Blue Apron ~ Spicy Smoked Trout Sandwiches

Tonight's meal was an easy dish of smoked trout sandwiches with cole slaw and roasted sweet potato.  The sweet potato was tossed with a bit of olive oil and a smattering of Chesapeake Spice Blend, then roasted at 450F for 18 minutes.

The smoked trout was flaked, then mixed with mayo and thinly sliced shallot.

The cole slaw was red cabbage marinated in red wine vinegar and a tad of sugar.  A spot of the cole slaw was added to the sandwich.  The end result was a delicious meal.

Chesapeake Spice Blend, blend equal parts:

     Sweet Paprika

     Ground Yellow Mustard

     Celery Seeds

     Ground Bay Leaves   

Made:  December 27, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Thai Chicken Curry

I am back to cooking again!  Tonight a made a wonderful dish of Thai Chicken Curry with Carrots and Bok Choy.  This dish combined mildly yellow curry paste with coconut milk with sautéed pieces of chicken breasts.  This was served on top of Jasmine rice.  I served this in a bowl, but the rice absorbed much of the curry-coconut sauce.  The end result was delicious!

5 Stars

Made:  Christmas Dinner

Blue Apron ~ Shrimp and Fresh Gnocchi

I'm back to the cooking again.  Tonight's meal was Shrimp and Fresh Gnocchi with fresh corn, basil and cherry tomatoes.  Although I liked the flavors of the sauce for the shrimp and gnocchi, I found the pasta to be overwhelming.  The sauce was made with fresh corn and roasted tomatoes with a touch of red pepper flakes, cooked in a bit of butter.  This was very flavorful over the shrimp.

Made: July 29, 2017

3 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Sesame Soba Noodles

I often try vegetarian dishes.  Tonight I made Sesame Soba Noodles with Gai Lan, Mushrooms topped with Ginger-Lime Peanuts.  Gai Lan is also known as Chinese Broccoli or Chinese Kale.  It is a leafy vegetable with thick broad leaves, much like the kale I have been using in recipes.

The soba noodles are generally served either cold or at room temperature.  This dish was served at room temperature.  After the noodles were cooked, they were mixed with sesame oil and a sweet chili sauce while the remainder of the meal was prepared.

Grated carrots and sliced cucumbers were marinated in lemon juice and ginger.  The mushrooms and gai lan were sautéed with ginger.  All of the vegetables were then mixed into the noodles, where were topped with roasted ginger-peanuts.  The end result was delicious.

Made:  July 4, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Chicken and Honey-Glazed Peach

Tonight's meal was a tasty dish  of chicken topped with fresh peaches sautéed with honey, vinegar and just a touch of spicy red pepper.  The meal was paired with wilted spinach and coconut-infused  mashed sweet potato.  Yummy!

Made:  July 3, 2017

4 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Cod and Tomatillo Salsa

Tonight's meal was Cod and Tomatillo Salsa with a Summer Squash and Sweet Potato Hash.  The sweet potato and summer squash hash was spiced with scallions and garlic, and made a nice accompaniment to the jalapeño pepper tomatillo salsa.  A cool sour cream-lemon mixture provided just enough coolness for the dish.  We enjoyed this meal.

Made:  July 1, 2017

4 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Smoked Trout and Asparagus Salad

I was really looking forward to this Smoked Trout and Asparagus Salad with fingerling potatoes and garlic croutons.  I was not disappointed.  

I loved smoked fish, and this smoked trout was delicious.  The salad was made with boiled fingerling potatoes and vegetables.  The vegetables ~ asparagus and red onion ~ were sautéed in a pickled mustard seed dressing that was made by boiling the mustard seeds with vinegar and a tad of sugar.  The dressing went well with the smoky fish.

Definitely a favorite hardy salad.

Made:  June 19, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Chicken and Napa Cabbage Salad

For a hot summer night, nothing is better than a nice, hardy salad.  Tonight's meal was a Chicken and Napa Cabbage Salad with Cucumber, Asparagus and Cashews. The salad had a Chinese twist, as the vegetables (cabbage, carrots and cucumbers) were marinated in a sesame oil and rice vinegar dressing.  The chicken was cooked in a miso-paste and soy sauce, which added a nice flavor.  The salad was topped with blanched asparagus and cashews.

Made:  June 17, 2017

4 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Persian-Style Chicken and Crispy Rice

I was really looking forward to tonight's dinner of Persian-style chicken and crispy rice with summer squash, currants and lemon yogurt.  I was not disappointed.  This dish has so many textures and flavors and is so delicious.  

The chicken was sautéed in a Persian Spice Mix.  Then the squash and onions were sautéed.  This was added to the chicken as well as chopped almonds.

While the chicken was cooking, I prepared the rice.  After all the water had absorbed, half of the rice was placed on a cooking sheet and baked until dry and crispy.  Then all the rice was combined, along with the currants, which had been marinated in lemon juice.  I didn't have currants, so used raisins instead.

The dish was topped with yogurt.  Delicious!

