Our first stop was The Daily Grill. This is a chain that we have reviewed before, back in 2010, and they have some good choices, but they have now developed a menu with dishes under 600 calories. There were too many great choices for us to try them all, but these options include such things as a simple grilled salmon or petite filet. They have a small version of their Thai Chicken Salad (we have given this good marks in the past) and a blackened ahi tuna salad. A Tale of Two Grills

The story behind these pies is that they’re traditional Australian fare. The founder of Boomerang’s, Jack Fennell, was living in Sydney, Australia when he and his wife started enjoying them, then when they moved to Austin, Texas they started a restaurant to serve them. They’ve since branched out to the frozen food aisle.

The pies come individually wrapped in plastic, two to a package, and can be cooked either in the oven or in the microwave. Although we usually will choose to cook our frozen meals in the microwave when that option is available, today we chose to test our pies cooked both ways in case one method was definitely better than the other. Boomerang’s Handheld Aussie Pies

Hope springs eternal here at Dr. Gourmet, however, and today we have two more Cafe Steamers to test. These caught my eye because they bear the “Top Chef” logo from the cooking competition series on Bravo. I’ve enjoyed watching the show, so I was hoping that the chef contestants’ creativity would be translated into these frozen meals. Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers: Grilled Chicken Marinara and Grilled Chicken Pesto

Lean Cuisine Lemon Pepper Fish
The breading actually has a nice lemon pepper flavor and the texture of the breading actually reminds me of the texture of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Original Recipe that I had as a kid.

Organic Bistro Alaskan Salmon Cake
I am here to report that our tasting panel loved this meal (as much as one can love frozen food). The salmon cake was moist and meaty with a slightly spicy flavor and the veggies were good quality frozen snap peas, green beans and edamame.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Tuna Noodle Gratin
And what do you get? Essentially… the Tuna Noodle Casserole your mom used to make. The chunks of celery and the peas retain some bite, the sauce is creamy, the breadcrumbs are a little crunchy and there are tuna bits.

Lean Cuisine Szechuan Style Stir Fry with Shrimp
I have to admit, once I pulled off the plastic cover and mixed the pasta, veggies and shrimp together it smelled really good. And you know? It tasted pretty darn good, too!

I chose the ravioli with some misgivings. We haven’t had too terribly much luck with frozen ravioli in the past – the ravioli inHealthy Choice’s Lobster Cheese Ravioli had hardly any filling and the sauce was way too sweet. Other ravioli have good fillings but end up dried out by the cooking process and become tough (Healthy Choice’s Pumpkin Squash Ravioli and Ravioli Florentine Marinara). Yet good ravioli, with a balance between filling, sauce and texture, can be done, as Lean Cuisine did with their Butternut Squash Ravioli. Walmart’s Cheese Ravioli has a promising appearance. Cheese Ravioli and Three Cheese Marinara

What puzzles me is that the only difference between “Traditional Classics” and “Modern Classics” is that “Traditional Classics” include a dessert, while the “Modern Classics” do not. When did dessert become traditional – and why is it “modern” to not have dessert?

Naming strategies of convenience meal manufacturers aside, we have two meals from Healthy Choice’s Complete Meals, one “Traditional” and one “Modern,” to taste today. Healthy Choice

The first two items I took home for testing are pizzas. This seemed like a good starting point, as it seems like everybody does some form of personal-sized pizza. It’s only fair that we test theirs as well. This seemed like a fine idea until I remembered that the vast majority of frozen pizzas are terrible (with a few standout exceptions). Dr. Gourmet Goes to Walmart

Last month I discoveredLean Cuisine’s new “Veggie Cuisine” line. As you may recall, the Enchilada Rojo was good, but the Indian Masala… wasn’t. When we reviewed these meals a month ago, they were so new that they didn’t appear in the online product finder on the Lean Cuisine website. Today I checked back, and they now appear in the finder, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be accurate – the Walmart where I purchased these doesn’t show up on their list. In fact, it would appear that you can’t buy them anywhere. The good news is that the product finder does appear to work for other varieties.

