A few weeks back, a relatively new meal delivery company called Relished Foods reached out to see whether I would be interested in reviewing their service. Like Plated and Blue Apron, Relished delivers fresh ingredients to your door with instructions for making three meals each week. Based in Chicago, they currently ship to most of the Eastern half of the U.S., and, if after reading this review you’d like to try them out, you can get 50% of your first order with the code “KitchenDoor” through next Friday, March 14th. Since I love coming up with and cooking my own recipes, I’m probably not the ideal customer for this type of service, but I figured some of you might be interested in how it works and how good the recipes are. Overall, I think Relished offers a pretty good service – I was very happy with the portion sizes (having enough leftovers for lunch the next day was a big win), the quality of the ingredients, the speed of preparing the recipes (the longest I spent in the kitchen, including dish-washing, was 40 minutes, which is pretty quick in my book), and the overall healthfulness of the meals. I do think the company has some kinks to work out – I found a few places where the recipe instructions weren’t super clear, or where the cooking times seemed too short, and the first meal was almost ruined by the amount of sugar added to the tomato sauce. These little things are easy to catch if you’re an experienced cook, but if you are someone who’s just learning, it might be hard to know intuitively how to adjust the recipe. That said, I do think these recipes overall were easy and clear enough that they would be a good way for beginners to learn to cook. And taking both meal-planning and grocery shopping off your weekly to-do list is a definite time-saver, beginner or otherwise. I would categorize my overall experience with Relished as positive, but not overwhelmingly so – read on for more details about each recipe I tried.

Lamb Meatballs with Creamy Polenta and Tomato Ragout

This is the dish I was most excited about when I read the menu, and the first recipe I tried – it has three of my favorite foods all combined into one comforting meal. The pros? It’s a filling, warming, seasonally appropriate dish; it took exactly 30 minutes to prepare, from the time I opened the package to the time I put it on the table, including a bit of dish washing while everything cooked; the portion sizes were very generous, making at least three full-sized servings for us, if not four. Unfortunately, I found the flavors in this recipe a bit off, mostly due to the amount of seasoning. The most glaring thing was the sweetness of the sauce – this was the only element of the recipe I adjusted as I cooked (it just looked like a ton of sugar for the amount of tomatoes, so I only used half) and I still found it way too sweet. Honestly, it didn’t need more than 1 TBS of sugar. The polenta was also a little too salty, but this was probably more a matter of personal preference. The meatballs themselves were fine, and all together it was OK but not great. I think a knowledgeable cook would naturally make a few easy tweaks to this to take it up a level – some more spices in the meatballs, maybe oregano and paprika; a splash of cream in the polenta; a light vinaigrette on the arugula; and no sugar in the tomato sauce and I think you’d have a really tasty meal. But a beginner cook is unlikely to come up with this type of adjustment, and might have been disappointed with the results.

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Pan-Seared Chicken

Dinner number two was a simple roasted vegetable and quinoa salad topped with a quick pan-seared chicken breast. The meal was simple, but very satisfying, and I was much happier with the outcome than I was with the lamb meatballs. The balance of veggies, protein, and grains felt healthy and nourishing, and it was definitely something I could see making myself for dinner. It took a little longer to make – about 40 minutes – but it was straightforward to prepare. I do think the instructions could have been a little clearer, especially for a beginner cook: simple additions like describing how to clean and slice a pepper (instead of just “chop pepper”) would be helpful. I also made a small change to the veggie roasting technique, letting them roast for 20 minutes instead of 10 (brussels sprouts do not fully cook in 10 minutes!), and seasoning them before cooking instead of after, arguably both matters of personal preference. There was some quinoa and veggies left over, which I tossed with crumbled Italian sausage and feta cheese for a very satisfying lunch the next day. All in all, I was happy with this meal.

