Tag Archives: Recipes

Meal Kit Box & Recipe Review: Goodfood

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Goodfood’s welcome card.

If anyone has been following my posts this year, they’ll have read about my experiences with Chefs Plate, MissFresh, and HelloFresh. All three of those services deliver meal kit boxes across Canada. Their aim is to simplify the prep and cooking process for those who want to eat at home, but who feel as though they don’t have the time to plan everything themselves.

In the fourth installment of this series, I’ll be talking about the last of the bunch. Goodfood is the name and they’re based out of Montreal.

Truthfully, there isn’t a whole lot more to add. All of the services function in the same way. The website lists the upcoming menus. Once satisfied with the choices, register as a member online. During the sign up, select food preferences and the weekly delivery date. If necessary, skip upcoming shipments in the calendar. Or, should the user be happy to pay full price, keep the subscription rolling on a regular basis. Boxes land at the doorstep, leading to some antics in the kitchen and an arsenal of new recipes.

Unlike the rest, Goodfood was the only one to ship with Loomis (the others opted for FedEx). While their free delivery didn’t come with a tracking number, it seemed as though the Loomis delivery guy cared a bit more. Sure, he didn’t read the instructions provided to dial our number on the intercom. However, the man did phone my cell number. When I missed his call and phoned him back a few minutes later, he answered. It was smooth going from there and he was able to bring the box right to our condo door. FedEx didn’t even bother to buzz up to be let in, often leaving our box right in the lobby of our building where anyone could grab it (luckily no one ever did).

Their insulated cardboard box used for shipping.

The packaging is also slightly different. Instead of double wall corrugated cardboard boxes, Goodfood sticks to regular cardboard with ice packs at the bottom and insulation liners covered in plastic. The felt-like material reminded me of what might be found inside the walls of a home. I was surprised to see that, but hey, it worked. Ingredients for the individual meals were also stored inside large resealable plastic bags. Certain produce, such as the leafy greens, were supplied in breathable baggies, allowing ventilation that prevented condensation and rot. The recipe cards were nicely printed with colourful photos and clear directions.

Again, we ordered three meals with two portions each. At the regular price of $74 weekly, it would work out to $12.33 per serving. Thankfully, I was able to try it for half off. The dishes we picked all rang in at 40 minutes of prep/cook time and included: Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops with Rösti Potatoes, Ground Beef Pizza with Crispy Kale, and Haddock with Chermoula, Mejadra & Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

The front of the Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops recipe card.
The back of the Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops recipe card.
All of the Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops ingredients laid out.
Rösti Potatoes
Our plated dish of Spinach & Cheese Pork Chops.

My fiancé and I found the Pork Chops to be a hearty meal as the butterflied meat was stuffed with Swiss cheese (an extra slice or two would have really hit the spot) and spinach. The side of potato pancake made for a slightly more creative take on the typical roasted, mashed or baked variety. Our only issue came when trying to shave the potatoes down. Without a sizeable grater, we ended up having to make do with a peeler. Ultimately, it got the job done, but it could have been better with the right tools. All remaining spinach was combined with sliced carrots and a simple vinaigrette to become a side salad. I’m not usually a fan of carrots. For some reason, I find the flavour of carrots to be slightly off-putting, but these ones were so fresh and sweet that they were divine. This dinner earned a solid 7 out of 10.

The front of the Ground Beef Pizza recipe card.
The back of the Ground Beef Pizza recipe card.
All of the Ground Beef Pizza ingredients laid out.
Our pizza baking in the oven.
A slice of pizza. This had to be eaten with a knife and fork as it was too floppy.

Supper number two was a fun homemade Ground Beef Pizza with Crispy Kale. By the time we got to this recipe, the ready-made dough had actually risen so much that the sealed bag it was packed in was about to burst. After we cooked the ground beef and prepped the sauce — a can of Hunts tomato sauce flavoured with onion and garlic — we spread the dough out onto a rectangular baking sheet. It was then topped with the beef, onions, and some Parmesan cheese. As that baked, we also tossed a pan of kale into the oven to crisp the greens up. Those were the finishing and best touches to the pie. In all honesty, this wasn’t our favourite. There was way too much onion (half would have sufficed), the sauce was thin (a tomato paste may have been preferable), the crust was too puffy and soft, and there wasn’t enough cheese. With modifications, this could definitely be a winner. Unfortunately, in this instance, it only warrants a 5.5 out of 10.

