I have been a big fan of meal delivery services since they started a couple of years ago. My main go to is Hello Fresh because I love their variety of meals and flexible weekly options. I have done a few posts reviewing the service, and even included some of the meals that you can make yourself within those posts.
I can tell you one thing though, during this quarantine and pandemic going on, these meal delivery services have saved my butt. Literally. Think about it, instead of gearing up mask and gloves to go to the supermarket surrounded by others who potentially can expose you to the virus, only to go up to the produce and meat sections to realize they’re out of almost everything OR prices have gone us drastically due to demand and you are only able to get 1 or 2 packages of fresh meat. It’s a nightmare.
With these meal delivery kits, they come like clockwork. Their sites say there may be delays, but mine have all been coming on time, and very fresh when they arrive. I have been able to have these 3 dinners worth of amazing restaurant quality meals delivered to me without fail during this quarantine and loving every week of it. I’m not gonna lie.. I even had both Hello Fresh AND Home Chef delivered one week because I forgot to shut one off for the week since I bounce back and forth, and it was 6 dinners worth! Think it’s expensive? Think again… no contract cancel any time, and your first box is only $35 if you sign up through an existing member – otherwise it’s $59.95. That’s still less than $10 a person for dinner per day.
Try it for yourself, save $35 on your first box by signing up 🡪HERE🡨
My new kick I’m on is Home Chef, I started it just a few weeks ago. It is the same basic idea as Hello Fresh, a collection of meals that you choose from a list, or if you forget to chose then the meals are chosen for you. The difference I have noticed between Home Chef vs Hello Fresh is that Home Chef does some of the work for you & the ingredients are more on a professional culinary level even though the meals are simple. They’re both $59.95 for a 3 meal 2 person plan, and I am usually able to get 2 1/2 meals out of it for me, my husband and my oldest son (my youngest is too picky to eat anything good…).
With that being said, they do an AMAZING job with outlining the recipe and even a novice cook can feel like a chef.. I guess that’s where the got the name from!
Here is an example of a complex risotto recipe I was able to easily make in a matter of 30 minutes;
This is their Shrimp & Bok Choy with Coconut Risotto and it was A-Mazing!
Simple step by step recipe with the freshest ingredients ready to go. See if you can follow along with the recipe card and keep in mind all ingredients are provided in separate little meal bags for you although you do need to sharpen up your knife skills and chop;
Prepare the Ingredients
Remove any discolored outer leaves from bok choy and trim ends. Cut stems into ¼” slices and coarsely chop leaves. Keep stems and leaves separate. Trim and thinly slice white portions of green onions. Thinly slice remaining green onions on an angle. Keep white and green portions separate. Pat shrimp dry.
Start the Risotto
Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp. olive oil. Add rice and white portions of green onions to hot pot. Stir occasionally until rice is toasted and opaque, 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup boiling water from small pot and mirepoix base to pot with rice. Rice should just be covered by water. Stir often until nearly all water is absorbed.
Finish the Risotto
Add ½ cup boiling water from small pot and stir often until nearly all water is absorbed. Repeat this process, stirring often, 18-20 minutes. Taste risotto as you cook, checking for tenderness. When rice has no more “bite” or crunch, it’s done. There may be water left. Stir in coconut milk until combined and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir constantly until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from burner and stir in green portions of green onions (reserve a pinch for garnish) and ¼ tsp. salt. Cover and set aside.
Cook the Shrimp
Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add shrimp to hot pan and cook undisturbed until seared on one side, 2-3 minutes. Flip, and cook until shrimp reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees, 1-2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Keep pan over medium-high heat.
Cook Vegetables and Finish Dish
Add 1 tsp. olive oil and bok choy stems to hot pan and stir occasionally until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Add bok choy leaves and stir constantly until leaves are wilted, 1-2 minutes. Stir in shrimp, garlic and ginger sauce, and ¼ tsp. salt until heated through, 30-60 seconds. Remove from burner. Plate dish as pictured on front of card, topping risotto with shrimp-vegetable mixture and garnishing with toasted coconut and reserved green portions of green onions. Bon appétit!
Keep in mind all images above are copywrite of Home Chef and shown from my online cookbook. Yes, they even give you a cookbook in your online account that stores all of the past recipes you’ve made on their plan so you can remake them yourself by buying the ingredients.
I took it a step further and have ordered a large 3 ring recipe binder and a 3 hole punch and will be adding all of the Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Home Chef meal cards to so that I can have them all on hand to make them whenever I feel the need to.
If you want try it please use my invite link to appreciate my work that went into posting this for you!❤🤗
https://www.homechef.com/invite/QbnZwrC2K190R
There are other meal plans as well like FRESHLY if you are not a fan of cooking. They’re pre-made meals and perfect for take and go lunch’s for work or quick dinners. They are microwavable and freezer ready. They’re very tasty but a little expensive in my opinion for the portions although the more you buy the cheaper they get and they do have $20 off of your first order by signing up 🡪HERE🡨 .
Hope you try one of these meal plans out, they are definitely coming in handy during this shut down in New Jersey! Comment your thoughts if you’ve tried any of the meal plans I mentioned or any others that I haven’t.
2. Pick flowers and make plant baskets. By now your lovely outdoor garden is probably starting to whither. At least here in New Jersey we’ve gotten a slight frost or 2 and temperatures are sure to drop quickly. Instead of watching the flowers die or waiting to rip out a woody stick skelton version of your coleus plant, try picking the flowers and displaying their last bit of life in a vase indoors or pruning and potting your plants for inside or as front door decor.