Last month the Indian Masala got a thumbs’ down for the bland sauce and the wet cardboard aftertaste of the vegetable protein chunks. This week these same chunks appear in the Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine, so at first I was dubious. Would they tip this one into the Avoid category? Lean Cuisine’s Veggie Cuisine, Part Two

Looking around the international aisle the other day, I came across a new product line by them labeled Quick Meals. These are packaged to look like the take out boxes from a Chinese restaurant. They are marketed as full meals and at first looked like a worthy product. That is, until I took a critical look at the nutrition facts. This is one of those examples where a critical eye is needed. Close inspection reveals that the box is two servings. As such, most of the “meals” come in at close to 500 calories. A Taste of Thai in a Box?

The first one we tried is the Enchilada Rojo with Mexican-Style Rice. This smelled pretty familiar as it came out of the oven, and when I tasted it I knew why: the rice, a mixture of white rice, black beans, corn, red peppers and tomatillo sauce, tastes just like their Santa Fe Rice and Beans. Veggie Cuisine

I came across the Mojo Bowls by a company called Tambobamba. Strange name, but the allure of a Peruvian rice and beans dish that was described as being “fresh-cooked rice, papaya sauce with black beans and vegetable toppings” seemed too good to be true. Even more amazing was that the nutrition facts indicated that the serving contained only 190 mg of sodium. That really seemed too good to be true and checking the Brazilian Rice and Beans the package showed only 105 mg.

Strangely the Caribbean Rice and Beans comes in at 580 mg of sodium (their Web site claims 480 mg). It just didn’t make sense. Why create similar products with such a wide range of salt content? Maybe not as innovative as I thought. Tambobamba Mojo Bowls

I have a friend with Celiac disease and he’s one of the reasons we here at Dr. Gourmet started our section for those who need to eat gluten-free. We were having dinner together not too long ago, and he said that one thing he really missed, besides pizza, was stuffed pasta dishes. Sure, the gluten-free pastas he could make at home were good, but on top of not being able to go to Italian restaurants, he couldn’t even find gluten-free shells suitable for stuffing.

Fortunately I was at Winn-Dixie the other day and noticed the Caesar’s Pasta Specialties in their frozen foods section. A couple of years ago we reviewed their gluten-free cheese and vegetable lasagnas, which were really good. Pricey, but good. In the past we’d looked at the two meals we’re reviewing today and passed on them because the amount of sodium in them is on the high side, but after my friend lamented his lack of stuffed pastas I thought we’d try them. (Remember: “We eat it, so you don’t have to.”)Caesar’s Pasta Specialties

The Steaming Entrees packaging is still serving Healthy Choice well. The first meal we reviewed was the Honey Balsamic Chicken, a mix of red potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and chicken in a honey and balsamic vinegar sauce. Steaming Entrees

However, as I continued down the freezer aisle I did see a brand that’s new to us: PJ’s Organics. They focus exclusively on organic, hand-rolled burritos and are based in Northern California. After such a good experience with evol Foods and their mini burritos, I thought, “Why not?” and selected their Traditional Chicken Burrito for review. PJ’s Organics and Kashi

Three weeks ago we reviewed our first Saffron Road product after having avoided them for some time due to their not being widely available. All of the products we’ve tasted are good and a couple quite good. I saw their chicken nuggets and did avoid them because they are, after all, chicken nuggets, but thinking about this it seems that if anyone could make a good nugget, it would be Saffron Road. Their meats are humanely raised, antibiotic free, certified halal and many of their dishes are gluten free. Saffron Road Chicken Nuggets

Roasted Vegetable Pizzas with Rice or Whole Wheat Crust

After almost ten years of food reviews, it’s especially nice to spot something new. This week I was in Whole Foods, and although generally speaking it seems that we’ve reviewed just about everything my local Whole Foods has to offer that fits the Dr. Gourmet criteria (under about 650 milligrams of sodium being the most important criterion), I glanced through the frozen food aisle on the off chance there might be something we could review. Maybe something that hadn’t met our criteria had been reformulated? I try to keep an eye out for the “New!” flags on packaging.