The front of the Haddock & Chermoula recipe card.
The back of the Haddock & Chermoula recipe card.
All of the Haddock & Chermoula ingredients laid out.
The fillets of Haddock cooking on the stove.
This was probably the most visually appealing of the three meals from Goodfood.

Our third kit was the Haddock with Chermoula. What exactly is Chermoula? That’s a great question because I didn’t know. Yet, I learned that Chermoula is a type of Middle Eastern garnish consisting of parsley, vinegar, spice, and olive oil. I can’t say that either of us really enjoyed the flavour. Personally, I think there may have been an excess of vinegar, coming across as overly acidic. On the other hand, the fish was superb. Thick fillets pan fried well on the stove, and the meat was moist and flaky. Mejadra, a mix of rice, lentils, and fried onions was delicious, and went so well with the roasted Brussels sprouts. Although we could have done without that first major component of the meal, it still ended up being our favourite of the three recipes, garnering an 8 out of 10.

Looking at all of the boxes, Goodfood falls between the costly HelloFresh and slightly more affordable MissFresh and Chefs Plate. The quality of the recipes and ingredients were pretty much on par. Plus, similar to the others, Goodfood’s dishes were hit or miss, too. We were willing to chance it on new things, which turned out great. Whereas, the more familiar meals like pizza ended up being a bit of a dud. Still, these services are a fun option, especially when discounts are available. I certainly cannot justify purchasing meal kit boxes all the time, but I do understand the appeal, and I believe that they can be useful on occasion.

This review is in no way affiliated with Goodfood. I purchased these meal kits on my own and have chosen to share my thoughts here. If anyone is interested in signing up for a subscription, please use my Goodfood referral link to save $40 off of your first delivery.

Meal Kit Box & Recipe Review: HelloFresh

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HelloFresh’s welcome booklet.

This year, I’ve been on a meal kit subscription kick. So far, my boxes from Chefs Plate and MissFresh were discussed in previous posts. Both Canadian businesses provide delivery across the country. Today, I’ll be talking about option number three: HelloFresh.

Unlike Chefs Plate and MissFresh, launched in 2014, HelloFresh emerged out of Berlin, Germany back in 2011. Within five years, they expanded to the UK, USA, The Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and then Canada. It is one of the largest scale meal kit delivery services in the world.

Their Canadian branch is based out of Toronto and, from what I’ve received, it’s apparent that the meat and most of the produce is sourced through partnerships with local farms. Smaller items such as a packet of Bonne Maman honey comes from a family-owned French company and Colavita balsamic vinegar as well as a pack of orzo seem to be from Italy.

Similar to the other services, all of the food arrived in an insulated box shipped through FedEx. Vacuum sealed meats were ice packed at the bottom and then partitioned to separate them from the remainder of the items. All of the other ingredients were sorted into heavy paper bags that were closed and labelled with stickers that indicated the meal to which they belonged. Welcome info and recipe cards were placed at the top of the package.

The box is clearly labelled from HelloFresh.
They try to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
They use sustainable packaging and they source locally when possible.
Frequently asked questions are answered in the welcome booklet.
This is where HelloFresh is currently available.
The meal kits come packaged in thick paper bags.

Surprisingly, even though only three of the week’s available recipes were selected for my order, they provided all five cards in my box. I suppose if I’m ever inclined to try out the other options, I can actually do that. My fiancé thinks HelloFresh prints the sets as a cost saver to the company because they can just toss them into every box. They don’t have to spend the time separating the cards out or printing a specific number for each recipe. He’s probably right. Either way, it’s a tiny thing, but I kind of appreciated the extras.

The individual meals and items were all packaged really well. Greens that needed to breathe were placed into resealable baggies that had perforated holes on the backside. Everything else came in sealed plastic. All components were clearly labelled. Some of the veggies had even been prepped ahead of time, shaving off several minutes of washing, cutting, chopping and dicing. Butter, oil, milk, salt, and pepper is assumed to be a staple at home already, so those are not supplied.

