The Lazy Cook: Alice and Gousto

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There is a new home culinary trend on the block. Screw sitting for hours flicking and clicking through the Ocado site to buy your groceries for the week… that’s way too time consuming How much easier is it to pick some meals you want to eat and have the exact ingredients and instructions delivered to your door?

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Initially I thought this was a pretty lazy way to eat. Who hasn’t got the time or energy to throw a few ingredients together in a pan and serve them to their family?

I’ll tell you who hasn’t: ME. Me, when I have just moved house and am grappling with a weaning, teething dribbly mess (hi, Hux). Me, who is trying to fit in an 8 hour day working day somewhere at being a stay at home mum. Me, who would rather do anything but expel brain power on meal plans. It’s lazy but it’s ME!

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And so I gratefully accepted a trial from the folk at Gousto, who offer what they call ‘Gourmet bags’. It’s very simple: you take a look at their weekly menus, select the meals you fancy and BAM! The ingredients will be delivered to your door with full step-by-step instructions. I really do mean step-by-step too, there’s no messing these meals up if you follow their easy colourful instruction cards.

What I liked about their selection of meals is that they’re all quite ‘out there’: you won’t find a toad in the hole or pedestrian Spag Bol. These are all recipes that you probably won’t have cooked before, for example I now know I love artichoke, and will definitely cook it again.

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We chose two meals: Lamb pasta with Artichoke as well as pistachio-crusted honey Chicken with Sweet Potato.

I was a little surprised that they were both pretty brilliant. All ingredients for a full meal were included (bar some greens I added myself to go with the chicken) and they were quick and easy to throw together. But most importantly they were delicious. They tasted like the sort of meals that I like to plan to eat a couple of times a week and that take planning, strategic shopping (usually in the large supermarket 10 miles away rather than our local Co-op, butcher or greengrocer) and effort.

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The one thing I didn’t like was how far in advance I had to order my box, about a week and a half, as Gousto need time to prepare their ingredients so you won’t get the 2-3 days lead time you get with an online supermarket shop.
Yes, this is an expensive way to eat. Three meals will cost a couple £42 a week and a family £67, but if we aren’t making an effort to plan and be frugal when it comes to supermarket shopping then I would not be surprised to find that we spend around this amount. The food is organic, locally sourced and seasonal and all packaging is eco-friendly and sustainable. For the times when menu planning is the last thing on my mind – and that’s been the case recently – I will definitely order from them.
Gousto have kindly offered up a two meal couple box up for a reader of More Than Toast to win. All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter below, and tell me what YOUR favourite meal is.
Terms and Conditions
All entrants will be automatically subscribed to the Gousto newsletter
This is open to readers aged 18+ who are UK residents. Sorry, Gousto is unable to deliver to the Scottish Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland.
A winner will be randomly selected next Monday, 1st April 2013.

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28 Comments

  1. tamalyn roberts wrote:

    my favourite meal is my home made roast beef dinner with the beef slow cooked all day, yummy. sorry there is no online recipe for it x

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  2. Heidi wrote:

    The chilli and line beef looks amazing!

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  3. Ciara wrote:

    It definitely looks handy. Nice to have that pressure taken off you.
    I think my favourite meal is a very simple vegan mac n trees. It’s made with nutritional yeast and you just ad whatever greens you want towards the end. I usually go with peas and broccoli. I usually add some cheddar too ;)
    I must make it on average once a week and it’s low fat, healthy and easy!

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  4. This looks a great company – a bit pricy maybe but a good idea. I love anything Spanish so a good prawn and chorizo based dish always goes down well with me! x

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  5. I am a huge fan of pizza, I am addicted to it!

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  6. olivia kirby wrote:

    This is my favourite recipe http://www.nibblous.com/recipe/825 not a meal, a very easy, scrummy banana cake that the kids love.
    My favourite homemade meal is a fish pie with a red lentil and sweet potato topping.

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  7. Corinne wrote:

    My favourite (quick) recipe is creamy mushroom pasta, no link though, it’s my mum’s recipe!

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  8. Holly wrote:

    That website sounds like a great idea, very tempted to try it out!

    My favourite recipe at the moment is Leon Gobi, from the first Leon recipe book. Can’t beat a large bubbling pot of coconutty vegetables :-)

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  9. Ruth wrote:

    I love beef slow cooked in a bit of red wine, or left over chicken in white sauce with a stock cube and sweet corn added, we had it every Monday growing up,following Sundays chicken roast.

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  10. Joy wrote:

    That chicken looks delicious!
    My favourite meal is probably a pasta dish with chicken, bacon, cheddar and blue cheese we have pretty much every week. Proper comfort food! And since being deprived blue cheese when pregnant I’ve been making up for it at every opportunity!xx

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  11. Laura wrote:

    Favourite meal: Tayyabs lamb chops and aubergine dahl, hands down.

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  12. Rosie wrote:

    My favourite meal is salmon cooked in a little foil parcel in the oven (add lemon/garlic/paprika whatever you fancy) served with new potatoes and greens.

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  13. laura banks wrote:

    my homemade chilli con carne no link to it as its in my head

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  14. Lindy hamilton wrote:

    My favourite meal is lasagne :) yummmmmm

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  15. I have a few faves but I think if I had to pick one it would be my Smokey Beef Chilli
    http://www.realsuburbanmummy.com/2012/11/04/smokey-beef-chilli/

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  16. Christina Curtis wrote:

    I love honey and mustard chicken with green beans and creamy mash!

    Posted 3.24.13 Reply
  17. Frances hopkins wrote:

    Mine is definately toad in the hole, very simple too

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  18. Jo Hutchinson wrote:

    good old sausages and mash with a little onion gravy

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  19. Victoria wrote:

    My fav is simply roast chicken, served with any variety of sides (veggies, salad, rice).

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  20. Becca wrote:

    I go through phases but at the moment my favourite meal is thai green curry :)

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  21. Currently into comfort food – mac and cheese for me

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  22. becky vaal wrote:

    these meals look great thanks for the giveaway

    becky

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
    • becky vaal wrote:

      i genuinely can’t pick my favourite dish I have so many

      Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  23. Suzanne Cooke wrote:

    Home made spag bol for me.

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  24. smiffysmrs wrote:

    My favourite meal is Sausages, Mashed Potato, Beans & Onion Gravy.
    Most people gag at the thought of beans with it,but those who’ve tried it have been converted.
    mmmmmmmmm
    Emma

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  25. Dawnie wrote:

    It’s got to be a good curry. Probably a South Indian garlic chilli chicken. And I am so saving this blogpost so I can steal lots of meal ideas from your comments.

    Posted 3.25.13 Reply
  26. Holly wrote:

    My fave meal at the mo is tuna nicoise salad…yum!

    Posted 3.26.13 Reply
  27. J. Jordan wrote:

    My favorite right now is chicken alfredo.

    Posted 3.28.13 Reply