FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Avocado, Almond & Basil Egg Salad

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No Mayo Egg Salad

I have a difficult time eating food that has passed its sell by date.  Partially because of a slight paranoia that I’ll get sick, but mostly because I don’t understand the concept.  Why sell by and not eat by?  How many days, exactly, does one have to eat by after a sell by?  And an even more confusing, unrelated to this post, question – how many edible days follow the refrigeration of a refrigerate after opening food?

Boiled Eggs

Luckily there’s an easy solution for the half-dozen eggs that are sitting in your fridge on their sell by date.  Egg salad.  Hard-boil your almost-bad eggs and let them hang out in your fridge {with shells on} for a couple of days until you have time to prep some super delish egg salad.

Avocado Almond Basil Egg Salad

And then skip the mayo and reach for an avocado as your binder.  I used almonds for texture and basil for flavor, but the traditional mix of onions and celery would totally do.

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Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi

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Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi

There’s something about organizing kitchen cabinets at home and presenting in front of a first-time crowd at work that put an extra pep in my step today.  I borderline skipped to Whole Foods this evening, enjoying the slightly crisp air and an even more crisp mind.

Shrimp

The last thing I wanted to do was fog everything up with a heavy dinner.  I wanted light and flavorful.  Seafood, fresh veggies, and herbs would do the trick.  Seafood, fresh veggies, and herbs… always do the trick.

Shrimp Scampi

Add music, breeze-filled windows, and quality time in the kitchen – it was the best weeknight I’ve had in quite some time.  I got to cooking to the tune of this album.

Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi 2

And when it was all said and done, I was left with the exact dinner I had in mind sitting front of me, ready to photograph.  It was lovely.

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Crab Cakes, Delivered.

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Crab Cakes

A couple weeks ago, Relished Foods contacted me to gauge my interest in reviewing their fresh dinner delivery service.  Knowing I had a busy SXSW week ahead, I accepted their offer and looked forward to receiving a cooler box filled with fun recipes and pre-portioned ingredients.

When the box arrived, there were three brown bags {labeled with each recipe}, vacuum sealed {and still very cold} meat, and colorful step-by-step recipe cards.  I sent my roommate a text asking if he wanted crab cakes, pork tenderloin, or BBQ chicken for dinner {best text ever!}.  He responded with crab cakes and handful of excited emojis.  I instantly opened the appropriately labeled bag and got to work.

Relished Foods Recipe

I loved that all of the ingredients were already portioned.  This recipe bag included three peeled garlic cloves, the perfect amount of parsley, and every non-salt-and-pepper spice called for in the recipe.  All wonderful things considering how much I dislike peeling garlic, wasting leftover herbs {happens every time}, and buying a new spice only to use one teaspoon.  For these reasons alone, I really enjoyed the Relished Foods concept.

Crab Cake Ingredients

I also appreciated the simplicity of the recipe and the quantity of veggies used.  Other than the use of mayonnaise {I prefer using ingredients like avocados as binders}, this is totally a recipe I would have made on my own.  And the taste?  I was impressed.

Crab Cakes 2

Although I really liked a lot about Relished Foods, this isn’t a service that fits my needs on the regular.  For one, I’m particular.  The odds of three pre-chosen recipes appealing to me week after week are pretty slim.  And secondly, it’s a rare, rare thing that my new-ish schedule allows for three nights of real cooking.  I do, however, think this is the perfect service for me to schedule on a Monday after traveling.

If you are looking for an excuse to experiment with new recipes, trying to become more comfortable in the kitchen, or eating at home more often to save money – Relished Foods should definitely be on your radar!

And if you’d like 50% off your first order {$30 for three 2-serving meals!}, take advantage by using coupon code “foodfash” at checkout!

Although I received free product to review Relished Foods, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.

Hummus Deviled Eggs

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Hummus Deviled Eggs

After reading one of the many things you’re doing wrong lists out there, I had to try peeling boiled eggs the right way.  I started with Martha Stewart’s instructions on how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. And then finished by placing the boiled eggs in a large bowl filled with ice water and one teaspoon of baking soda.

Baking Soda for Boiled Eggs

Let me just tell ya, this was the least stressful egg peeling that’s ever gone on in my kitchen.  From this point forward, I’m a baking soda believer.

Hard Boiled Eggs

And then I went on to experiment with the ever so classic deviled egg.  Truth be told, I had some 365 light mayo in my fridge that tasted like poison and I needed an alternative.  Hummus seemed like the logical route.  This recipe needs some tweaking, but I’ll give you the ingredients and measurement starting points to get going.

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