For my first box of three meals for two people (regularly $79.99, including free shipping), my fiancé and I picked the following recipes: Moo Shu Pork Tacos, Crispy-Skinned Chicken, and Seared Steak. Each of them took 30 minutes or less to cook and the calorie count ranged between 520 to 1,000 per portion. However, a full nutritional breakdown is not to be found unless viewing through their website.

The front of the Moo Shu Pork Tacos recipe card.
The back of the Moo Shu Pork Tacos recipe card.
All of the Moo Shu Pork Taco ingredients laid out.
The single pan used to cook.
A close-up of the taco filling.
An overhead shot of the taco.

Moo Shu Pork Tacos shifted things into gear. These were simple to make. The process pretty much required just a single pan and a couple of dishes, which is ideal when it comes to cleanup after dinner. We both loved the depth of flavour from the spice (Note: Moo Shu Spice Blend is a mix of garlic powder and ground ginger, if you want to recreate this) as well as the Sriracha mayo. With three meat and cabbage stuffed 6-inch tortillas allotted for each person, this was actually an incredibly filling meal. I can definitely see why the calorie count is much higher for this dish. My only issues with this kit were the sliced radishes (too thick) and the lack of Sriracha and mayo to make the sauce. Had there been enough mayo, it may not have been necessary for us to add extra cheese to taste. Still, after a minor change or two, this is a recipe that we’d happily make again. This selection deserves an 8 out of 10.

The front of the Crispy-Skinned Chicken recipe card.
The back of the Crispy-Skinned Chicken recipe card.
The Crispy-Skinned Chicken ingredients laid out.
This turned out to be a really colourful dish.
The chicken skin was nicely crisp.

The Crispy-Skinned Chicken was likely our favourite of the week. This consisted of skin-on chicken breasts, smashed potatoes, roasted green beans, leeks, and a rosemary pan sauce. I did find that the chicken was a little bit greasy as we may have drizzled a bit too much oil into the pan when roasting the meat and beans. Yet, the texture of the chicken skin and flavours from the sauce and leeks helped to elevate the dish further. This was hearty without being heavy. We award this recipe an 8.5 out 10.

The front of the Seared Steak recipe card.
The back of the Seared Steak recipe card.
The Seared Steak ingredients laid out.
The dish was pretty with all the colours, but it lacked in flavour.
The cut of steak was pretty chewy.

As experienced with Chefs Plate and MissFresh, the steak dishes were always one of the best in the bunch. Therefore, we left the Seared Steak and its accompanying roasted broccoli and warm caprese orzo salad for last. Unfortunately, HelloFresh truly disappointed. The cut of meat was sub par; even though it was cooked to medium, it was much chewier than we like our steak to be. It was also incredibly bland as they instructed the steak to be pan-seared using just a drizzle of oil and nothing else. The orzo pasta had a decent dressing made using a honey and balsamic vinegar base, but the only added pop to the entire dish came from the tart grape tomatoes and basil. Bocconcini cheese, which has an okay mouthfeel is rather flavourless without some sort of heavier dressing to go with it. Sadly, this supper only warrants a 6 out of 10.

Compared to the other meal kit subscriptions, this one is more expensive. While the others work out to $10.99 per portion for the basic plan of three meals for two people, HelloFresh is ringing in at a lofty $13.33 per person for each recipe. We found the quality of the packaging to be fantastic, but the quality of a few of the ingredients to be less than expected. On the one hand, it’s certainly convenient. On the other, the dinners were hit or miss. Should there ever be a chance for me to try a second HelloFresh box at a discounted rate, I’d be delighted to give them another go. Until then, I will have to pause deliveries as the savings aren’t quite there. If it’s feasible for you, I’d recommend testing HelloFresh yourself, so you can see if it’s a good fit for your life.

This review is in no way affiliated with HelloFresh. I purchased these meal kits on my own and have chosen to share my thoughts here. If anyone is interested in signing up for a subscription, please use my HelloFresh referral link at checkout to receive $40 off of your first delivery.

Meal Kit Box & Recipe Review: MissFresh

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MissFresh’s welcome card!