Fortunately I spotted the pizzas we’ll be reviewing today. They’re so new they’re not even listed on the Whole Foods Web site, although they’re from their 365 Everyday Value line. Roasted Vegetable Pizzas with Rice or Whole Wheat Crust

First up was the Lamb Vindaloo. I love the flavors of vindaloo recipes and was particularly interested to see how this would fare. Coming out of the microwave the aroma was just right and the flavor didn’t disappoint. Two More from Saffron Road

I have seen the Saffron Road Halal Cuisine brand frozen meals a few times at Whole Foods. This is one of those products that we haven’t tested because it’s not widely available, but their new packaging caught my eye, and after looking at the ingredients and the nutrition info, I have to say that I was intrigued. The package says that the animal products are certified humane, halal, no antibiotic, all natural and gluten free.

We started with the Lemongrass Basil Chicken. The packaging is a bit strange in that the rice is in the smaller of a two compartment plastic tray. This makes sense after heating as the sauce is not very thick. Saffron Road

First up was the Thai Style Yellow Curry with Chicken. Out of the microwave this smelled good with that nice, sweet curry flavor that you get walking through the door at a Thai restaurant. Organic Bistro

We here at Dr. Gourmet have been doing reviews of frozen meals for a long time. I mean, a long time. Food brands have come and gone in the last ten years or so that we’ve been reviewing these foods (Advantage\10 Pizza, anyone?), but the big guys like Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers and Healthy Choice seem to endure. Unfortunately, sometimes that means that we have a hard time finding something new to review that fits our criteria of under 600 milligrams of sodium. I was lamenting the lack of choice to a friend the other day, who said that he enjoyed “the Lean Cuisine that comes in a bag.”

He’s a stay at home dad, so I assumed that he was referring to those frozen meals-in-a-bag that are intended for families: add a meat, saute and serve. At Dr. Gourmet we’re unlikely to review such things, however. (That’s why I created Pantry Meals, after all.) But as I was standing in my local Winn-Dixie, trying vainly to find something acceptable that we hadn’t already reviewed, I noticed these bagged items in with the other Lean Cuisine meals. Upon closer inspection I discovered that although the sodium levels were indeed a little higher than I’d like, at 640 milligrams each, they were indeed single servings: “Lean Cuisine in a bag.” Lean Cuisine’s New Line: Market Creations

Today is no exception. We have two meals from Gluten Free Cafe, a brand that has gotten uniformly good reviews from us here at Dr. Gourmet. The first we tried is a new variety: Savory Chicken Pilaf, which is described as “marinated white meat chicken with almonds, sweet raisins and red peppers with rice pilaf.”

This meal smells terrific while cooking and the white rice has a bright curry flavor without being too spicy. The added almonds give the rice a nice crunch and the raisins add a little burst of sweetness that rounds out the savory rice. Gluten Free Cafe

Our first offering actually caught my eye because it contains seafood, which tends to be few and far between in the frozen meals aisle. For those who haven’t run across these meals, they’re served in what Healthy Choice calls a “DuoTray Steamcooker™.” This is basically a plastic bowl with sauce in the bottom below an inner plastic colander that contains the food. Microwave the meal and the food steams in the colander over the sauce, then remove the meal from the microwave, peel back the plastic and dump the food out of the colander into the sauce and mix it all together.

If that sounds like a lot of plastic, that’s because it is. A LOT of plastic. And if it sounds like a great way to burn your fingers on the steam escaping from the heated meal, I can assure you, it is. Nevertheless…..

