This time, my Plated box showed up without problem. I was so excited! Here's a peek inside:
One small complaint? The outer packaging is a thick jute bag sealed in plastic. It smelled like wet dog, leaving me feeling uneasy as I was opening the box. Speaking of packaging, everything in the box is recyclable or biodegradable. However, don't pour the gel packs down your sink. For more info, see Plated's recycling page.
Okay, down to business. The first recipe I chose to make was Chinese Chicken Salad. This is a recipe that I've had before and was really, REALLY looking forward to making.
The Contents:
Ingredients: Cilantro, mint, scallions, napa cabbage, edamame, shredded carrot, slivered almonds, chicken, dry mustard, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. By the way, how cute are those soy sauces?
Preparation:
The first step was to wash all ingredients and get to chopping. Chopped herbs, scallions, and cabbage:
Cook the chicken. When done, shred it:
Toast the almonds:
Finally, toss together all of the ingredients except the almonds. Divide the bowl in half and top with almonds:
The Verdict:
Husband: "I'd give it a 1/10"
Me? It was pretty bad. I ate the first few bites willing myself to believe it was good. It's not. I'm not sure if it's the mint or too much tang from the dressing. Too much dry mustard? My husband won't even eat his plate. I tried to salvage the recipe by Googling other Chinese chicken salad recipes. Other recipes contained garlic, ginger, brown sugar, etc. I added brown sugar and ginger powder to my plate. It helped a little. I'm still reluctantly munching on my plate, simply because it's the healthiest thing I've eaten all week.
Even though the taste was a fail, I did have fun making the dish. It was easy. It wasn't so much work that I'm angry about the time wasted. Clean up wasn't bad either. We were both shocked at the enormity of the portions. If this dish had been tasty, my husband and I could have eaten this for dinner twice. Hopefully, this trend continues.
