TGI Fridays at home - BBQ Pork Burnt Ends & Tetris Waffles [@NLi10]

When I bought this the guy in Iceland asked me to let him know how it was as no one there had tried it yet.

Turns out it's likely because it takes 40 mins to oven cook, and would rather you defrosted it first .

That's a lot more mental planning and effort than I'd expected - and also it's for 4 and I'm only one person

Which means getting complicated and using half the sauce

And somehow chiselling off half this bag of horror.

Meanwhile in the frozen aisles these lovely mini waffles appeared.  Looking like Tetris blocks and infinitely divisible they are also much better for dipping.  How have these not been around for 40 years?!

All hail the air-fryer, I'm sticking them in the oven.

Wait ages for a long piece and get loads when you don't need one. 

Thankfully blurred shot of defrosted but not cooked burnt ends bag.  Looks like dogfood.

As I was home alone I decided to just go for it, make the whole bag of burnt ends and some waffle fingers on the side.  With a bit of cooking and the sauce added on it not only started to resemble human food but actually smelt really good.

And turned into a serviceable meal at home.  Had the meat portion not been so big I'd probably have added some other sides, but I could definitely imagine getting this at a TGI and being absolutely fine with it.  Better for two people, but possible for one with a movie and breaks.

The sauce was the star, but the meat was decent quality and while not particularly crispy that might have been me using the glass casserole bowl instead of the tin as recommended.

Bonus Content!

I did spot as well this full Sunday Roast chicken dinner for 4 for £25 (including veg and pigs in blankets) which I think I'd struggle to solo, but for 2/3 might be manageable.  Can't imagine how long this would take in the oven from frozen though.

 

Star Wars - Millennium Falcon Pizza / Hot Dog Stuffed Crust - Iceland [@NLi10]

 In a Frozen Foods Shop Far Far Away...

We wanted some back-up pizzas for the freezer, and Iceland is my go-to shop these days for cheaper but quality choices (plus their range changes so often you don't get bored).  I risked my partner's wrath and chose her a glorified garlic bread, and I had the hotdog crust meat feast.

Shockingly similar on calories too - although the meat edges ahead.

Possibly because this really does look sparse!

(she enjoyed it but all the cheese in the crust is the main event here)

And here's my choice - but why is it Star Wars?

Millennium Falcon Pizza! Obviously this is the bit where the sausage isn't hiding in the crust, but it's a fun bonus.  The meat on the topping is interesting, but really could have more flavours in there.

The hotdog that encircles 95% of the circumference is the main event here too - and it works well.  You can hold on to it safely (the tomato sauce crust is insanely hot for the first few slices and cold an unappetising for the last one)

And surprisingly it's a decent quality.  Yes - I'm sure that they could make one with quality Italian Deli meats - but not at £4 or whatever this is.  As it stands, this is a decent meal for two (I mean - I soloed it but I do like a pizza) with a few olives or a dip.

TGI Fridays @ Iceland UK - Boneless Chicken Wings & Chilli Jam [@Nli10]

 I'm growing to love my trips to Iceland - they have a load of things you can buy, forget about, and then really enjoy when you get to them.

Case in point is these bright red boneless chicken wings - essentially nuggets but made with chopped meat like in a Chinese restaurant not mince like nuggets.

Thew bright redness is the sachet of sticky chilli sauce you get with them - but guess who forgot to take those pictures again - so just imagine a boring bag of red sauce, and some cold looking chicken lumps

It's the good sauce, with the vinegar base like Buffalo sauce should be - I have a couple of versions in the house already

And it's an easy cook - oven for a bit, melt the sauce mix the two in a bowl then add to veg and pasta and pour remaining sauce over the top.

I expected it to be an imitation version of the restaurant ones, but frankly my only complaint was the portion size.  10 chunks is too many for one person, but not enough for two portions.  I know they have to scale to the round Iceland pricing, but this was a sad one.  Two more lumps and it'd be perfect.

The sauce was sticky, tangy and spicy, nut not aggressive. The chicken and crumb were balanced and flavourful even with the sauce.  Definitely one to add to the freezer if your family is into this Korean style spicy chicken.  Another win. Each success jut makes me more likely to go into Iceland first and then finish off in the bigger shops instead of the reverse.

Iceland's Luxury Miniature Tarts (Raspberry & White Choc) [@NLi10]

 We like indulgent puddings, it's good to hide a few in the freezer.  These are great as they defrost in 30 mins which is about the time it takes to eat dinner.

