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| (Image from www.regex.info) |
In this continuing segment, today’s feature is all about cooking and
taste discoveries that include a prepared meal delivery service, a new spring
tasting menu, and the latest unique food shopping experience in the
Chicago-area. Included are my experiences
with HelloFresh meal delivery service, a Spring Menu tasting event at the Le Méridien
Hotel’s El Tapeo Restaurant (Oak Brook, IL), and a preview opening of the latest
Chicago-area Mariano’s (Naperville, IL).
Enjoy!
~ HelloFresh ~
Who doesn’t enjoy new recipe ideas and the convenience of meal
prepping when someone else does most of the work? Enter the growing trend of companies that
deliver meal deals…the recipe…the foods needed…all prepped and ready to be
cooked! HelloFresh is one of a growing number of businesses that have
professional chefs develop menus based on dietary and nutritional preferences
that appeal to vegans, vegetarians, pescetarian, or omnivores. These services curate nearly all of the
ingredients (except for maybe cooking oil, or salt and pepper) that you’ll need
to effectively cook the preplanned and prepped meals. Services like HelloFresh offer a variety of menu selections each week;
subscribers can also opt for the number of servings they want. HelloFresh
also offers a “family box” geared
towards the mini-adults that are finicky eaters. For my experience, I went with fish, chicken,
and beef menu selections. The protein
items were very high quality. The fish
was wild caught, and the chicken and beef were organic without any growth
hormones or additives. The accompanying
veggies had a few issues, which I attribute to transit; UPS and ice packs aren’t
the best marriage. By the time the order
arrived, the ice packs were melted and contents weren’t that cool. I feel that everything should be packed on
dry ice, which would keep contents colder for longer periods of time. For me, the most favorable part of this
experience was that I could either follow the chef-developed printed recipe
cards verbatim, or substitute/omit things to make the recipes my own. For each of the three meals I received, I
opted to adapt the recipes to my own preferences and to accommodate/change any
ingredient issues and/or shortages. https://www.hellofresh.com
THE MEAL: Seared Cod with Mediterranean Bean &
Tomato Salad
(Cod, Cannellini Beans, Green Beans, Tomato, Cilantro, Red
Onion, and White Wine Vinegar)
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
My Take:
I seasoned both sides of the Cod
with Himalayan pink salt and black pepper, and then sautéed the fish in a blend
of EVOO and canola oil, browning both sides.
I cooked the Green Beans al
dente, drained and shocked in very cold water and then drained again; then cut
into pieces. I drained and rinsed the Cannellini Beans. I wasn’t able to use the Tomato because it wasn’t ripe enough to use. I hand picked the leaves from the Cilantro stems, and then minced them. I
sliced and then minced the Red Onion. I then combined the Green Beans, Cannellini Beans, Cilantro, and Red Onion in a bowl, and then dressed the mixture with my own Honey Mustard Balsamic Vinaigrette. The sautéed Cod was served alongside the salad. Although a lot of prepping and cleaning up
afterwards, the meal was tasty.
THE MEAL: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Balsamic Potato
Salad and Garlic-Roasted Tomatoes
(Chicken Breasts, Grape Tomatoes,
Yukon Gold Potatoes, Garlic, Scallions, Panko Breadcrumbs, Parmesan Cheese, Dijon
Mustard, and Balsamic Vinegar)
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
My Take: I
cubed the Chicken Breasts. I mixed the Panko Breadcrumbs with the Parmesan
Cheese. I washed the Yukon Gold Potatoes, cubed them, and
seasoned them with Himalayan pink salt and black pepper. I cleaned the Scallions, and diced both the green and white part. I supplied my own fresh Garlic (this was missing), and minced a few cloves. I combined the Yukon Gold Potatoes with the minced Garlic and diced Scallions
and then sautéed everything in my own blend of EVOO and canola oil; once
cooked, I removed. I seasoned the cubed Chicken Breasts and then dipped them in
a scrambled egg (I supplied) and thoroughly coated each piece in the Panko Breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese mixture. In a separate pan, I heated my own
blend of EVOO and canola oil, and then browned the Chicken Breast cubes; once cooked, I drained them on paper towel. I then added the Grape Tomatoes to brown/blister (only half of the supplied Grape Tomatoes were usable), and then
removed to slightly cool. Not wanting to
waste anything, I added the remaining scrambled egg to the remaining Panko Breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese mixture and mixed this
thoroughly and then shaped them into small “pancakes”, then browned them in the
oil. I added a side of plain
Greek yogurt to use as a topping for each of the dishes components. Although a lot of prepping and cleaning up afterwards, the meal
was tasty.
