Let’s play a little word association game. What comes to mind when you see these words mentioned with food – convenient, healthy and anti-inflammatory? If you’re like me, you probably think pre-packaged, flavorless, frozen meals. Good thing there’s CJK Foods to dispel the myth that healthy food is boring and bland. The locally sourced, organic and fresh foods are delivered weekly to your door or available for pick up at various partner locations in Chicago. Most importantly, these are delectable meals handmade by chefs – masterful connoisseurs of taste!
For months I’d wanted to try CJK Foods after discovering them in Goop. However enticing I found the weekly menu featured in CJK’s newsletter, I couldn’t reconcile how these healthy entrees could possibly be as appetizing as they sounded. Naturally, I wanted a sample before taking the plunge to order meals. Personally, taste and quality are of utmost importance to me when it comes to food. If it isn’t flavorful, I don’t care how healthy it is.
Well, the wait paid off when CJK Foods held its Farmers, Food & Fitness event last month offering a smorgasbord of samples. I could finally see and taste firsthand what the fuss was all about.
After being greeted by Jenny, the friendly staff nutritionist and registered dietician, I walked by each table to preview the goods and make a tasting plan. Fitness gurus, local farmers and food professionals, all involved in some manner with CJK Foods, manned each station. I made my way around the room asking questions while unashamedly tasting every sample available, even those I was certain I wouldn’t enjoy.
Pleasantly surprised by how savory everything was, I introduced myself to Chef Josh Katt and his wife. We posed for pictures, chatted about the food and how he started the business. Chef Josh mentioned he’d visited my blog after he saw me follow him on Twitter. And here I thought only my Mami visited by blog…that is, when I remind her.
At this point, a friend I was supposed to meet hadn’t yet arrived. I was ready to leave convinced I could confidently order from CJK Foods and be guaranteed a good meal. I decided to wait a bit longer and passed the time speaking to a few existing customers about their experiences and others considering it. We exchanged favorites, like the chimichurri pastured pork over pureed cauliflower, Paleo bahn mi with marinated beef, and the unexpected bison meatballs with spaghetti squash. Even the fall Paleo pizza made of almond crust smeared with roasted butternut squash puree and topped with bacon and Brussels sprouts was a winner. This was power-packed superfood even my carnivorous husband would enjoy. As I stashed a CJK paleo granola sample for him into the gifted insulated CJK Foods bag, my friend finally arrived.
We made the rounds, and I had a second tasting of every sample. Don’t judge, by then I was hungry again. Clearly, Chef Josh could tell I was thoroughly enjoying the amazing morsels. Everything tasted fresh, vibrant and I didn’t think about how healthy it happened to be; that was merely an added bonus.
A couple of weeks later, I received three refrigerated meals: maple pork loin with roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized Brussels sprouts and bacon with maple aioli on the side; shredded Paleo BBQ beef with paleo bacon-barbecue sauce, sweet potato bread and a kale coleslaw salad; and roasted pumpkin quinoa flavored with cinnamon and maple syrup topped with crunch Paleo granola, pumpkin seeds and roasted pears. I knew each meal would be tasty, but I was apprehensive that my husband might not feel the same.
We tried our meals for lunch, my husband had the beef and I ate the pork loin. After reviewing the reheating instructions, we sat down to sample each other’s meals. Full disclosure here, I do not care for sweet foods so I didn’t expect to enjoy the roasted sweet potatoes nor the sweet potato bread. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I did. Neither was cloying with only a tinge of sweetness; the sweet potato bread had traces of coconut and the roasted sweet potato was well seasoned and perfect for dipping in the maple aioli.
Converted to the CJK Foods way, my husband eagerly ate the roasted pumpkin quinoa for breakfast the next day. It was hearty and filling; a perfect fall meal. I made a note to order it for him the next time.
While I cook at home frequently, there are days when my husband and I are so busy meals at home are infeasible. This is where I see CJK Foods fitting into our lives. If I can’t make a meal myself, I know there are choice ingredients that support local farmers, full of flavor and satisfying. It’s like having a personal chef!
Have you tried CJK Foods? Let me know in the comments below.
*CJK Foods generously provided three sample meals after I unapologetically made two rounds of the tasting tables at the Farmers, Food & Fitness event.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This makes me want to go on Paleo!!!
I know, right?! The food really is tasty, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased.