A Home Chef Experiences Home Chef.

This is a review of Home Chef, a meal kit and food delivery company.

Several weeks ago, the Kroger company (we know them as City Market around here) offered an online deal for Home Chef.  For those not in the know, Home Chef is one of those companies that provides meal delivery services.  Meals can be premade to be microwaved or cooked in the oven, or come as kits where you do all the prep work and cooking.  Home Chef hit the market in 2013, and was purchased by Kroger in 2018.  Now we know why Kroger pushes the online site, and also offers meals, ready to cook, in their deli departments.

The offer I went for was $80 towards meal purchases plus free shipping on the first order.  To complete the offer, I was required to pick out three meals, with two servings in each. There are categories of: Meal Kits, Family Meals, Express, Oven Ready, Fresh & Fast plus extra categories of: Lunch, Bundle & Save, and Extras (breakfast, soups, snacks, beverages, drinks, pantry and protein).  

 

Alright, my purpose for trying this out was, well, I do not always want to cook, I want convenience.  Shocking, I know.  Looking at the oven ready selections was a bust as they were already recipes created by myself, such as parmesan chicken or lasagna.  Why in the world would I want to buy someone else’s version of it?  Looks like convenience was not on my to-do list, so ended up with three meal kits: Teriyaki Glazed Yellowtail, Bacon Crusted Trout and Creamy Pesto Chicken Flautas.   Roy and I truly enjoy eating seafood, so the first two were a given, and attempting another Mexican dish sounded like fun. 

 

Servings for each kit start around $7.99 and can get very, very pricey if you select anything from the “Culinary Collection”.  The size of each serving is basically what is recommended by dietary practitioners, and eating only that serving, plus exercise, you will be a runway model in no time.  In our household, my husband considered both portions as a single serving (I did get to taste a few forkfuls), and off to work he went.  I, on the other hand, dug through the refrigerator and found leftovers to have for my dinner.   That is our household, so do not judge by our way of eating which is not always in a healthy manner.

Honestly, this kind of meal service is perfect for, say, a single person who might like to cook, but not the time to shop; or is seeking convenience.  Might work for a couple too; definitely not us, as a couple, though.  Price?  First let me get back to the deal I went for.  The first order received $40 credit, out of the initial $80, but was charging for shipping.  I contacted customer service about why no free shipping on the first order.  A very nice gentleman explained it was an error, corrected my bill, so what would have costed me about $75, ended up costing only $30.  However, the $40 credit that should have still been available, well I got some cow patty excuse that the offer was a mistake.  Excuse me, but what? 

Secondly, on price, this is the kind of service that is for, again, convenience, so you are going to pay for that privilege.  Unless you do not mind spending way more for meal ingredients, than you would at your local market or supermarket, this might be a good deal.  For those who have to live within a budget, this type of service is a way to break your personal piggy bank to smithereens.

My Home Chef account is now on “pause”, you cannot cancel the account unless you call customer service and speak with a representative.  This will be an interesting conversation in the future, let me tell you! (Note: as of Feb 1, I was able to cancel the account via email)

Consider what I have just written as the pros and cons of dealing with a meal delivery service. 

Now, I bet you are wondering, after having to prep and cook the meals myself, how did they taste?  Did we just waste $30 on an experiment, or get three good meals for a bargain?

The measured portions for each meal come in a little baggy, the protein is in a separate baggy, and the directions on a laminated sheet, that can be inserted into a binder, Home Chef includes.  The ingredients are separated into packets or containers, with their name written, so you know what is what.  Following the easy directions (photos included), prep took little time, cooking time was accurate.  The recipe is also printed on the sheet, so if you collect the sheets, you can make the dish if you purchase ingredients from the market.  Each serving took up the space of a smaller, than standard, sized dinner plate.  However, if you place the serving on a dessert sized plate, well it looks like a king-sized meal to enjoy. 

 

Taste wise, the meals were delicious, the seasonings were spot on, and the sides are perfect accompaniments to the proteins.  With the teriyaki glazed yellowtail (aka snapper), there were four portions of rice to only two portions of fish.  Thankfully, some leftover chicken, from the fridge, helped to create two more meals.  In other words, the amount of rice/veggie mixture was, basically, filler.

 

 

 

 

Saute edamame and Portabello mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pan cook seasoned yellowtail.

 

Enough rice side leftover to make two more meals.

Single serving.

Two servings.

Live a little, learn a lot, and that is how I am grading our experience with Home Chef.

Mary Cokenour

Don't Make This Mistake with Edamane.

Whenever I've used edamane (soy beans) in a recipe, I usually purchased the frozen, already shelled variety.  When I saw the PicSweet brand on sale, I didn't think there was anything strange about the beans still being in the pod.  When I cooked them up with the recipe I'm going to giving you, I made a huge mistake on not reading the directions on their package.  So, here's the warning:  If you cook edamane in the pod, the beans must be removed before or after; you CANNOT eat the pod itself.  The dish was still delicious, but we had to pick out each pod, push out the beans and throw out the pods; it was quite a messy meal.  I know my Thai friends are going to be rolling on the floor laughing when they read this.  Yes Bella (Arches Thai) and Venus (Bangkok House, Bangkok House Too), I can hear you both laughing!  That's why you two own the best Thai restaurants in Moab, Utah, not I.

