Archive for the ‘5 Stars’ Category
Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
These are meat-free “chicken” tenders made from soy and wheat.
Taste: These tasted like something familiar but I could not put my finger on it. They tasted ok but definitely not like chicken. You just have to think about it like you’re eating something new, not like you’re eating something you expect to taste like chicken. They were better with honey mustard which I procured from McDonald’s.
Texture: First of all they were supposed to bake for 20 minutes (turn halfway through), and I found them sticking to the baking sheet. So the breading was coming off and at the end of cooking there was a lot of breading crusted to the pan. The inside did not really look like chicken, and it was a bit rubbery. I would probably not buy these again although I just found out they make a chipotle lime flavor. I just tried them because I had a coupon, but I think they are normally pretty expensive, and at the end of the day I really like chicken.
Overall Rating: 5/10
Dijon Chicken
Posted on: March 10, 2010
Recipe: Dijon Chicken
Ingredients: Chicken, red peppers, red onion, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, flour (served over chicken-flavored rice)
Taste: This is the second time I made this. The first time was a little better, possibly because of the white rice instead of chicken-flavored, and the white onions instead of red. It’s simple to make, tastes like dijon mustard, what more can you ask for?
Texture: The sauce is a little thin- next time I might add some more flour. The chunks of onion and pepper were larger this time, which makes it look fancier and more colorful.
Portion: I make this recipe with 2 chicken cutlets instead of the 6 the recipe calls for, and half an onion, but the rest of the ingredients as written. I guess it makes a lot less sauce and vegetables if you use 6 cutlets. My method equals 4 meals for me (I’m trying to eat smaller portion sizes- chicken the size of a deck of cards or less, etc). The rice was a single portion microwaveable cup, but I always find that it’s a little too much.
Overall Rating: 5/10
Superbowl Chili Cook-Off
Posted on: February 7, 2010
Superbowl Chili Cook-Off
Blue Bowl (Dennis): Used stew beef instead of ground beef. Used tomatoes and maybe onions, no beans. Added chipotle peppers for spiciness, which I liked.
White Bowl (Eric): Used ground turkey and kidney beans. Considering Eric is just learning how to cook, this was great. It had good texture and flavor (also considering I don’t really like ground turkey), but it didn’t have that extra spicy kick.
Judging: A panel of 4 judges (including me) tasted both recipes without knowing who made which.
Winner: Dennis (3-1)
Mini Football Cupcakes
Posted on: February 7, 2010
Experiment: Mini Football Cupcakes
My sister gave me this idea, from a kids cooking class she helped with last year.
Ingredients: Betty Crocker brownie mix (mix, egg, water, oil), caramel Hershey kisses (pressed into the center), icing
Taste: Tasted great, just like brownies from a box always do. The caramel Hershey kisses added some moistness and flavor to the middle.
Texture: Well, I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to put them in cupcake wrappers. I guess the brownie mix consistency just doesn’t work well with the paper wrappers. The bottoms of the cupcakes hardened, and it was really hard to pull the paper off. I should have just greased the pan and gone wrapper-less. Most people said they enjoyed the cupcakes but couldn’t get the paper off the bottom. The Hershey kisses also may have had something to do with this. Oh well! These cupcakes were more for show anyway.
Overall Rating: 5/10
“Margherita” Pizza
Posted on: February 3, 2010
Experiment: “Margherita” Pizza
Ingredients: Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, Margherita-flavored Ragu, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, basil
Taste: The crust was a little overcooked, but besides that, the flavor was ok. I have to figure out a better way to spread the ricotta cheese. I might make stuffed crust with the ricotta next time instead! It also could have used more sauce I think.
Portion: I can eat 1/4-1/2 of this pizza in one meal 🙂
Overall Rating: 5/10
Fettuccini Alfredo
Posted on: January 16, 2010
Recipe: Fettuccini Alfredo
Ingredients: Fettuccine, Chicken, Broccoli, Red Pepper, Milk, Cream Cheese, Butter, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper
Texture: The creaminess was perfect.
Taste: You could definitely taste the cream cheese. It tasted a bit unhealthy. It could have had more flavor but it had enough, it wasn’t bland.
Portion: This made a big meal for 2 people. Neither of us finished it because it was so heavy.
Overall rating: 5/10
tastyDeLites 