My daughter visited and treated me to a wonderful Sicilian-Style Eggplant Caponata dish she cooked herself. I rarely get a night off from making dinner and have a fancy vegetarian meal even less often. By the time I prepare food for the rest of the meat-eating family, I do not feel like making a proper recipe (vegetarian dish rather than an egg, or a salad, or simply the carb and veggies from dinner) just for myself.
The youngest had been given a coupon for a trial run of the meal/recipe/ingredient delivery service Hello Fresh and this was one of the dishes she had ordered. We duplicated the recipe after grocery shopping, using the menu card they provided. If you haven't heard of the meal kit delivery company, it is a subscription service that provides all that's necessary for 3 meals, delivered to your door. Everything is included to prepare the recipes, which you select from several options that week, depending on your plan and preferences. A giant, insulated box is left at your door and the food is bagged up into three separate meals. The recipe card thoroughly explains what is provided and how to cook the dinner. Most things are portioned exactly and the process should take about 30 minutes. For the right kind of person, this is an excellent alternative to eating out, ordering fast food, or eating processed packaged food.
I must say that the meal daughter cooked was delicious! It was straight-forward but still required chopping and cooking so I think some prior skill in the kitchen makes things easier. The recipe was fairly exotic and gourmet and we enjoyed the tomato eggplant dish on farro (a sort of large-scale barley). I was quite impressed and I think Hello Fresh has great chefs who deliver excellent choices, especially when it comes to vegetarian meals. There are a good variety of meal ideas from which to select your week's menu and everything is ready and waiting for you to prepare.
The only downside I can see is the cost (#1) and perhaps, the calorie count. While I understand most of the meals are about 600-800 calories, I think eating that way even 3 times a week would be a lot more than typical for myself, personally. I think it is a really fun idea and a great way to be inspired and enlightened when it comes to meal planning, I'm just not sure how realistic it is, long term. When I made the recipe again for myself, I still thought it was a lot of work and I don't know if I'd want to be committed to doing that three days a week. I also don't feel I could justify the expense just for myself, being in a large family. I can purchase a lot of groceries for $73.99 extra a week! If I were single and rich, and usually ate out at restaurants, a food delivery service might be an option. I like to cook when I have the time but I also enjoy the shopping and the planning so I'd probably just do that part myself too.
Have you ever tried a meal delivery service and if so, was it worth it to you?
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