Seven Spoons "International Inspired Skillet Meals for Two" my Review

We all know that sometimes there is no time to cook from scratch and as I like going grocery shopping, I always try to look for new things I could try, should I need anything really fast, or because I'm just too plain lazy to cook from scratch.

So recently I went to Sprouts and saw  "Seven Spoons" frozen meals for two....

Looks deliscious right? Well I can't say it didn't taste good, but buyer beware and look at contents closely..... out of the net weight of 654gr (23.1 oz) only 36 grams or 1.29 oz is CHICKEN!!!

I couldn't believe it.... this is supposed to be a meal for 2 people, but the amount of chicken/protein in it is 1.29 oz? And all the rest is guess what white rice a few cashews and sauce....

This is just amazing to me, how in the world do these food companies get away with this? Come on, 1.29 oz of chicken so pretty much that's 0.65 oz/ 18 grams of chicken/protein per person?

That's the amount of protein a 4-9 year old child needs in a day! How are you going to market your product as a meal for two?? This is not a meal for 4 - 9 year old children.... it's an adult meal!

For example an inactive adult male with a body weight of 185 lbs needs at least 66 grams of protein to just sustain his body functions..

Well needless to say, this is not a product I would ever buy again. Not because it didn't taste good, but because it's just wrong to advertise this as a balanced meal.... out of one portion of 328 grams.... 18 grams are actually protein, the rest..... processed white rice, a few nuts and sauce! SO disappointing!

If you ever get tempted to buy it.... just buy it for the seasoning in the sauce, which is terrific but just go and get some extra chicken to toss in..... cause otherwise, you'll have to go find it amongst all the excess rice!

Chicken-Salad Spring Rolls

Do you sometimes wonder what to do with your left-over chicken? Sure you do and so do I. A lot of times, I'm sure it's Chicken Salad, but how about making a quick easy to take along snack or meal with that Chicken Salad.

Add a avocado, some sprouts, maybe some quinoa or wild rice, and salad, roll it up and Voila!

Chicken Salad Spring Rolls! Yum!

Just shred your left over chicken finely, mix it with rice and quinoa (if you want some carbs in your filling) and then add a tablespoon or two of mayo, season with salt and pepper (or whatever you fancy) and maybe some lemon juice for a bit of acidity. Set aside.

Prepare your other items, like avocado slices, lettuce leaves, sprouts, shredded carrot and arrange them in bowls.

Cover your counter with cling film, set out a plate with water to soak the rice paper wrappers. Just place the rice paper wrappers in the water maybe 30 seconds or less, then lay them onto the cling film.

Starting with the lettuce begin filling your wrappers and roll them up like a little burrito. Start by folding down the top, then fold in the sides and then wrap as tightly as you can. Put on a plate and EAT!

These stay fresh for a day or two, just place in a container with a moist paper towel.

Bon Appetite!

You could do this as well with tuna, crab, tofu, salmon or whatever other filling comes to mind.



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"Riz Casimir"

This dish is very popular in Switzerland and I loved eating this as a child, because it combined a nice mild chicken curry and the beloved sweet canned fruit, that we usually only got on special occasions as desert. Ah memories! Now let's start bringing those wonderful days back.

Most of the prep-work for this dish lies with the chicken and curry sauce, for the rice you really don't have to do anything than just cook a plain white rice as the base of the dish.

You need the following for the chicken curry:

3 large chicken breasts (cut in cubes or strips)
butter, for frying

2 tablespoons flour (if your GF use Rice Flour or Corn Starch)
1 tablespoon curry
Mixed the two, so they are combined.

200 ml chicken stock
200 ml milk (half-n-half, if you want a heavier sauce)

1 small can mixed fruit
dab of butter

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, and fry the chicken strips or cubes, to a nice golden brown until done, you might want to do this in two batches so the chicken cooks evenly. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan to an oven save dish and keep warm in the pre-heated oven.

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan, add the curry/flour mixture and roast in the pan for about 1 minute only. Then pour in the chicken stock and the milk, whisking continuously until it comes back to a boil. reduce the heat and season with salt and pepper, add back the chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

In another small pan, melt a dab of butter and sautee the canned fruit for about 5 minutes, so they get coated nicely with the butter.

To serve:

Place some of your rice on a warmed plate, add the chicken curry in the center of the rice and garnish with some of the sauteed fruit. Sprinkle with a little bit of parsley.

Bon Appetit! En Guete! Mahlzeit! Buon Appetito!

PS: Instead of canned fruit you can always use fresh, pineapple, bananas, peaches etc.

Orange-Garlic Chicken with Almond Rice Pilaf

Not knowing what to make for dinner and refusing to cook the same old grilled chicken breast I wanted to come up with something I've never done before. And I did, at first I was a bit worried if Hubby would like it or if it would even come out good, but WOW! Delicious! Even better, it's easy as pie to make.

It was kind of hot out yesterday so I thought that I could use some citrusy flavors in our dinner. So here is what you need:

3 to 4 Chicken Breasts (skinless & boneless)
rinse and pat dry

For the Marinade:

3 large cloves of garlic (pressed through a garlic press)
1 Serrano Pepper (cut finely)
1 Orange Zest and Juice
Fresh ground Black Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt

Mix the ingredients in a cup or bowl well, place chicken breast in a re-sealable bag, pour in the marinade, shake so meat is covered well, and refrigerate, turning occasionally for about 1 hour or longer.

For the rice:

1/2 large Yellow Onion (or small whole Onion), finely chopped
2 tablespoons Butter
1.5 cups Rice (rinse well until water runs clear)
1.5 cups Chicken stock
1 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup sliced or slivered Almonds

I used my rice cooker to do this, so you might have to adjust the liquids to the measurements of your rice cooker.

Melt the butter. add chopped onion, almonds and let sweat for a couple of minutes until onion looks transparent, add the rice and liquids to the measurement of your rice cooker, 3 parts stock to 2 parts orange juice, set to cook. You'll see the almonds will add a nice crunch to the rice and it's just lovely!

When your rice is almost done, start up your grill to get it nice and hot. Place your marinated Chicken on the grill, turning over once or twice while brushing with the marinate, until done.

Serve with a nice salad and a crisp white or rose wine!

DELICIOUS! Bon Apetit! Mahlzeit! En Guete!