With the emerging trend of food boxes hitting the marketplace, it’s no surprise that New World have also come up with their own version of ingredient-ready, convenient meal options.
Just Cook It. is a new range of ready to prepare meal kits available for purchase from selected New World supermarkets that provide an easy, nutritious serving for two.
All ingredients are provided, except for a few staple pantry items – normally things like salt, pepper and olive oil. These items are listed on the box, so be sure to check what you need just in case.
New World Howick has generously provided me with the current chicken meal kit to test out at home.
Here’s how I went…
Meal – Creamy Chicken (free range) & Green Medley
Prep time – 15 minutes | Cook time – 15 minutes
Pantry staples – Olive oil, salt, mustard (it didn’t specify type, so I used Dijon), water
The recipe: Nice and simple, I loved using ingredients that I wouldn’t normally use like the canalleni beans which need to be pureed. Would be easy to reproduce again.
The prep: Again, simple and easy to follow instructions. The prep time given is 15 minutes, but I managed to get all the prep done in 12.
The meal: I was surprised at how easy this was to cook, one pan and one pot. All the elements were ready within 15 minutes (as per the recipe) with enough time to clean-up in between – perfect!
The taste: The creamy chicken and mushroom sauce – yum, yum, yum! This is definitely a combo that can be used again with pasta or kumara mash. The green vegies were fresh, tasty and the perfect partner to the creamy sauce.
The canalleni bean puree is a new feature in my kitchen and being adventurous I certainly don’t mind. The bean puree calls for lemon juice, olive oil and fresh crushed garlic and as I’m a fan of big flavour I’d definitely recommend double the quantity of these ingredients for this element.
Overall I like the puree’s texture with the meal!
The creamy chicken & green medley was a really tasty and satisfying meal. These dinner boxes are such a great idea for those who want something last minute that’s nutritious so you can pick it up when you need it. I love how the options change each week and suit a wide range of diners.
I also love the fact there is no pre-commitment or major planning required, thus leaving your day-to-day dining flexible and not determined by pre-purchased delivered food.
Would I buy Just Cook It. again? Absolutely. It’s a chance to try new dinners without buying excess ingredients and the meals are good sized, nutritious portions for two.
– Petrina Wilson