Today, however, is one of those days that I’m reminded of our Dr. Gourmet’s Food Reviews tag line: “We eat it, so you don’t have to.™” Healthy Choice Shellfish

The Nutrition Facts for the Asian Noodle Stir-Fry looked promising at 300 calories, 5 grams of fiber and a somewhat reasonable 630 mg sodium (too much but better than some of their meals). The smells were good cooking in the microwave with the aroma of your neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Two from Amy’s

I was a little surprised, given the number of Fettucini Alfredo meals on the market, that we hadn’t already reviewed the Fettucini Alfredo. Weight Watchers Smart Ones

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evol Foods

BBQ Chicken & Mozzarella and Italian Sausage & Caramelized Onion Flatbreads

We have reviewed evol foods products twice now and both of them were home runs. We started with their “bowls” and called them a “game changer” in frozen foods. They were fresh tasting, no wacky ingredients, low in sodium, high in fiber…. In short, everything you would want in a frozen meal. Their mini burritos are almost as good.

It’s good to see a young company working hard and making a great product.

In the interest of full disclosure, the folks at evol sent us a very nice note when we did these reviews, and the other day they wrote and asked if we wanted them to ship us some of their new product to try. We generally pay for the foods we review, but we are happy to let others pick up the bill, as long as they understand that there’s always the chance of a bad review, since we review based on quality, taste and nutritional content. evol Foods Flatbreads

Healthy Choice’s new steaming packaging hasn’t fared too well with us in the past, but that had more to do with their choice of pasta than the cooking technique itself. Steaming sweet potatoes, chicken, yellow carrots (now that I have definitely never seen in a convenience meal) and pearl onions should work pretty well. Healthy Choice Steaming Entrees

Fresh Mushroom & Provolone Cheese and Basil Pesto & Cheese

It really seems like there has been an explosion of gluten free choices in the last two years. We started reviewing convenience foods without gluten at about that time, and it was a challenge just to find products. Not so now. Certainly, demand drives supply and with so many people going gluten free, because of being diagnosed with Celiac Disease or by choice, you don’t have to go to Whole Foods or a specialty market anymore.

I spied Venice Pizza’s products the other day at Winn-Dixie. I’ve never heard of this company, but I’m always ready to try something new. After our last review of Against The Grain pizzas we have a new standard. Venice Pizza

This week we have two from their “Select Entrees” line, which still has the classic instructions requiring poking, peeling and stirring. This proves to be a good thing for the first meal we tried, the Ravioli Florentine Marinara. Healthy Choice Select Entrees

What a great idea! Need a snack? Rather than reaching for a candy bar, have a snack-size burrito! All of the burritos we reviewed for today (four out of five of the available varieties) are 180 calories or less with 5-8 grams of protein and as much as 3 grams of fiber, and the most sugar any of them contain is 1 gram. ONE. Compare that to a candy bar. Instead of a big hit of sugar, you get protein and quality carbohydrates that will satisfy you and keep you going for a lot longer than the candy bar from the vending machine. Evol Foods Mini Burritos

Do you know someone who wants to be a chef? Are they a resident of the New Orleans are? The John Besh Foundation is offering afull scholarship to The French Culinary Institute. This an amazing opportunity that includes tuition, travel and living expenses for a minority student interested in one of the finest culinary educations available today.

Get the details at www.chefsmove.org or watch a video of John Besh discussing this opportunity. Forward this email to anyone you know who might be interested!

Gluten Free Burritos

I stumbled across some gluten free frozen burritos in the market the other day. We’ve reviewed a number of burritos in the past with mixed results but only recently are there gluten free versions in the freezer case.

When I took the Amy’s Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese burrito out of the wrap I noticed that the tortilla looked smooth. Not at all textured like a corn tortilla should but more like a flour tortilla. It seemed odd.

Using the microwave instructions the burrito was ready in about 2 1/2 minutes. It smelled promising. Tastewise, it was OK. There’s a pinto bean and brown rice filling spiced just as you would expect and the cheddar cheese makes it creamy and rich. Tasters liked it. Not an amazing burrito, but good. Gluten Free Burrito

Our past reviews of Weight Watchers Smart Ones products have been few and far between. Why? Because so many of them have been terribly high in sodium. I was in Walmart the other day looking at the convenience meals on offer there and noted that they have an enormous section of Weight Watchers meals – many of which I hadn’t seen before. I don’t know if it’s that the other locations I’ve been purchasing our review products simply don’t carry these varieties or if these are new or newly-reformulated products, but I was surprised to find quite a few of their meals meeting our Dr. Gourmet standards for calories, sodium and fiber. We’ll start with a couple this week and you’ll be seeing more of them in the weeks to come.