As promised in my earlier post about the Chefs Plate meal kit delivery service, today, I’m going to go over my experience with MissFresh. Where Chefs Plate was based out of Toronto, MissFresh is headquartered in Montreal. Still, both are Canadian-based businesses, which is something to support.

I learned of MissFresh through Groupon. In January 2018, they offered a deal on the discount site for two weeks of delivery for the price of one ($65.94). Additionally, I was able to save an extra 25 per cent off with a promo code. All in, I spent just under $50 for six meals that provided enough food for two people.

After buying the voucher, I pulled up the MissFresh web page to see what was on their upcoming menus. Nothing peaked my interest at first, so I waited a week or two before I found a few recipes that I liked enough to place my initial order. Upon signing up to the subscription, I had to decide on the level of service I wanted (number of meals, number of portions, frequency of delivery, types of recipes, etc.). Then, I got to pick the meals that would be sent to my condo. Past that point, they take your address and payment information as well as any discounts that need to be entered. I put in my Groupon code, and, once everything was processed, it showed that I had another coupon awaiting use for a later date.

Ordering is straightforward and simple. What can get tricky is remembering to confirm or skip shipments before the cutoff date each week (every Wednesday before 11:59pm EST). I forgot to do that at the beginning of March. This resulted in me having to ask the company to cancel meals I didn’t want, and, now, I also have a full price credit applied to my account as they wouldn’t issue me a refund, only a coupon to be used towards a box at another time. Regardless, if I can keep on top of this, it’s kind of nice to know that I have the option of choosing when I want to receive a delivery. Customers are not locked into purchasing every single week. Currently, my calendar is set to skip all boxes for the next two months. I think the majority of users register to test it out and continue with the service as needed. Members can even deactivate their accounts indefinitely to ensure they aren’t inadvertently charged for anything.

Recommendations are provided with your welcome box.
The interior of the box that the meals ship in.

Like Chefs Plate, MissFresh is one of the more affordable meal kits out there. The two are comparable in cost. Both shipped packages for free through FedEx who always managed to deliver by noon, but on one occasion left our shipment in the communal lobby of my building when I missed their call to be buzzed in. However, what I noticed is that MissFresh doesn’t quite have the same polish as Chefs Plate. The box it ships in is fine — thick insulated cardboard lined with recyclable ice packs — and the produce is decent with meats vacuum sealed. But, the ingredients are stuffed tightly in basic plastic bags. They don’t really allow things to breath as well. Plus, the recipe cards are printed on pretty flimsy paper.

What is important, though, is that the food is fresh, the recipes are clear, and the meals are tasty. For the most part, I think MissFresh fits the bill. The meals came with everything we needed to cook the dishes, save for oil, salt, and pepper. Our six recipes included: One-Pot Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Spinach, Turkey Cordon Bleu Ballottine, Seared Sirloin Steak, Crispy Battered Sole, Maple Pork Fillet, and Cajun Chicken Pasta.

The front of the recipe card provides a photo, the cooking time and quick calorie info.
The back of the card has the ingredients listed, the cooking instructions and all nutritional info.
Ingredients come pre-measured and packed in bags, if necessary.
The One-Pot Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Spinach before the cream cheese was added.

Starting with the One-Pot Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Spinach, this was just alright. Personally, I love the flavour and texture of smoked salmon after it is cured. So, I wasn’t too keen on cooking the fish over any heat. Sure, the smoky taste remained, but the fish became flaky rather than smooth. I enjoyed the combination of dill, cream cheese, and lemon juice as it popped on the palate. Yet, the sauce wasn’t creamy enough for me. My fiancé and I would give this one a 6 out of 10.

The front of the Maple Pork Fillet recipe card.
The back of the Maple Pork Fillet recipe card.
The ingredients for the Maple Pork fillet.
The finished Maple Pork Fillet dish.
The best part was the succulent pork.

I found the Maple Pork Fillet to be a really nice cut of meat as it was succulent and lean. The buttery baby potatoes that accompanied the dish were yummy. I’m also a big fan of portobello mushrooms for their fleshiness. Nevertheless, this was far from my favourite. The maple glaze had a wonderful flavour; however, the consistency, even when we left the sauce to reduce on high heat, was rather runny. Most of all, I never succumbed to the sharpness of the Gorgonzola cheese that was stuffed into the mushroom. It overpowered much of the plate and gave everything a wine-like aftertaste. Rated out of 10, this one should be considered a 6.

