Blue Apron: Crispy Tofu Steaks & Roasted Broccoli

"Tofu has long been a staple of vegetarian entrees. Though it originated in Asia, we've come up with a refreshing rendition using traditional French techniques. A tangy, smooth Champagne vinegar-Dijon vinaigrette and rustic smashed purple potatoes put a new spin on this classic ingredient."

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1 14 oz package extra firm tofu

1 bunch parsley

1 head broccoli

1 pound purple potatoes

1 shallot

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup rice flour

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Makes 2 servings

About 545 Calories per serving

Prepare the ingredients: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Drain the tofu. Slice in half once horizontally, then once lengthwise to create 4 steaks. Pick the parsley leaves off the stems. Cut the broccoli into large florets. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pices. Peel and mince the shallot and place in a bowl with the champagne vinegar. 

Roast the broccoli: Place the broccoli on a sheet pan, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. arrange the broccoli in a single layer and roast, stirring halfway through, 15 to 17 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven and set aside. 

Make the potatoes: While the broccoli roasts, add the potatoes to the boiling water. Cook 15 to 17 minutes, or until very tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the cooked potatoes thoroughly and return to the pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and, using a fork, mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and se aside in a warm place. 

Make the mustard vinaigrette: While the potatoes cook, add the Dijon mustard to the shallot-vinegar mixture and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined. Set aside as you continue cooking. 

Cook the tofu: While the potatoes continue to cook, in a large pan, heat a 1/4 inch layer of oil on medium-high until hot. In a large bowl, season the tofu with salt and pepper and toss with the rice flour and garlic powder until thoroughly coated, shaking off any excess. Once the oil is hot enough that the tofu sizzles immediately when added to the pan, add the coated tofu and cook 8 to 10 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer the cooked tofu to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper immediately. 

Plate your dish: Divide the cooked tofu, smashed potatoes and roasted broccoli between two plates. Top with a few spoonfuls of mustard vinaigrette and garnish with the parsley. 

This was my favorite of the three meals. I had never cooked tofu before. I eat it all the time at restaurants or in my take-out but I'd never actually cooked it. I was happily full after one of the tofu steaks so you could easily turn this into four meals. I excluded the parsley garnish since I don't care for parsley. I really liked the mustard vinaigrette but I would use way less shallot in the dressing next time. I also used a little truffle oil on the smashed potatoes to finish instead of olive oil which gave the dish a little extra something. 

Until Next Time

XOXO

Ashley

Blue Apron: Spring Minestrone

"Fava beans are one of the oldest crops known to man, with evidence of cultivation dating back to 6,000 B. C. Many Italians believe that these beans saved the population of Sicily from starvation in the Middle Ages when all other crops failed. Superstition says that if you keep a dried roasted fava bean in your pantry, there will always be food in your kitchen."

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery

1 bunch parsley

1 carrot

1 lemon

1 yellow onion

1/2 bunch asparagus

1/2 pound fresh fava beans

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth

6 ounces ditalini pasta

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Makes 2 Servings

About 580 Calories Per Serving

Prepare the ingredients: Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a small pot of water to boiling on high. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Small dice the celery. Pick the parsley leaves off the stems. Peel and small dice the carrot and onion. Zest the lemon. Cut the lemon in half and discard the seeds. Snap off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus, cut the asparagus on an angle into 1 inch pieces. Shell the fava beans. 

Start cooking the vegetables: In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. 

Make the soup: Stir the vegetable brouth, lemon zest, tomatoes and 3 cups of water into the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil on high then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 4 to 6 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. 

Blanch the fava beans: While the soup simmers, add the fava beans to the small pot of boliing water and cook 1 minute. Drain thoroughly and rinse the blanched beans under cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Using your fingertips, break off the tip of each fava bean and squeeze the bean out of the outer skin; discard the skins. set the prepared beans aside.

Add the pasta and asparagus: Add the ditalini pasta to the soup and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Add the asparagus, half of the parmesan and half of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and the cheese is thoroughly incorporated. Remove from heat. Stir in the juice of the lemon. 

