MissFresh is a food subscription box that is quick and easy while still satisfying and tasty. The box arrives filled with recipes that can be achieved in a home environment with the most basic of kitchenware within 30 – 40 minutes. The ingredients for the included dishes are simple to make and not intimidating to a beginner cook, and yet are still likely to please most crowds. Without the use of intense spices, or unfamiliar ingredients, the included recipes are built from a standard set of ingredients and flavours familiar to you.
MissFresh boxes are constructed with recipes that are likely to be enjoyed by many, and so they require cooking techniques that will be known to many. The cook at home needs not to worry that they will stumble through it confused, or come across a term that is unknown to them. The recipes can be completed with the most basic kitchen gear, usually a knife, a cutting board, a pot and a pan. Cooks are asked to do simple actions like boil, chop or fry and for that reason, these meals are quick to prepare as you do not need to quickly look anything up via google. Using meals that can be prepared without knowledge of advanced techniques means these meals can be on the table in before some serious hanger sets in.
Inside the box, you receive 3 different recipe cards paired with a clear bag filled with the required ingredients. Most ingredients are pre-measured for you so the cooking process is as simple as “open and add to pan” however depending on the box size you ordered some items may come with a sticker that says “use half” keep an eye out for these so that you don’t inadvertently use the wrong measurement. In this box, the included tin of lentils and black beans required that I use only half the can which meant I was able to store the rest for a future meal.
If you are familiar with food subscription boxes you may expect to see items such as sauces come in miniature sized versions of their normal packaging. Here, MissFresh is a bit different and instead of receiving tiny branded and labelled jars of things like mayonnaise or tomato paste you receive a clear container of the item portioned out for you from a bulk container. The container is simply labelled with what is inside, for example, “mayonnaise.” My hunch is this is likely done to reduce costs as certain ingredients can then be purchased in large quantities and portioned out as needed versus asking a supplier to make customized sized cans and jars of their product. However, it is important to note that if you like to see what ingredients are included in ingredients such as “chipotle paste” or “mayonnaise” you will not be able to do so. This can be an important distinction if you need to do so because of allergies or dietary restrictions.
The recipes included in this box were: Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos, Quick Chicken Picatta and Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. The dishes are well rounded with a variety of different flavours and textures. The roasted cauliflower and lentil tacos came served on individual-sized corn tortillas with a creamy chipotle sauce as the base. The quick chicken piccata dish was infused with the flavour of fresh lemon and parsley while also having some salty capers included to add depth to the dish. The Mexican quinoa stuffed peppers were topped with a rich layering of grilled cheese, cooked under the broiler to add a level of crispiness to this dish.
All three dishes were quite good and of a good portion size, some of which I found ended up serving more than two, and so I had leftovers to turn into the next day’s lunch, always an added bonus. Having some additional unused portions of ingredients such as the lentils and beans also furthered the ability to stretch the dish beyond its two servings and I was able to add them into a separate dish I cooked later on that week.
The lentil and cauliflower tacos were easy to whip up, once the cauliflower was chopped and roasting in the oven the rest of the recipe came together at the same time. With the measuring already done for you, it was just a matter of opening the right container and mixing it in at the right time. With the quinoa and black bean stuffed peppers, I was also able to arrange the meal fairly quickly. I even took it as far as to further simplify the process by preparing the quinoa, bean and spice filling in my instant pot on high pressure for 2 minutes. When you can cut corners like that on a recipe that is already mindful of time it is shocking to see how fast the meal goes from prep to table. The most complicated of the recipes was the quick chicken piccata. Having said that, it was still accomplished in less than 30 minutes which is quite incredible and a necessity when wanting to create a substantial weeknight meal that is satisfying. In the chicken piccata there were a few additional steps and the use of two pots/pans vs one as in the others which added to a little bit more thinking and careful watching as you balance the processes in terms of timing. Not impossible to manage at all, and again everything was organized in a way so that you can work towards one part of the dish while another part cooks. In this instance prepping and cooking the chicken and vegetables was done while you wait for the orzo to boil and cook.
Flavour wise, each of the recipes was of good taste and not overwhelming with challenging flavours or spices that can be more difficult to manage with a lesser developed palate. These recipes are a great basic starting point for beginner cooks or anyone who enjoys a simplified cooking process. They are likely to be enjoyed by most people, however, if like me, you prefer meals to have a bit more depth, spice or additional garnishes know that these recipes are easily customizable and can be extended. The limit is only what is in your imagination, skill repertoire or refrigerator! For example, with the lentil and cauliflower tacos, I decided to add a bit of hot sauce to the assembled tacos and then sprinkled some goat cheese onto it as well. By doing so I was able to take a good recipe and make it more personalized to my own tastes which is a great way to accommodate the tastes of everyone in your family. However know that if you aren’t confident in doing these kinds of add-ons on the fly, the dish you end up if you follow the recipe strictly as provided the end result will still be a solid and satisfying meal that is quick and easy to prepare, with minimal cleanup required, all good things when wanting to get a meal on the table after a long day of work.
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Jennifer Hulley – http://jenniferhulley.com