By the way, besides edamane (the beans only!), sugar snap peas (and you can eat the pod!) go great in this recipe too.  When it comes to rice and noodle packaged sides, I have found that Knorr tastes much better than other brands, or the store brand copycats; and they have a larger variety.  Oh, the package directions tell you to add oil when cooking up the Rice Side; since you already used oil when browning the beef and onions, skip that part of the directions and don't add more oil.

Enjoy!

Beef, Vegetables with Asian BBQ Fried Rice

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. lean beef, cut into one inch pieces
1 small red onion, large diced
6 oz. frozen peas and carrots mix
6 oz. frozen sugar snap peas or shelled edamame
1 package (5.9 oz.) Knorr Asian BBQ Rice Side
2 cups water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high, brown beef and onions together until red color of beef is no longer showing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add frozen vegetables, contents of Rice Side package and water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 7 minutes (longer if rice is still too firm).  Turn off heat, uncover, allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Makes four servings.

Mary Cokenour

Asian Combination.

Like anyone who enjoys cooking, I get bored doing up the same old recipes, the same old way.  I wonder how things would taste if I change an ingredient here or there; what would happen if I mixed two recipes together.  Sometimes it works out fantastic and delicious; sometimes it comes out to "What was I thinking!?!".  This time I decided to combine two Asian recipes, Sweet and Sour with Fireworks; that would be with chicken, pork or shrimp of course.  Basically all that I did was give sweet and sour sauce a kick to it, yet it surprisingly changed the flavor enough to give it a new dimension; nothing very complicated.  I'm going to give the name of this recipe something non-complicated also, "Spiced Up Sweet and Sour".

Spiced Up Sweet and Sour

Ingredients:

¼ cup canola or peanut oil
1 cup each julienned carrots, shelled edamame and drained pineapple chucks
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 egg
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of water
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes; or medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined; or a combination equally up to 2 lbs.
1 qt of canola or peanut oil for frying

Sauce:

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
8 Tbsp sugar
1 and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp Sriracha

Preparation:

In a large skillet or Wok, heat oil on medium-high heat; sauté carrots, edamame and pineapple until the edges just begin to caramelize. Remove from oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 Tbsp oil, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and egg; gradually add water until a thick batter forms. Add chicken, pork, shrimp or combination into batter making sure to thoroughly coat each piece. Heat the 1 qt of oil in the skillet or Wok over medium-high heat; when temperature reaches 360F, drop several pieces of battered pieces into the oil, but do not overcrowd. Pieces will be done when they are golden brown and float to top of oil; remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat until all battered pieces are done.

While frying up the protein pieces, the sauce can be made. Stir together all ingredients in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat, use immediately or keep warm for later use. 

Combine sautéed vegetables and pineapple with battered pieces and warm sauce; serve over white, brown or fried rice; or a noodle such as lo mein, udon or soba.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: you can add more Sriracha if you prefer the dish with more heat, but always taste first to make sure; you can always add, but not take away.

Mary Cokenour

My Version of Five Ingredient Fix - Italian with an Asian Guest.

Anyone who is a home cook has been in this situation: need to make a meal for the family, not in the mood to cook, don't want to order take out or go to a restaurant, have no clue what to prepare.  You look in the freezer, the refrigerator, the pantry and think if you should tear your hair out or just serve cereal with milk.  Breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...breathe out...calm...calm...now think.  Suddenly you see an item in the freezer and remember another one from the pantry; yes, they'll work together, but what else?  Back to the refrigerator, oh my, what you just found that would compliment the other two ingredients; the next thing you know, you have five ingredients sitting on the counter and a recipe formulating in your mind.

Not only did I play this game with myself over the weekend, but I ended up playing it with my friend Heidi.  I don't truly like calling it "five ingredient fix", after the show on Food Network Channel; instead I've given it my own title that befits more the home cook, "What the Hell is in My Pantry!?!"  While Heidi ended up making a delicious meatloaf with mashed potatoes - American comfort food; I ended up making a pasta dish with shrimp and edamame - Italian comfort food with a little Asian undertone (the edamame), but I would not call this "fusion" cuisine.

Here are my five ingredients:

Lets go over each one separately before putting them all together as a skillet dinner.

