Catching dinner and a movie and racing some go carts are some of our faves way to spend a date night but sometimes the most romantic evenings are the ones spent at home together. I also love the idea of surprising my silver fox by having dinner prepared for him right when he walks in the door—but with him now being retired, that one is a tough mission to execute because he is ALWAYS home. So lately we have opted to cook together and we are creating some new memories and new recipes in the kitchen surrounded by our sweet pups. It's really nice spending time together catching up.

I recently became a Blue Apron client. Blue Apron is a food delivery service that allows you to choose healthy, chef-designed meals and have all the farm-fresh ingredients delivered right to your doorstep..yes, right to your doorstep!!! Each ingredient comes in exactly the right portion in its own little package. So, unlike making a big trip to the grocery store and having leftover ingredients, there is no wasted food when the meal has been made. I have fallen head over heels for this company which you can read about in full detail on this post when I made a divine spinach pizza.

Each dish is created with seasonal ingredients and are all lower calorie. The boxes come refrigerated and packed perfectly, so all of the items are incredibly fresh. And they will even deliver wine pairings with your meals too...(not in Oklahoma, but other states can take advantage)

So Lin and I decided to make the Kung Pao Broccoli with garlic chives and black rice noodles for our date night in. This is a dish inspired by the spicy, savory flavors of a takeout fave: Sichuan Kung Pao. The final result was delicious! The broccoli was perfectly tender and the sauce was just the perfect heat with the added red chile paste! I would have never made anything like this in fear it would be too difficult but this was soooo simple and seriously took 25 minutes .

I am going to share the recipe with you all now and make sure to read all the way to the end of the post for an amazing Blue Apron offer for Go French Yourself readers!

KUNG PAO BROCCOLI RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. black rice noodles
2 scallions
1 1b. broccoli
1/2 bunch garlic chives
2 tbsp soy glaze
1 1/2 tbsp gochujang
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1-inch piece ginger
1 tbsp hoisin sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 450 F
Wash and dry the fresh produce
Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high
Cut the broccoli into small florets
Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions, thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops
Peel and finely chop the ginger
Cut the garlic chives into 1/2-inch pieces

Roast the broccoli:

Place the broccoli on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer.
Roast 14 to 16 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven.

Start the sauce:

Once the broccoli has roasted for ten minutes, in a large non-stick pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot.
Add the ginger and white bottom of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
Add half the garlic chives and as much as the gochujang as you'd like, depending on how spicy you want your dish to be. Cook, stirring frequently , 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

Finish the sauce:

Add the soy glaze, vinegar, and hoisin sauce to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and slightly thickened. Turn off the heat.

Cook the noodles:

Add the noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat.
Reserving 1 cup of the noodle cooking water, drain thoroughly and rinse under warm water to prevent sticking. Return to the pot.

Finish the noodles & plate your dish:

To the pot of cooked noodles, add the broccoli, finished sauce, remaining garlic chives, sesame oil and half the reserved noodle cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring vigorously, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the noodles are thoroughly coated. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining noodle cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the finished noodles between 2 dishes. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions and and enjoy!

Blue Apron is perfect for beginner cooks, busy families, and it's the prefect date night in for you and your sweetheart! So I really encourage you to give it a try… And the best news?! I have partnered with Blue Apron and you can receive $30 off your first week of food. That's three meals that you are essentially only paying $29.94 for. Say what?!!! And shipping is free too! OMG!

You are welcome loves!

Click here to sign up for this fabulous deal now… Then, just sit back and let Blue Apron do the grocery shopping for you.

How do you lovebirds enjoy a night in?!

XO
SAM