Sunbasket: Italian Sausage, Red Pepper, Broccoli and Celery Root Mash

I was really excited to try this Sunbasket meal. To cut back on carbs it called for Celery Root. I was intrigued. First of all, I've never even tried celery root let alone prepared it. Second, I'm always looking for new ways to reduce carbs. While I love them truly. madly. deeply. I simply cannot carb load like I could in my younger years. I try to practice restraint, tasty alternatives help the cause.

Furthermore, this recipe also included a note from Sunbasket, it stated they had to substitute the Italian sausage links for ground sausage per quality control and they provided alternate cooking instructions. Fortunately, Italian sausage is a staple in our house. So, I instead defrosted a couple links from the freezer and opted to use the provided sausage at a later date (which ultimately was used for meat sauce over rigatoni - proving it's hard for me to resist carbs).



I placed the sausages, bell pepper and broccoli onto a sheet pan and roasted them in the oven until the sausage was cooked through and the veggies were tender (and later tossed them with sherry vinegar). Meanwhile, I prepared the celery root mash. It was easier to work with than I imagined, had I seen it in the grocery store I'd be intimidated. I trimmed the skin and cut the flesh into quarters and then 1/4" thick slices. I heated butter in a sauce pan and then added thinly sliced shallots and the sliced celery root, cooking it until tender. Once softened, I added vegetable broth and brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer until I was able to use the masher. It came together very much like mashed potatoes. The depth and richness was a pleasant surprise. Frank and I both liked the mash and combined with the peppers and broccoli was a fun twist on the sausage and peppers we typically enjoy. I could make this again and again, I don't think I'd hear any complaints.

Sunbasket: Lemongrass Coriander Pork Chops & Greens

Sunbasket provides all the ingredients to prepare a meal. Occasionally, they will throw together a premade marinade, sauce or spice blend to season a dish in order to provide a particular flavor profile. Their lemongrass mix is positively scrumptious. It's a simple blend with lemongrass, olive oil and coriander seeds; but oh, so good! We first tried it with these pork chops, but now, whenever I see a recipe that calls for it, I quickly add it to my order.

As you can see from the small collection of items below, this meal came together easily. The shallots and scallions are a breeze to chop. I use a small hand grater for garlic and ginger, since my knife skills are lacking. This was my first time wilting greens and I probably rushed them. They could have used more time, the thicker leafy greens weren't very tender. Lesson learned. Those pork chops, though, I'm eager to see those again in the weekly line up. Tender, juicky and amazing flavor. Yum.

Sunbasket: Steak Fajitas Lettuce Wraps

There are some aspects of adulting that I loathe. So, I'm always looking for ways to simplify things I don't like doing leaving time for more of what I love. Cue, Sunbasket! It is a weekly meal kit subscription, there are so many out there now, but this one has organic ingredients and a paleo meal option. A combination that is definitely more rare. I'm not on a Paleo diet, because, um, carbs, I love them. Cheese is likely my next favorite food after bread. It's just not realistic. However, I don't mind reducing carbs and sugar. It's definitely something I look for when cooking at home since Frank is diabetic and all.

Sunbasket doesn't require you to stick to any particular meal plan. I enjoy that freedom. I'm mindful of carbs and sugars when selection my menus for the week, but even some of the pasta dishes use a healthy dose of veggies so it helps balance things out. My biggest complaint would be the meals were rather steep on the calorie counts, though, that's to be expected when the meals are protein heavy. They have recently rolled out a lean plan for those counting calories. I've not yet tried any of these new menu items.

As much as I love Sunbasket it's not practical right now in Las Vegas. It's simply too hot! The kits are shipped overnight in an insulated box with an ice pack, but most often I'm not home for my delivery. When it's 100+ it's just not ideal for perishable items to be driven around all day and/or left on the porch. It did work beautifully all spring, though. I fully intend to pick it back up once the temperatures decline.

Eating food is a passion, but shopping, prepping, cooking and cleaning is a chore. Sunbasket simplifies those duties. All of the items needed to prepare the meal are shipped to your door. Only exception are pantry staples like oil, salt and pepper. I love this, because more often than I like to admit, I forget one key ingredient when grocery shopping. Often, I end up not making the dish and other items spoil before going to the store.

The need for grocery shopping is not completely eliminated, but I could easily skip a week or reduce my time shopping on a weekly basis. Often the prep work is done for you - those are heaven sent. Salads and the like have more chopping and if your knife skills aren't developed it can take far longer than the recipes suggest. Most recipes require minimal dishes and short cooking time. Many are prepared on the stove top. You can read a full description when choosing your menus for the week. Which is helpful, if you're wanting to avoid turning on the oven, etc. Each week there a new menu is posted with nearly a dozen options. You choose as many as three or as little as two meals each week portioned for two or four depending if you select the classic or family menu. If you're having a dinner party you can order one choice for a party of 4 or 6. All the packaging is recyclable too.

The vegetables are fresh and the meats are pretty good quality. I wasn't personally a fan of the shrimp and I've found the sole portions to be small. Aside from those seafoods, I haven't had any complaints. The pork dishes have been a favorite. We also really enjoy recipes that call for lemongrass.

You can get $35 off your first delivery using my referral link https://sunbasket.com/3free/Kellee560998. You can cancel or skip meals at your convenience. It does require you to log in at least monthly to create your schedule or shipments will auto-fill.

The photos below will give you an idea of how the shipments arrive and the contents. The very first meal I prepared was Steak Fajitas Lettuce Wraps. It was easy to follow the instructions. The meal came together in a jiffy and the portions were good sized. It satisfied our hunger with no need for sides or extras. Great flavor to boot. It was a great first impression.