The front of the Crispy Battered Sole recipe card.
The back of the Crispy Battered Sole recipe card.
The ingredients for Crispy Battered Sole.
The battered sole being pan-fried.
Frying up the slices of plantain.
Look how summery this dish is!
Crispy Battered Sole with Fried Plantains, Slaw and Guacamole

The Crispy Battered Sole was a bit of a surprise. Served with the fish were pan-fried plantains. When I had selected this menu item, I had pictured the mini bananas found at the grocery store. To my amazement, we received two huge plantains that looked unripe (the peel was lime green in colour). We pulled them apart, sliced up the fruit, and tossed them into hot oil to fry them up as we made the fish separately. This transpired into a beautifully bright meal with the golden brown sole, yellow discs of plantains, slaw, guacamole (oddly prepacked instead of freshly made with avocados), and lime wedges. It was light, zesty, and refreshing. It felt like summer on a plate. What was unexpected was that the sweet scent of the plantains as they cooked wouldn’t come across on the taste buds. In fact, they were rather bland. As it turns out, this fruit is typically used as a replacement for starches like potatoes as they share a very similar texture. For that, this recipe is graded with a 7 out of 10.

The front of the Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe card.
The back of the Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe card.
The ingredients for Cajun Chicken Pasta.
Tossing everything together.
A plate of the Cajun Chicken Pasta.

When I was perusing the menus on the MissFresh website, I was excited to see their Cajun Chicken Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes. The photo was appealing and the ingredients all sounded great. It was a quick recipe, too, clocking in at around 25 minutes to prepare and cook. It became one of my fiancé’s top picks of the meals we tried. It’s probably because this dish utilized the Cajun mix, generating a lot of spicy heat on the tongue, which he likes (if he can put Sriracha on something, he will). Since I love them, I would have increased the amount of sun-dried tomato used. Not only would it have punched up the flavours more, but it would have balanced out the Cajun spice better. We’d slot this plate at a 7.5 out of 10.

The front of the Turkey Cordon Bleu Ballottine recipe card.
The back of the Turkey Cordon Bleu Ballottine recipe card.
The ingredients for Turkey Cordon Bleu Ballottine.
The plated dish of Turkey Cordon Bleu Ballottine.
Brussels sprouts were a great accompaniment to the stuffed turkey.

Turkey is often thought of as dry and tasteless, but I thoroughly appreciated the Turkey Cordon Bleu Ballottine. Stuffed with smoked ham and Swiss Cheese, the tender poultry became the star. Our mashed potatoes weren’t as smooth as they could have been. We’ll chalk that up to not having the necessary tools to make them properly. Even with onion powder folded into the potatoes, they were somewhat mild. Swapping out the onion powder for a more potent garlic powder would have improved this dish further. On the plus side, the roasted Brussels sprouts were delicious. The outer layers of the sprouts were crisp from being broiled in our choice of olive oil, salt and pepper, providing another textural element. Out of 10, this deserves a 7.5.

The front of the Seared Sirloin Steak recipe card.
The back of the Seared Sirloin Steak recipe card.
The ingredients for the Seared Sirloin Steak.
Perfectly seared medium rare steak.
Added some of the beef jus from the pan to the steak.

Last, but certainly not least was the Seared Sirloin Steak. The quality of the cuts of sirloin were top notch. We were able to sear in the juices and cook the meat to a gorgeous medium rare. We even elevated the recipe by adding a smoked balsamic vinegar to the meat to amplify the flavour. When it came to the side, neither of us would ever think to use barley in place of rice. Yet, here, the broth and cooking white wine soaked into the barley nicely, giving every bite of the starch full body. Hands down, this was our preferred dish out of the six we ordered, and it’s one that we’d be inclined to make on our own again. This one merits an 8.5 out of 10.

Much like Chefs Plate, the MissFresh meals took between 20 to 35 minutes to prep, cook and plate, meaning it was relatively fast every day. The recipes were also quite healthy with the highest caloric intake listed at just over 750 to the lowest at under 400. I do believe that MissFresh can improve their packaging a little as they don’t have the same level of professionalism that I’ve seen with the other meal kit delivery services. Nonetheless, their offerings get the job done, and, in a household that might be too busy to spend ample amounts of time shopping for groceries, or who just want to make some simple home-cooked food, but don’t know where to start, this could be an excellent option.

