MAXINE GORDON road tests a food delivery and recipe service that makes family cooking as easy as ABC.

IF you are pressed for time and stuck for inspiration when it comes to cooking, Hello Fresh may be the answer to your prayers.

The company delivers a box of food to your doorstep, complete with easy-to-follow picture recipe cards and the necessary ingredients (even down to pinches of spice) to make tasty meals. Most meals can be cooked in less than half an hour and don’t need fancy equipment.

Set up last year by Yorkshire lad Ed Boyes, it offers a range of box sizes (from a three-meal box for two priced at £39, or £36 for veggies, to a four-meal family box for four at £64 – find out more at hellofresh.co.uk).

I tried the family box and was impressed with the quality of the produce – and the fact that everything was clearly marked and measured out (yes including tiny amounts of herbs and spices in individual plastic pots).

The recipe cards were easy to follow and the picture guide meant my 11-year-old daughter could have a go at preparing the meals which featured a noodle and chicken dish; homemade burgers with Caprese salad; gnocchi arrabiata with fresh basil, pancetta and toasted pine nuts and – this week’s column – Bedouin chicken with citrus couscous and green beans.

This chicken dinner was super-easy to rustle up, and tasted wonderful; the lemon in the tomato sauce gave it a real citrus zing while the cumin gave a pleasant aromatic heat. To make it go further, and more economical, you could halve the amount of chicken in the recipe and add a can of chickpeas (or use chickpeas instead of chicken altogether).

Twitter: @MaxineYGordon


Bedouin chicken with citrus couscous and green beans

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
300g couscous
large handful green beans (topped and tailed)
1 lemon
6 dried apricots
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tins organic chopped tomatoes
1 chicken stock pot (or large tablespoon of concentrated stock)

Optional: can of pre-cooked chickpeas 

Method:

1. Boil 500ml of water for your couscous.

2. Cut chicken breasts into six equal strips 3. Chop apricots into tiny pieces.

4. Zest and juice the lemon.

5. Put dry couscous into bowl, pour over 250ml of water; add half the lemon juice and half the zest and ½ tsp of salt. Cover and leave to soak for ten minutes.

6. Heat 2 tbsps of olive oil in non-stick pan on medium heat.

7. Cook chicken with a pinch of salt until browned.

8. Add honey and stir for a minute.

9. Add cinnamon, cumin the tinned tomatoes, 1tsp of sugar, the stock pot and the remaining lemon zest and juice.

10. Give everything a stir and add the beans and apricots. If using canned chickpeas, add now.

11. Cook uncovered, on a medium heat for about eight minutes, or until the beans are tender.

12. To serve, simply fluff up your couscous with a fork and top it with your chicken mix.