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Recipe boxes

spanglechick said:
I have two questions.
Can you specify weekend delivery?
and
How long (what kind of time range) do you have to spend in the kitchen?
Click to expand...
MC you can pick pretty much any day you like I think. They send them out by DPD. I've had the odd one which took substantially longer than the recipe said but much better than Hello Fresh, which was terrible for that. Mostly they're around half an hour, some super quick ones and some more involved.

NB most people getting a box will be able to give discount codes so request one on this thread if thinking of trying.

Just to dissect this evening's dinner as an example, this is what I had: https://www.mindfulchef.com/healthy-recipes/zingy-salmon-cherry-tomatoes-and-mangetout

It was really, really tasty and very healthy with a higher proportion of veg than I would normally do. It's quite simple and quick but I wouldn't have thought to make it. If I had, I would have had to buy a whole bottle of tamari and a jar of honey as I don't have those in at the moment and I'd have had mange tout, tomatoes, spring onions and rocket left over to use up and some of that might have ended up getting thrown away. You can't do that night after night, specially if you live on your own. You have to batch cook and eat the same thing repeatedly.
 
spanglechick said:
I have two questions.
Can you specify weekend delivery?
and
How long (what kind of time range) do you have to spend in the kitchen?
Click to expand...
I was offered a choice of remaining available delivery dates, some of which were on the weekend. You can order a couple of weeks in advance (I think), so I guess the popular slots go early.

There were a couple of things I was interested in that were shown as sold out, but ordering 4 days before delivery, there was enough left for me to choose from that it seemed ok.
pinkmonkey said:
I’m more likely to buy a straight up ready meal than a kit, but my options are limited due to not eating wheat or barley and that we can’t always receive post here, it depends how it is sent. I struggle to cook weekdays, so a kit might be too much. I make a big pot of something different once a week, usually on Saturday and freeze it in single portions. We then eat from the freezer on weekdays. I totally get how these kits might work well if you have adhd, theres a few things I do that look at first sight as if they would cost more, but end up costing me nothing because it takes me so much time doing things the normal way. So I get my shopping delivered, I get a service wash once a week and that saves me over a day dicking about a week, meaning another day where I can freelance and earn money. That and I know many adhders waste food because they forget what they’ve bought and struggle to plan when shopping. I buy far too much if I go out and shop in person, even if I have a list and a meal plan, I don’t stay on track.
Click to expand...
I've only just got round to cooking recipe 2 of 4. :rolleyes:

Lush, though. Parmigiana. Took me twice as long as the card said, but that's ADHD. Still in good time.
 
Thora said:
Probably depends where you live, with Gousto you pick a day but I only had a choice of Weds & Thursday.

Different times for different recipes - you can search by 10 minute meals, or meals that have 10 minute prep time and then you stick in the oven for a longer time. Some of the recipes we have had have taken 30-45 minutes. I have tended to choose a mix.
Click to expand...
RubyToogood said:
MC you can pick pretty much any day you like I think. They send them out by DPD. I've had the odd one which took substantially longer than the recipe said but much better than Hello Fresh, which was terrible for that. Mostly they're around half an hour, some super quick ones and some more involved.

NB most people getting a box will be able to give discount codes so request one on this thread if thinking of trying.

Just to dissect this evening's dinner as an example, this is what I had: https://www.mindfulchef.com/healthy-recipes/zingy-salmon-cherry-tomatoes-and-mangetout

It was really, really tasty and very healthy with a higher proportion of veg than I would normally do. It's quite simple and quick but I wouldn't have thought to make it. If I had, I would have had to buy a whole bottle of tamari and a jar of honey as I don't have those in at the moment and I'd have had mange tout, tomatoes, spring onions and rocket left over to use up and some of that might have ended up getting thrown away. You can't do that night after night, specially if you live on your own. You have to batch cook and eat the same thing repeatedly.
Click to expand...
Mation said:
I was offered a choice of remaining available delivery dates, some of which were on the weekend. You can order a couple of weeks in advance (I think), so I guess the popular slots go early.