What they are is Barbie sized Raspberry & White Chocolate tarts - which is great as you can eat 4 without feeling too greedy, but we had two each.

And they are pretty similar to the back too - a little less 'jam' maybe

They do crunch and ooze just enough to feel like a luxury pudding, and they go great with a little coffee.  I want to get more but I fear this was the end of teh Festive range - ah well.  Next year!

A Dozen Jaffa Profiteroles - Iceland UK [@NLi10]

 Post New Years there are lots of left over snacks and food presents to be consumed.  We have a freezer full of party foods that we didn't end up needing. Oh dear. I guess movie nights got an upgrade.

As usual most of them are from the UK store Iceland - great for odd things to impress.

Here we have Jaffa Cakes, except instead of cake it's pastry, and frozen, and larger.

The box looks snazzy - the product looks more ordinary.  It also looks like 2 boxes would have been better for sharing as a group. Three is a portion.

They survived well enough though - and defrost in no-time at all.

if you wanted to make them look more exciting then a little icing sugar or sparkly stuff could do that, still - it's an enticing proposition.

And they deliver.  Yes - it's barely chocolate on the outside, but that's not the main event.

The orange is strong and balanced out by the cream which has a good flavour.  The pastry does it's job well enough, and the brown on the outside holds it together.

Small enough to eat in a single bite, you'll want all of your portion. As a light desert and general party food though these are a hit and potentially one to pick up extras for storing once the freezer is a little less full.

Las Iguanas Chipotle Chicken Burrito at Home from Iceland [@NLi10]

 I like Mexican food and it pays to have a few instant cook things floating around for lazy evenings (or hungry lunches) so I paid the £4 each for a pair of Las Iguanas brand Chipotle Chicken Burritos from Iceland on a recent trip.

They are frozen, and a decent size/weight so I figured worth a go

There is a lot inside, and it doesn't pretend that it's two portions which is nice

Looks pretty unexciting

But once microwaved it actually smells pretty good.  I mean- for the price/effort anyway.

Its a decent light meal, and could easily have a few nachos and dips on the side to convince yourself that it's more of a big deal.

The meat is meaty, and the sauces are mild but tasty.

I'm spoilt (living in walking distance of one of the best Mexican restaurants in the UK according to all the prizes) but at a pinch this'll do nicely.  Especially with a really spicy dip on the side.

Dunkin’ Doughnuts Pistachio - from Iceland UK [@NLi10]

 While doing the shopping in Iceland I spotted these lovely doughnuts- and figured they would be worth the risk.

I couldn’t imagine how a cardboard box would keep them fresh by the tills - but I like pistachios so figured let’s have a go.

Sounds good.

Looks great! Smells enticing too.

Luna thinks so too. She may have nabbed a bit of the fondant.

The inner was gooey and nice, and the doughnut was surprisingly fresh and soft! A very enjoyable snack and really high quality 

Luna didn’t agree that the rest was for me…

I enjoyed it and I think I’ll try some more flavours if they keep doing these.

Oumph! Crispy Buffalo Tenders (plant based) from Iceland [@NLi10]

 Plant based (but meaty looking) things are very much in fashion at the moment - especially if they fit in an air-fryer.  We do not have an air-fryer, but we do have vegetarians in the house willing to experiment!

Here we have one of the many varieties from Oumph - makers of plant-based protein things - but covered in Buffalo sauce and a crispy coating.  And as this is something I enjoy I figured it was worth a go.

And Iceland (where I got this) will also happily sell me some more varied frozen veggies than the usual peas and carrots.

They are pretty stalky! But they cooked up nicely and tasted great so who am I to argue.

I put the nugget like things on some roasting veg and slapped in the oven

And then added some skin on fries to make a complete meal

The Buffalo tenders were a little tougher than I'd expected (and the moisture from the veggies made the skins fall off) so I think maybe these are designed with crispers in mind - but the flavours were great and they were filling enough that this was a decent meal for two.

Maybe if I do get back into the Iceland options an Air-fryer is a necessary purchase, but for now I'll just keep the moist things seperate.

Enjoyable enough to have again, but not as wow as I'd hoped (and probably too spicy for kids!)

Fry's Katsu (Vegan) Chicken Fillets [@NLi10]

 We've been a big fan of Fry's Vegan stuff for a very long time here, so it's lovely when I spot a new kind like these in Iceland.  Yeah - it's essentially a flatter version of the chicken fillet, but the sauce immediately gives you recipe ideas and gets the taste-buds tingling.

