It was a Tuesday night and as I opened the door to my flat, I couldn’t help but feel relieved to make it home. The workday had dragged on and my commute included delays. As I walked in, my eye couldn’t help but notice a huge box sitting on our coffee table. 

I turned to my partner, Miha, to ask what it was, but the confused expression on my face said it all. Before I could say anything she giggled and announced: “It’s tonight’s dinner”. Both chuckling, she led me to the box and urged me to open it up. Before I knew it, I began to unfold the box flaps to what would turn out to be a very pleasant experience.

Mindful Chef had sent over the recipe and ingredients to make a traditional Levantine Moussaka. The ingredients were really authentic and the recipe incredibly descriptive and easy to follow. This was particularly helpful as cooking moussaka is not for the faint-hearted. 

So it might take you 2 hours and 40 minutes to cook, and you’ll need to set up about two cooking stations: one for cutting ingredients, one for letting the potatoes soak in water and the other to saute ingredients in a pan. The entire process is not easily managed for the inexperienced cook alone and best done in pairs. Yet, that’s the best part!

Despite the effort that it takes to get a dish like this together, it was amazing to reflect on what a positive experience preparing this as a couple had been. The three hours we invested in its preparation took us far and beyond the kitchen. It included discussions on future plans, comment on the distinct cultures of the different Mediterranean nations that eat moussaka and their shared histories. We dreamed about visiting Greek beaches and had politically charged debates on the situation in Syria and the recent political instability in Lebanon.

What Mindful Chef was able to do for us that evening was much more than deliver us a healthy convenient meal. I mean, of course, the ingredients were farm-sourced and incredibly high quality (think more Whole Foods than Waitrose) and we got to skip the trek to the supermarket. However, what it really did was an experience that would allow us to learn together, laugh together and be together. For that, and the meal’s authentic taste, means I would recommend anyone to have a go. 

That said, I understand that perhaps not everyone can spend three hours a night cooking and laughing the night away. For that, the good people at Mindful Chef have created an array of creative and healthy dishes that meet all moods and time constraints. Have a look and let us know what you think on one of our channels. Bon Appetit! 

To check out what Mindful Chef have to offer, head over to their website.