that's handy for meal planning.

and on the menu this week is:

  • Beef Noodle Stirfry
  • Shrimp Tacos
  • Nectarine Ricotta Tartines

The box arrived around 1pm which was a bit earlier than the other deliveries.  The order came in a cardbord box:

The insulation was loose so I took that out to save for another use and recycled the box.  Since this is a recyclable system (opposed to the returnable totes), I'll keep the ice packs for the next company (they all use the same type) who will dispose of them environmentally responsibly.  There were 2 icepacks, one in the box and one wrapped with the meat.

The packaging was cute and included this tiny clothespin which my son loved.

The instruction cards were well laid out.

Meals for the week!

Ingredients!

Meal # 1 - Stirfry as selected by my 8 year old boy who loves noodles.

Mason helped with cutting up the veggies which is a huge help and it's a great activity to do together.  I bought refrigerated noodles (Hon's) while grocery shopping over the weekend so I opted to use those instead of the dried ones they provided.  All of the ingredients were fresh.  

The sauce smelled delicious and got the approval from the boy.

Pretty easy recipe to make and appreciated the meat being cut up in thin slices.

We give this recipe a 9/10.  There could have been more sauce but other than that, delicious and healthy!  Can't wait to try the Shrimp Tacos on Thursday!

Hellllo Thursday!  I have to admit I was pretty excited to have tacos for dinner.  

This was a pretty basic recipe and it had fresh shrimp which I don't eat often.  The only thing that was missing was how to devein a shrimp! That would have been helpful to explain but I asked Mr. Google and before long I had all the gross little strings out of the shrimps.  The seasoning was awesome, I have a new love for lime and sour cream.  There were 8 small tortillas with plenty of shrimp.  I learned that if you broil the tortillas, they will puff up to make little pockets.  A bit easier to eat a taco and a good tip for parents!  I'd give this meal a 10/10.

The last meal in the box was the Nectarine Ricotta Tartines.  I honestly didn't know what a tartine was.  I thought it was a tart. Tart = dessert.  Then I realized that I didn't have a dinner.  So I left it until the weekend.

I opened the bag and realized it wasn't a tart.  I'm the tart.  Oops.  So now I have yummy fruit (perfect nectarines), a baguette, ricotta cheese (which I've cooked with for lasagna and that was a million years ago.  Lasagna is SO expensive to make!), grape tomatoes, balsamic, and I think mint.

It's breakfast time.  I want french toast.  *light bulb*.  Tartines are out and french toast is in.  I prepare the nectarines while I get my french toast eggy bath ready.

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup of milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1-2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

Cut up the bread and let soak for a total of 4 mins per slice (2 on each side)


After the slices were all done, I spread some ricotta on the top, put on a slice of the nectarine and a drizzle of maple syrup.  I learned I do not like ricotta cheese lol.  But the rest was delicious.

 



 

Want to try out iMeal?  Click on this link for 2 plates free!

Fresh Preppin'

Week 3 of my Meal Delivery service and I'm kinda liking these magical boxes that show up at my work.  Very exciting!

So this week is trying out FreshPrep, another local meal delivery service.  

$20.66 per meal or $62 for the 'week' (3 meals) with the option to choose from 4 recipes.

Delivery was by a local Courier, I couldn't tell if it was a FP delivery guy or a local courier service as I didn't greet him but it wasn't a National Courier like HelloFresh uses.  One difference was that they sent me a text 5 minutes before he showed up with a link to track the driver.  It asked me to return any bags from a previous week (which didn't apply as it's my first week) but right then I knew they didn't give me a cardboard box so that was less waste.

The carrying case was neat! But definitely was lacking in the cold department.  I cannot recall whether my fish was frozen but it was totally thawed out by the time I got home from a business meeting after work. 

 

Inside was branded paper bags instead of boxes + 1 ice pack (Same as the one HelloFresh uses).  I actually preferred the boxes as they fit neatly in my fridge, these were a bit bulkier.

Apparently I chose 1 fish + 2 vegetarian dishes!

And inside were my ingredients and recipe cards:

Directions were pretty straight forward and they list the ingredients you need that do not come with the kit (in my case it was milk, I had everything else).  It also shows the Nutrition Facts (ugh, I did not want to know how much fat was in my dinner).  There is also a feedback form to fill out and leave in your bag for pick up in week #2.  

Meal #1

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese with Asiago, Kale and carmelized onions

The first thing I noticed when I opened the zipper was the stench of something not pleasant.  I was hoping it wasn't an ingredient I really needed.  I pulled out ingredients by each bag and discovered it was a completely sealed bag of red onions.  I don't use this ingredient a lot and I always have a full unpeeled onion so I'm not sure if it was turning or if it was just extra stinky but that went right into the compost.

The recipe while easy had a lot more ingredients that the HelloFresh and I think the portions were a lot bigger.

No real issues with this recipe other than the milk that it called for seemed to be way too much.  I like creamy mac and cheese and I only used 1 1/3 cup (instead of the 2) as I felt it would have been too runny.

