Black RD, Blue Apron: Lamb and Risotto Style Ditalini Pasta

This meal had the most servings yet (I had it three times and still had a little left over). It is a pasta dish, so you can split it up any way you want to. I’ve had lamb before, but never ground lamb. Don’t let the name of the recipe fool you. The meat is a lamb and beef blend (It tasted like ground beef). The recipe will work with any type of ground meat, as well. There is also no risotto involved in the dish; only ditalini pasta.

This recipe uses lemon zest, so you may need a zester. You can also use a cheese grater with small outward protruding holes and spiky edges to zest the lemon. I had none of the above, so I just sliced the skin of the lemon into small, fine pieces.

The first thing I did not like about this recipe was that it called for 2 teaspoons of olive oil to cook the ground lamb/beef. HEALTH ALERT! You definitely do not need to do this. The higher the fat content of the meat, the more oil it will naturally produce once it is cooked. Just spray the pan with an olive oil based cooking spray before cooking the meat. You may want to season the meat before you cook it. The recipe says to use salt and pepper. I used seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper to give it some added flavor.

I found out I am not a fan of lemon zest in my food. I suggest you try a little with the zest and a little without it. I also recommend you add the green beans after you cook the garlic and onion to make them a little softer. They were a bit raw for my liking when I followed the recipe. And you are not supposed to boil the pasta beforehand. It is supposed to be al dente meaning it should have a slight bite to it. If you don’t like it like that, just cook it a little longer.

Overall, I’d give the recipe a B. I vote NO on the added oil and lemon zest, but YES to the ground lamb/beef mix and family serving size.

Bon Appétit! 

Black RD, Blue Apron: Seared Salmon with Red Quinoa and Pea Shoot Salad

This was a great recipe! I’d never heard of pea shoots until Blue Apron. Pea shoots are the young leaves of a pea plant and are high in Vitamins K, C, A and folic acid. It’s largely found in Washington, San Diego, New York and South Florida at farmers markets or Trader Joe's.

The most difficult part of the recipe was deseeding the lemon. I don’t know what I was doing, but I made a mess. I got through it though. I was a little hesitant about the lemon, sugar and salt combo, but it turned out nicely (I poured a little of the mixture over the salad. YUM!) I was also a little scared about eating the skin of the salmon. Once you cook it, it gets really crispy and flavorful.

The only adjustment I’d make to the recipe is:

Allow the red quinoa to cool for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before mixing with the pea shoots and cucumber salad.

Bon Appétit!