There were a couple of things I was interested in that were shown as sold out, but ordering 4 days before delivery, there was enough left for me to choose from that it seemed ok.

I've only just got round to cooking recipe 2 of 4. :rolleyes:

Lush, though. Parmigiana. Took me twice as long as the card said, but that's ADHD. Still in good time.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I might consider it for the future. I’ve not got enough energy recently for the active cooking.
 
Warning alert klaxons!!

Gousto turns out to be subscription service.

This wasn't obvious, at least not to me.

I was expecting to order whenever, and went to order a new box today, only to find that, because I hadn't ordered within their timescale, they'd chosen some stuff for me, and have charged me.

Customer services shit, and their help menu options actually have the specific "I didn't realise it was a subscription" as an option, suggesting it's not just me.

Not happy. You can #pause# your subscription ( well, not my subscription, as this wasn't at all apparent when I signed up for Box 1), and you can order as and when, but it's really not obvious, and I don't think there's a setting at first purchase to choose the very possible and available option of ordering when you want.

Bunch of cunts who make tasty recipes.

Thank you for the 4 I've had, Gousto. You won't get another penny out of me, though.
 
We’ve got our second Gousto box coming tomorrow. This week was mixed. I really liked the chorizo tortilla stack.
The bbq chicken and sweetcorn fritters were nice.
The coriander chicken and couscous was completely tasteless and bland. The only veg was fucking cucumber which I hate. If I’d been cooking I’d probably have added some spice but Mr Looby was and actually I’m not doing it if we have to modify recipes to give them flavour.
I do feel like there needs to be more vegetables with some of the recipes. The couscous probably would have been ok then.
We’ll do this week and then decide whether to carry on. It’s definitely made us eat better this week and has given us a bit of a shock about our portion sizes. Mr Looby has been eating 1.5 big dinners for ages as he always finishes what I can’t. 😄
 
I got into the habit of shopping every two weeks now, since lockdown, and have the same meals on rotation. So don't have to look at recipes anymore and there's enough variety. No food wastage either... Some meals are quick and simple, others take a bit longer. Having a pressure cooker does help a lot, as it speeds up cooking times, good for lentils, beans, brown rice, soups...
 
Mation said:
Warning alert klaxons!!

Gousto turns out to be subscription service.

This wasn't obvious, at least not to me.

I was expecting to order whenever, and went to order a new box today, only to find that, because I hadn't ordered within their timescale, they'd chosen some stuff for me, and have charged me.

Customer services shit, and their help menu options actually have the specific "I didn't realise it was a subscription" as an option, suggesting it's not just me.

Not happy. You can #pause# your subscription ( well, not my subscription, as this wasn't at all apparent when I signed up for Box 1), and you can order as and when, but it's really not obvious, and I don't think there's a setting at first purchase to choose the very possible and available option of ordering when you want.

Bunch of cunts who make tasty recipes.

Thank you for the 4 I've had, Gousto. You won't get another penny out of me, though.
Click to expand...
They are all subscription services AFAIK. But yeah, they should spell that out when you start.
 
Yes all subscription which I have in the past forget to pause or choose my own recipes. I have found Mindful Chef to have the best time frame to pause /choose recipes. When I order I get box on a Tuesday & have until midnight on the Friday before to make any changes.

Had a forced break for a few weeks as I don’t have an oven at the moment but managed to choose 3 meals next week that are on the hob.
 
My stepdaughter has signed up for one of these, and is very pleased with it. She's someone who doesn't perceive herself as a "cook", so this is an easy in for her to starting to cook her own food - already, she's looking at reconstructing some of the recipes with supermarket ingredients.

For her, advantages like getting just enough creme fraiche for the recipe, rather than a big pot that moulders in the fridge afterwards, and avoiding that "what shall we eat tonight, dunno, pizza..." thing.

