My
friend, Shannon gifted me with one delivery of Blue Apron meals. I was hooked ever since, and I’m now on my third
delivery of Blue Apron meals for two.
Blue Apron meals,
is a subscription meal delivery program that promises to deliver fresh
ingredients needed to make the perfect, gourmet-style meal in the right serving
portions. The service is offered in two
plans: 2-Person Plan ($9.99/ serving or $59.94/six-serving delivery) or Family
Plan ($8.74 per serving, or $69.92 per eight serving delivery). The best part
is that shipping is always FREE!
This
week’s Blue Apron delivery included
ingredients for three meals: Steak and
Mole Verde, Spicy Orange Chicken Wings, and Meyer Lemon-Glazed Catfish. From this, I made the Meyer Lemon-Glazed
Catfish since fish is the easiest thing to cook as a mid-week meal after a long
day of work. Plus, I’ve never heard of nor eaten the ancient grain, freekeh, so
trying it out was exciting.
Blue Apron’s description of the
Meyer Lemon-Glazed Catfish:
“This classic Southern meal of pan-fried
catfish and sautéed collard greens gets a boost from a special ingredient:
Meyer lemon. When sliced up and cooked with water and sugar, Meyer lemon—likely
a cross between a common lemon and a mandarin orange—becomes tender and tasty
(rind and all), while its juice thickens into a tart, sweet glaze. We’re using
that glaze to top our catfish, finishing off the fillets with delicious
brightness. What’s more, we’re tossing our collard greens with freekeh, a
hearty ancient grain.”
The
Meyer Lemon-Glazed Catfish was a hit, especially with my husband who doesn’t
even like eating collard greens. Being of Southern roots, I would have never
imagined adding ginger to collard greens. I did, however alter the recipe and
added a few chopped cloves of garlic. It enhanced the flavor of the greens, and
brought out the flavor of the ginger. The Meyer-Lemon Glaze added the perfect
hint of citrus to the catfish that made it oh-so delicious.
Normally,
we can have two servings each out of one meal, but this time, it didn’t last
the night. In this instance, the family plan option would have worked best. The
only issue I had, and I’ve encountered this issue twice, especially when greens
are involved, is the small amount of collard greens provided for two people.
Collard greens like most greens cook down; therefore, the six or so leaves
provided, in my opinion, weren’t enough. Blue
Apron should consider including more.
Overall,
I’m happy with my Blue Apron meal
subscription. I would recommend it for singles and families alike. It’s a great
option for those times you want a quick meal to cook without having to run to
the grocery store for ingredients, or measure out ingredients because it is all
done for you. Plus, I love the fact that Blue
Apron meals help to expose me to new recipes and foods that are fresh,
seasonal, and are of higher quality than what I can find at my local super
market.
Check
out the recipe below!
Ingredients
2
Catfish Fillets
½
Cup Cracked Freekeh
1
Meyer Lemon
1
Bunch Collard Greens
3
Tablespoons Sugar
2
Tablespoons Rice Flour
1
1-Inch Piece Ginger
¼
Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Makes: 2
Servings
Calories: About
500 per Serving
Cooking Time: 25 to
35 minutes
Instructions
Cook the freekeh
Heat
a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the freekeh and cook 20 to 22 minutes, or
until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.
Prepare the ingredients
While
the freekeh cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the ginger.
Remove and discard the collard green stems; thinly slice the leaves. Quarter
and deseed the lemon, then thinly slice crosswise.
Cook the Collard Greens
While
the freekeh continues to cook, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one),
heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ginger and
cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the
collard greens and ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring
occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until the collard greens have wilted; season
with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.
Make the glaze
While
the freekeh continues to cook, in the pan used to cook the collard greens,
combine the lemon, sugar and ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook
on medium, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid are
thickened and syrupy. Transfer to a heatproof bowl; season with salt and pepper
to taste. Carefully rinse and dry the pan.
Coat & cook the catfish
Place
the rice flour on a plate. Pat the catfish fillets dry with paper towels;
season with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat 1 side of each seasoned fillet
in the rice flour (tapping off any excess). In the pan used to make the glaze,
heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the fillets, coated
sides down, and cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned
and crispy. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to
a paper towel-lined plate.
Finish & plate
While
the catfish cooks, to the pot of cooked freekeh, add the cooked collard greens
and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy
you’d like the dish to be. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to thoroughly
combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished salad and
cooked catfish fillets between 2 plates. Top the fillets with a few spoonfuls
of the glaze.
Enjoy!