THE MEAL: Creamy Poblano Bolognese
(Ground Beef, Carrot, Diced
Tomatoes, Thyme, Garlic, Poblano Pepper, Yellow Onion, Linguine, Parmesan
Cheese, and Sour Cream)
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
My Take:
My prepping included slicing and dicing the Yellow Onion; washing, deseeding and slicing the Poblano Pepper; cleaning and dicing the Carrot; removing the small leaves from
the Thyme; and, mincing the Garlic.
I browned the Ground Beef in
EVOO and canola oil, adding to it the minced Garlic, diced Carrot, and
sliced Poblano Pepper. While this mixture was browning, I cooked the
Linguine al dente, reserved some of the water, and drained the pasta. After everything was thoroughly browned, I
added the Diced Tomatoes and mixed thoroughly.
To this, I added the Sour Cream, but what was provided wasn’t even the
equivalent of one tablespoon and was an insufficient amount to make a sauce
creamy, so I added one cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt, which added a great
deal of creaminess and richness to the sauce.
I served the sauce over the Linguine
and sprinkled the Parmesan Cheese
on top. Considering I would’ve never
used a Poblano Pepper for this type
of dish, it surprisingly worked, because its flavor was extremely mild. Although a lot of prepping and cleaning up
afterwards, the meal was tasty.
~ El Tapeo New Spring Menu ~
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| (Tortilla Espanola) |
I had the pleasure of reviewing this amazing Spanish tapas restaurant shortly after
it opened in the fall of 2014; the restaurant is located in the new Le Méridien Chicago-Oak
Brook Hotel. The cuisine is
traditional, fresh, delicious, and sourced from local suppliers. Kudos to Executive
Chef Michael McDonald for creating a number of exceptionally delicious Spring Menu options. The new menu options that have been added to
their main core menu include Croquetas de Marisco (sautéed shrimp, garlic, cabernet vinegar and
citrus aioli), Codorniz (grilled and
braised quail, pickled turnips, dried black plums, pistachios, and plum mustard),
Tortilla
Espanola (crisp bacon, spring
peas, goat cheese, romesco and crème fraiche), and Pulpo (charred octopus, harissa, fingerling
potatoes, tarragon and black pepper sauce).
At a recent tasting preview, I relished each and every presented new menu
option; they were all delicious! If I weren’t
in mixed company, I would’ve licked my fingers and plate clean! http://www.eltapeorestaurant.com
~ Mariano’s Market ~
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
Mariano’s substantial
presence in the U.S. continues its tradition of offering an impressive shopping
experience for the consumer that includes specialty
import foods, conventional foods, private label products, local produce,
organically curated foods, freshmade bakery items, imported and local cheeses,
handmade sausages and freshly butchered quality meats, restaurants, sweets’
shop, guacamole bar, juice bar, and smoothie bar. Recently, the Chicago-area’s 37th Mariano’s
opened in Naperville, IL with a
beautiful launch celebration that was themed “Springtime in Paris”; the invite-only event was for community and
government leaders, media, and locals; several hundreds came to the new
location that evening to celebrate and toast Bob and Nina Mariano for their latest location and to offer high
praise for their continued commitment to community outreach. Mariano’s
always gives back to the community where its stores are located. For the Naperville,
IL location, a generous five-thousand dollar donation, on behalf of the Mariano’s organization, was presented to
the DuPage Children’s Museum and Loaves & fishes. At the recent opening of the 36th Mariano’s in Westmont, IL (which I wrote about) a similar generous donation was
presented to benefit the community’s People’s
Resource Center. Mariano’s tag line of “Shop Well.
Live Well. Eat Well.” http://www.marianos.com
~ In Closing ~
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| (Image from www.foodnavigator.com) |
Consider trying a prepared meal delivery service to expand your
culinary curiosities. In considering the
cost per meal for this beneficial convenience, consider the value of your time
to shop and prepare the food. About the
only thing you need to do is follow the recipes and cook, then serve and
enjoy. Also, be sure to checkout local
restaurants in your are that have changed over their menus to conform to the
new season, especially which often highlight the chef’s creativity in
incorporating what’s fresh and new; many restaurants will offer seasonal
specials to introduce a new menu to patrons.
Lastly, when a new market opens in your area, be sure to checkout what’s
unique, and especially how their generosity and philanthropy will benefit your
area’s outreach, especially food pantries and social services or educational
programs. Those are the types of stores
you want to patronize because your dollar will help your community and the
needy.
That’s it for this edition.
Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your
culinary curiosity. Happy creating…happy cooking…happy eating!
By Terry Herman
TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and
wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness
Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and
food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events
such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show
and the Sweets and Snacks Expo. She has
been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and
is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is
frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content. She has also presented at major industry
conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory
boards. She has a background in
strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking. In addition to her blogs, her social media
outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page,
“Terry’s Second Helpings”. Please note
that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.
For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
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