Sun Basket review

As many of you may remember, I was a passenger on the Blue Apron train several years ago. After a while, I petered out for a variety of reasons. Now that we have a better handle on bedtime with Marin, I have the energy to do some "light" cooking during the week. As I researched ways to ease the weeknight dinner conundrum, I came across Sun Basket. I was immediately impressed; they offer organic whenever possible or local/sustainable foods, a variety of meals that the user can select, and consideration for food sensitivities, such as gluten free or paleo options. 

I have been using Sun Basket for a few months and am quite pleased. I love their  weekly variety/selection, quality of ingredients, dedication to sustainability (nearly all of their packaging is recyclable as well), and their customer service. Most importantly, Will and I love the food. 

Here is what a week looks like:

Spiced Lamb Patties with Cauliflower "Tabbouleh"

This recipe was easy and quick to follow. The cauliflower arrived already riced (thank you, Sun Basket), and is the base for the "tabbouleh." After you prepare your mise en place, you make your lamb patties, serve over tabbouleh, and finish with Marash chile flakes and tahini dressing (also already made and amazing). 

Full disclosure, I added feta because let's be honest, everything is better with cheese. But if you want to be strict and stick to the recipe, I'm sure it's very delicious without the feta.

If you like Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine, then you will love this dish. The cauliflower was a wonderful substitute for tabbouleh. The combination of the smokey lamb with the lemony tabbouleh, and rich tahini was well-balanced and delicious. This was a win and I will add to my culinary repertoire. 

Salmon-kale Salad with Avocado and Moroccan-spiced Almonds

I thoroughly enjoyed this dish; it's very light, crisp, and clean. I'm a sucker for anything miso and I loved the contrast of the spiced almonds, warm, roasted carrots, and simple, crisp salmon. I did hit a stumbling block, where the avocado was rock-hard, so I had to ditch that. The recipe also outlines to dress the kale near the end, but I would suggest dressing upfront so the sturdy kale leaves get to marinate in the miso dressing. 

Chicken Marbella

This is a rift off of the 1980s Silverpalate Cookbook recipe. If you don't know it, I recommend checking it out. I haven't had it in years, but after trying this rendition, I am anxious to re-make the the original. 

I enjoyed the flavor of the chicken and loved the saltiness of the olives and capers contrasting with the sweetness of the dates (the original uses prunes). My criticisms were that I'd prefer slightly larger chunks of chicken. I also envisioned a little more sauce and I found this portion to be on the smaller side. Maybe I was extra hungry, but I could definitely house both of the two servings. Lastly, I found the escarole to be a bit bland. They could have really added one extra element to boost the flavor profile. All in all, I am excited to try the 1980s classic this winter. 

If you are interested in trying Sun Basket, click here for 3 free meals.