Blue Apron Review

Last week I tried my second meal-prep delivery service (is that what these are called? I'm not sure how to categorize them, but you get the point). I tried Hello Fresh two weeks ago and really liked it, this time around it was Blue Apron.

First up was Fried Chicken & Kale Slaw with Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges & Hot Honey

I really liked the kale slaw, and there was a lot of it so I enjoyed it as a side dish for two meals after this as well. Even Natalie ate some of it, though, she asked me for kale chips instead. I completely forgot to add the hot honey to the chicken until Chris took his last bite of chicken. It was a shame because though this chicken was really good, the honey did take it up a notch! Natalie and I shared the sweet potatoes. I always go on sweet potato kicks and then completely forget about them for awhile - this reminded me that Natalie liked them, and I need to buy some more for her. I think this was my favorite meal of the week.


Seared Cod & Potato Salad with Radishes, Crispy Capers & Marinated Cucumber
I had a little trouble with the cod, it stuck to my pan like crazy. Not sure if it's because I was flipping it too early or what, but I got frustrated with it. One thing I am discovering through this meal-prep experiment I am doing is that I really love cod, and should really start buying it to prepare on my own!

Ginger Pork Burgers with Black Bean Mayo & Furikake-Dressed Green Beans
I don't ever think to make pork burgers, but this was actually pretty good! I didn't really care for the seaweed tasting green beans. I had leftover and they've been sitting in my fridge for days. I also had a little bit of trouble with these burgers. They ended up tasting great, but I felt like the outside was burning and the middle was just cooked. But again, they were still juicy and delicious.

So far, I can definitely say that I like Hello Fresh better. I liked the way the meals were packaged: All the ingredients for each meal were put into boxes and I could just grab the box out of the fridge and I'd have everything I need. I liked that Hello Fresh gave actual measurements of things in the recipes, so that I could recreate the recipes on my own. I felt like Blue Apron didn't give me the exact tools needed to recreate a recipe. I liked the Hello Fresh recipes better, and enjoyed the meals more. I know that's a crapshoot because each week is different, but even looking at the upcoming meals on each website, the ones on Hello Fresh appeal to me more. I also feel like I had better success with their recipes. I struggled with the fish in Blue Apron, and cooking times were way different for me than the recipes called for.

Next up: I try Marley Spoon in two weeks and I'm really excited about the meals I'm getting: Grilled Romaine and Skirt Steak Salad, Miso Cod & Bamboo Rice, Honey-Mustard Chicken with Potato, Celery and Apple Salad.