It was actually the Tuna Noodle Gratin that caught my eye in Walmart. There just aren’t many fish or shellfish options available in convenience meals. I fully expected to see that it contained 800 milligrams or more of sodium, but 550? Tuna Noodle Gratin and Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach

Healthy Choice has really been making an effort to step up their game. Their “All Natural” line has fared pretty well with us in the past, here and here, so it was good to see new meals from them at the store.

They’ve changed their packaging. These new meals come in a clear plastic tray (that’s recyclable) with a nifty seam in the film covering the food. The instructions tell you “No peeling, poking or stirring needed!” That’s kind of nice and minimizes the mess and the burned hands from the steam released when you have to fold back the plastic and stir. What’s rather amusing is that “This special film may make steaming or popping sounds as the meal steams.” I did hear steaming and hissing noises as the meals cooked, but the possibility of popping sounds had me a little concerned. OK, not really, but what were they going to do, explode and coat the inside of my microwave with pasta sauce? Healthy Choice All Naturals

The box looked promising and I put it in the freezer and promptly forgot about it. A few days later I was back at the store, meandering about looking for something else, and I passed the freezer case and there was another Against The Grain pizza: Nut Free Pesto. OK, I guess that it’s time to test them. Against The Grain Pizzas

Last month we reviewed two varieties, Chicken Sausage & Spinach and Beef & Vegetable Gnocchi, from Michael Angelo’s new product line: Italian-Style Pies. Despite their disappointingly small size compared to the packaging, both were good and we recommend them for when you have 35-40 minutes to bake something and can put together a vegetable or salad to round out the meal.

This week is a little different. We have the other two varieties from this line: Chicken & Spring Vegetables and Potato Gnocchi & Cheese. Michael Angelo’s Italian-Style Pies

They certainly looked intriguing. A quick glance and the calories per serving seemed reasonable as did the amount of sodium. There was nothing in the ingredient list that was in Latin. And I meannothing. Not so much as a single disodium-doohickey or a something-glyceride. evol. Foods

We’ve reviewed breads and found them acceptable. Most are dense and overly moist, however. There are fairly good cookies on the market as well. Three Gluten Free Favorite Treats

So of course I was pleased to find some new varieties – so new, in fact, that they don’t even have these varieties listed on their Web site. They can only be cooked in the oven, however, which I didn’t realize until I got them home. Michael Angelo’s Italian-Style Pies

This week, instead of Mexican, we have Italian. Now, Amy’s doesn’t have a great track record with their lasagnas. Almost a year ago we compared their Tofu Vegetable Lasagna and their Light in Sodium Vegetable Lasagna, with the lower-sodium meal lacking flavor (or vegetables, for that matter). So it was with a jaundiced eye that we approached the Spinach Lasagna. Spinach Lasagna and Pasta & Veggies

Our first was Asian Style Coconut Lemongrass with Chicken. The aroma coming out of the microwave was encouraging. A very distinct lemongrass scent is the first thing noticed along with an umami whiff of tamari sauce. Two More from Organic Bistro

The first meal put to the test was the Soft Taco Fiesta. This is sort of like a tamale pie and is made with brown rice, veggies, corn tortilla and black beans. Light and Lean (And Pretty Good)

Our local Winn-Dixie is a great example of how much the selection has improved: not only do they have organic fruits and vegetables, they actually have an entire section of organic and specialty foods as well as a dedicated freezer case for frozen foods. We’ve gotten a fair number of our gluten-free review items from this very case, in fact.

