23 March, 2021
A Couple’s Secret To Bloody Good Dinners: HelloFresh
Month after month of working from home and dining on takeaway had reduced our conversations to, “what show should we watch tonight?”
It was far too early in our marriage to zone out with Netflix night after night. We knew we had to shake things up a bit and reconnect. Tom suggested we cook at home several nights a week. I thought that was a wonderful idea. It would be better for our health, save money, and unite us in a joyful, intentional manner.
But, when we considered the workload involved – the planning, the shopping, the cooking, the clean-up – we felt overwhelmed.
But HelloFresh came to the rescue.
HelloFresh is a recipe box service that delivers easy-to-follow recipes with all the needed fresh, pre-portioned ingredients straight to your door. You choose the number of meals you want each week and pick a box that suits your palate and preferences: Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family, Quick Cook – super convenient quick recipes from prep-to-plate in less than 25 minutes!
Meals start at only £3.25 per serving, and we can pause or cancel the plan at any time. With 36 recipes a week to choose from, we will never get bored.
We were delighted to learn that HelloFresh isllo an eco-friendly choice. They’re committed to offsetting 100% of direct carbon emissions. Pre-portioned ingredients mean less food and packaging waste. As someone who’s deeply concerned with the fate of the planet, I appreciate their choices.
This is brill, we thought – the best of both worlds. We can cook together three nights a week, then pick up takeaway or order in at our leisure.
We both fancy ourselves as food adventurers, so it was quite difficult to select only three meals from a vast array of international cuisines like Italian, Japanese, Greek, Middle Eastern, Asian, and classic British recipes.
Our much-anticipated HelloFresh box arrived early one morning. It was fully stocked with everything we’d need for the three meals, including step-by-step recipe cards which detailed precisely what to do from prep-to-plate.
We started the week with my choice – Tiger Prawn Spaghetti with Chilli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (pasta is my weakness). Tom was in charge of preparing the pasta, deseeding the chili, grating the garlic, chopping the onion, parsley, and sun-dried tomatoes.
I thickened the tomato sauce and made sure the seasoning was just right before – at the supreme moment – dropping in the juicy tiger prawns. We then sprinkled a few pinches of fresh parsley on top of the pasta. It looked, smelt, and – most importantly – tasted so exceptional. That’s all it took. We were completely sold on HelloFresh.
Tuesday called for Smokey Pork Tostadas with Roasted Peppers. Since it was Tom’s choice, he helmed the kitchen, marinating the pork while I prepped the veg and concocted two gigantic margaritas for our culinary trip south of the border. Mexico, we mean – not the Thames. Our Mexican feast was such fun. We were listening to music, dancing as we cooked, and laughing. We felt like newlyweds again!
Because we generally avoid red meat at home, we saved our most anticipated meal for last: Pan Fried Lamb Steaks with Redcurrant Sauce and Roasted Garlic Mash. So, we broke out the chopping board and our much-neglected knife set.
We weren’t disappointed. Tom was dead chuffed at his pan-searing skills, and we were both pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to cook a delicious dinner . . . in only 30 minutes!
I don’t mind telling you we were gobsmacked. HelloFresh’s meals are exquisite, and the preparation? That’s the best part of the night – Tom and I stand side-by-side, elbow-to-elbow, chopping and peeling and basting.
These days, we talk, we plan, we dream. What could be better? Now we look forward to picking out our meals for next week. And can’t wait for the evenings when we’re cooking together in our kitchen with HelloFresh.
Update: The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get a discount off your first 4 boxes!