This review is in no way affiliated with MissFresh. I purchased these meal kits on my own and have chosen to share my thoughts here. If anyone is interested in signing up for a subscription, please use my MissFresh referral link or enter my coupon code (CRYSTALLEE) at checkout to receive $35 off with your first delivery.

Meal Kit Box & Recipe Review: Chefs Plate

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The Chefs Plate welcome booklet.

I’ll come clean. I’m not a much of a cook. Although I don’t hate or dislike the process, I’m just not one to plan out a dinner by picking up specific ingredients and then spending hours slaving over the stove in my kitchen. By the time I get home from work, I need something that can be whipped up quickly. My fiancé and I have our go to dinners nowadays. But, admittedly, we have fallen into a bit of a rut. At times, we’re not even having well-balanced or properly portioned meals.

Luckily, in the new year, I found myself scrolling through the Groupon app. There, I came across a voucher for two weeks of meal kit deliveries from a service called MissFresh (watch for a post later this month). For half the usual price plus an extra 25 per cent off with a promo code, it was too good of a deal to pass up. Little did I know that that decision would be the beginning of a small obsession with these types of businesses. By the end of January, I had signed up with three more: Chefs Plate, HelloFresh, and Goodfood. With all of them, I managed to get some sort of a discount or incentive through ads that I saw on social media, making them affordable enough to justify.

Pita chips and tabbouleh salad.
Italian Sausage Cavatelli
Steak, fingerling potatoes, and kale chips.

Canadian-based Chefs Plate is the first service where we completed what I’ll deem the “trial run” as neither my fiancé nor I have any intention of continuing to use the service. At the regular going rate of $65.70 (I paid half that), it’s kind of pricey considering the smallest box that comes with free delivery only covers three dishes in a week for two people, working out to $10.95 per serving. Sure, it’s less expensive than dining out at a restaurant and healthier than picking up fast food. However, armed with a few new recipes, we both agree that we can probably emulate similar meals for less than it costs to have Chefs Plate package and deliver everything to us.

In any case, here’s how the whole process works:

  1. Register an account on the Chefs Plate website. Aside from the typical personal information, it will ask for the number of meals and portions required each week and the preferred date of delivery, along with the user’s credit card information.
  2. Preview the menus for upcoming weeks. Click on each dish to see the level of skill required to make it (the majority are listed as “easy”), the estimated amount of time it takes to cook, all the ingredients that will be supplied, the number of calories in the recipe, and any allergen information, if available.
  3. Set your delivery schedule. The service allows for weeks to be skipped up to four months in advance, or the subscription can be paused indefinitely to ensure nothing is sent out without consent. Turn it back on when service is required again.
  4. Watch for the delivery to arrive on the requested date.

Chefs Plate ships using FedEx. I had our box sent to our condo on a Friday. Our buzzer number and unit info was provided with our address at the time I ordered our package. It arrived by 10:30 am that morning and was brought right to our door after I let the delivery man into our building. My fiancé grabbed it and moved all of the contents from the box to the fridge immediately.

When I got home from work, I inspected the packaging. Everything had been contained within a thermal insulated, double-lidded cardboard container. A couple of small ice packs were inserted to keep the meats cold and a thick kraft-type piece of paper separated those vacuum sealed packs of meat from the three bags of ingredients that sat on the top. The strongly lined paper bags were sealed, but a clear window at the front showed the contents and a sticker on the back indicated which dish it was for. The sticker also had the nutritional breakdown of the meal printed on it.

Read about the food journey.

Inside the box there was a welcome booklet that talked about the food journey of our kit. The three recipe cards were there, too. These are actually printed on heavy card stock and have a nice finish to them. I expect that they’ll hold up well over time. They are big cards though (8.5″ x 11″), so they may not be the easiest to store. It’s also important for me to note that most of these services expect their customers’ kitchens to be stocked with basics such as salt, pepper, olive oil, butter and sometimes milk. If any of those are missing, it’s not the end of the world. There’s usually something that can serve as an alternative.