After this many years of doing frozen food reviews, I’m always pleased to discover a whole new brand offering healthier options. I’m sure you get as tired of reading about Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers as we do of eating them! Mediterranean Meals

I could have sworn that we had already reviewed the Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce, but my webmaster assured me that we had no record of ever reviewing it. Two Pasta Dishes

The first by a company we have not seen before, so I am not sure how widely available it is. Organic Bistro makes an Alaskan Salmon Cake with Three Bean Medley and Confetti Pilaf. I was dubious, but we have had some success with fish cakes in the past. Two with Seafood

However, when their food is bad, it’s really, really bad (really). Two Soups from Amy’s

The first one we tested was the Roasted Turkey and Vegetables. This is turkey with a mushroom gravy along with green beans with cranberries and slivered almonds. I’d feared that the green beans would be limp and mushy, but they were actually still moderately crisp and flavorful. Turkey, Turkey and Turkey

Her story isn’t unusual. Those fish sticks have a lot to answer for – from talking to patients it seems like those disgusting fish sticks have turned thousands of people off of eating fish. It’s tough going, sometimes, to convince people that fish is delicious if you cook it right.

Still, with the popularity of chicken nuggets and the like among kids, it seems like if you could find a good fish stick it might be a good way to get your kids to eat fish. I’ve spent the last few months scouring my local supermarkets for good fish options, to no avail. It seems like almost every major brand of fish sticks – Gorton’s most notably – includes monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their ingredients. Yuck! Fish Sticks

This week we tested a Mexican Tamale Pie from Amy’s and Garden Vegetable Enchiladas from Cedarlane. Two Mexican Meals

I mention the mainstream nature because there’s packaging aimed directly at kids. Granted, it’s more responsible with the theme “I’m a Super Fit Kid,” but a boxtop program is a boxtop program is a boxtop program. Gluten-Free Convenience Foods for Kids

Did You Know?

You can find great tips for easy, healthy snacks for kids in the Healthy Eating for Kids section on DrGourmet.com.

Classic Macaroni and Beef

For some reason, the smell of this one cooking reminded me of hospital cafeterias. I suspect it has something to do with the combination of tomato sauce and ground beef. Simple Favorites from Lean Cuisine

So the alternatives are to make your own, go without or purchase a frozen crust. Interestingly, frozen crusts are pretty easy to find, and you don’t have to just look at specialty stores like Whole Foods. Gluten Free Pizza Crust

We decided to start with two of Lean Cuisine’s standbys: Macaroni and Cheese and Chicken Enchilada Suiza.

The 110 calorie Applegate Farms Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog are a good hot dog with a good texture and hot doggy taste. These are lower in fat at only 8 grams and 2 grams of saturated fat. They also have no preservatives at all and are organic. I’ll be using these for grilling occasionally. The All-American Hot Dog

“Ah, well. It has to be done,” was all I could think.

I am, however, going to give away the ending of the story here. It’s not all that bad. Reading on you’ll see that there’s some pretty good but there’s some really, really, really, really bad. Healthier Choices at Outback Steakhouse

The problem (once again) is the added salt. Daily Grill

We know that calories and saturated fat are an issue at such places, but Chevys is really over the top. Chevys Fresh Mex

With that in mind I chose two vegetarian lasagnas from their frozen foods line to further prove that the lower-sodium version of their foods tasted just as good – if not better – than the higher-sodium versions. Amy’s Vegetarian Lasagnas

This week, however, I spotted a new product from one of the frozen food companies that consistently gets good marks: Michael Angelo’s. They call these new products “Pocket Calzones,” and although they’re a bit high in sodium for their size, I decided to give them a shot. Maybe Michael Angelo’s could succeed where other companies had failed. Michael Angelo’s Pocket Calzones

I did come across a close substitute from the company Blue Horizon Natural. They sell a product they call “bites” that are sold as hors d’oeuvres but will work as a lunch or main course. Fish Sticks? Well… Maybe Not.

