Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash and "Hello Fresh" #2

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Hey there!

We're off and running with the start of another week.  Last week I talked about Hello Fresh, a food delivery service that I subscribed to, which satisfied my curiosity with all these subscription box services out there.  I showed you the first recipe I made, Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice which we really enjoyed and plan to make again, possibly with chicken this time!  (You can read more about Hello Fresh's packaging here.)

Today I want to show you my favorite meal of the bunch, Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash.  This one just screams fresh and seasonal...a fantastic alfresco meal!  Plus it's beef, and you know I love a good steak!

Hello Fresh described this as "decadent, mouthwatering juiciness of a nice piece of beef, but with seasonal veggies to balance it out and an herb pesto to keep things breezy—just the thing to eat on the patio".  I have to agree with this description wholeheartedly.  

Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash

Again, with this meal you get an easy to follow recipe instruction card with step by step pictures to help you along.  This was really easy to pull together and took about 30 minutes to cook plus prep time.  This is the perfect dish for a weeknight meal.

Let's talk about flavor.  The steak came out nice and juicy.  We cooked to a medium doneness.  The steak was topped with a mint and chive dressing that gave the meat really good flavor.  The veggie succotash was crisp, and I love that it used seasonal fresh veggies.  Great meal!  Make sure to try this one, it's a summer must have!

I have one more "Hello Fresh" dish to share with you, and will wrap up my review on this service as well with my overall thoughts.

Enjoy!

Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash

serves 2

3/4 lb sirloin steak

1 red onion

4 oz peas (1/2 cup)

1 zucchini

6 oz asparagus 

1 1/2 tsp chives, minced, divided

1 1/2 tsp mint, chopped, divided

1 lemon

4 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper

Wash and dry all produce. Halve, peel, and dice onion. Cut zucchini into ½-inch cubes. Trim woody bottoms from asparagus, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Zest lemon until you have ½ tsp zest, then cut into halves. Mince half the chives. Pick half the mint leaves from stems and finely chop. TIP: Use the remaining herbs as a garnish, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine minced chives, chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon, a large drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Adjust to taste with more lemon, salt, and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Toss in zucchini and cook until lightly browned and softened, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in another large pan over medium-high heat. Pat steak dry with a paper towel, then season all over with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook to desired doneness, 4-7 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.

Add peas and asparagus to pan with succotash. Return pan to stove over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing, until asparagus is tender, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat and stir in a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of lemon zest.

Thinly slice steak against the grain. Divide succotash between plates and top with steak. Drizzle with herb dressing. Garnish with remaining mint leaves and chives, if desired.

source:  Hello Fresh Food Delivery Meal Service 

Tropical Sunset Smoothie

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Last year for our anniversary we took a wonderful trip to Hawaii.  I'm a beach lover at heart and love all the wonderful things that Hawaii has to offer such as tropical weather, hiking, flowers, beaches, and food.

More specifically I love all the tropical flavors you can get there but one of my all time favorite fruits is the pineapple.

Since it's a hot, hot summer and I'm missing Hawaii I thought I would make a Tropical Sunset Smoothie to bring me back.  We had a smoothie bar in our resort and we loved to stop by there and grab a smoothie made with fresh fruit and sipping on it while watching the waves crash on the lava rocks.  

This is my ode to Hawaii, made with juicy sweet pineapple, and plump strawberries which give it that sunset feel.  This Tropical Sunset Smoothie completely reminds me of Hawaii.  I can feel the trade winds blowing and total relaxation is not far away!

Smoothies are simple to make.  All you need is a blender, (I use this one) fresh fruit, yogurt, and some ice.  Poof!  Take yourself virtually to the tropics with my Tropical Sunset Smoothie.  It's a perfectly refreshing drink made for hot summers.

Enjoy!

Tropical Sunset Smoothie

serves 2


1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
6 whole strawberries
6 oz light vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve with a straw.

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Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice and "Hello Fresh"

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You know how you see those ads for those meal service companies?  The ones that send you all the ingredients for 3 meals a week?  Well those ads are everywhere I look.

They are on Facebook, TV commercials, advertisements on most sites, and even Pinterest.  I saw them so much and I was curious so I caved in and joined one. (Not sponsored, I actually joined and paid myself.)

I picked Hello Fresh.   I found this particular plan appealing for several reasons.  Firstly, I resonated with the food choices they had, that was a must if we are going to have our meals "planned" for the week.  The delivery is very convenient, you get to chose the delivery day.  You pick from portions for 2 people or family meals.  You choose how many meals per week are delivered, and you get to choose the dishes you'll be making.  Skipping a week is easy to do as well, although you do have to act fast if you want to skip a week.

I chose a 3 meal week and had them delivered on a Saturday.  Totally convenient.  The box arrived and it was huge and heavy!  They pack these babies well!  Inside were my three recipe cards, 3 boxes with ingredients separated by meal.  Under this was two very large frozen gel packs and then under that were all the meats (in vacuum packages)  associated with the meals.  Nothing was going to spoil in this box by leaving it on the doorstep for several hours.  Mine was sitting on my porch when I came home around 10:30 am.  

The first meal I chose to make was a light and tropical flavored dish of Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice.  We really loved the flavors of the dish and I found this very easy to make.  Great instructions are included with step by step photos so if you are unsure in the kitchen you can still make this weeknight meal.

I followed the instructions and they were well thought out and easy.  They seem to do one step at a time finishing a section before moving on, but seasoned cooks may end up doing several steps simultaneously like I did and it all works out great.  The end result was a very light and tasty meal with a good flavor combination of pineapple over pork.

Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice was a quick and easy summer meal that we will keep in our rotation because we enjoyed it so much.  I'm going to swap out the pork for chicken next time and change it up just a bit for variety.  I'm sure fish will turn out wonderful as well if you like. 

The recipes are very easy, great for beginners so that is a plus if you are looking for easy yet different weeknight meals.

I will be sharing with you the other two meals we made in the next few posts.  Stay tuned for more from Hello Fresh and my opinions about this service.

The recipe for Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice is below.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice

recipe from Hello Fresh (meal service)

serves 2

1 fruit cup of pineapple tidbits (such as dole fruit cup)

6 oz Sugar Snap Peas

1 Shallot

1 Lime

2 tsp Cilantro

1/2 c Jasmine Rice

2 (6 oz) pork Chops

2 tsp Honey

1.  Wash and dry all produce. Bring ¾ cup water and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a small pot. Trim any tough ends from snap peas. Peel, halve, and mince shallot. Cut lime in half. Finely chop cilantro. Drain pineapple, reserving juice, and finely chop flesh.

2.  Once water is boiling, add rice to pot. Cover, lower heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered until meal is ready.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, 2 tsp shallot, half the cilantro, and juice from one lime half. Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Season pork all over with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook until nearly cooked to desired doneness, 4-5 minutes per side. Stir remaining shallot, honey, pineapple juice, and 2 TBSP water. Cook until pork is done, another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime.

5.  Transfer pork and glaze to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out pan, then heat a drizzle of olive oil in it over medium-high heat. Add snap peas. Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender but still slightly crisp, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

6.  Stir remaining cilantro and a squeeze of lime into rice. Divide between plates, then top with snap peas, pork, glaze, and salsa.