Let’s face it, we live in a world where ordering takeaway is much easier than going down to the shops, picking up a heap of ingredients for a meal and then actually getting home and turning it all into something edible. It’s not healthy, but it’s cheap, cheerful, and allows us to get on with our days relatively undisturbed. We’re all busier than ever before; we don’t have the time to cook! That’s what we’ve been telling ourselves anyway, but is it really all completely true?
This past week, I’ve been trying to challenge my status quo with the help of Gousto. Offering the widest recipe choice available across the web and delivering seven days a week, with short delivery times of just three days and some of the lowest price points from just £2.98, they seemed like the perfect match for somebody like me who just doesn’t get in the kitchen and cook!
Recently announcing their new 10-minute meals selection, as part of their Ten To Table Range, I took a look through the recipes available and decided to give two of those a go, as well as two of the more challenging recipes that would take a little longer.
The brilliance with Gousto is that you can choose an exact delivery date, so you know when your food will be turning up and can schedule out some of your week’s meals in advance. That’s not something I’m used to, so being able to plan out what I was going to eat and when was a unique experience for me, but one I could absolutely see myself doing more of down the line.
When my first Gousto box did arrive, I was genuinely excited to get it open and see all of the colourful food and ingredients that lay within. I dedicated an entire section in my fridge to house them! I was changing…
Easing myself in slowly, I went for the Ten-Min Asian Beef Salad With Crispy Onions on night one. Though the ingredients list was long, it was easy to get everything together because of the way in which Gousto prepares your perfect portions for each recipe. Once you’ve got everything together, the instructions you follow really are simple and perfectly ordered. It’s worth giving them a read through a couple of times before you kick off your cooking session so you can have all of your tools in order.
The cooking time in total did take me a little longer than 10 minutes – perhaps closer to 15 – but I was a beginner. I could see somebody more experienced totally smashing the 10-minute cooking time. I loved the challenge of seeing if I could stick to the recipe and the time allowed, and I found the experience really quite relaxing! Cooking may not be for everybody, but I could totally see why people really enjoy getting behind the stove and putting some great meals together. Plus, the food tasted great when all was said and done!
When I got round to making the Ten-Min Creamy Chickpea Curry With Naan, I had a lot more confidence and very nearly got through in the exact 10 minutes I offered myself! It was a lot of fun to try and complete with a timer ticking down, and again, the quality of the food was at a high. Every box was ticked, and so on night three, I decided to take on a bit of a bigger challenge.
The Asian Fried Chicken, Sesame Fries & Zingy Slaw looked like one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever seen. This was just my type of food and I honestly panicked straight away about creating something that would look as good as the dish I saw on the recipe card. I was completely out of my comfort zone, but decided to throw myself in head first. There was no other option!
Dealing with the vegetables and the like was all well and good. It was when it came to sorting out the chicken and cornflower that things got a LITTLE messy. I have no problem in admitting I got a little flustered! I managed to pull myself through however and again, when everything was plated up and it came time for tasting, I was super impressed not only in the food, but in myself! The experience with the Sticky Chilli Beef Burritos With Lime Mayo that rounded off my first Gousto box was a similar one, but my confidence had grown once more.
Looking back at my time with Gousto, I can say with certainty that it’s a company I will revel in enjoying into the distant future. They’re brilliant with their customers, offer some of the finest looking and tasting food I’ve ever had from a service such as this one, and have truly changed my life. I’ve gone from being somebody who would never even think about attempting to cook such foods, to someone who really wants to engage my more creative side in the kitchen. If Gousto can do that for me, then they can do that for anybody.
Tagged in cooking