We started with Lean Cuisine’s Lemongrass Chicken. The box is labeled “New Recipe,” which is what caught my eye. Then the “5g of fiber!” right next to it. “Hmmm… with only 550mg of sodium this is either going to be terrible or I’m going to be pleasantly surprised,” I thought. Two Thumbs Up for Lean Cuisine

It’s kinda cool getting the packages: it’s a bit like Christmas. Not only are the arrivals sometimes unexpected, one is not always sure what’s inside. One of the most recent arrivals was Flavor Magic Portion Control Sheets. These came with more promotional information than almost any product we’ve received. They are described by the manufacturer as “innovative sheets” that “teach consumers how to practice sensible protein portion control.” Flavor Magic

Forging forward, I picked up a group of breakfast cereals for the tasting panel. The easiest one to find are Chex cereals. With the exception of their Wheat and Multigrain versions, Chex are gluten free. You know these guys because of Chex Mix recipes (what my mom used to call Texas Trash when I was growing up). That they are easily available is a good thing, but the main issue is they have only a gram of fiber in Corn Chex and the flavored versions. Rice Chex, however, is listed as 0 fiber (that’s right: zero). Since getting a good portion of fiber at breakfast is important, these might not be your best choice. Gluten Free Breakfast Cereals

But when I saw these Naan Pizzas from Tandoor Chef at my local Whole Foods I was intrigued. Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had was made from my Pantry Meal recipe for Pita Bread Pepperoni Pizza, and I love naan, the Indian bread made by hand and baked in a big clay oven. So I grabbed a couple and took them for taste testing. Naan Pizzas

But if you can’t eat gluten, what works? There are a lot of pasta variations using different flour, including rice, buckwheat, corn and quinoa. Can any of them come close? After all, it’s the gluten content of wheat flour that gives pasta dough its elasticity, and without it making a good pasta is a challenge. Gluten Free Pasta Roundup

I love Pad Thai. I have had some really great versions and some really terrible ones in restaurants. It’s easy to make this dish badly and very difficult to make it good. So much has to come together. Good sauce, veggies just right, tofu cooked well and the rice noodles not overdone. Most end up a big greasy pile of noodles and overcooked veggies on a plate. Two From Tandoor Chef

Its aroma while cooking was mostly of the veggies, especially the green beans and the peppers. The instructions call for cooking 3 minutes after piercing the plastic and then removing the plastic to stir. I was very careful stirring because rice pasta can fracture and break up. After another 3 minutes the dish looked really good. Two From the New Gluten Free Cafe

Imagine my surprise to see new Healthy Choice packaging. The white background really stood out in the freezer case at the grocery. And there is a new logo. Cute. That’s when I noticed the words “All Natural Entrees” on the package. It even says “Real Food!” Two From The “New” Healthy Choice

The pasta is not cooked to heck and gone – it has a little bit of a firm texture. The sauce is pleasant with a fairly good garlic flavor and the chicken is tender. Not a terrible meal, but not a great one. Three Pastas from Weight Watchers

The last time that we tasted boxed Mac & Cheese was about a year and a half ago. At the time I did this at the urging of my brother. His kids ate a lot of the stuff, and he felt that the Annie’s products came out pretty good (they did in our tests). This company has made a name for itself and has probably fed almost every kid whose moms and dads shopped at Whole Foods or the like.

I was wandering the aisle looking for some good quality pastas for an upcoming recipe when there they were – Annie’s D.W. Whole Wheat Pasta and Alfredo. Whole wheat? Hmm… I thought. Looking at the package there’s 5 grams of fiber per serving. Hmmm…

Eat

The first thing that you notice about the Annie’s D.W. Whole Wheat Pasta and Alfredo, after cooking the pasta and adding it to the powdered cheese and milk, is that the cheese smells like CHEESE. Amazing I know, but there it is. Whole Wheat Macaroni & Cheese Dinners

Three More From Lean Cuisine

I had a patient the other day say that they liked all Lean Cuisine products. There’s no doubt that they are popular, and more are good than bad, but there are some real duds. After the discussion I realized that it had been some time since we had reviewed any of their products, so this week we review three from Stouffer’s: Baked Chicken, Linguine Carbonara, and Beef Chow Fun. Three More From Lean Cuisine

I was wrong. Oh, so wrong.