I also skipped the oven, my convection oven tray was the perfect size for the squash and my saute pan fit in perfectly for broiling the top of the panko.

I was super impressed on how this recipe came together for the final shot compared to the pic in the recipe!

 

Okay so I bet you are dying to know how it tasted? It was awesome!  This is definately Mac & Cheese for grown ups!  

Fancy cheese and PANKO!  So as I was eating it (real Chefs may want to skip this part for fear of a heart attack) But I just can't eat mac and cheese without....ketchup.  I'm SORRY.  It just needed some sweetness.  It was the perfect comfort food.  Don't judge me.  

I was also correct on portion size, this would feed a family of four (with maybe a side) or definitely 2 hungry adults.

I give this recipe a 10/10!

Other than tonight's meal, I went back into my account to see what the menu coming up was and was surprised to see 4 more weeks of menus (FreshPrep only shows 1 week in advance).  The total of how much it would cost was also listed, for this service it's $62.00 which is more budget friendly than HelloFresh at $75.  I feel that $60 for 3 meals (technically 6+ for me) is worth the cost. There is also 8 meals to choose from (instead of 4 with HelloFresh), you are also not tied to a minimum 'plan', you can adjust your plates up from 3 to 8 (Total for 8 = $162) but that's a *lot* of cooking!  So far I'm liking this service better, in terms of cost and variety. 

Want to try it out for yourself? Get 3 free meals by clicking on this link 

 

Saying Hello to Fresh

This isn't the first time I tried a meal delivery service but it's the first time I actually had to prepare the food myself.  I have the typical myriad of excuses on why I don't cook.  I'm tired, I'm lazy, I don't want to shop for weird ingredients I'll never eat up, it's easier to go for sushi.  Don't get me wrong, I love to cook but something has to inspire me and lately I'm not all that inspired.

I'm sure Hello Fresh first came up on my FB advertisements.  I probably even browsed their website but the $70.00 per week price tag scared me off.  Along with 'subscription service'.  Aka give us your credit card and we'll hope you forget to cancel.  I didn't do the math, I just looked at the recipes and closed the browser.  But of course this is the Internet, full of non delicious cookies that watch your every click, shopping habit and browser history.  I kept seeing their ads pop up on my FB feed, begging me to try them out.

So I posted in my Mommy Group "Has anyone ordered from them before?" and got some responses along with a HELLO! $40.00 promo code.  Love me some deals.  Being a household of two.  Me and one very picky 8 year old, I opted for their Pronto plan which was 3 meals a week for 2.  So 3 meals a week for 1 and lots of leftovers.

Regular price is $79.99 for 3 meals.

I had a bit of issues using selecting my meals, their website is beautifully designed but it isn't overly intuitive.  I contacted them through FB Messenger (I love live chat) and they were pretty responsive.  I figured out on my own that I could choose my meals *after* I paid.  All was good in the world.

I had the order delivered to my office as I knew I had to be home to accept it during the day and was surprised to get a FedEx tracking #.  The packaging was gorgeous but overdone.  As much as I appreciate amazing marketing, I wondered how much cost went into the custom printing.  The box was filled with 6 ice packs and insulated which was a relief because it wouldn't fit in my office fridge and they delivered it mid day and it wasn't time to go home yet.

Once I got it unpacked, I initially thought it was cool everything was separately sealed and labeled but a lot of the Moms who had received the meal deliveries brought up a good point of it not being very environmentally responsible.  While I am sure there are some kids fresh out of high school living on their own that would appreciate Swiss Chard being labelled, I'm sure the rest of us know what all the ingredients are ;)

 

The three meals I chose for this week were:

1) Chick Pea Mediterranean couscous

2) Lemon Pepper Chicken

3) Seared Pork Chops

What I opted out of was the Caramelized Onion Burgers

Dinner #1

Included in the box is a beautifully designed recipe guide complete with prep pictures and the final product.  
I was excited about roasting the chick peas because I've never done that before.  As I started to prep the vegetables, I screwed up and dumped everything in a bowl.  I didn't realize I had to separate them.  Then it called for oil.  Just oil.  What KIND of oil would have been helpful.  

The Verdict? I loved the chickpeas so crunchy but as soon as the steam from the veggies hit them, they went kinda soggy.  I also forgot to put the feta cheese on it but it tasted like a healthy whole meal.  Unfortunately this was not meant to be eaten on the second day.  The chickpeas were not edible and the dish was dry.  I liked the flavour so I didn't want to dump sauce on it.  I didn't finish the rest.  :(

Dinner #2

I guess I didn't notice the lettuce type when I ordered because I'm not a fan of arugula so that went back in the fridge.  I decided to turn my dinner prep into 'Chopped'.

First I ate the pear, it was delicious.  Then I threw the walnuts on the pan to roast them.  I then threw on the potatoes and chicken. In the oven it all went.  I then saw the lemon on the counter and went 'oh'.  Lemon goes in fridge. Peppercorns = spicy, into the cupboard.  I see chicken stock and apricot preserves.  I decided to sauté the garlic and then add the broth for some weird chicken soup.  Damn, I burnt my nuts.  Finished cooking the chicken and then realized that my potatoes were glued to my non stick baking sheet (yes I oiled them prior).  I gave up.  I squirted the apricot jam on my chicken, ketchup on my half raw potatoes and ate my boring dinner.