Plate your dish: Divide your soup into bowls and top each with the peeled fava beans. Garnish with the remaining parsley and parmesan cheese. 

I really liked this recipe. I had never cooked with fava beans before so that was a new expereince. I don't particularly care for the taste of parsley so I would leave that out if I made again. What makes this feel like "spring" minestrone is the lemon but the lemon flavor was a little to strong for my palatte. I cut it by adding another cup or so of water to the pot...which in turn increased the serving size. You could also just use half a lemon. I had some toasted croutons on hand I served on the side but you could easily make your own with a baguette. With the added water I ended up getting about 4 yummy servings out of this recipe. 

Until Next Time

XOXO

Ashley

Blue Apron: Spring Herb & Vegetable Lo Mein

"In this lighting fast recipe for a take-out classic, you'll use fresh, seasonal ingredients like asparagus and yellow squash along with aromatic, peppery Thai basil and mint, The secret to making the smooth, glossy stir fry sauce is the simple addition of cornstarch, which thickens the sauce and intensifies the flavors."

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

1 1-inch piece ginger

1 bunch mint

1 bunch Thai basil

1 red onion

1 yellow squash

1/2 bunch asparagus

6 ounzes lo mein noodles

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Makes 2 servings

About 515 Calories Per Serving

Prepare the ingredients. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and mine the garlic and ginger. Pick the basil and mint leaves off the stems. Cut the squash lengthwise into quarters, then, on an angle into slices. Snap off and discard the touch, woody ends of the asparagus stems. Cut the asparagus on an angle into 1 inch pieces. Peel and thinly slice the onion. 

Cook the noodles: Once the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente. Drain the cooked noodles thoroughly and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Set aside as you continue cooking. 

Make the stir fry sauce: While the boodle cook, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and 1/2 cup of water until smooth. 

Cook the vegetables: In a large pan heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium high until hot. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the asparagus and squash and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and the squash is slightly softened. 

Add the sauce: Add the stir fry sauce to the pan of vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly reduced and thickened. 

Finish the low mein & plate your dish: Rinse the cooked noodles under water once more to loosen them. Add the rinsed noodles to the pan along with 3/4 cup of water, half the basil, and half of the mint. Cook, tossing to coat, 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through and combined. Plate your dish and garnish with the remaining basil and mint. 

This was the least favorite of the 3 meals I made. I had never cooked with fresh ginger before so that was new for me. I learned I don't like ginger. I liked the flavor of the sauce but if I were to make again I would leave out the mint. It gave the noodles a confusing flavor profile that I didn't care for. It would be easy to trade our the veggies to whatever you had on hand or was in season. 

Until Next Time

XOXO

Ashley

Blue Apron

A few weeks ago I decided to try Blue Apron. Have you heard of it? In short, it's a meal delivery service that delivers fresh ingredients for specified meals once a week. Blue Apron delivers complete meals that take an average of 35 minutes to prepare with pre-portioned ingredients, and easy to follow recipes. All ingredients are fresh and sometimes include specialty ingredients you can't find on your own. Specific meals are recommended each week based on your dietary preferences. All plans have no commitments and you can skip a week any time. Costs start at $9.99 per person per meal. There is free delivery and the items arrive carefully packaged in a refrigerated box so the food stays fresh even if you're not home. 

Over the next few days I'm going to share my thoughts on the 3 yummy recipes I got to try. I really enjoyed getting to try a few ingredients that I probably would never have chosen on my own including a few things I'd never tried before. All the ingredients were super fresh and having everything pre-portioned made cooking a breeze. 

Until Next Time

XOXO

Ashley

*Blue Apron has no idea who I am. I just truly love the service. 

Parent's Weekend

This is way after the fact but we're trying to get caught up on updates :)

Our parents came to visit the last weekend in March which also happened to be Ethan's birthday weekend. We all met up near our parents hotel at a whisky bar to catch up.

The next day was Ethan's birthday and we all met up for brunch at Sebastian's on the Lower East Side

Happy Birthday Bubba!

After brunch, the girls went shopping! Because, duh. :)

Mom was on a hunt for a new jacket for our upcoming Europe trip. She found exactly what she was looking for at Zara, isn't she cute?

