Tasty

I love making my own almond milk, but sometimes a girl just has to mix it up.  When I came across a recipe for pistachio milk I got SUPER excited to give it a try… and it didn’t disappoint!  The major perk? No soaking, so whenever the craving hits you can whip up  batch in a few minutes!

Pistachio Milk 

• 1 cup pistachios
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons honey
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Mix ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes.
2. Mixture will be milky in appearance and foamy on top.
3. Strain through a nut bag and store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Click here for my Vanilla Almond Milk recipe!

With my fridge over flowing with citrus right now, I wanted to put together something pretty (and tasty)! Here is a quick and easy salad that is as delicious as it is impressive.

Blood Orange Fennel Salad

• 2 blood oranges
• 2 cara cara oranges
• 1 fennel bulb
• pistachios, chopped
• beet chips
• optional additions:
  • frisee lettuce
  • pomegranate seeds
  • goat cheese

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. If using frisee or any other type of lettuce, sprinkle as the bottom layer on a large plate.
2. Use a mandolin to thinly slice the fennel, then evenly distribute on top of the lettuce.
3. Remove rind and pith from oranges and slice into rounds.
4. Sprinkle pistachios, beet chips and pomegranate seeds.
5. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with fennel fronds.

When I first read through this recipe I was surprised to see 12 eggs on the ingredient list – in addition to many other tasty items.  How can that much food serve only 6 people?  Well as my eyes scanned the recipe, I couldn’t help but laugh that even the author noted that “when you make good food, even in excess, it never goes to waste.” Well played Deb.

Baked Ranchero Eggs with Blistered Jack Cheese

recipe via Smitten Kitchen 

Ranchero Sauce

• 1/2 – 1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped (check for heat level before adding to mixture)
• 1-28 oz can whole tomatoes, fire-roasted (I used diced tomatoes and it was still delicious)
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 arge garlic clove, crushed and peeled
• 1- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

Crisp Tortilla Strips 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 – 6 inch corn tortillas (pure corn, make sure not flour/corn hybrid tortillas)

Toppings

• 12 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups shredded jack cheese

Crema

• juice from 1 lime
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Make the ranchero sauce by adding tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño and a little salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth
3. Pour into a 12 inch oven proof skillet (it is recommended to not use a cast iron skillet because the acidity in tomatoes will eat off your seasoning).
4. Top with black beans and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until slightly reduced.
5. Make tortilla strips by brushing baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch wide strips and arrange on oiled baking sheet. brush with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake for 3-6 minutes until brown and crisp.
8. Remove strips and preheat broiler.
9. While oven is preheating, make crema by string together lime juice, sour cream and salt.
10. Once sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from heat and break the eggs on top (distributing them as evenly as possible).
11. Return to heat, cover and simmer eggs for 10-12 minutes (don’t over cook your eggs like I did, they will continue to cook in the oven – you want the whites nearly opaque).
12. Sprinkle egg-ranchero sauce mixture with cheese and broil until cheese is bubbly and a little brown (about 3 minutes – keep an eye on them!).
13. Serve with dollops of crema, tortilla strips and cilantro.

My mom recently gifted me a weeks worth of meals from Blue Apron and I was excited to see what all of these bloggers have been talking about! Long story short, each week recipes and produce for 3 meals are shipped to your door (complete with separately labeled and measured ingredients, which I LOVED), and all you have to do is pick which meal and get to cooking!

One of my first meals was the Flank Steak with Beet Freekeh Salad and Gorgonzola. When I was telling a girlfriend about Blue Apron, she mentioned the fact it is a great way to try new foods, and I have to agree.  From wax Hungarian peppers, to sunchokes, to granulated honey, they help to introduce new foods in a non-threatening way.

Another great element is the timing.  Aside from not having to meal plan or grocery shop, all the recipes take around 30 minutes to cook.  I even prepped some ingredients the night before (diced celery, chopped carrots, etc.) which helped me to whip up one of the dishes in 15 minutes!

You can sign up for portions for 2 or 4 people, but my sister and I have found that a 2 person serving is better suited for 3 people (great for lunch leftovers).  I also was super surprised by how flavorful the dishes are.  That being said, I definitely recommend this for families, or a couple with a big eater.  I find that the strong flavors make it tough for next day leftovers… but if you are a leftover person, this may totally work for you.

Another highlight has to be the quality of the produce and meat/fish.  One night my mom bought additional steaks from Whole Foods to add to an existing Blue Apron recipe and we all chose the meat from Blue Apron in a blind tasting!  And don’t worry… you won’t be paying through the nose for that quality – each meal is $20 (which feeds 2-3 people!).  Can’t argue with that!

Flank Steak with Beet Freekeh Salad and Gorgonzola

recipe via Blue Apron

• 2 Flank Steaks
• 1 Bunch Baby Red Beets
• 1 Hungarian Wax Pepper, diced (remove stem, seeds and ribs first)
• 1 Red Onion, diced
• 1 Bunch Chives, minced
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ¼ Cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
• ¼ Cup Cracked Freekeh
• ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1. Wash and dry the fresh produce.
2. Heat 2 medium pots of salted water to boiling on high. Once the first pot of water is boiling, add the beets. Cook 26 to 28 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the beets. When cool enough to handle (but still warm), using a paper towel and your fingers, gently rub the skin off each beet; discard the skins. Set the beets aside.
3. While the beets cook, add the cracked freekeh to the second pot of boiling water. Cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
4. While the beets and freekeh cook, remove the steaks from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
5. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, red wine vinegar, onion and as much of the pepper as you’d like. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. While the beets and freekeh continue to cook, heat a medium, dry pan (nonstick, if you have one) on medium-high until hot. Add the walnuts and toast, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. Transfer the toasted walnuts to the bowl of marinating onion and pepper. Wipe out the pan.
7. While the beets and freekeh finish cooking, season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan used to toast the walnuts, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned steaks; cook 2 to 4 minutes on the first side. Turn the steaks over; add the butter to the pan. Cook, occasionally tilting the pan and spooning the melted butter over the steaks, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the steaks are cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minute
8. While the steaks rest, using the large side of a box grater, grate the peeled beets.
9. Add the grated beets and cooked freekeh to the bowl of marinating pepper and onion; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine.
10. Thinly slice each steak against the grain. Add any juices from the cutting board to the beet-freekeh salad; stir to combine.
11. Divide the beet-freekeh salad between 2 plates. Top each with the sliced steak. Garnish with the gorgonzola cheese and chives. Enjoy!

If you are intersted in giving Blue Apron a try, click here!