At the start of this year, I made it my mission to try out all my local restaurants and their varying cuisines. My partner and I realised there were so many great places to eat nearby that we'd never been to. We had it all mapped out - we'd go to a restaurant every Friday night. Then lockdown hit and restaurants started to close.

I was still determined to try new cuisines on my own. I checked out a few recipes and they were so complicated. I was ready to give up until a friend recommended HelloFresh, a meal kit subscription that delivers ingredients right to your doorstep every week.

All the recipes looked so delicious. But how easy would it be? And would it be worth it? When I saw how affordable HelloFresh was, it really piqued my interest. Plus, having the ingredients for my chosen recipes delivered to my door would be so convenient, and I'd avoid an unnecessary trip to the supermarket.

The meals can be cooked in as little as 30 minutes because all the ingredients are pre-portioned so there's very little prep involved. And the easy to follow recipe cards would make things ten times easier. I can even pause or cancel my subscription at any time with their handy app, so I thought I might as well try it out.

Here are the top 5 favourite international recipes from HelloFresh:

Mumbai Beef Meatball Curry

I was super excited to try this dish as I love Indian food but had never cooked any myself. It was surprisingly simple to cook, and - as usual with HelloFresh - it took less than 30 minutes. The Indian spices blend with the mint for an amazingly flavoursome dish.

Turkish Spiced Beef Taco with Hummus & Cucumber Salsa

Turkish cuisine isn't one I'm too familiar with, but these tacos are to die for. Plus, it was super easy to make. The hummus is healthy and yummy. This is definitely a dish I'd never have tried if it wasn't for HelloFresh.

Italian Creamy Pesto Bacon Fusilli

Although I'm well versed in Italian food (mostly pizza), this is another recipe I'd never tried. The bacon sauce was so tasty and something I'd never made from scratch before. And it only took 25 minutes to make!

Korean Pork Bibimbap

I had been seeing Korean food on my Insta feed for a while and I was intrigued, so I was truly excited to try this dish. Although I'd never cooked anything Korean before, HelloFresh made it super easy. This one is now a favourite of mine - I love the mix of eggs, tasty mince, and cucumbers.

Lebanese Beef & Feta Meatballs

Another cuisine I was completely new to was Lebanese, but I was excited when I saw this on the menu because I suspected I'd fall in love with it. And I was right, the feta cheese and herbs make for a yummy combination.

If you're interested in trying or learning how to cook new international cuisines, I'd highly recommend HelloFresh. Their menu has so much to choose from (up to 25 recipes a week to choose from!), the food is delicious, it's easy and convenient and it eliminates dinnertime stress. It starts at just $7.99 per serving!

I'm so glad I took the plunge. Check out HelloFresh, you won't be disappointed.

Update: The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get over 40% off on Your HelloFresh Order