Pork Loin Africana, Just Add Cooking, and a giveaway for my Boston readers!

All readers can take advantage of a $20 discount on their first Just Add Cooking order by using the promo code SPRINGBLOG.

Lately my weeks have been a balancing act. If I don’t find time to go to the grocery on Sunday, that means it is takeout for the week. Farm shares, meat shares and fish shares all sound appealing to me, and would help with my time management problem, but I just can’t seem to commit. 

When Just Add Cooking first contacted me to review their service, for some reason I kept thinking it was one of those services where you get each meal in a “kit”. Now, I can understand how meal kits could be appealing to people who don’t cook, but I do cook. I love to chop, dice, seed and season. So thank you, but I will pass on your kits.

The first step in the ordering process was to pick 3 meals ($79 plan)  from the 7 options for the week. I chose the Pork Loin Africana, Hungarian Goulash, and the Red Bean Chili. I was given a time slot that my package would be delivered, and told I would receive a text. I didn’t receive a text, but luckily Ryan was home to take the package in. The packaging for the cold items was not super substantial, so you will want to make sure you can get your package refrigerated as soon as possible. 

I was delighted to see that my package was basically every single grocery I needed in order to make these recipes. The vegetables and meats were all whole, so my chopping, dicing, seeding and seasoning were not lost! The seasonings came in pre-measured and labeled packaging, as did other additives such as cream and sour cream.

Also in the package was a welcome letter, the three recipes, and a suggested order to cook  them in to make sure the ingredients that have the shortest shelf life were used first. I ADORE this aspect of the program. Not only did they tell me what to make (and the recipes were all innovative and different) but they also tell me when to make it…that is music to my busy, tired ears! 

I will be honest and say I only cooked the pork and goulash. Which was totally fine because the chili is all non-perishable ingredients, so I can still make it whenever I get around to it.

The Pork Loin Africana may be one of the best dishes I have made in a long time (which makes me a little sad since it isn’t one of my recipes). The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the recipes (although possibly a little vague for less advanced cooks) were easy to reproduce. The only change I made was cooking the raisins into the sauce…because that is how my mom would have done it 🙂

I am definitely going to use Just Add Cooking again. I think the $79 price tag for three meals is completely reasonable ($59 for first time orderers who use promo code SPRINGBLOG) and I can always use some help with menu planning.

Now one of you has the chance to win a 3-meal box from Just Add Cooking! Instructions on how to enter are below the recipe.

Pork Loin Africana Recipe – adapted from Just Add Cooking recipe

Ingredients

• 2/3 lb pork tenderloin (sliced thinly)
• 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1.5 + 2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom seeds
• 3/4 cup rice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 apple (skin on, grated)
• 1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
• 1 ripe plantain (sliced)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 2 oz cream
• 1/4 cup raisins
• salt & pepper

Directions

• Put water, cinnamon stick, cardamom seeds and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil,.
• Cover rice and simmer for 10 minutes, or until desired texture, remove from heat until ready to serve.
• Heat oil in a large skillet.
• When hot, add plantains and sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Fry plantains until they begin to brown (3 – 5 minutes), flip and brown on reverse side (3 – 5 minutes).
• Remove plantains to a separate holding dish. (Also – do yourself a favor and eat a couple, they are delicious!)
• In the skillet you just removed the plantains from, add the pork and onions.
• Fry over medium-high heat until the pork is lightly browned on both sides.
• Stir apples, cooked plantains, bouillon, 2 cups water, curry and cream into the pork and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Add raisins and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Serve pork dish along side the cinnamon-scented rice for a delicious, flavorful dinner!

Contest is now closed. Congratulations to Cessy who won the Just Add Cooking prize!

How to win a 3-meal Just Add Cooking Kit:

• You must have never ordered from Just Add Cooking in the past.
• Create a Just Add Cooking account here (no credit card needed, click go to subscription page to skip credit card entry) .
• Check out this weeks menu.
• Come back here and leave a comment telling me which meal sounds the best.
• A winner will be chosen using random.org on Friday, April 11, 2014
• All entries must be received by noon on Friday, April 11, 2014
• Winner must respond to notification email within 48 hours or they will forfeit prize.
• Prize has no cash value if not redeemed.

Disclaimer: I received 3 meals free of charge from Just Add Cooking. As always, all opinions are my own.

Happy Eating!
–  Renee Hirschberg