Review: Donning my Blue Apron

I’ve been cooking for almost as long as I can remember. My parents let me fry my first egg when I was 7 years old, and as a pre-teen I used to riffle through our spice cabinet and make this weird ‘fried rice’ in which I basically dumped every spice we had into a pot and then added white rice to it. Let’s just say my fried egg attempts were a bit more successful (and palatable). As the years went by, and I continued to cook — and eventually, completed culinary school — preparing food has become one of those things that’s just second nature to me. However, one habit I’m certainly guilty of: I tend to cook with the same types of flavors and ingredients, just because I know what I like (and what’s fastest on a weeknight), so I stick with it. Easy, but sometimes boring.

A few weeks back, the kind folks at Blue Apron emailed me and asked me if I’d be interested in checking out one of their boxes. I wasn’t familiar with Blue Apron at the time — have you heard of it yet? The concept is actually pretty cool. Each week, you get a box of food delivered to your house, which contains ingredients to make 3 unique meals, all of which are healthful and 500-700 calories per serving. You can opt for a vegetable only box, or one that includes both meat and veggies. It’s sort of like a CSA, but with one big difference: instead of just getting a mix of random ingredients, you also receive step-by-step recipe cards that tell you exactly how to make those 3 unique meals! Along with all the meat and veggies, Blue Apron also includes things like spices, soy sauce, garlic — really everything. The only thing you have to provide is oil and salt and pepper.

The week I received my box, the featured recipes were Chicken Fried Red Rice with Romano Beans; Five-Spice Pork Chops with Plum Sauce, Chinese Broccoli, and Purple Sweet Potato; and Za’atar Shrimp and Green Beans with Lemon Yogurt over Israeli CousCous. Joe and I opted to make the Za’atar Shrimp first, especially since Blue Apron recommends cooking seafood first. Here’s how it went: 

At first, it was a little hard for me to cook straight from a recipe! It’s been so long since I’ve had to truly follow one, so it took me a little bit to get in the swing of things (most everything I cook I make up on my own, including the recipes on this blog — it’s where my days as a recipe tester have really come in handy). However, the recipe itself couldn’t have been simpler, and the results were really delicious! If you’re just learning how to cook, or you already know the basics and want to experiment with unique ingredients, Blue Apron is pretty awesome. I mean, how often do you walk into the grocery store and buy a bottle of Za’atar spice?  The recipe cards use step by step photographs to outline what you need to do too, so it’s super easy to follow along.

Another night, I decided to take things into my own hands. I was pretty inspired by a lot of the ingredients that had arrived in my box, so instead of making either of the other recipes, I created a five-spice chicken stir fry that used up the red rice, ginger, romano beans, carrots, Chinese broccoli, and other goodies that had come in the box. It turned out great, and I kind of secretly loved not having to follow the recipe. So if you’re a more advanced cook, getting a Blue Apron box can also just be a fun way to cook with ingredients you never normally buy, and to try something new!

Downsides? After testing out my box, I emailed them to ask about what products are organic. While the company is starting to distribute widely across the U.S., not all the ingredients are organic, though when they’re available and it makes sense, the company will source organic if they can. Fingers crossed they come out with an all organic box! The only other bumski I can think of is the amount of packaging that comes in each box (holy plastic containers), but I can’t really fault Blue Apron for that — there’s no other great way to send all those ingredients and keep them clearly labeled for new cooks while also ensuring they stay fresh in transit, and fresh in your fridge. So no biggie.

Blue Apron costs $9.99 per person, per meal, so for two people, one box costs $60 for the week (not terrible!). There’s no contract, so you can cancel your box from week to week if you’re not home or if you have other dinner plans. Pretty nice.

All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised by the service, and I’ve already told several friends about it. I have a slew of friends who are moving in with their significant others, and Blue Apron is the perfect thing for their date nights at home, and to help them learn how to cook! If you’re interested in learning your way around the kitchen, you should for sure check it out! You can learn more about the program here, and find out if your state gets Blue Apron service here.

{The Full Disclosure: Photos by Victoria McGinley for vmac+cheese. Blue Apron supplied one box of food for me free of charge, however I was not required to write this post, nor did I receive compensation for it, and all opinions are my own (obvi!). I mostly just wanted to share my experience with you guys, in case this service is something your friends and fam would love!}