The Verdict? None of this baking fiasco was the fault of Hello Fresh.  I've got a head cold and my cooking game ain't on tonight. 

Dinner #3

Seared Pork Chops with Plum Compote, Garlic Swiss Chard and Wild Rice

This is going to a quick post cause this dinner was a complete fail.  First, I'm not a huge fan of pork.  I love little piggies but not really to eat them.  I've never had Swiss Chard before and the rice looked like little sticks.  I was hungry (didn't eat all day due to my cold) so I ate the first plum by itself.  No biggies, it's a meal for two.  Cooked the rice til done...tasted it.  Yuck.  Cooked the Swiss Chard til done...tasted it.  Yuck.  Decided to skip the compote as I was losing my appetite the further I got along in my cooking.  Finally the pork chops.  They definitely weren't done by the time suggested and I have a weird fear of undercooking meat and getting e-coli.  So I got 75% done and abandoned ship.   So for dinner..I had a plum.  And some random crackers I found in the cupboard.  I feel bad about wasting so much food but I can't eat something that is gross to my palate.  Again not the fault of Hello Fresh but this meal just wasn't for me.

I have one more week and then I will cancel my subscription as I will try another service.  Stay tuned for Fresh Prep in two weeks!

No picture included because...gross.

Dinner #4 - 2nd Week

Seared Beef Noodles 

Another winner!  The recipe was easy enough and I was happy with the flavour.  Bonus that my kid ate his whole plate.

 

Dinner #5 - 2nd Week

Pork Fajitas

I don't normally buy pork so I was a bit skeptical of how it would taste as my fajitas are usually beef or chicken.  First off the cilantro was starting to go bad which was fine by me as I hate it, into the compost it went.  The tomatoes were also underripe so those went on my sunny window sil. As I unpacked all the ingredients, I decided to alter this meal to make it more of a traditional fajita.  

I  threw the roasted peppers in my convection oven instead with some grape tomatoes.  I also skipped the salsa and opted for the jar in my fridge.  I cooked the pork in the Mexican seasoning, omitting the chipotle powder as I have a wimpy stomach.  I grabbed some fresh avocado and added the lime juice.  Voiila, a lovely Mexican dinner and leftovers for tomorrow!

Dinner #6 - 2nd Week

Chicken Schnitzel Pretzel Buns

I have never had schnitzel before so this meal was a bit of a risk.  The pic looked great:

But opening the magical food box, showed me that the cabbage was starting to turn and so that main ingredient was now in the compost. I had heard of issues with the produce starting to go and while it's not the end of the world, it definitely does not stand up to their company name.  

So what did I have? green onions, a bun, chicken, gruyere cheese, some panko, mayo, broth and other flavouring.  Improvising a bit, I turned the dinner around.  I had some sun dried tomatoes which I added to the mayo to make a burger sauce, avocado on the other bun, toasted with cheese and fresh lettuce.  I threw the chicken breasts in the oven with some bbq sauce.  It turned out fine and I kept the unused ingredients for another dinner.  It was still tasty but obviously not the meal I was looking forward to.

So that concludes my two week trial with HelloFresh.  I haven't decided to completely cancel my subscription as of yet.  I will keep skipping weeks until the meals look appealing and hopefully get some more credits so the regular price is reduced.

Next blog will be on FreshPrep.  Basically the same idea but different company.

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Want to try them out at a discounted rate? Here is my referral code - https://www.hellofresh.ca/?c=JODWEI to get $40 off your first week!

 

 

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Cooking looks so easy when you have these fast motion videos on FB.  This was a recipe my Mom posted and I quickly saved.

Courtesy of The Recipe Critic.com
Ingredients
  • 5 slices bacon, finely chopped
  • 3 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut to 1 inch cubes
  • 1 cup red cooking wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth (not beef?)
  • ½ cup tomato sauce (I accidentally used spaghetti sauce, kinda the same thing right)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce (I used reduced salt)
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons thyme, finely chopped
  • 5 Medium Carrots, sliced
  • 1 pound baby potatoes (I used tri color)
  • 8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • fresh chopped parsley for garnish (I skipped it)
 
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
  2. Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken broth, and tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.
  3. Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8. Garnish with fresh parley and serve with mashed potatoes if desired.

 

 

The prep was easy to do and I didn't have any issues however I'm not exactly loving the sauce at this point.  I'm pretty sure I ate this growing up and I'm not sure if I just don't remember it or I'm too hasty in my judgement and it'll get better after simmering for 5 and a half more hours.  Will update later..

 

Next day update.   I've had this in the slow cooker for about 6.5 hours total. The taste did improve...but not by much.  I don't drink red wine ever (don't judge)

but I've had recipes with it in there and didn't have the same flavour.


The meat and veggies were perfectly cooked but I had to put ketchup in the dish to make it 

pallatable.  I wouldn't make this again.

 

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