Plated - April 2014

There is something truly wonderful that happens when people get together and cook. It's an experience I've loved sharing in since I was very small. C and I try our best to eat mostly home cooked meals with fresh, whole ingredients. Working opposite schedules means one of us usually ends up cooking a meal, start to finish, for both of us. Now, there are no complaints here - we both love to cook. But the true joy is in cooking together. We make a great team with our divide and conquer method, but always relying on one another to taste test. Plus, I really love dancing in my kitchen. Strictly speaking you don't need to know that for the sake of the review. Ah, well.

With subscription services like Plated, C and I make the time to cook together no matter how tired or lazy we feel. It would be a terrible betrayal to try out exciting new recipes without my kitchen co-pilot. Each week, Plated offers a new menu with chef-designed recipes that cater to both omnivore and veggie lifestyles. You can take your pick from among the recipes and check out information about the ingredients, allergens, and difficulty level. Menus are available the week beforehand so you can decide whether or not to place an order for the following week. There is a minimum of 4 plates to place an order, and you can order at the regular price of $15 per plate or purchase a $10 monthly subscription and get plates at $12 a piece. Fresh ingredients ship in refrigerator packing so I didn't need to stress about both of us being at work and everything in the box spoiling out on the porch. 

Plated does a fantastic job of providing clear and easy to follow recipes without seeming patronizing to those who know their way around the kitchen. The recipes are printed on cardstock, so C and I are collecting them in a binder for future use. Here's how everything turned out: 

Check out the size of that basil. Ridic. Sidenote, if anyone knows, I have a basil plant (his name is Basil Rathbone for those who are curious) and I can't get anything other than wimpy, tiny leaves. They have a great flavor, but they don't really ... measure up to what's pictured above. Any tips?

I love that everything is perfectly portioned so there is little to no waste. The small amount of leftover ingredients will likely get used up in a recipe tomorrow.

Spinach pesto grilled cheese with tomato chickpea salad. This was fantastic. I've been obsessed lately with trying different pesto recipes and this one tasted so bright. Definitely tucking it in my back pocket for later use. There was plenty of chickpea salad left over, so I brought it to work for lunch today. Yum.

This one gets mixed reviews only because C can't really take a whole lot of heat. Next time I'll mix up a little extra vinaigrette and allow it to sit with the panzanella a bit longer so it softens slightly. Again, there was plenty of panzanella left and I'll most likely take some to work.

Have you tried Plated? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The above is the express opinion of this blogger. I was not paid for the review of any individual item or of the box, service, or product as a whole. In addition, I never promote or endorse a product I would not use or try myself.

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