And they seem like a nice bunch too!

And as ever - it's decent quality ingredients

Air Fryer instructions are now on everything!  But - in the normal oven it goes.

Not the sauce - that gets defrosted and pinged in the Microwave.

Cat plus katsu! Definitely vegan as she's not trying to hit it.

The sauce is good - just enough spice to elevate it from Chip-shop-curry to Katsu, and the not-chicken slices as easily as you'd expect.

This isn't going to fool anyone, but your average person isn't going to care past the first bite.  They might be upset I ran out of frozen Udon noodles and had to settle for waffles instead.  As I had it all to myself I didn't add leafy greens, but I did have a pudding too.

A hit with me and one I'll add to the usual order.

De Vina Sparkling Strawberry Flavour Drink (Iceland) By @Cinabar

This is a superb-looking drink. Its little secret is that it only costs £2 for a bottle and is a soft drink. That is a lot cheaper than some of the ‘posh’ big brands of soft drinks on the market, which seemed to have upped their price to £3.50+ in some cases. The fab-looking De Vina Sparkling Strawberry Flavour Drink has a cork in the bottle, which is one of those that doesn’t fit back in the bottle after it has been removed. It opened a bit like a bottle of champers. 

The drink had an excellent pop when it opened, and we poured the pink liquid into glasses. The drink looked like it should have gone into fluted glasses, but I’m afraid we just went for tumblers. There was lots of fizz, which helped make it look special. I gave it a taste, and it had good flavour too; it was sweet but not syrupy, and it was delicate with the strawberry taste. It was absolutely lovely. The price makes it the kind of thing I would buy regularly, and the bottle makes me feel like I should keep it for a special occasion. Either way, if you have visitors this summer and you want a nice non-alcoholic drink for a meal or a barbecue, I can’t recommend this De Vina Sparkling Strawberry Flavour Drink enough. I know there was also a mango variety of this drink for sale, and I will definitely be picking up a bottle when I do my next order. 

Drumsticks Squashies Freeze and Squeeze Slushie (Iceland) By @Cinabar

I’m so excited about trying this new slushie drink, as I’m having an evening of re-living my childhood. Tonight we are watching a new version of an old favourite cartoon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem. The classic retro sweets are Drumsticks, so how about this Drumsticks Squashies Freeze and Squeeze Slushie to enjoy tonight? 

I bought this slushie from Iceland, but it wasn’t sold frozen, and it states it should be frozen at home. I popped it into the freezer and looked forward to the evening's viewing.

Later that day, we got the film ready, shared out some sweets, and I rescued my Drumsticks Squashies Freeze and Squeeze Slushie from the freezer. It was, and I suppose this is quite obvious in retrospect, frozen into a solid lump. I went back to the packet, and it said to wait 25 minutes at room temperature before squeezing it to break the ice. We started the film, and I patiently waited by setting an alarm on my phone. Stop judging me. I went to squeeze the ice, and it was still solid; there was no give at all. Wow. I waited another five; still nothing. After a further five minutes, it was starting to feel a little softer at the edges. Another five minutes, and it was finally good to go. Luckily, the film is 1h40, so there was plenty of time to still enjoy it during movie night. 

I unscrewed the cap and gave it a try. I realised that my ice breaking hadn’t been sufficient for the ice to squeeze through the lid. I tried again, and some of it finally worked its way up. It was a pink colour, and the flavour was sweet, sharp, raspberry-like, and very nearly almost like drumsticks - but also not quite. That not quite part was the sticking point. It was syrupy and a bit artificial. I know the sweets aren't excatly natural raspberry, but I still like them and this Drumsticks Squashies Freeze and Squeeze Slushie didn't work for me. I didn’t finish it. At least the film was good. 

Cathedral City - Hot Cheesy Bites (Iceland) [@NLi10]

 Iceland have done it again - make an oven ready version/range of something you recognise!

This time it's those big blocks of cheese.

Cathedral City is an acceptable brand to bring home as long as I don't accidentally pick Mild.

This is extra mature so a safe bet.  Easy enough to cook.

And there's only twelve so might as well do them all!

As a 'side' with a veggie curry for my partner and her sister they seemed to do well and worked like a very white version of paneer.  They did indeed get through all 12 with no issues and said that they were very good and suitably cheesy.  I have been asked to get more - so if they still exist (the downside to Iceland) then I'm sure we will have these as a replacement to the Chiquito's halloumi cubes that seem to have vanished again.