Hello Fresh Review + Promo Code

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Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh

Hello Fresh is a subscription box and I still don’t know what to call this kind of subscription – ingredients & recipes, dinner kits, just plain old fresh food? Hello Fresh sends all the ingredients (minus a few like oil, s+p, sugar, butter) plus the recipes to make 3 meals a week. Right now I’m the hugest fan. I’m not single, but I am. Can I just say that one tends to cook like crap when they have 2 kids to feed plus themselves? Without a meal subscription I basically make some food my kids will eat and then eat the leftovers. I decided that had to change so I’ve been getting meals every week. I feel much healthier with at least 6 solid squares a week (well a little less because my kids do eat some of it!) Plus I just don’t have to worry about carting as many groceries home. Hello Fresh is perfect for city dwellers that usually cook whatever the bodega has.

Insulation
Insulation

Hello Fresh comes really well insulated with 2 big icepacks at the bottom. Cardboard separates the groceries from the meat. I should add I’m particularly fond of the box itself because it breaks down really easily when you’re done with it. I have a MOUNTAIN of cardboard to deal with every day and this is one less thing to worry about.

All the food
All the food

Look I went shopping!

The SubscriptionHello Fresh
The Description: Each week Hello Fresh delivers beautifully photographed step-by-step recipe cards, with the exact fresh ingredients needed to create a selection of new recipes.
The Price: $69/week (59 vegetarian)
The Coupon: Save $25 on your first order. Use code SPLURGE2014  . Expires January 31, 2013.

Hello Fresh Classic Box 1/15/13 Delivery

I got the fish this time! Aren’t you proud?

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots Recipe
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots Recipe

This was the easiest! Just super simple and delicious. I really enjoy Hello Fresh‘s attempts to cut down on pot usage & washing – you cook the potatoes & carrots together. The breading was really easy too – you oiled up your fishes and just mounded the topping (with panko & parmesan) on there. It had grated lemon peel in it and it was so bright and delicious. As usual, I cooked the fish longer than it says to. My fish has GOT to be cooked or I will not touch it. I think I added about 8 more minutes.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots Ingredients
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots Ingredients

The kids ate this one with me. They love fish and this is one way to make me cook it. Because otherwise I don’t.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots Meal
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Parsley Potatoes and Carrots Meal

Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice 

Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice Recipe
Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice Recipe

I love asian-inspired food and this was great. The steak was ridiculously high quality (12 oz sirloin!) and so tender and delicious. I would make this one again but I would not cut my zucchini into half rounds to have to fish it out of the marinade separately.  I liked that the scallions were bagged separately this week. They hadn’t been and I think they stay fresher this way.

Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice Ingredients
Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice Ingredients

This made a ton of food. If you’re familiar with those Tupperware cereal bowls, that’s that and that’s a regular size plate, not a tiny one. The rice had you sweat the garlic and toast the rice a tiny bit and it was really fragrant and delicious. Plus it was steak with one of my favorite veggies.

Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice Meal
Ginger Sesame Steak with Zucchini and Basmati Rice Meal

Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa 

Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa Recipe
Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa Recipe

I opted for this dish instead of the Chicken and Linguine in a Spinach-Tomato Cream Sauce because one of the things i think Hello Fresh excels at is using fruit in their menus. I basically do not cook fruit in my dinner by my own motivation but I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT.  This was so good and easy too because it came with pineapple already cut up. I made this one first because that avocado was ripe. I have seriously never seen an actual ripe avocado at the store. Mine always take weeks to ripen.

Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa
Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa

This was the easiest EASIEST recipe because you cut up the potato, tossed it with oil, s+p, sugar, and cinnamon right on your baking sheet, mixed up the rub, coated your loin in that (right on the sheet),  and then mixed together the salsa. I think I spent 5 minutes prepping. It was really hard not to eat all the salsa in one sitting (but it was great the next day).

Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa Meal
Spice Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa Meal

So, I also thought I’d add this – I know you have been seeing my purple cutting board and wondering what that is about. It’s like my work area/garbage board – like Rachel Ray’s garbage bowl.

Garbage Board
Garbage Board

I prep everything and as I go along I leave all my trash right on the board. I dump it out into the garbage and then pop the whole thing in the dishwasher. It makes cleanup super simple!

The meals for next week are: Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Guacamole and Salsa (getting), Tomato Garlic Ragu with Spaghetti (getting), Roasted Salmon with Garlic Grape Tomatoes and Potatoes, Roasted Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Kale (getting), and Sweet Potato and Barley Risotto with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe.  The last two choices are “meal choice” and if you don’t specifically select them you’ll get the first 3 automatically. You can also pick up the vegetarian box, which I will get when I’m totally crazy about it.

I think I said last week Hello Fresh doesn’t send a reminder, but they do now!  It’s pretty late Wednesday night – around 7:30pm – but it’s enough time to pop in, decide what you want, set your stuff up, and be out. The point of the entire thing is just to be quick about it! And it totally is.

Visit Hello Fresh to subscribe or check out upcoming meals and use promo code  SPLURGE2014 to save $25 on your first order! That works out to be less than $7.50 per person per meal, which is less than a value meal of fast food.  Even the regular price is a darned good deal considering that you don’t have to do anything but cook it.

Check out all my Hello Fresh Reviews! Don’t forget to take a look at other Fresh Food Subscription Boxes.

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