Extra Helpings - A Blue Apron blog
Meet the new Blue Apron, now more convenient (and delicious) than ever. This is meal planning the way it should be: simple, inspiring, fun—and no subscription needed.
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Search for recipes, cooking tips, food trends, and all things delicious.
Types of Asian Noodles: Your Comprehensive Guide
Noodles are a pillar of many Asian cuisines, and the key to many beloved dishes across the continent. Attempting a full taxonomy would be nearly impossible:
Spicy Seasonings & Ingredients: Your (Very) Hot Guide
If your goal is to have your meals taste delicious and be painless, bookmark this list and leave these spicy ingredients out of your recipes
What Are Capers? Cooking, Taste, & More Explained
If capers aren’t already your secret weapon in the kitchen, they should be. If you know how to cook with capers, these tiny green buds will add a bright pop of briny flavor to whatever you’re making. Think of them like a shortcut to flavor. These are some of the recipes that made us fall in love with capers.
Shishito Peppers Recipe: How To Cook Them & More
Tender, smoky shishito peppers are a restaurant staple—but they’re easy to use at home too. These vibrantly green and slightly smoky Japanese chiles—shaped a bit like wrinkled fingers— have become a late summer and early fall favorite on menus across the country.
Curry Paste vs. Curry Powder: What Sets Them Apart
Curry is a broad term for saucy well-spiced dishes with ties to India, Thailand, and many other countries throughout Southeast Asia. Curry starts with a blend of spices, but there’s no exact formula. No two curries are alike! At home, you can use curry paste or curry powder as a shortcut. These ingredients will help you create dishes with complex layered flavors in no time at all.
Blue Apron’s Favorite Cilantro Sauce
Creamy cilantro sauce is one of our favorite ways to add a contrasting pop of flavor to our plate. We love drizzling cilantro sauce over grilled chicken, spiced beef, or seared fish dishes.
What is Sambal Oelek? (& How to Use It)
Sambal oelek is an Indonesian condiment made from chili peppers, vinegar, and salt. It’s name comes from the Indonesian word for pepper—sambal—and the name for a mortar and pestle in which peppers are sometimes ground.
Romesco Sauce
Romesco is a thick sauce packed with smoky and sweet flavors. This sauce originated in Spain, but today you can enjoy it around the world. It’s traditionally enjoyed as a sauce for fish or grilled meats, or as a tasty dip for vegetables and breads.
Furikake Seasoning: Description, Recipes, & Uses
Furikake seasoning is one of those ingredients that does your work for you. All you have to do is add a few teaspoons to the top of your dish, and you’ll instantly boost the flavor, texture, and appearance of whatever you’re serving.
How To Boil Rice: Cooking Tips & More
The advantage of this method is clear. When you cook rice like pasta you don’t have to double check the ratio of water to rice, or measure the water. You also don’t have to watch the stove quite as closely, since there’s no risk of the bottom burning.
All About Chimichurri
Chimichurri is a bright green sauce common in Argentine and Uruguayan cuisine. Authentic chimichurri must include fresh herbs, spicy pepper, something acidic, and lots of good olive oil.
All About the Za’atar Spice Blend
The term Za’atar refers to a family of herbs, including thyme, oregano and marjoram. It’s also a spice blend, and one of Blue Apron’s favorite ingredients
All About Calabrian Chile
Everyone has a few ingredients in the pantry that they turn back to time and time again. There are some spices, herbs, and oil you love so much that you find yourself rushing to the store to replace them the second they run out. For the chefs at Blue Apron, Calabrian chili paste is one of those ingredients.
How To Slice Delicata Squash
Delicata squash is known for its characteristically delicate rind. Its cream-colored skin is so thin that it can be eaten. When roasted, the skin gives the squash a satisfying bite. Before roasting, you have to know how to slice squash.
How to Create a Balanced Meal (That You’ll Look Forward to Eating), According to Dietitians
We’ve been told since we were kids that certain foods could be “part of a complete breakfast” and have been coached in health classes, news shows, by doctors, and beyond to fuel up with a balanced diet. But what does it mean to have balanced eating habits, exactly, and why does it matter”
7 Common Types of Pears (Varieties & More)
Get to know the humble pear. From smooth-skinned Bartlett to leathery looking (but very delicious) Bosc pears, we’re here to help you pick the best pears for eating, baking, and salads.
What is Halloumi Cheese? Cooking, Taste, & More
n case you haven’t heard, halloumi is a Middle Eastern cheese that can be fried or grilled without melting. I’m going to repeat that so you understand why spending a week writing about halloumi makes you very, very hungry:
Types of Potatoes: Varieties, Cooking & More
When it comes to picking our carbs, we can never say no to a potato. Whether we’re feasting on tater tots at a diner, mashing up Russets at home, or adding potatoes to our sautés and salads, we’re truly potato people at heart. With so many types of potatoes to love, it’s impossible to get tired of eating them.
What Is Vanilla Powder?
Vanilla is the subtle note that makes ice cream, cookies, and cakes sing. Even though the term “vanilla” is often associated with being plain, true vanilla flavor is anything but. Vanilla products are packed with unique flavors that adds complexity and delicacy to everything they touch
How to Create a Gut-Healthy Meal Plan
Discover how to eat a gut-friendly diet, which will support mental and physical health. Get the dish about why gut health matters, then score a 7-day gut health meal plan full of meal and snack ideas that support your microbiome.
Food you can feel good about
From pasture-raised beef to certified sustainable seafood, we’re raising the bar on animal welfare standards.