It's completely opposite to the way I shop and cook - bulk ingredients, and quite a lot of adapting base sauces to different cuisines - but for someone for whom cooking is just a means to an end, her meal boxes are perfect.
 
moose said:
Do you need a microwave for these box recipes?
Click to expand...
I haven’t needed one for Gousto yet.
So we’re on box 3. Two weeks in a row we’ve had a missing ingredient (garam masala and chilli jam) which we didn’t notice until we started prepping and in one case when Mr Looby was cooking because he hadn’t checked. Now we open them when the box arrives.
It’s a pain though as part of the reason we’re doing it is so we don’t have to make little trips to the shops in the week to top up our box and supermarket deliveries. So giving me 2 quid for the missing chilli jam is useless.

I keep saying I will pause and try another but then there’s more recipes to try and I don’t.
We’ve really enjoyed most meals and there’s definitely less food waste.
 
existentialist said:
My stepdaughter has signed up for one of these, and is very pleased with it. She's someone who doesn't perceive herself as a "cook", so this is an easy in for her to starting to cook her own food - already, she's looking at reconstructing some of the recipes with supermarket ingredients.

For her, advantages like getting just enough creme fraiche for the recipe, rather than a big pot that moulders in the fridge afterwards, and avoiding that "what shall we eat tonight, dunno, pizza..." thing.

It's completely opposite to the way I shop and cook - bulk ingredients, and quite a lot of adapting base sauces to different cuisines - but for someone for whom cooking is just a means to an end, her meal boxes are perfect.
Click to expand...
I don’t think it’s just a means to an end thing.
I like cooking but when I’m stressed I struggle to be creative so end up eating spag bol weekly until the end of time if I don’t make an effort to plan.
 
I think it’s the opposite of ‘means to an end’ -that’s probably more batch cooking. This is about meals that are tasty , probably healthy & take the chore out of cooking & have no food waste. I have bought recipe boxes on/off for years & a driver is often to get me out of cooking the same things. Whilst I can save money by batch cooking with my boxes I overall spend less as I don’t buy other items I don’t need at the supermarket & I eat what is in the house.

I have a vegan box from Mindful Chef which I thoroughly recommend.
 
Cancelled my Hello Fresh already and only had 2 meals out of it. Wayyy too much packaging for a start. I keep disagreeing with the methods too, and tbh, the recipes are only variations on what I make anyway. Last night's was pasta and tomato sauce, essentially, and it was way too piquant, far too tomatoey (I'd have stuck some thyme in there to balance it if it'd been my own recipe, but decided I was gonna stick to theirs to see how it came out). The selection of veggie meals is not quite woeful, but pretty repetitive tbh. Not for me. Even stuck in the back of beyond with not great access to 'exotic' foods such as fresh coriander, I'm still not tempted to carry on with it.
 
existentialist said:
My stepdaughter has signed up for one of these, and is very pleased with it. She's someone who doesn't perceive herself as a "cook", so this is an easy in for her to starting to cook her own food - already, she's looking at reconstructing some of the recipes with supermarket ingredients.

For her, advantages like getting just enough creme fraiche for the recipe, rather than a big pot that moulders in the fridge afterwards, and avoiding that "what shall we eat tonight, dunno, pizza..." thing.

It's completely opposite to the way I shop and cook - bulk ingredients, and quite a lot of adapting base sauces to different cuisines - but for someone for whom cooking is just a means to an end, her meal boxes are perfect.
Click to expand...
Yep, I was saying to the fella last night that it would be perfect for someone in such a situation. I'd be interested to see how he gets on with cooking one actually, given he's really Not a cook at all. I shop and cook like you - I have a perma-store-cupboard, there's always something I can knock together for a delicious meal.
 