The front of the Greek Chicken & Tzatziki Sauce recipe card.
The back of the Greek Chicken & Tzatziki Sauce recipe card.
The label on the back of the bag shows nutritional info.
The contents all laid out.
Our first prepared meal.

We decided to start our Chefs Plate experience with their Greek Chicken & Tzatziki Sauce recipe. One thing we did with this one was that we substituted the chicken breasts they had provided with ones we already had in our fridge. This was simply to reduce wastage of produce we had bought before receiving our box, and the chicken that came with this recipe was saved for use later. We did notice that the size of the chicken breasts were quite a bit smaller than the ones we purchased ourselves. No matter though. This dish turned out great.

Good timing is required to get each component on the plate at the same time, but every step is outlined clearly and as long as they are followed, it seems pretty hard to mess this one up. The chicken was pan seared in a bit of oil until golden brown. Cooked cracked wheat was mixed with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes and oregano. Then, all of it was tossed in a honey-based dressing to make the tabbouleh. Pita had been baked into crispy chips. Best of all, we learned how easy it was to make that addictive tzatziki sauce. It’s something we never would have gone out of our way to make from scratch. Yet, now that we know how to do it, we’ll likely do so again. We’d definitely give this a 7.5 out of 10.

The front of our Italian Sausage Cavatelli card.
The back of our Italian Sausage Cavatelli card.
The label on the back of the bag also lists all of the ingredients.
Ingredients for our second recipe.
Our second dish plated and ready to eat.

A couple of nights later, we made our second recipe: Italian Sausage Cavatelli. This pack consisted of red onions, parsnip, chili flakes, rapini, cream, Parmesan cheese, ground pork and fresh cavatelli pasta. It was a surprisingly tasty dish with layers of flavour. The sauteed red onions provided a mild sweetness to the relatively light cream sauce while the rapini brought in a tinge of bitterness and the parsnips added some earthiness. Chili flakes — go easy on this ingredient, if spicy heat isn’t welcome — helped to season the pork, and the Parmesan finished it off by bringing in a shot of saltiness. The portions were very generous. If we had been a little less gluttonous, the amount of food this recipe made could have certainly fed three people or provided leftovers for someone’s lunch. Out of a 10, we’d rate this one an 8.5.

The front of our Spiced Steak & Garlic Salsa Verde card.
The back of our Spiced Steak & Garlic Salsa Verde card.
Additional to the nutritional label and ingredients, there are also allergens listed.
Each component from meal three laid out.
The steak was so tender and juicy.

The following Monday, four days after we had received our delivery, we cooked up our third kit from the box. This was a fabulous Spiced Steak & Garlic Salsa Verde with roasted fingerling potatoes and cheesy kale chips. We felt it was okay to leave this one until later since Chefs Plate recommends eating red meats last as they can be stored longer than fish or poultry. We were very happy with the cut of meat we got. It was so supple, producing a tender steak that held in all the juices once it was seared.

The meat was supposed to be marinated with a dry Salvador spice mix, salt, and pepper. However, we decided to add some smoked balsamic vinegar we had on hand. That, combined with the garlic salsa verde (cooked garlic, chopped parsley, red wine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper), really worked to elevate the dish further. What’s steak without potatoes? The fingerlings had a pleasant buttery texture and flavour once roasted. Plus, they’re not super dense or heavy in terms of potatoes. The fresh leaves of kale had to be broiled in the oven until crisp as well. They actually provided a lot more kale than needed, so we set some aside for another time. Personally, I loved the kale chips with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. My fiancé wasn’t as much a fan of those, but he did enjoy everything else. Both of us think this meal deserves an 8 out of 10.

We were really happy with the quality of the meat and ingredients.

All three recipes took around 30 minutes to prep, cook and plate, so we were sitting down to eat soon after we started. We both appreciated the convenience of having everything we needed delivered to our door with the ingredients for each recipe carefully packaged and labelled. Honestly, it was fool proof, and I truly think it made my fiancé feel as if he was a real chef. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, the service is too expensive to become a regular indulgence at our house. Nevertheless, if one’s income allows it, we’d highly recommend testing Chefs Plate at home.

