Today I tried Vapiano for the first time and oh em gee, I’ve found a fantastic place to go to for lunch. From walking by it, I always thought it was just another Italian restaurant. I’d seen some coworkers get pizza from there before, but I had no idea what was inside. Now I know that it’s an amazing blend of freshly cooked food in a casual yet upscale cafeteria type environment. It’s kind of like stepping into a fancy sitdown that got blended with a farmer’s market. We were handed cards upon entering and then stood in line for our chosen food items. I opted for a pasta dish, which was cooked in front of me and then the charge added to my card. I could have gotten other items and added them to my card tab, but I knew I wouldn’t finish it all so I went conservative. We also got bread to complement our meal. It was fabulous – custom, fresh, and delicious. Seating was open and there were herbs growing in little pots. They even had a tree growing near the entrance. What a great concept for a restaurant!
Posts Tagged ‘cooking’
365great Day 335: Vapiano
Blue Apron January 7th Delivery review
Ok, this time I managed to get this review up about two weeks after cooking the meals. I’m getting better! I enjoyed each of these dishes and would definitely recreate parts of each at some point. The Thai soup was awesome and I’d make more with a ton more rice next time. The turkey meatloaf was tasty and better than expected. I loved the roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach – sides that I could eat again and again. Finally, the steak fajitas were fabulous! The whole wheat tortillas were perfectly soft and I devoured the taco-fajita hybrid we had going on.
Blue Apron is just under $60 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s $10 per meal serving! Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). After ordering a few times, they will offer free meals you can send to friends (but no referral program).
The first one we tried was this yummy soup.
I never knew lemongrass is kind of purplish inside!
It was just enough spicy and not too creamy.
I’ve never had turkey meatloaf before, so this was intriguing.
Yum, the meatloaf and potatoes and spinach made for a well-rounded meal.
All good, but the sides were the best.
Then it was fajita time!
Loved the use of whole wheat tortillas.
All kinds of wonderful tastes blending.
365great Day 300: kimchi fried rice
I’m a huge fan of kimchi fried rice! I love both the kind that I can get a Gushi in Westwood and the kind I used to make (before I could no longer find spicy kimchi). There’s something about the spicy, sour, crispy, juicy combination mixed with soft grains of rice and some eggs. It’s a bit of an addiction and it’s so easy to cook. I don’t even have to add seasoning since the kimchi flavor is more than enough for the whole dish. Of course, that’s assuming you use the kind of kimchi I like, which is tart and hot. The brand that I used to get changed their recipe on me one day and ever since then I haven’t found kimchi brand that quite cuts it. I’m going to have to go on the hunt again though, now that I’ve had some more again and the craving is back. Nom nom nom… I can’t wait to cook it again; it’s going to be sooo great.
Hello Fresh Week 50 Delivery review
Has it only been 2 weeks since this delivery? Gosh, so much has happened that it feels like a distant memory. (Interested in trying Hello Fresh? Use my referral code to get $20 off your first order: 9CAMJS)
Hello Fresh is just under $70 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s less than $12 per meal serving. Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral code that gives $20 off to both the person you referred and for your next order.
First up was the least adventurous dish, which we liked because it seemed most filling.
Stir fry is probably my favorite way of cooking, next to baking.
Good, solid dish. I never knew I’d actually enjoy my vegetables but frying them helps.
For lunch on the weekend, we opted for this soup to warm us up.
This whole time I had it in my head it was couscous and not quinoa, oops!
A very tasty stew indeed and it felt healthy with the quinoa.
Finally, we made a lunch out of this too since the portion seemed small for dinner.
There was supposed to be an onion, but it got left out. I emailed support and they gave me a $5 credit. I’d say that’s a good deal!
The contrast of spicy with sweet was very intriguing. Wonder how it would have been with the onion.
I had fun with these dishes and would definitely consider trying them again, though I’d want to incorporate some carbs into the shrimp one.
[This post contains affiliate codes. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]
Blue Apron November 5th Delivery review
As I suspected, it took me a month to get around to posting up the meals from our second Blue Apron delivery! I’ll try to be more prompt with future food boxes. We’ve found our now-favorite dish (sweet & sour BBQ drumsticks) and got to try a really tasty salad and fun tacos. Another pleasing box that keeps Blue Apron as the front-runner in my mind. Still, I like what Hello Fresh offers at times and will still split my time between the two. Might even try Plated or another subscription!
