We gave a Goodfood meal kit to a rookie chef, and here's what happened

Oct 19 2018, 1:51 am

Meal kit services, where fresh ingredients and recipes are sent to your home on a regular basis, have never been more popular.

If you’ve ever listened a podcast, you’ve probably been saturated with ads for American-based kit services like Blue Apron. But the best part of meal kits (specifically the focus on locally-sourced and fresh ingredients) means that you can’t have them shipped overnight from overseas; these companies need to be local, with the connections and resources to bring you the best that local farms and gardens have to offer.

That’s why Goodfood has become Canada’s leading meal kit service; their commitment to quality ingredients is right in their name, after all. They offer a selection of boxes, from Easy Prep to Family-Sized.

Locally-sourced ingredients? Check. Easy-to-follow recipes? Check. At first glance, it looks like Goodfood is offering everyone a fast way to create dazzling (and delicious) dishes in the kitchen on a regular basis. But we had to wonder: Are these boxes fool-proof?

Could someone who is only good at cooking breakfast, like me, consistently pull off edible lunches and dinners using only the guidance of a single Goodfood kit?

I put my ego (and my stomach) on the line to find out.

Choose the basket that’s right for you

Image: Goodfood

When you sign up for a Goodfood account, you’re asked to choose the type of kit you want to receive on a weekly basis. You have a cut-off date of Wednesday or Saturday of each week to lock down what type of kit you want to have mailed to you, as well as the meals you want in each basket.

Whether you’re craving steak or trying to cut meat out of your diet entirely, you’ll be able to fully control what is sent to your home. But what’s most important is the type of basket: I could choose from an Easy Prep Basket, a Classic Basket, a Vegetarian Basket, or a Family Basket.

Why is this important? Because you need to know your limits. So in that spirit, I went with their (brand new!) Easy Prep Basket, and received three delicious recipes in turn: Spicy Chicken Laksa with Rice Noodles, Cod with Quinoa, and Steaks with Almond Gremolata. Best of all, all three recipes had a prep time of under 25 minutes. And true to the “easy” part of the name, all of the meals came with pre-chopped ingredients, which saved me way more time than I am ready to admit.

In the time it took to run a single episode of a sitcom in the background, I had cooked a gourmet-quality meal with my own two hands. If that’s not easy, I don’t know what is.

Make some space in your fridge

Image: Goodfood

The Goodfood basket is a sight to behold. It’s basically a tiny cooler built inside of a cardboard box, filled with recipe cards and each of your meals in clearly-labelled bags and vacuum-sealed packages. And there are some heavy-duty ice packs at the bottom in case you’re not home when your basket arrives.

It all feels neat and orderly and briefly tricked my brain into thinking I was competing on Chopped instead of trying to impress my wife with a non-microwaved meal. But a word to the wise: You’re getting a lot of ingredients in a single box, so make sure you clear some real estate in your fridge ahead of time.

Savour the moment

Image: Goodfood

I am someone who wishes they were better at cooking, but due to a mix of laziness and insecurity, I never invested enough in that skill to learn more than a handful of meals, most of them focused on breakfast. I had never seared a chicken before (and I’ve definitely never made my own laksa), and once I had my first forkful, I could immediately appreciate the crust that had formed because of the salt and pepper seasoning I had added.

For the first time in a long time, I felt legitimately proud of something I had cooked. And by choosing the Easy Prep Basket, I had all the tools I needed to make a satisfying meal without getting overwhelmed or burning my house down. And by keeping each Easy Prep meal lean and locally-sourced, it didn’t hurt my wallet, either.

The chicken thighs that came with the laksa were red and juicy-looking, a far cry from the whitish-pink cuts I usually cook with, and a testament to the quality of Goodfood ingredients. I successfully made quinoa without burning it. I now have a deep and abiding love for chicken demi-glace. I felt like a real chef.

If you’re a rookie in the kitchen, Goodfood kits give you everything you need to succeed and take pride in your cooking on your terms. From pre-chopped ingredients to meals that can be finished in a handful of steps, the Easy Prep Basket is the closest I’ve come to feeling like an actual chef with none of the training.

But you don’t have to just take my word for it: If you’re ready and willing to dip your toe in the world of meal kits, Goodfood is offering 50% off your first basket for new members who sign up right here.

You can ALSO win a month’s worth of Goodfood baskets (4 in total) right here, right now. Let’s make it happen.

Prize

Enter for your chance to win a month of Goodfood baskets, 4 in total. (Open to both new and existing members!)

Contest

To enter for your chance to win the prize listed above, courtesy of Goodfood, please fill out the form below:

Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 pm on November 14, 2018. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through email for further details.

A month of Goodfood represents 4 baskets, each of a maximum value of $78, for a total value of $312. It includes free delivery. The winner needs to live in an area serviced by Goodfood as no cash prize will be given. Read Goodfood’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

View the contest Rules and Regulations here (and here in French).

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