FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Avocado Cream for Quesadillas

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Veggie Quesadillas with Avocado Cream 2

It’s been quite some time since I’ve done the quesadilla thing. The beany, cheesy, spinachy quesadilla thing that makes me all sorts of happy.

Vegetarian Quesadilla

And tonight, the quesadilla thing got even better because I didn’t go for a typical dollop of sour cream.  And maybe it’s because I couldn’t {for the life of me} find the sour cream at Whole Foods.  So I headed to the Greek yogurt area, grabbed a small 2% plain, and headed to the produce department.

Avocado Cream

It was there I found the tiniest, ripest avocado that I would later season and whip with yogurt to make my new favorite thing to dollop.

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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.

Squash With Shallots, Walnuts & Parmesan

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Squash Shallots Walnuts Parmesan

One of the first veggie recipes I remember making as a recent college grad was Nutty Summer Squash with Asiago Cheese.  I loved the texture of the nuts with the squash combined with the saltiness of the cheese.  And I’ve continued to make versions of this recipe {with a twist} ever since.

Chopped Squash

Tonight I mixed things up by caramelizing shallots in a tablespoon of olive oil before adding chopped yellow squash and zucchini.  When the veggies were tender, I added chopped walnuts, salt, and pepper.  And then after a couple minutes of stirring, I served topped with parmesan cheese.

Squash with Walnuts and Shallots

The shallots added a bit of sweetness that paired nicely with the rest of the dish and even better with a hearty peppercorn-crusted steak.

Coconut Oil & Maple Syrup Sweet Potato Coins

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Coconut Oil & Maple Syrup Sweet Potatoes

After eating the same-ish lunch as much as possible over the past month, I decided to experiment with sweet potato coins at home.  Directionless, I peeled and sliced one large sweet potato and threw into a pot of salted, boiling water for 20 minutes.

Sliced Sweet Potatoes

While the potatoes were boiling, I mashed two tablespoons of coconut oil into one tablespoon of maple syrup with a fork.

I heated an enameled cast iron pan over medium-high heat.  After then, after draining the potatoes, I coated each side of a coin with the oil/maple mix and sprinkle of salt and set them gently in the heated pan.  It only took a few minutes on each side to to get nice and brown before they needed to be flipped.

Coconut Oil & Maple Syrup

As I placed the seared coins on a serving plate and sampled a piece, I knew I’d make these again, for company.