This review is in no way affiliated with Chefs Plate. I purchased the meal kit on my own and have chosen to share my thoughts here. If anyone is interested in signing up for a subscription, please use my Chefs Plate referral link to receive three FREE plates with your first delivery.

Local restaurants present libations inspired by Edmonton Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor

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Lucia's Libations. Image courtesy of Edmonton Opera.

Lucia’s Libations. Image courtesy of Edmonton Opera.

On April 18, 21 and 23, the Edmonton Opera has brought back a show that hasn’t been seen in this city for nearly 20 years. Lucia di Lammermoor, a Donizetti story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, is an Italian opera set on the gothic moors of Scotland. As the tale goes, Lucia is forced into a loveless marriage by her brother, and as desperation consumes our protagonist, she commits a chilling murder on her wedding night.

The Edmonton Opera, working with Yelp Edmonton, challenged local restaurants to flex their creativity, asking them to come up with a libation inspired by this dark thriller. As Tim Yakimec, Edmonton Opera’s general manager and artistic director, said, “Opera pairs well with many things, food and drink included.” A first-time project for this organization, presenting opera as a cocktail is smart – they can reach a new audience while also building relationships within the culinary community.

Three restaurants stepped up to give their take on this show. &27, BLVD and Mercer Tavern’s bartenders all chose to acknowledge the Scottish landscape through the use of various scotches, adding additional ingredients to marry the other themes of the show.

From now until April 23, you’re invited to patronize these restaurants and encouraged to try each of their specially designed Lucia di Lammermoor influenced cocktails in order to ready yourself for this opera. Or, if you’d like, perhaps you can attempt to whip one up at home using these recipes.

 

Lucia's Loch from &27

Lucia’s Loch from &27. Image courtesy of Edmonton Opera.

&27
10612 82 Avenue
Created by Janice Bochon

Lucia’s Loch

1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Bowmore 12 year
1 oz Lavender simple syrup
2 oz milk

“A drink reminiscent, both visually and flavour-wise, of Scotland’s misty lochs and moors,” Bochon said. “Complemented with the lavender subtle flavour notes as well as its more seductive symbolism of devotion, ardent attachment and distrust.”

 

BLVD-COCKTAIL

Lucia’s Royal Blue Hour on the Moors from BLVD. Image courtesy of Edmonton Opera.

BLVD 
10765 Jasper Avenue
Created by Brendan Brewster

Lucia’s Royal Blue Hour on the Moors

1.5 oz Blue Hour Reposado Tequila
0.5 oz Blue Alize
0.25 oz Campari
0.25 oz Drambuie
0.25 oz fresh lemon juice

Short stir for dilution, double strain into a clean flute, top with Prosecco. Garnish with an edible hibiscus flower, which will act like nucleus points for the carbonation in the Prosecco.

“Made with a highlands Reposado, it has a fine balance between the agave notes, the wood, scotch-smoke and the bittersweet strawberry of the Campari. Kind of like a Rosita meets a Seelbach, burnt,” Brewster explained.

 

mercer-cocktail2

The Fat Lady cocktail from Mercer Tavern. Image courtesy of Edmonton Opera.

Mercer Tavern
10363 104 Street
Created by Taylor Zottl

The Fat Lady cocktail

0.5 oz Dubonnet
0.5 oz Campari
0.5 oz Averna
0.5 oz Glenlivet 12year
1 dash of lemon bitters

Build in glass with all ingredients, Stir for 20 seconds with ice cubes. Garnish with an orange peel and the lemon bitters on top.

 

I know that I can’t wait to sample these drink creations over the next two and a half weeks, and will, of course, be posting about them through social media, if I do. So, please be sure to share your experiences via Twitter (@edmontonopera) and Instagram (@edmopera), using the hashtags #eoLucia and #eoMixology; Edmonton Opera can also be found on Facebook.

Here’s hoping to a successful first endeavour for the Edmonton Opera, as I’m certain opera and cocktail fans alike would love to see round two.

For more information about Lucia di Lammermoor, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Edmonton Opera presents Lucia de Lammermoor

Edmonton Opera presents Lucia de Lammermoor

*Please don’t drink and drive. Arrange for a cab or a designated driver.*