Tortellini are little circles of pasta dough filled typically with a ricotta cheese filling; however nowadays they can be filled with spinach and cheese, chicken, roasted peppers, mushrooms, ground beef, even Italian sausage.  This pasta is usually found in three forms: dry, frozen or fresh.  Here's a little tip about cooking, not just tortellini, but any pasta; you do not have to add salt or oil to the boiling water to keep the pasta from sticking.  Say what!?!  That's correct, as soon as you put the pasta in the boiling water, immediately begin to stir it for one minute in a circular motion.  When you add the pasta, it decreases the temperature of the water slightly and the boiling diminishes; by stirring, the friction will help the water get back to the boiling point much faster than if you just let it stand.  After the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness, then you can season it with salt, herbs, olive oil, or add it to whatever recipe you're making immediately upon draining.  After I cooked my one pound package of frozen tortellini, it was drained and then mixed with three tablespoons of olive oil.

During the week I had made a different pasta dish using a homemade sauce I had made from processing fresh tomatoes, but had two cups leftover in the fridge.  If you have never had a sauce made from fresh tomatoes, then you have surely missed out on an experience. The taste, smell, texture is simply incredible; much better than using canned tomatoes and most definitely nothing, NOTHING, you'll get from a brand name jarred sauce.  I also used two cups of diced tomatoes to add further texture to the dish, and all those little pieces of tomato just looked so pretty too.  Remember, you eat with your eyes as well as your mouth.

In the freezer were a 12 ounce bag of steamed shrimp and a 16 ounce bag of edamame which had been purchased for a different recipe.  However, they just begged to be used now; the shrimp was already cooked, so needed no work done to it.  The edamame was put into a boiling pot of water for five minutes, then drained.  Now it was time to put it all together in one skillet.

In a 12 inch deep skillet, heat the sauce and diced tomatoes on medium-high heat, add the tortellini as soon as the sauce begins to form bubbles.   As you can see, the tortellini was not sticking together because of the oil I had mixed with it before hand.  Let cook for two minutes before adding...

...the shrimp and edamame.  Mix all the ingredients together and continue to cook for five minutes; taste to make sure everything has been thoroughly heated before serving, continue to cook additional minutes if necessary.  Be careful though, you don't want to overcook that shrimp and turn it into rubber bands.

There you have it, my own version of "Five Ingredient Fix" or "What the Hell is in My Pantry!?!"; isn't that so pretty, all those colors just popping out from the dish.  I did not have to add any seasoning as the grated cheese and herbs from the pasta sauce, and olive oil on the tortellini, did all the work.

Next time you're in a fit about what to fix for dinner; remember breathe, calm and think.

Mary Cokenour

Noodling through Asian Cuisines.

Typically, when you go to a Chinese take-out, the most popular noodle dish is Lo Mein; a noodle which resembles Italian Spaghetti.  However, it can come in a flat variety similar looking to Fettucine and used in dishes like Ho Fun; the wider variety is used for Chow Fun.  At home, there is the ever popular Ramen noodle that comes in a solid block form which can be used for making soups or main dishes such as Stir Fry.  Cellophane Noodles or Threads are made from mung bean sprouts and resemble Vermicelli.

 

Then there are Japanese noodles such as Soba and Udon; Soba is made from buckwheat and resembles Spaghetti, while Udon is made from wheat, resembles Fettuccine and is more thick and chewy.  In Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, noodles are made from rice flour.   Basically what I am trying to get across is that you shouldn't be discouraged from making Asian recipes if you cannot find the "correct" type of noodle in your local market.  Many pasta companies are introducing products made with wheat or other grains, not just the egg and white flour variety.

My recipe today is a noodle dish which works well with Lo Mein, Soba or Udon noodles, and if you cannot find these, don't panic!  Substitute Spaghetti or Fettuccine, and you can use whatever grain variety you like: white, wheat or multi-grain flour.  Part of comfort cooking is not just the feeling you get when eating the food, but how you feel as you're creating it.  If you're not in a good place feeling wise, chances are that your dish won't be once it's completed.  Relax and enjoy.

I'm calling today's recipe "Fireworks Shrimp and Noodles"; first, because of the eye popping colors of the carrots and edamame.  Secondly, I use Sriracha, a Chinese Chili sauce which can knock your taste buds on their little butts.  The amount I use in my recipe will give you some heat, but not the burn.  If you cannot find Sriracha, then substitute Thai Chili sauce; worse comes to worse, then use whatever hot sauce you have on hand.  Remember, start small with the amount of hot sauce; you can always add, but you cannot take away.

 

Fireworks Shrimp and Noodles

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) package Asian noodles (lo mein, soba, udon)
1 (8 oz) package frozen shelled edamame (soy beans)
1 (8 oz) package frozen julienned carrots
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp hot sauce (Sriracha or Thai chili sauce are best)
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Preparation:

Prepare noodles according to package directions; 5 minutes before noodles are done, add the edamame and carrots; finish cooking the noodles.  Drain, but reserve a ½ cup of cooking water; mix the water back in with the noodles and vegetables and also mix in the garlic, ginger and hot sauce.

In a Wok or large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat; cook shrimp until they turn pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add the noodle/vegetable mixture plus the soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly and cook an additional 2 minutes before serving.

Note: additional hot sauce can be added if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour
January 5, 2013