Made:  June 10, 2017

4.5 Stars

Persian Spice Mix:

     Ground Cardamon

     Ground Cumin

     Ground Turmeric

Blue Apron ~ Shrimp and Squid Ink Spaghetti

I am a big fan of squid ink pasta, so I was really looking forward to this meal of Shrimp and Squid Ink Spaghetti with Sugar Snap Peas.  I was not disappointed.  The snap peas were blanched, so gave the dish a nice crunch.  Lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes and forage blanc added a nice kick to the sauce.  A favorite!

Made:  May 21, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Seared Cod and Creme Fraiche Sauce

Tonight's meal was Seared Cod and Creme Fraiche Sauce with a Potato, Cabbage and Olive Hash.

Made: April 30

Blue Apron ~ Za'atar-Spiced Chicken

Tonight's meal was an Israeli-inspired chicken dinner.  Za'atar is a spice common in Israeli foods, the chicken was coated in a za'atar-flour mixture and pan seared.  It was then placed atop Israeli couscous to which roasted Brussels sprouts and whole almonds had been added.  That combination alone was delicious.  The chicken was topped with an aromatic pan sauce made with pink lemon, garlic, shallots and garlic.  Marvelous!

4 Stars:

Made: April 17, 2017

Blue Apron ~ Seared Catfish with Udon Noodles, Mushrooms and Carrots

Tonight's meal of Seared Catfish was inspired by Japanese-style cooking.  The fish was topped with chopped green scallions and smoked and crumbled dulse.  That really topped of this dish of Udon noodles with sautéed mushrooms, carrots and celery.  Truly a delicious meal.

Made:  April 15, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Chicken Meatballs and Fregola Sarda

Made: March 25, 2017

3 stars

Blue Apron ~ Tangelo and Honey-Glazed Salmon

The secret of this dish of Tangelo and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Farro, Apple and Crispy Rosemary  is the fruit.  The apples and scallions were cooked in the frying pan then added to the cooked farro.  The apple made both a nice texture and flavor.  The salmon was cooked then coated in a tangelo juice and honey glaze.  The end result was delicious.

5 stars

Made:  March 5, 2017

Blue Apron ~ Fresh Fettuccine

Tonight I made Fresh Fettuccine with Beet, Goat Cheese and Poppy Seeds.  In northern Italy, ravioli are often filled with beets and served in a poppy seed sauce.  This dish was a variation of this Italian classic.  The poppy seeds gave the dish a nice crunch, and the accompanying goat cheese helped to make a nice creamy sauce.  This dish is a definite winner.

Made:  January 26, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Seared Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

Okay, so I substituted quinoa for the mashed potatoes.  The seared chicken, however, was delicious.  I think the secret was before I floured the chicken thighs, I seasoned them with Pinot Salt.  The chicken was very tasty and was accompanied with kale, cremini mushrooms and verjus.  Hubby really enjoyed this dish.

Made:  January 24, 2017

4 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Indonesian-Spiced Salmon

I was really looking forward to this Indonesian-Spiced Salmon with Freekeh and Marinated Radishes.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed.  The dish was made with Tamarand, Turmeric and Coconut milk.  The combination sounds like it should have been tasty.  Unfortunately, it was rather bland.  The marinated radishes and red onion salad, however, was an interesting combination.

Made: January 21, 2017

2 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Chicken Paillard

This dish was made using the French technique of pounding, called "paillard" the chicken into a thin piece for quick cooking.  The chicken was served a potato and fennel combination with a touch of lemon.  Before serving, the chicken was topped with an olive, garlic and butter sauce.  The meal was good, but not one of my favorites.  

Made: January  18, 2017

3 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Lemon-Caper Catfish with Spiced Lentils and Collard Greens

Tonight's catfish was coated in rice flour then pan-grilled in a caper and lemon sauce.  This was served on top a black-lentil, collard green and onion mixture.  The collard greens and onions had been sautéed with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice mix.  The result was a very tasty dish.

Made: Jan. 16, 2017

5 Stars

Blue Apron ~ Bucatini Pasta Bolognese

This dish of Bucatini Pasta Bolognese was made with a twist and a secret ingredient ~ brussels sprouts!  The brussels sprouts were thinly sliced then added to the pasta and sauce just a few minutes before serving.  That made for an interesting texture.  The dish was topped off with  grated parmesan cheese.  I would definitely make this again.

Made:  January 14, 2017

4 stars

Blue Apron ~ Fresh Linguine Pasta

I was alone tonight, but hadn't yet made my third meal this week.  The final meal was Fresh Linguine Pasta with Roasted Fennel and Garlic Breadcrumbs.  It didn't look that exciting,  I was proven wrong.

The fennel was roasted while the pasta cooked.  The breadcrumbs were toasted with a bit of butter and garlic, then a light sauce of lemon zest was made.  The pasta was added to the sauce (not the other way around) to coat the pasta.

This was then topped with a ricotta-lemon mixture, Castelvetrano olives and the breadcrumbs.  The combination was delicious.

4 Stars

Made:  January 4, 2017

Blue Apron ~ Sesame Chicken

I loved this Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy and Jasmine Rice.  The dish was very easy to make and was very tasty.  The dish used both sesame oil and toasted black and white sesame seeds.  The bok choy was wilted, then added to the seared chicken, along with the soy grace, rice vinegar and sesame oil.  The jasmine rice was then topped with the chicken.  My only complaint is there wasn't enough!

Made: January 1, 2017

5 Stars