Panko-Crusted Cod with Roasted Baby Carrots and Asparagus

Some of you know that I’m not a huge fish fan, so I wasn’t thrilled to see baked cod, my childhood dinnertime nemesis, on the menu. However, I’ve been trying to approach fish-eating with an open mind these days, so although I did task Trevor with the preparation of the cod itself, I made myself take a few bites without wrinkling my nose in advance. And you know what? It was OK. I still don’t love it, but I’ll eat it. The preparation was simple and quick – you prepare a pan of buttered, garlickly breadcrumbs and mix with chopped parsley, then coat the fish with them and bake – and the fish mostly tasted like breadcrumbs and the copious amount of lemon I squeezed on it. The fish itself seemed fresh and of good quality, and the roasted asparagus and carrots it was served over were really tasty veggies, with no woodiness at all to the asparagus. A fine dinner. My only issues with this meal were that there was a lot of leftover panko crust that had to be tossed, and that it was a very light dinner. Because we could only use half of the buttery panko crumbs, I’m guessing this meal came in at closer to 350 calories than the advertised 430, and unlike the other meals, there were no leftovers. If we hadn’t been going straight to bed after eating this, I think we would have gotten hungry quickly.

Disclaimer: I received one box from Relished Foods free of charge for the purposes of writing this review. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

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I’m not gonna lie, I’m excited to go back to posting non-health-food recipes here. I’ve been enjoying a lot of delicious, good-for-you food, with a handful of not-so-good-for-you indulgences, and I plan to keep eating well, but writing solely about salads and soups etc. is getting a little boring. But before we jump ahead to brownie sundaes and boozy milkshakes (can you tell what I’m craving?), I have the plan for the second week of this year’s winter cleanse to share with you.

You can read a bunch more about the idea behind this cleanse, why I even call it a cleanse, and find the plan for week one over on last week’s post. I should also note that this second week plan relies heavily on leftovers from week one, so if you’re going to play along, you’ll probably want to start there anyways. In the link below, you’ll find the daily menu, grocery list, and prep tips for week two, and at the bottom of this post links to all the new breakfast/lunch/dinner recipes for this week. And if you’re one of the stalwart few who plans to continue your diet resolution into February, you can find four more weeks of meal plans in these cleanse posts from 2012 and 2013 (also, good for you!).

Happy eating!

Winter Cleanse 2014: Week Two – Grocery List, Meal Plan, and Prep Tips

New Recipes for Week Two

Baked Herb and Pistachio Falafel

Roasted Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

Bulghur with Butter-Roasted Almonds and Cinnamon Chicken

Roasted Carrot and Tahini Soup with Chickpeas

Greek Egg and Lemon Soup with Brown Rice and Chickpeas

Quinoa Puttanesca

Kale and Pecorino Salad

Strawberry Balsamic Salad with Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese

Whole Wheat Fruit and Nut Pancakes

Apple Pie Oatmeal

The post Winter Cleanse 2014: Week Two appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

As you might imagine, I cook a lot. Like, a lot. Some weekends, I spend 4 or 5 hours each day in the kitchen, mixing batters, chopping veggies, frosting cupcakes, and styling photos. The output of my weekend cooking sprees becomes a hodgepodge of things – meals for the week, posts for the blog, and leftovers destined for the freezer. But this means that dinner is usually just that – a hodgepodge. I’ll defrost a container of soup and slice up some bread, or throw pasta on to boil to use up a batch of ratatouille, or I toss all the leftover cooked veggies and grains into a bowl, drizzle it with whatever sauce is currently in the fridge, and call it a night. And for the purpose of full disclosure, I have to admit that at least once a week, to the horror of my nurse roommate, dinner is a glass of red wine in front of the TV because even defrosting something seems like too much effort. It’s pretty rare that I actually sit down to a composed meal of the kind that I ate growing up – one with 3 or 4 different parts, a salad, a protein, a few sides, and dessert. On the one hand, I don’t really need to eat that way – I’m not trying to feed a family, and it’s usually just me eating, or Trevor will join me and we’ll cobble together our leftovers. On the other hand, it’s kind of nice to sit down to a real meal, one with parts that go together and that feels like dinner, not just eating. So I’m going to give Sunday dinners a try. Not every week. But once in a while.

Last Sunday, we broke out the grill. Grilling is one of those things that I really want to learn how to do, but I’m kind of afraid of doing it wrong and burning myself or ruining a pair of $20 steaks or, worst-case-scenario, exploding the grill by doing the gas wrong. I put learning how to grill on my summer bucket list last year, but definitely failed at achieving it. Last week, I made a little progress – I cleaned out the ashes and lit the coals, all under Trevor’s careful supervision. Then he took over. But I’m committed to it this year – I even have two grilling books sitting on my window bench, waiting to be reviewed.

