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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!

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to enjoy an afternoon of baking, and this weekend I got to do just that!  I made these a few years ago and my mom (who doesn’t even eat sweets) loved them, so I thought it would be a fun little cheat treat for us to enjoy this week.  The mixture of fudgy chocolate with refreshing peppermint (and butter… and sugar…) is truly the best combination!

Brownie Cupcakes with Candy Cane Buttercream

For the cupcakes:

• 10 oz butter
• 12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (I’ve used all purpose and they are still delicious)
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a few heavy dashes of ground cinnamon

For the Candy Cane Buttercream:

• 12 oz butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• peppermint candies

* I accidentally burnt the chocolate (opps!) and made the recipe without the chocolate and heavy cream and it was still delicious!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with liners.
3. Melt butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Transfer chocolate to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
4. While the mixer is on medium speed, add the eggs (one at a time) and beat well after each addition (be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed).
5. Beat in the sugar until mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.
6. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
7. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the batter and beat on low until well combined.
8. Scoop the batter into the lined cupcake tins, filling them about 2/3 full.
9. Bake the cupcakes for 22-26 minutes. You want to check for moist crumbs with a toothpick but it shouldn’t be completely clean – the cupcakes are meant to be fudgy.
10. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes and then remove them and let cool completely on a wire rack.
11. While the cupcakes are cooling, you’ll want to make the buttercream.
12. In the bowl of an electic mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter with confectioner’s sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
13. Beat in cooled white chocolate (if you haven’t burnt it).
14. Add enough heavy cream until the buttercream reached desired consistency and beat on high for 1 minute more.
15. Beat in 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract.
16. Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes and top with crushed peppermint candy.

Note: these are more like brownies meets molton chocolate cake in cupcake form.  Basically they are delicious. I under cook mine a bit for a more molton chocolate effect. But either way – they are DELICIOUS.