That night was Ethan's birthday party at the martini bar where he works- Simone

It's a great place and was a fun night

The next morning we set off to try brunch at the new Laduree in SoHo

The food was good but the service wasn't as good as one would expect

After brunch we walked over to the Alex and Ani store to show Mom some bracelets we thought she would like. 

Then we continued our shopping trip uptown to the new H&M in Times Square. My initial instinct is that location would be crazy busy and very unorganized but it's similar to the Forever 21 in Times Square...they have so much staff that it's actually way more organized than many of their other locations. Dad found a chair and asked me to take his picture with Elmo (the red dot in the background on the street below)

That afternoon we went to see Cabaret with Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams at Studio 54. Sadly, Alan Cumming was sick so we saw his understudy (who was great!) and Michelle Williams was fabulous as far as her acting but the vocal solos didn't blow us away.

Family Selfie!

After the show we grabbed an early dinner at Dos Caminos which is one of the only decent Mexican restaurants in the city. 

This was the world's most expensive bowl of guacamole...but worth every bite. Apparently we didn't like it.....

And that was our weekend! Thanks to the parental units for coming and playing with us.

Until Next Time

XOXO

Ashley

Photo A Day | Week 16, 17, 18

So, we're behind a little again.....oops. 

Prepare yourself for 3 weeks worth of photos!

Day 105: We tried Blue Apron for the first time. Our first box arrived today

 Day 106: Scandal finale day! All ready with my popcorn and wine aka the Oliva Pope dinner

 Day 107: Got a surprise Easter package in the mail from our Aunt including the world's largest bag of kettle corn. It didn't take long for that bag to disappear....

 Day 108: Spring Cleaning Day. Since Spring has finally decided to come out for good in NYC it's time to put the coats and sweaters away and pull out the dresses and tank tops. Pixie thought the giant pile of clothes was for another purpose. 

 Day 109: Easter Sunday

 Day 110: Shelby returned from TX and brought me a fun surprise- kolaches from Czech stop in West, TX

Day 111: I had to make a quick trip to DC for work. The trash cans at JFK are automatic. The idea is that when you walk up to throw something away the door swings open so you can drop your trash in. What the automatic trash can designer didn't seem to consider is the fact that when you place an automatic trash can in a very busy airport every time someone walks by the door is going to open. Seems like a giant waste of energy to me....

Day 112: Another surprise from TX- our Aunt's delicious chocolate pie. This has to be the world's most traveled pie. It went from Austin to Waco to Dallas to NYC all with the goal of ending in my stomach :)

Day 113: Pixie's eye's in this picture say it all. "Get. Her. Away. From. Me"

 Day 114: Friday. Enough said. 

Day 115: Went to see this amazing ballet production of Snow White. John Paul Gaultier designed the costumes. Seriously, look it up on YouTube. So good!

 Day 116: It's a running joke in our family that my childhood artwork was never displayed by our parents while Shelby and Ethan's was framed! and hung up. Shelby made up for it by hanging up my proudly completed artwork from my Frozen coloring book. Yes, we have a Frozen coloring book. Jealous? 

 Day 117: Selfie with my new bangs. Woke up on Saturday morning and decided to chop them off. Loving it so far!

 Day 118: Loving these Jalapeno Cheddar tortilla chips! Kind of healthier version of nacho cheese doritos. 

 Day 119: Lunch

 Day 120: Had to make an emergency AM run to Duane Reade for toilet paper. Never go to Duane Reade before 8AM hungry or you come home with this. 

 Day 121: It's Friday!!! Party time!

 Day 122: We didn't even get out of bed today. Sister snuggle time!

 Day 123: Brunch with Ethan at The Smile in NoHo with the world's best latte

Day 124: Our Cinco de Mayo feast!

 Day 125: Finally caught Pixie's extremely strange first piece of food eating ritual on video. She picks out one piece of food from her bowl and stalks it like prey for a good 20 minutes before she eats it. 

If you made it through all that Congratulations!

Until Next Time

XOXO

Ashley & Shelby