Times for fast food fixes
Thai is my absolute favourite cuisine. Unfortunately since moving to Wellington four years ago I haven’t been able to find a competitor for Zab Thai takeaway in Christchurch. Some weekends the wait time would be two hours and I wouldn’t blink twice, it’s that good. Kai Box’s plantbased green curry soup comes close to reaching that level.
I’m tired from an 8km run after work and need something hearty to boost my energy pronto. This soup is minimal in terms of preparation. I cut and marinate the tofu with soy sauce and sesame oil, lying it on the baking tray and adding a coat of cornflour for crunch. No-one likes soggy tofu.
While that bakes in the oven for 20 minutes I fry the onion and ginger in a tablespoon of coconut milk, a revelation for me – I’d never thought of doing that before. The frying curry paste incites a similar reaction from my flatmates as on the weekend. There is a kaffir leaf to add with the coconut milk and vegetable stock, which the broccoli, edamame beans and spinach simmer in for 15 minutes. I ladle the soup into a bowl and add tofu and coriander to the top. Absolutely delicious.
This meal comes from Kai Box’s kickstart lowcarb range. The company offer only plant-based recipes and you are expected to have some pantry staples, some of which I had to purchase to make the meal, but that meant I could choose glass bottles of soy sauce and sesame oil instead of plastic. The minimal waste was incredible, the only plastic being from the tofu, edamame beans and curry paste. I am a happy camper.
5/5
Taste: Ease of cooking: Waste: Value for money:
4/5
4/5 4/5 Cheese has always been the dairy food I’ve struggled to give up. Given our lifelong relationship I was surprised to learn something new about it. Soaking halloumi in water? It really did reduce the saltiness and I’m not sure how I missed this previously.
Making salad exciting can be a mission. Hello Fresh nailed it with their halloumi and dukkah roast vegetable salad, pictured left.
There is a bit of preparation involved with roasting the kumara and cauliflower, meaning this recipe took the longest of all the food boxes. But while that cooks away I learn how to make a new dressing with some fried garlic and greek yoghurt. Mixing the greens with vinegar and olive oil is messy fun. The produce is all good quality.
I don’t feel like I’m eating a boring old salad. There is a good amount of crunch with chopped almonds sprinkled on top, and the flavours work well together. I eat it all, and there is no food waste. Hello Fresh could have done more in terms of plastic waste. Again, there was plastic-wrapped cauliflower and yoghurt in a plastic pouch. Being an international company I would have hoped they had the financial means to combat some of these issues. But overall, a tasty, fresh meal.
4/5
Taste: Ease of cooking: Waste: Value for money:
2.5/5
3.5/5 3.5/5