Get your cook on!
by Karen Shaw
After months of slaving in the kitchen and ordering take-aways I’ve had enough! I’ve lost my culinary inspiration. But not to worry. I’ve been on a food journey to discover dishes that can be delivered to your door. So, if you fancy being a Michelin star chef for the evening or you’re a tired parent short of inspiration look no further.
Fine food at home
The finest food to have ever left our kitchen. Simply cook. Plate up and make sure you stash the packaging in the bin. You too can be a Michelin star chef.
- Time – 1 hour
- Taste – 10/10
- Easibility Factor – 9/10
- Wow Factor – 10/10
- Value For Money – 10/10
- £21.49 Per Person
This is a prepared food brand with a difference – largely thanks to the impeccable credentials of Noble House Prepared’s Executive Chef, who spent many years leading the restaurants of Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsey, both in the UK and overseas and has catered for the glitterati including Elton John’s Oscar Viewing Party in LA. Fillet of Beef in a Red Wine Jus, Golden Roast Potatoes, Broccoli Florets and French Green Beans, Maple Syrup Roast Parsnips and Carrots. Serves 4. £85.95 noblehouseprepared.com
Curry-tastic
A seriously good curry. In fact, one of the best we’ve ever had, even the kids liked it (all of it.)
- Time – 1 hour
- Taste – 9/10
- Easibility Factor – 9/10
- Wow Factor – 10/10
- Value For Money – 10/10
- £9.50 Per Person
Truly authentic and incredibly moreish. Actually, enjoyed cooking the dishes and felt a sense of satisfaction after taking the credit for a wonderful dish. This ultimate curry kit allows fans of modern Indian-specialists, Kricket to make one of their signature dishes at home. The Butter Chicken Curry kit comprises Tandoori free-range chicken with a rich buttery makhani sauce, garnished with fenugreek and ginger and served with burnt garlic tarka dal, ghee pilau rice, black pepper papas and mango chutney. Serves 4.
Curry in a hurry
Restaurant quality meals in minutes
- Time – 4 mins
- Taste – 9/10
- Easibilty factor – 10/10
- Wow factor – 10/10
- Value for money – 10/10
- £12.50 per person
Mandira’s Kitchen is an award-winning producer of authentic Indian food. The all woman team work out of a 400-year-old cowshed to create delicious freezer meals, and accompaniments. Passed down generations of Mandira’s family all their food is made using fresh produce, containing no gluten or unpronounceable bits with vegan and dairy free options. After a busy day, when energy levels are low or you just fancy a curry Mandira’s is a must. We opted for their Dine in for 4 package (£50) which consisted of Kaju Dhania Murgh, Keema Mattar, Lemon Rice, Vegetable Samosas, Naan bread and Tomato & Date Chutney. Pure pleasure. Whack it in the microwave and ‘ping’ your evening meal is saved. mandiraskitchen.com
Winging it
Big puchy flavour, perhaps a little too punchy!
- Time – 30 mins
- Taste – 5/10
- Easibilty factor – 8/10
- Wow factor – 7/10
- Value for money – 5/10
- £7.50 per person
Unfortunately, it arrived without instructions, using our own initiative we presumed you’d cook the chicken through and then top with honey and sesame sauce and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Juicy chicken but the marinade was very rich and too salty for our tastes. Make sure you have a jug of water at the ready or perhaps a recipe card! 1.5kg marinated raw chicken wings, Chang’s Honey and sesame sauce or Jarv’s tangy buffalo sauce, chives, toasted white sesame seeds and a spring onion. £30. greatfood2u.co.uk
Vegan dough to go
Felt like a proper Italian chef but resisted the temptation to throw the pizza dough around
- Time – 15 mins
- Taste – 8/10
- Easibilty factor – 9/10
- Wow factor – 7/10
- Value for money – 8/10
- £8.75 per person
Ready in just 15 minutes yet interactive and fun to make, this would be the perfect at-home date night activity. Their We Godfather Pizza is tastier than Pacino…Spicy vegan nduja, broccolini and green olives on top of a rich tomato sauce, beautifully melted vegan mozzarella, and a soft doughy base. £35. Serves 4. restaurantkitsuk.com
Short of inspiration?
Ideal for those times when you’ve lost inspiration and can’t remember how to cook anymore
- Time – 25 mins
- Taste – 9/10
- Easibilty factor – 9/10
- Wow factor – 10/10
- Value for money – 10/10
- £2.98 per person
One of the UK’s leading recipe boxes, Gousto offers 50 recipes every week and delivers precise, fresh ingredients and easy to follow recipe cards direct to your door. A red box full of dinnertime inspiration! £47.75 for 4 recipes (2 adults and 2/3 children) gousto.co.uk
You pick the dishes and they’ll do the rest. We all got rather excited when we opened the box, which included every ingredient required along with four recipe cards (thank goodness). Fresh, quality produce and incredibly tasty. There’s a wealth of dishes to choose from at gusto.co.uk . For a real flavoursome dish go for the Chicken, Herby Bulgar & Warm Harissa Dressing… still thinking about it now! Delicious.
Bella Piccolo Pacchetto
Easy peasy pasta passed down through generations
- Time – 20 mins
- Taste – 9/10
- Easibilty factor – 9/10
- Wow factor – 8/10
- Value for money – 10/10
- £6.75 per person
Discover inside The Catania Recipe Parcel the ingredients with recipe card to make your own Strazzanti favourite ‘Pasta alla Norma’. One of their signature sauces made with aubergine and salted ricotta cheese immersed in a full-bodied Sicilian tomato sauce is heaven sent. A winner. Pasta alla Norma Recipe Parcel (Catania), £27. strazzanti.co
BBQs and Briskets
For those who love ‘owt Yorkshire’ the Farmison’s Yorkshire Cure Beef Brisket was an absolute delight.
- Time – 5 hours
- Taste – 9/10
- Easibility factor – 9/10
- Wow factor – 9/10
- Value for money – 10/10
- £5.83 per person
Encompassing all the flavours of Yorkshire, this heritage breed beef brisket is made with Henderson’s relish, Hambleton Ales Night Porter, black treacle and salt. The melt in the mouth meat was the perfect meal for the family, mind you we’re all from Yorkshire, but I do believe even a Lancastrian would be forced to admit it’s ‘reet gud’! In anticipation of warmer days, they’ve also a rather tasty new range of beef briskets for the BBQ. Check out their Texan Dry Rub Flat Beef Brisket and 14 Day Dry Aged Flat Brisket at farmison.com/bbq