Blue Apron is just under $60 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s $10 per meal serving! Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). After ordering a few times, they will offer free meals you can send to friends (but no referral program).
We started off with a fun meal!
Cooking this one was pretty easy and it smelled great.
YUM! We both LOVED this dish and would definitely make it again. It’s Panda’s fav so far.
Next up was a more adventurous taste for us. What’s kohlrabi anyway?
I wasn’t sure what sort of flavor the salad would yield since there were a ton of strange ingredients.
Turns out I happen to find apple-kohlrabi slaw deeelicious beyond expectation. The pork chops were meh.
Finally, finishing up with a messier dish!
So colorful! Prettiest array so far.
The corn tortillas were a bit dry and thick for us and the fish got lost in all the toppings (we went crazy with them, admittedly).
Lol! Couldn’t resist putting ALL the toppings on and smothering the tacos. I actually tried the mango for once. Decent!
Hello Fresh Week 42 Delivery review
In mid-October, we got this box from Hello Fresh after a few weeks of paused deliveries passed and I forgot to continue to pause. It worked out well though, since I think it’s nice to get one of these boxes once a month or so. (Interested in trying Hello Fresh? Use my referral code to get $20 off your first order: 9CAMJS)
Hello Fresh is just under $70 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s less than $12 per meal serving. Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral code that gives $20 off to both the person you referred and for your next order.
We start off with the dish that we’re most familiar with.
It was pretty easy to prepare.
I think I would have liked it a bit more saucy.
Next up was a salad I wasn’t too thrilled about.
Pretty straightforward and all you need to cook is the chicken.
I tried but just couldn’t finish it. Not my type of salad I guess.
Finally, it’s seafood time!
I’ve started to enjoy vegetables like squash and zucchini.
I loved the chicken stock in the couscous and then getting some salmon and zucchini in the mix!
The beef bolognese wasn’t all that exciting, but it’s a nice dish to have. I wasn’t into the salad and ended up barely eating a few bites. The salmon with couscous was definitely my favorite and I gobbled it right up! That’s one dish I’d make again. What do you think of these recipes?
[This post contains affiliate codes. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]
October Favorites 2013
1. free food – This month brought some wonderful opportunities for free food from Whole Foods (community event during the furlough) and Carrabbas (First Tastes event). It’s been awhile since Panda and I have gone out to get free food so it was nice to experience again. Back in college we’d get free Sprinkles cupcakes all the time and occasional other deals that various establishments were offering.
2. NYR Organics – It was a pleasant surprise to come across NYR Organics, the US version of Neal’s Yard Remedies. I’ve been enjoying the simple pleasure of misting my face with their products. The sales rep was even kind enough to send me an empty spray bottle so I could use it for the witch hazel water I had without a spray top. She totally understood that it’s much better when you can apply it that way. I love how mild and gentle these products are, which makes them oh so soothing.
3. Geek Squad – An all too-familiar scene. I think I visited Geek Squad a dozen times in the period of 3 weeks as I tried to get exactly what I wanted. I did exchanges and returns and hardware swaps and software changes with them. All throughout, they remained helpful and patient until I was finally able to get the laptop I’d been seeking, complete with SSD, touchscreen, backlit keyboard, and so much more. While I’m glad they were able to help me through it all, I sure do hope I don’t need to go see them again.
4. haircut – My hair had started to get mousy and I was growing bored of plain black so I decided to go searching for a hairdresser. I had a girl out in Manhattan Beach who I liked to go to, but that’s not very practical anymore. Luckily, the one I decided to try had a sweet lady who was sociable but not too chatty and did a great job. I plan on sticking with her so long as it doesn’t become an inconvenience once we move a bit further from that salon’s location. I’m not super picky with my hair, but it’s nice knowing what to expect. Now my hair is lighter and feels much smoother than before!
5. Nike sneakers – I’ve been wearing these to work almost every day and I love it! All I wanted was super comfy shoes with amazing support and that’s exactly what I found. It’s a nice bonus that I happen to have them in my alma mater’s colors, making them all the more beautiful. I went with Nike because a good friend from college works for them and I love supporting my friends, even if it’s something small. I seriously can’t get enough of those memory foam cushions soothing my feet like never before.
6. condo walkthrough – I really enjoy watching things in progress, so I’ve been keeping an eye on our condo. We were there when it was just a plot of land and now we’re already at the walkthrough stage! I appreciate the pre-drywall walkthrough that we got so we could see the interior of our future home before it fully takes shape. I feel a lot more involved in the process being able to see it at this point and I can’t wait to go through it again when the interior is all pretty (one more month!).
