I’m trying out HelloFresh this week, as WFD folks already know.
I was having trouble with inspiration after a long summer of eating out and traveling and very little cooking overall. A friend had sent me a trial box that I had never been inspired to use, so the time seemed right.
Packaging was surprising - I didn’t realize all 4 meals for the week are delivered together on Monday. Organized packaging - there were 4 labeled brown paper bags each with all the ingredients for one meal, except the proteins, which were underneath with ice packs. So easy. I froze two proteins (these are 2 meals each, I’m 1…) for next week (the ones with less fragile veg accompaniments).
Downside - I basically got no choice for the trial. They picked my meals, which were all middle of the road crowd-pleasers, meat+potato/carb+green veg (except one with no green veg).
I’ve tried 2 meals so far - breaded chicken, which was meh, and bibimbap with ground beef bulgogi, which was tasty but a good deal of prep for the veg. Neither was new to me, but both were simplified versions compared to what I would have made, and that was a helpful insight. Flavors needed boosting for my palate. But it was very convenient not to have to think too much and just do - then eat.
I stopped by WF tonight, and while browsing discovered some frozen meal kits I have not seen before - picked up a wild salmon one that comes with a Cajun shrimp topping, easy enough for me to add veg to that. The same company also makes a cod kit with a bacon potato topping, and a rockfish kit with a chipotle lime topping.
I opened up the kit to remove the fish so I can put it into the freezer - there’s a little sheet of instructions and pictures, and foil included for cooking. I appreciated the extra attention to including how to prepare only one portion at a time (wish they had packed the two fillets separately, though - wouldn’t have taken much more).
I should add that these kits are on sale for half price at the moment, and the fish is wild, so even without their toppings the pricing is better for me than buying the plain fillets.
Cooking from a kit this week definitely helped me get back to a rhythm - the reason I was at WF was to pick up chard for the Zuni panade, and fish for Dorie’s brandade or a chowder. So I’m grateful for the kick in the pants / encouragement HelloFresh provided.
As an aside, I also spent some time browsing Blue Apron recipes (which are publicly available) - I could see myself looking there for easy inspiration the next time I hit a wall (I already have most of the “exotic” ingredients they’d be sending a tbsp here and there of, as I’m sure most of you do!)
