Hello Fresh Subscription Box Review and Coupon #hellofreshpics – August 2

This week, Hello Fresh had some really cool flavors!  Hello Fresh is a meal kit subscription box where you’ll get the recipes and ingredients to make 3 meals for two (or 4) every week. Hello Fresh is a subscription, but you can pause your deliveries and choose alternate meals (at least for the Classic box). There’s also a vegetarian box available. This is a solid meal subscription box with easy and accessible recipes.  Take $40 off your first box with coupon code 7UT7K8. 

Hello Fresh recently redesigned their menu cards, and the instructions are super easy to follow.  It has nice illustrations, is clearly written, and even lets you know nutrition info, prep time, and which recipes are best to make first to optimize freshness of perishables.  Hello Fresh sends all the sauces, bouillon and such in individual serving packets or in off-the-shelf brand name packaging; although it means a little more packaging, they survive shipping better than the plastic cups used by Plated.

The new packaging has rolled out – it’s more recyclable than the previous bags (you still have to pull the plastic off the cardstock) and keeps the more tender ingredients from sitting on top of the icepacks (which, FYI, you can dump into the sink and recycle the plastic).

Cherry-Lime Rickey Chicken with Juniper, Barley, and Bok Choy. 45 minutes, Level 2. 597 calories.

The juniper rub added a nice counter-balance to the sweet cherry compote in the same way nutmeg sets off a sweet BBQ sauce.  We were delighted that the bok choy cooked as nicely as it did (it can be a troublesome veggie) and barley made a nice base for the bright flavors.  Bursting with flavor and color, this was a really beautiful dish!

Reuben Steak with Tangy Braised Cabbage and Russian Dressing Pan Sauce. 40 minutes, Level 1.  672 calories.

The Russian dressing pan sauce really sets this dish off.  We got a really great piece of steak that cooked superbly (it was a slab, rather than a round, so it cooked faster and more evenly).  the cabbage slaw added a nice warmth, and the pastrami seasoning tied all the elements together really well.  A really original approach to steak that was interesting without taking anything away from the meat.  Also a very easy-to-prepare dish — the timing and cooking methods for each component allow you to manage the cabbage dish, steak, and sauce without any unrealistic “stir this constantly while julienning that” moments.

 Shrimp and Chorizo Paella with Saffron, Smoked Paprika, and Peas. 55 minutes, Level 3. 679 calories.

A great opportunity to break out the old paella dish!   This was a level 3 dish, but I don’t think it is all that difficult.  It takes a little intuition to get the moisture levels correct so it dries up enough to crust just as the rice is properly cooked, but there is nothing particularly difficult (you just need some luck!).  This was a hit — it wasn’t overly spicy, but it had great flavor.  The shrimp cooks on top of the dish, too, so it is easy to prepare with the shrimp to one side to accommodate turf-only folks. Brandy loved the flavors of this dish even though she doesn’t eat shrimp.

This week was a really great week!  Usually there is one love it, one like it, and one OK — but this week was all hits!

Here are the selections for next week! Meal choices end Wednesdays at midnight.  The risotto offered as an alternate is also featured as a Chef’s Choice in the vegetarian menu for the week.

You can click on each dish and get the recipe information, including calories, ingredients, and difficulty levels.  We like having this info available beforehand, as it allows us to avoid meals that we think are too involved or require to much time for our schedule that week.  Although the names of the dishes are fairly lengthy and descriptive, it is also nice to have the ingredient list to get a fuller picture of the dish and to get the tastebuds psyched.

Visit Hello Fresh to select your box for next week!  Take $40 off your first box with coupon code 7UT7K8.Check out all our Hello Fresh Reviews and don’t forget to take a look at other Fresh Food Subscription Boxes