What we put on the grill last week was a little bit indulgent for us – two beautiful grass-fed strip steaks, rubbed with a coffee-chile-brown sugar mixture and Belgian endives, dressed simply with olive oil and salt and grilled until charred and smoky. To go with it we had chimichurri sauce, crispy oven-roasted potatoes, and the most delicious, decadent ice cream I’ve ever had – sour cream ice cream with a strawberry-brown sugar swirl. It tastes like cheesecake with strawberry sauce but even smoother and creamier. It’s insane. And over-the-top rich, but I’ll absolutely be making it over and over again. We threw in a few beers and a cranberry margarita and it definitely felt like a real meal – a really nice start to the week. Given that we had several different dishes on our plate, it was surprisingly easy to put it all together. The steak, potatoes, and endives were all very simple and quick, the chimichurri only took a bit of chopping and stirring, and the ice cream was already made. Plus, everything was good. Really good. Sometimes simple is the best! Most of you probably already have plans for grilling tomorrow, but if you don’t, I definitely recommend all of these recipes.

The Menu

Coffee-and-Chile-Rubbed Strip Steaks – see below (from Food and Wine)
Chimichurri Sauce – see below (adapted from Food and Wine)
Charred and Smoky Belgian Endives – see below (adapted from Food and Wine)
Oven-Roasted Potatoes – see below
Strawberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream – see below (adapted from The NY Times)

Coffee-and-Chile-Rubbed Strip Steaks

Recipe from Food and Wine. Serves 4.

• 2 TBS finely ground dark roast coffee
• 2 TBS chile powder
• 2 TBS dark brown sugar
• 1 TBS smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• Four 10-oz strip steaks

1. In a small bowl, stir together the coffee, chile powder, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and salt until evenly mixed. Rub the mixture on all sides of the steaks. Let steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Grill the steaks over moderate heat, turning once, until they are charred outside and medium-rare within, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce

Adapted from Food and Wine. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. white balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 small shallot, peeled and finely minced
• 1/2 c. finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk the vinegars, olive oil, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Stir in the shallot, parsley, cilantro, scallions, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let chimichurri rest at least 20 minutes before serving. Keep chilled. 

Charred and Smoky Belgian Endives

Recipe from Food and Wine. Serves 4.

• 4 Belgian endives, sliced in half lengthwise
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

1. Brush the endive halves with olive oil on both sides, then season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat on a charcoal fire, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer endives to a platter and tent with foil. Let steam for 5 minutes, serve warm.

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

Serves 4.

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. small red new potatoes
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• olive oil
• sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash potatoes and cut into quarters, or halves if they are very small. Toss potatoes and garlic with olive oil and salt in a large roasting pan. Spread potatoes on the bottom of the pan – they should have enough room so that they are not touching one another. Roast for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown with crunchy edges, flipping with a spatula halfway through.

Strawberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream

Adapted from The NY Times. Makes about 5 cups.

• 1 c. sugar
• 9 egg yolks
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c. sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3 TBS brown sugar
• 1 TBS brandy

1. In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/2 c. of sugar until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized saucepan, whisk together remaining 1/2 c. sugar, the heavy cream, and the milk. Heat over medium low heat, whisking all the while, until the mixture just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat.
3. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream into the eggs in a thin stream, whisking the eggs vigorously as you do so to keep them from scrambling. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan with rest of cream, still whisking. Heat the custard over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take 7-10 minutes. After it begins to thicken, it will continue to thicken fairly quickly, so remove from heat about 30 seconds to 1 minute after it starts to thicken.
4. Strain custard through a sieve into a large, clean bowl, pushing through sieve with a spatula. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then whisk in sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, whisking until smooth. Cover custard tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
5. About 1 hour prior to churning the ice cream, prepare the strawberries: Place the chopped strawberries and the brown sugar in a large frying pan and stir. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the strawberry juices to release. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until berries are soft, and juices have evaporated enough to become syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in brandy. Transfer berries and syrup to a bowl and freeze for 20-30 minutes, until chilled but not frozen.
6. Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to directions. When the ice cream has reached a soft serve consistency, turn off the machine and fold in the chilled strawberry mixture so that there are streaks of berries. Freeze to further solidify.

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