This is the second of the recipe boxes I am trying – Mindful Chef. After my experience with Gousto (which was totally satisfactory regarding what they supplied, but fell down in my execution of their recipes), I decided to wait until this week, when I was on holiday and had plenty of time.
Mindful Chef are interesting for a few reasons. Firstly, they are the only recipe box scheme I have found so far that offer the option of a single person box. With Gousto, I took a 2 person box, which meant I would either be eating the same thing twice in a week, or (more likely) would be pigging out.
Secondly, the boxes are gluten free (not an issue with me, but it might be for others), and also do not use refined carbs (so white rice is out). The boxes aim to be low-GI, and mostly organic, subject to availability of produce.
Prices depend on the number of portions each recipe is for. If you buy a 4 person box, it works out at £6 a portion, a 2 person box is £7 a portion and a 1 person box is £8 per portion. While this may seem a lot – the one person box costing 33% more per portion than the family box, I think it is fair enough, as they still need to package and ship the boxes. Also – based on this week’s experience, the single person box will have “leftovers” that can be used elsewhere – my box contained a whole butternut squash for a roasted squash & buckwheat risotto that would use half of it at the most. So cost-wise I am happy.
Like the previous box I tried, this came with the perishable elements wrapped in a wool jacket and ice bags.
So this is what was in my box today, for two recipes: roasted squash & buckwheat risotto, and creamy coconut fish pie with leek & sweet potato mash. Portions seem to be generous.
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