first hello fresh meal: dijon walnut salmon & couscous;
So a friend sent me a Hello Fresh discount code for 1/2 off a week’s delivery and I forgot about it for months until I got a reminder e-mail from Hello Fresh (guess those reminder e-mails do work!). And it was almost Thanksgiving, so I figured I’d have an order delivered the week following; that way I wouldn’t have to go grocery shopping when I got home after traveling for the holiday.
I’ve only made one recipe so far and here’s my conclusion on Hello Fresh: it’s convenient, but I see no need to have a weekly or even a monthly subscription. I can see how some people would want one, though.
Pros:
- Not having to meal plan or grocery shop is wonderful, especially for those super busy or stressful weeks, like coming back from a trip and having to get caught up on things. (e.g., this post-Thanksgiving week.)
- It’s convenient, everything is recyclable, and it’s easy to use.
- The side provided was couscous, something I haven’t made often before. But now I feel more confident about making it and would do so again because of its simplicity.
- It came with a cute little recipe book that was well laid out, and even told you what meal to make first (the fish)
- I would make the meals again and have written up all the recipes for later use!
Neutrals:
- There is a good variety of recipes and you can choose 3/5 meals (I actually forgot to choose, so I got the defaults. Luckily I would have been fine with any of the 5 meals.)
- The tastiness of the salmon recipe was good. The couscous … well, it could have used a little something. It was a good start to basics but I think next time I’d use some balsamic or add spices for a better taste.
- Each recipe made a hearty meal, but since Hello Fresh provides the portions, you don’t end up with as many leftovers as I like to have. (I had leftovers but T didn’t.) This is neutral because sometimes that’s what you want if you’re leaving for vacation or the holidays.
Cons:
- A few ingredients were not well labeled. One box of ingredients was missing a label altogether, though the other two were labeled so I knew it was the beef meal. Specifically for this meal, the “stock concentrate” was labeled in a small packet as “vegetable”. The ingredient list of the recipe called the ingredient “vegetable stock concentrate”, and the actual directions only said “stock concentrate”. It was only by process of elimination that I determined that was the right ingredient. Not that it was all that hard to figure out, but why didn’t Hello Fresh just use the same term for each item wherever it appeared, whether in the recipe or on the ingredient itself?
- The salmon was a good meal, but nothing that I couldn’t have done on my own — in fact, I’ve made a VERY similar recipe sans couscous before. So it was a little disappointing because I was hoping to try new things!. While the walnuts provided some interest, I consider it just a variation and nothing really new.
- When it arrived, the packaging was fine, but I let the box and ice packs sit for a day, and two of the ice packs started to leak. (I had removed the food so nothing was ruined). The ice packs are non-toxic and can be emptied into the trash and the plastic recycled, but it was inconvenient although luckily not detrimental to the quality of my experience (read: food).
Summary:
Basically, the salmon and couscous made a tasty meal but it was nothing spectacular. I would make it again but put my own twist on the meal and not bother with getting the ingredients from Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh is a convenient service and I imagine I will use it again when (1) I know ahead of time that I have a busy week planned, and/or (2) I get coupons for it. Ideally both. While $35 for 3 meals is quite a good deal for the convenience, to me personally, it’s not really worth the normal price of $70. Though, to be fair, I can see how it might be to someone who doesn’t want to shop or doesn’t really like to cook like I do. Keep in mind that I ordered the 2-person box, so the discounted price is approx. $6 per person per meal, and the regular price is $11-12 per person per meal. To be honest, I will likely stalk Home Fresh recipes and just make the ones I think I’d like. Besides, then I can pair whatever I want to make with grocery sales for even more savings.
If anyone is interested in trying Hello Fresh, feel free to use my referral code: K8WDQC. This will get you $40 off your first box, and gets me $20 off my next box, and I would say it’s definitely worth a try if you want to find some new recipes or need some added convenience in your life. I’d be interested in comparing Hello Fresh to Blue Apron or Plated as well, so if anyone has referral codes for those, send them my way!
043-Couscousdijon walnut salmon & broccoli;
Ingredients
- 16 oz broccoli (~1½ c. per head)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- ½ cup panko
- 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 oz walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 24 oz salmon (4 filets)
Instructions
- Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt & pepper and lay out across a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, until it starts to brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the panko, chopped walnuts, and 1 tsp olive oil.
- Season both sides of the salmon with salt & pepper. Add the salmon to the baking sheet with the broccoli, spread the dijon mustard on the fish, then top with the panko mixture.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until the salmon is opaque in the center and the broccoli is golden brown.
- Serve immediately. Suggested side: Couscous
couscous;
Ingredients
- 2 shallots
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3 cup vegetable/chicken stock
- ¾ cup couscous
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Peel and chop the shallots. Melt butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and let cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add vegetable or chicken stock to the pan and top with a lid until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Add the couscous to the boiling stock, cover, and set aside off the heat.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and fluff before serving. If desired, add balsamic or other spices/seasonings to enhance flavor.
1 Comments
blue apron: huevos rancheros quesadillas – tipsychocochip
June 15, 2016 at 8:46 am
[…] service that I’ve used, the first being hello fresh. Feel free to revisit the recipe for dijon walnut salmon and couscous for my list of pros/cons on hello fresh. At some point I will compile a nice list about all the […]