7. heated car seats – I don’t know what I’d be doing without my heated car seat and steering wheel. Every day I’m so glad I was able to get a car with those features because they have made my commute more than comfortable. The heated seat came in especially useful when I hurt my back and needed that sort of warmth to help ease the tension. I’m totally addicted to that feature now and I don’t think I could ever get another car without at least heated seats. Life is so much better when you aren’t freezing.
8. cooking – Between Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, Panda and I are getting a fair share of cooking experience! I love having a box to cook through once a month or so. It’s an activity for us to look forward to doing together and there’s a tasty reward at the end. Plus, we’re building useful skills for the future! Of course, I’m also getting spoiled by it and now I don’t want to have to go grocery shopping or to figure out what to cook. 😛
9. paper facial masks – I’ve always enjoyed masks, but I usually don’t get around to using them because of the whole routine. I inevitably get some in my hair and it takes quite some time to apply and wash them off. When I discovered paper masks where it was a serum formulation that you just let absorb into your skin, I found my holy grail. It’s much easier to get them on and then I can just peel them off whenever and not worry about washing my face. They’re also just more fun to me and I need to stock up on these!
So what are your favorites from October? Anything you found you were using/doing a lot?
Blue Apron October 10th Delivery review
Not long after trying Hello Fresh, I decided I wanted to check out some of the other fresh food boxes out there, so I got Blue Apron. Overall I think their style is more suited to our taste, though we’re going to have to try more boxes to really decide.
Blue Apron is just under $60 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s $10 per meal serving! Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). After ordering a few times, they will offer free meals you can send to friends (but no referral program).
Everything was packaged very well and I loved the cute label for the little items: Knick Knacks.
We started off with the turkey chili recipe, great for a cold night.
Prepping all the veggies!
Bit by bit, we added ingredients to the pot and let it simmer.
Fantastic finished product! So yum that I recreated it soon after.
Next up was the Asian style ginger beef stir fry.
I let the meat sit in the freezer for a few min as recommended and it was easier to cut into thinner slices (but my fingers were numb after).
Yummy final product!
Last up was the salmon and fennel two ways.
Chop, chop, chop!
Cooking the salmon and cauliflower.
Loooved the cauliflower steak and salmon, but the fennel salad was too strong for me.
I absolutely loved the first two dishes, even though they included ingredients I normally wouldn’t have thought I’d enjoy! The flavor pairings were perfect for my taste preferences. For the salmon dish, I really enjoyed the salmon and cauliflower steak. I’ve since made more cauliflower steak and I love how simple it is, yet how much pleasure I get from consuming it. The fennel salad was suuuper fragrant and I just couldn’t get it down. Otherwise, all these dishes were fantastic. I look forward to my next delivery, which actually happens to arrive tomorrow! You’ll probably hear about it in a month, haha. 😛
365great Day 219: fresh meal kits
I think the only way to get me to cook are these amazing meal kit delivery services that send fresh ingredients pre-portioned, with recipe cards to help guide your cooking journey. I’ve tried HelloFresh and Blue Apron so far, both of which have provided delicious meal options. I’m getting a lot more confident in the kitchen and I’ve expanded my skill set beyond throwing things in a pan and pouring on soy sauce. This is actually also the first time I’ve cooked with meat, other than a few dumpling-making sessions. I always thought chicken took longer to cook! So I’m learning a lot, gaining a very useful skill, and having a ton of fun along the way. If only I knew what to do with all the ice packs I’m acquiring from these deliveries… well, regardless of that, these subscriptions are great!
Baking: the lazy solution
You can make everything from amazing desserts like cheesecake or brownies to full-on dinners like lasagna or my new favorite – cauliflower!
I love baking the most because I’ve found it to be the least effort for the most reward. All you have to do is prep some ingredients, shove it in a hot box, set a timer, and sit back. This easy-to-do mix and bake routine cuts out a whole lot of complication. Most other ways of cooking involve much more maintenance along the way – stirring, flipping, and otherwise moving the food around. You can’t really leave the kitchen for more than a few minutes at a time. Plus, since you tend to use oil, it gets messy as you put cold items into the hot oil. So when it comes to less messy and less work, baking is my answer. I mean, I’m all about simplicity and low-maintenance in my routines.
