Last updated: December 29, 2023
If you’re a foodie like me, going out for dinner is probably one of the things you’ve missed the most during the pandemic. But lucky for us, many restaurants like LIMA have taken to providing ‘home meal box kits’ that allow you to have a restaurant quality dinner at home, with next to no cooking ability required!
Like many, I’m partial to a takeaway on a Friday night but my LIMA at Home Meal Box was no ordinary takeaway. It was truly a home dining experience unlike anything I’ve ever had before! Four courses of exquisite Peruvian delight, each prepared in less than 20 minutes!
The LIMA at Home Meal Box Selection
LIMA offers three different varieties of at home meal boxes: Classic, Earth (vegetarian) and Lux so you have lots of options to choose from. You can also choose the box for two or four people so you can have a cosy night in, or treat the whole family. I went for the Lux LIMA Box for ultimate food indulgence!
The LIMA at Home Meal Box Experience
The meal started with some traditional Peruvian small bites – nibbles with no preparation which got us in the mood perfectly. We paired them with some pre-dinner drinks as we wanted the full restaurant experience! The aniseed and olive brioche-style bread was warmed in the oven, along with some cancha corn (think popcorn kernels that have been roasted and salted). My personal favourite was the plantain crisps with avocado mousse: the most indulgent chips and dip I’ve ever had!
To start, we had scallop ceviche which is actually the national dish of Peru! This dish had quite a lot of elements to assemble but it all arrives in labelled packets with clear instructions and a picture to guide you. The scallops are marinated in zesty puka tiger’s milk and then placed onto the plate. We channelled our inner ‘MasterChef’ and had fun arranging the extras including yellow chilli sauce, caviar and artichoke crisps. The chilli had quite a kick but that’s another benefit of building the dish at home – you’re in control of how much chilli is added!
The only preparation for the main course was to warm the lamb in the oven for 20 minutes and to heat the purée in a pan of warm water. That gave us 20 minutes to savour the starter!
The main course was milk fed lamb ‘seco de cordero’ which is another Peruvian specialty. I was worried that having to heat the food would impact the quality but it worked perfectly – the lamb was so succulent and just fell off the bone! After taking the lamb out, I poured the sauce sachet into the lamb pan and mixed until it became thick and glossy. The sweet potato and pumpkin purée, black broccoli quinoa and brussel sprouts made the perfect base for the rich lamb sauce.
To finish off this luxurious feast we had the smoked ‘piña colada’ dessert consisting of slow-cooked smoked pineapple, coconut cream, candied orange and lemon tuile. After two rich and indulgent courses, this was the perfect dessert: light and fruity (and totally unique). Again it was super easy to prepare, just a case of assembling the different elements and sprinkling over the pistachio powder!
As someone that loves good food but has very little culinary ability, this Lima Box was perfect for me! It was my first experience of authentic Peruvian cuisine from the comfort of my own home. This box allowed me to enjoy foods that I would never usually eat at home, arriving on my doorstep prepared, packaged and (almost) ready to eat.
I’ve sent the pictures of my dishes to all my friends and family who can’t quite believe that dishes that stunning came out of my kitchen! Order the LIMA at Home Meal Box Experience here with UK wide delivery. Written by Ellie Green
