January 2016 Hello Fresh Veggie Box Review + Coupon – Jamie Oliver!

Jamie Oliver has arrived at Hello Fresh! 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 whenever you’d like. They offer both vegetarian and regular (omnivore) boxes – this is the vegetarian box! We aren’t vegetarian but we cook vegetarian meals three times a week for our health. 

Hello Fresh instructions have very nice illustrations, are clearly written, and even lets you know nutrition info, prep time, and which recipes are best to make first. Even a novice cook can follow them.

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. I like that the outer packaging of the box is recyclable.

Jamie’s Salsa Spaghetti With Black Olives & Fresh Basil. 15 mins, level 1, 466 calories.

I was so excited when I opened the Hello Fresh box and there’s a picture of Jamie Oliver on the brochure.  Ohhhh, you just know it’s going to be good and we weren’t disappointed.  

The layout to his recipe card was a little bit different and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the new nutrition per serving section.  Everything I need to know about my meal.

I must admit I’ve never chopped my vegetables like he suggested on the card, I can’t help it, I’m older and a tad set in my ways, so I pre-chopped, just a little, and then did the pile.  I also don’t have a knife like he does but I’ve got an ulu which is as good and it worked just fine.

So how was the taste for so few ingredients:  divine, heavenly, scrumptious!  We loved it.  This made 2 really nice sized servings.  I must say this recipe will be perfect for summer time when tomatoes are in season and I don’t want to cook too much, I live in Florida and a lot of cooking heats up the kitchen.

This rated a 10 and we will be eating it again.  I can’t wait until his next recipe.

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto with Feta and Pepitas. 45 mins, level 3, 610 calories.

I believe this is the second risotto dinner I’ve had since receiving Hello Fresh and it was just as good as the first.  Amazing, how the rice creates it’s own creamy sauce without a drop of cream. 

As usual I tried something new, I had no idea to add pepitas (pumpkin seeds) as a garnish to dishes along with feta.  Added a really nice crunchy texture to this otherwise creamy dish.  I’ve also never used so much sage in one dish, I was delighted with the savory, slightly peppery flavor.

This is a  great dinner for cooler weather.  Down here in northwest Florida, it’s a damp 60 degrees.

We gave this dish a rating of 8.

Southwestern Black Bean Chili with Cheddar, Sour Cream, and Scallions. 30 mins, level 1, 484 calories.

I continue to be amazed how so few ingredients make a fabulous tasting dish.  I’ve been looking for years for a great chili recipe, I can stop looking as this recipe is it for my husband and me.   We really liked how quick it was to make and how tasty it was.  

Fiber is my new best friend thanks to my enemy Mr. Borderline High Cholesterol.  I was thrilled to see a serving of this chili provided 25 grams of fiber.  I only need 21 grams to hit my daily goal and since I’ve been keeping track of my daily goals, it’s been hard to achieve.  I’m thinking I’ll make a big batch, divide into small serving containers and freeze.  On the days I’m having trouble reaching my goal, a cup of this chili will boost my numbers.  Oh, the joys of aging!

For all the above reasons, I rate this recipe a whopping 10.

Visit Hello Fresh to select your box for next week!  Take $40 off your first box with coupon code 7UT7K8.