Food Doctor - Easy Grains (Ocado)
I've mentioned before that I like trying convenience foods, and finding ones that actually qualify as healthy is a challenge. Expecting those to also taste reasonable and have that mythical quality of texture is rarer still. Uncle Bens do rice in a bag that you bung in the microwave for 2 minutes. I ate these for lunch at work for so long that I now have an aversion to them (but the Tilda versions that are a little more luxury are fine) mostly as my brain thinks I have to go back to work afterwards! This is based on the same principle but with more exciting grains including the quinoa which is all spirally and great. I added one bag to an online food shop and then when they arrived stashed them away for a lunchtime in the future.
That future was this weekend, and so following the instructions (tear sachet, nuke for 2 mins, wait until no-longer hazardous to move, pour into bowl) I made this:
It looks a little browner than it actually was - I blame the lighting. I also splashed on a little balsamic vinegar and some Schwarz Lemon Pepper mix (a kitchen essential) to give it a fair chance. The taste without the additions was a little bland, but in an earthy and realistic way. The natural flavours of the grains had survived and were complemented well once I mixed in the seasonings. I liked the texture, it wasn't mushy and felt that it was balanced well. The portion was probably for two people as a side, so as a single person lunch it became a little drying. I was also tempted to add more excitement to the 2nd half of the bowl as cereals beans and pulses are not known for their powerful tastes.
I think that this is good enough to use along side a main meal as a healthy alternative to potatoes (which I rarely cook personally) or pasta and it was certainly filling. I'd suggest that a decent shake of seasoning mixed in would add some needed pizzaz to the flavours, maybe sun-dried tomatoes? The pack suggests a soup or almost a sauce which would be quite good too. Maybe I'll stick one into a Thai green curry.
If I spot these again I'll certainly re-buy. Anything healthy, snacky & simple with a long shelf life is OK by me.
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