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baronessekatI've been so bad lately about eating dinner like a grown up. It's either order something in or popcorn. And I've been feeling it. So at Thanksgiving, when my sister told me she had started doing Hello Fresh and made us a couple of the meals from her recent shipment, I thought I'd do it too. I signed up for the 2 person, 3 meals a week plan. This gives me at least 6 meals worth of food with the occasional meal also coming with stuff to turn it into a unique lunch.
It would be cheaper than Skip the Dishes every couple nights, healthier in the long run and get me to actually start cooking and doing again (instead of coming home and being a zombie after work).
Yesterday my first box arrived and I tried one of them.
Recipe:
https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/chicken-and-pesto-pasta-dinner-59ea11267901f95f787ce5d2?week=2017-W49&locale=en-US
Ingredients:
2 Roma Tomatoes
1 Lemon
24 oz Chicken Thighs
1 Tbsp Tuscan Heat Spice
6 oz Cavatappi Pasta
4 oz Pesto
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 oz Arugula
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 Demi-Baguettes
Directions:
1
PREP AND BOIL PASTA Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Dice
one tomato. Zest 1 tsp zest from lemon, then cut into quarters. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, and Tuscan heat spice. Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain.
2
COOK CHICKEN Meanwhile, heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink in center, 4-5 minutes per side. (TIP: Work in batches if you can’t fit all the chicken comfortably.) Remove from pan and set aside to rest. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces once cool enough to handle.
3
FINISH PASTA Heat a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add diced tomato. Cook, tossing, until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cavatappi, 1 TBSP butter, and ¾ of the pesto and toss to combine. Stir in lemon zest and half the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
4
SERVE DINNER Stir half the chicken into pan with pasta. Remove from heat and stir in a squeeze or two of lemon. (TIP: If mixture seems dry, add a splash of pasta cooking water.) Let pasta cool slightly, then stir in ⅔ of the arugula. Divide between plates, sprinkle with remaining
Parmesan, and serve.
It also came as a "also make lunch" portion.
1
PREP LUNCH After dinner, toss together sour cream, a squeeze of lemon, and remaining chicken
and pesto in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge. When
ready to pack your lunch, slice remaining tomato into thin rounds. Cut baguettes in half lengthwise. Divide chicken, tomato, baguettes, and remaining arugula and lemon between lunchboxes.
2
MAKE SANDWICHES When you’re ready to eat lunch, toast baguettes in a toaster until crisp and golden. Toss arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and
pepper. Fill baguettes with chicken, arugula, and tomato, making sandwiches.
Thoughts:
The pasta was tasty. The box didn't have the Tuscan Heat Spice and frankly I'm okay with that. I'm looking forward to how the flavors meld for day two.
The sandwich: I found the Demi-Baguette to be a bit thick so I felt overwhelmed by bread. The flavors of the pesto and lemon melded well overnight and I like the zip the arugalla gave. I do think that I have more chicken than i will need for another sandwich so will mix most of what I have back into the pasta for dinner.
It would be cheaper than Skip the Dishes every couple nights, healthier in the long run and get me to actually start cooking and doing again (instead of coming home and being a zombie after work).
Yesterday my first box arrived and I tried one of them.
Recipe:
https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/chicken-and-pesto-pasta-dinner-59ea11267901f95f787ce5d2?week=2017-W49&locale=en-US
Ingredients:
2 Roma Tomatoes
1 Lemon
24 oz Chicken Thighs
1 Tbsp Tuscan Heat Spice
6 oz Cavatappi Pasta
4 oz Pesto
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 oz Arugula
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 Demi-Baguettes
Directions:
1
PREP AND BOIL PASTA Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Dice
one tomato. Zest 1 tsp zest from lemon, then cut into quarters. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, and Tuscan heat spice. Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain.
2
COOK CHICKEN Meanwhile, heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink in center, 4-5 minutes per side. (TIP: Work in batches if you can’t fit all the chicken comfortably.) Remove from pan and set aside to rest. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces once cool enough to handle.
3
FINISH PASTA Heat a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add diced tomato. Cook, tossing, until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cavatappi, 1 TBSP butter, and ¾ of the pesto and toss to combine. Stir in lemon zest and half the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
4
SERVE DINNER Stir half the chicken into pan with pasta. Remove from heat and stir in a squeeze or two of lemon. (TIP: If mixture seems dry, add a splash of pasta cooking water.) Let pasta cool slightly, then stir in ⅔ of the arugula. Divide between plates, sprinkle with remaining
Parmesan, and serve.
It also came as a "also make lunch" portion.
1
PREP LUNCH After dinner, toss together sour cream, a squeeze of lemon, and remaining chicken
and pesto in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge. When
ready to pack your lunch, slice remaining tomato into thin rounds. Cut baguettes in half lengthwise. Divide chicken, tomato, baguettes, and remaining arugula and lemon between lunchboxes.
2
MAKE SANDWICHES When you’re ready to eat lunch, toast baguettes in a toaster until crisp and golden. Toss arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and
pepper. Fill baguettes with chicken, arugula, and tomato, making sandwiches.
Thoughts:
The pasta was tasty. The box didn't have the Tuscan Heat Spice and frankly I'm okay with that. I'm looking forward to how the flavors meld for day two.
The sandwich: I found the Demi-Baguette to be a bit thick so I felt overwhelmed by bread. The flavors of the pesto and lemon melded well overnight and I like the zip the arugalla gave. I do think that I have more chicken than i will need for another sandwich so will mix most of what I have back into the pasta for dinner.
