Blue Apron Optional

Guys? Hey, guys? Anyone?? I'm finally back from an extended commercial break! I can't believe that I have been MIA for so long that Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone without a single holiday baking post from moi. (And I shockingly only made one batch of cookies over the entire holiday season.) Speaking of the holidays, after traveling for a majority of the time, coming home to an empty kitchen definitely provided enough temptation to order in, until I remembered that I had a delivery coming from Blue Apron. Sorry, Seamless.

Pre-packaged meal delivery is not necessarily something that I would seek out, but since I was getting my first delivery for free I figured that I might as well check it out. In my box I received the ingredients for three meals for two: pulled chicken tacos, beef bolognese and Thai coconut shrimp soup. The problem is, you have to be in the mood to cook and in the mood to eat specifically what is being delivered to you! Upon my delivery, I unpacked the entire box and then proceeded to eat pita chips and hummus because I really didn't feel like cooking. 

Everything was very well planned and packaged, and all of the ingredients were fresh, but I still felt like there was something lacking. On day two I made the pulled chicken tacos, sort of. I froze one chicken breast, cooked the other according to directions, and then skipped the side salad and made guacamole instead. I used the leftover sauce to make black beans and rice two days later. 

On day four I made the Thai shrimp soup. I followed the directions but added fish sauce because there was an overall lack of saltiness to balance out the hot/sour/sweet flavors. I also preferred to serve it more like a curry served over the rice versus a soup with a little bit of rice added in. It was also generously portioned and I ended up eating it for 3 meals.

On day seven I finally got around to making the beef bolognese. (Fear not! I kept checking the expiration dates so that nothing spoiled.) Again I followed the directions but having made bolognese from scratch before, I knew that it was going to be pretty basic. A little too basic for me. I added white wine and diced tomatoes at the point at which BA would have you serve it, and then proceded to simmer it for another 30 minutes. I think it added an acidity and sauciness that otherwise would have been lacking. This was also a very generous portion. The recipe was meant to serve two, but I have managed to extend it for 4 meals. Oh! I forgot to mention that you were supposed to stir brussels sprouts leaves into the sauce at the end. Umm…ok. Random!

I can see how this concept would work for people who have a problem planning and shopping for meals, but I guess I like to be a little more improvisational. There is very little waste, which as a person cooking for one, I do appreciate. Purchasing an entire bunch of cilantro or head of celery when you only need a tablespoon is super annoying since the unused portion often spoils in the fridge. And having someone else locate lemongrass and coconut palm sugar was pretty rad. 

You are given the ability to skip deliveries and to make basic recipe requests (like meat preferences etc.) so I could see doing this once every month or so, but I think for the most part I'll stick to making my usuals and skip the blue apron.

Quick Beef Bolognese

Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces ground beef
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces fresh pappardelle pasta
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onion and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, 2 - 4 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

2. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring frequently, 2 - 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon for 4 - 6 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. 

3. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Add the pasta and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add directly to the sauce. Toss to coat and add the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Remove from the heat and add half of the cheese. Toss to coat and serve with remaining cheese on the side. Serves 2 - 4.

Coconut Red Curry Shrimp

1/2 cup jasmine rice
Vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 stalks lemongrass (tough outer layers removed; one stalk minced and one stalk cut in half and smashed)
1 scallion, sliced (separate the green and white parts and reserve)
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar
1 lime, zested and quartered
1 tablespoon fish sauce
8 ounces shrimp
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1. In a small pot, heat the rice, 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to boiling on high. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 - 14 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, minced lemongrass and the white parts of the scallion. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 - 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 - 2 minutes, or until softened.

3. Add the red curry paste, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 - 2 minutes or until fragrant.

4. Add the coconut milk, palm sugar, lime zest, fish sauce, reserved lemongrass pieces and 1 cup of water to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 - 4 minutes or until thoroughly combined. 

5. Season the shrimp with salt and add to the soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 - 10 minutes or until opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat and add half of the cilantro and the juice of two lime wedges. Discard the smashed lemongrass. Serve the curry with the rice and top with the remaining scallions and cilantro and lime wedges. Serves 2 - 4.

Curry in a Hurry

There's almost no point to making Thai food at home when you live in NYC. There are no less 18 Thai restaurants within a 10 block radius of my apartment. I took a Thai cooking class at ICE years ago and it was awesome, but I have yet to EVER make the recipes ever again! So why make a green curry at home? Because I need another way to make shrimp! Haven't you noticed how many posts I have on shrimp? They cook quickly and are tasty but I can't keep making garlic shrimp over and over again (but I do). And this green curry is not made like it was in my Thai class where we made the curry paste from scratch. I just bought the little jar o' paste at the grocery store. I don't think the addition of peas is authentic, but I like the slight sweetness paired with the spicy sauce. And the extra green looks purdy.



Shrimp Curry with Coconut Rice

Cooked basmati rice
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced cilantro
Freshly ground pepper

1. In a medium skillet, toast the coconut over moderately low heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Sprinkle over the cooked rice.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the jalapeño and cook for one minute. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute per side. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and the ginger and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the coconut milk, stock, and curry paste and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, until thickened. Add the cooked shrimp, peas, 1/3 cup of the basil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro and simmer until heated through, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of basil, 1 tablespoon of cilantro. Serve immediately with the coconut rice. Serves 4.

She's Crafty

Just in case you haven't been plied with enough sweets yet (there are still 5 more days until Christmas!) I have another cookie recipe for you. I've been making these little macaroons for a couple of years now, and even though I'm not a coconut über fan, there's something light and elegant about these cookies. The chocolate is optional but...C'mon. I also like that they look like tiny snow covered mountains. If you squint. Really. Hard. And you're super stoked to spend your holiday in Aspen skiing and enjoying aprés-ski merriment so everything you see resembles a ski town...

OK this recipe is really easy. Really. Really. Easy. With only five ingredients all you need is a spoon and a bowl. Actually, you don't even need a spoon. You can mix everything with your hands if you feel like it. And if you think shaping my little pyramid shapes is way too complicated and crafty, then just roll the coconut mixture into little balls. Whatevs. Then bake, crush the sugar cookie competition, and enjoy!



Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons (aka Snowy Peaks)
(From The Ski House Cookbook)

4 large egg whites
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Salt
1 (14-ounce) package shredded sweetened coconut (about 5 1/3 cups)
1 (3.5-ounce) bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt and stir to combine. Add the coconut and mix well.

2. Dampen your hands with cold water. Form a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into a haystack shape and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture, spacing the stacks about 1-inch apart. Bake until golden brown, about 18 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Remove the cookies from the pan while still warm to cool completely on racks. Repeat with remaining coconut batter.

3. Fill a small saucepan with 1-inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and place a medium heat proof bowl on top so that the bottom is resting just above the simmering water. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted.

4. Turn off the heat and dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper to cool and harden. The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes about 24 cookies.

Dessert First

Easter was a great day to be outside in the northeast but I spent it indoors (although with stunning views of the city from the 24th floor of a high rise - thanks Chad and Ken!) roasting a lamb...well, not a whole lamb but a boneless leg of lamb. We had decided to make a little Easter dinner and for some reason I got it in my head that I had to make coconut cupcakes. I'm not really a fan of coconut so I'm not sure why I HAD TO make them, but they just seemed...Eastery. Even if you're not into coconut you'll dig these. I'll share the rest of our dinner later this week but for now...dessert first.



Coconut Cupcakes
(Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened, shredded coconut
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces (1/2 the bag) of coconut.

4. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Makes 24 cupcakes.