Looby said:
I don’t think it’s just a means to an end thing.
I like cooking but when I’m stressed I struggle to be creative so end up eating spag bol weekly until the end of time if I don’t make an effort to plan.
Click to expand...
I was referring to my stepdaughter with the "means to an end" comment - she cooks, but only so she'll have decent food to eat. She's not at the storecupboard stage, nor the one where you have a little library of basic recipe ideas in your head. But I am hoping that this recipe box thing might encourage her to become more adventurous, and perhaps she's start enjoying cooking for its own sake.
 
Orang Utan said:
Stick em in a salad
Click to expand...

The point is people dont stick em in a salad. Also it might be worth you noting that the salad before your main course every day is not a universal thing. I know you personally do it but I don't know anyone else who does.

Mation said:
Warning alert klaxons!!

Gousto turns out to be subscription service.

This wasn't obvious, at least not to me.

I was expecting to order whenever, and went to order a new box today, only to find that, because I hadn't ordered within their timescale, they'd chosen some stuff for me, and have charged me.

Customer services shit, and their help menu options actually have the specific "I didn't realise it was a subscription" as an option, suggesting it's not just me.

Not happy. You can #pause# your subscription ( well, not my subscription, as this wasn't at all apparent when I signed up for Box 1), and you can order as and when, but it's really not obvious, and I don't think there's a setting at first purchase to choose the very possible and available option of ordering when you want.

Bunch of cunts who make tasty recipes.

Thank you for the 4 I've had, Gousto. You won't get another penny out of me, though.
Click to expand...

They all are I think. I'm surprised you didn't get any emails to remind you to choose your recipes. I always do.

I used Gousto for a while quite a few years ago to reduce waste and expand my repertoire as I'm not a confident cook. It is expensive once you get out of the special offer boxes, but depends what you were doing before. I found it very useful and it did add a couple more things to my repertoire and make me a bit more confident exploring recipes online. I tried Hello Fresh but could not get on with them at all. The recipes I found shit to follow and, I don't remember now, they just annoyed me quite a lot. Then I started Gousto again after 1st lockdown to try to fend off the boredom of cooking the same few dishes both of us like. Also gave Hello Fresh another go and again got annoyed by them and stopped it again. I missed the deadline(because I used A's email to get the discount) for choosing recipes and they chose meat recipes even though I'd chosen fish and veggie recipes previously.

I think it depends on which one you get used to. I know people who get Hello Fresh and don't seem to fancy Gousto at all. I've had a try of Mindful Chef too. Not bad.

I would try Hello Fresh, seeing as you're done with Gousto but make sure you get the special introductory offer and make sure you stop them after it ends. You can get them online or if someone uses them already they can probably get you one.

I personally would recommend Gousto over Hello Fresh but there you go.
 
Last edited:
Looby said:
I haven’t needed one for Gousto yet.
So we’re on box 3. Two weeks in a row we’ve had a missing ingredient (garam masala and chilli jam) which we didn’t notice until we started prepping and in one case when Mr Looby was cooking because he hadn’t checked. Now we open them when the box arrives.
It’s a pain though as part of the reason we’re doing it is so we don’t have to make little trips to the shops in the week to top up our box and supermarket deliveries. So giving me 2 quid for the missing chilli jam is useless.

I keep saying I will pause and try another but then there’s more recipes to try and I don’t.
We’ve really enjoyed most meals and there’s definitely less food waste.
Click to expand...

I've never had a missing ingredient from gousto but I have had a couple of times when I thought something was missing but found it still in the bag, or it turned up later in the fridge.
 
Fucksake. I had not realised that Mindful Chef are majority owned by sodding Nestle as of the end of last year.

Although, given that I've been boycotting (or attempting to) Nestle since the 80s this surely has to be one of the least effective boycotts ever.

It just really goes against the grain though. Having discovered this, I can't unknow it. It's a real shame as I think it's been good for me and in many ways a bit of a re-education in how to eat. But I can't take any of their ethical claims seriously now.
 
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