Lean Cuisine Vegetable Eggroll

Source: Save-A-Lot

Price: $1.99

Size: 255g (9oz)

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

They Say: "One Dish Favorites™"

This was a package that caught my eye because it was around lunchtime and I was in that "Chinese" state of mind. I've had good luck with other Stouffer's Lean Cuisine offerings, and assumed it would be a tasty "one dish" meal. For $1.99, it also fit right in with trying to find something good, that would still be cheaper than a combo meal from a drive through window.

When I got it home, I flipped the box and started reading. 1) Remove tray and vent film. Okay, I can do that easy enough. Plenty of microfoods ask you to slit and slice covers. 2) Cook on 50% power. What? I've had this microwave for three and a half years, and NEVER had to set the power to anything less than "Cook." 3) 1 Tray: 7:30-8:30 minutes. Now, when I think "microwave," I think "fast." There's nothing fast about cooking a spoonful of rice and a skinny little eggroll for 8 minutes.

Finished product? Disappointment. The white rice and mixed vegetables (peas, carrots and red peppers) tasted very much the way I would expect a bag of frozen vegetables to taste. The rice was absolutely as white a supernova, and the vegetables were as colorful as a Disney trailer.  If my rating were based on the rice medley alone, another star would be added. To quote an old boss, "It is what it is."

The eggroll was what made the failure epic. There was no way you could cut it cleanly in half as shown on the box -- Without using a brand new knife from Wüsthof. Any sort of industrial spork in the tech park cafeteria would not be up for the job. I tore at all sides with a regular dinner fork and it came apart in chunks and layers. There was no crispness to the outside shell at all. It was very bland and had the mouthfeel of a sucker stick, long after the candy was gone. The innards had the semblance of a proper eggroll, but it was all mushed down and entwined together like some sort of edible double dutch jump rope. 

Overall, I give the Lean Cuisine Vegetable Eggroll one star out of five. They say it's a "One Dish Favorite," and I would only agree if I were a starving man on a deserted island and a crate of these washed up... Along with a microwave and a manual telling me how to set it to 50% Power!

Kahiki Crispy Honey Chicken

Source: Meijer
Price: $5.99
Size: .73kg (26oz)
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
They Say: "Minimally Processed and No Artificial Ingredients"

Tonight's dinner was a bag of Kahiki's tempura chicken. I love tempura shrimp and vegetables and was surprised when I saw the tempura label attached to what otherwise may have slipped by me as any other frozen chicken nugget offering. Our boys also love McDonald's chicken nuggets more than the competitor nuggets for that same tempura-like outer coating. I figured if it was even close, it would be a win-win for me and them!

The pre-cooked nuggets lay out on a foiled baking sheet like most other frozen appetizers, and cook at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. 

Sizzling hot to the ear, and pleasing to the eyes, our kitchen was transformed to a small restaurant on the outskirts of Tokyo itself!

The only downside I have for both this Crispy Honey, as well as the Sweet & Sour version, is that the sauce is quite strong. Rather than "drizzle" it over the heated nuggets, I highly suggest using it as a dipping sauce in a separate dish instead. 

The package claims 8 Servings, but I would say that if this was a main course for a meal, it would serve 2-3 people -- Do yourself a favor and pick up a couple bags in one trip!

American Fare Cola

Source: K-Mart

Price: $.50
Size: 355ml (12oz)
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
They Say: "Cola"

My wife Michele picked up a 6-pack of American Fare Cola on a recent visit to our neighborhood K-mart. For six cans at $1.49, she thought a taste test against our family favorite and soda Goliath, Coca-Cola was in order that day.

She did not like it at all. Period.

I can temper that brief statement by comparing her love of Coke to the dedication shown by Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots fans to their chosen team. I, however, watch the Detroit Lions on Sunday and therefore like to leave my options open.

I will take a Pepsi when there isn't a Coke around, and I will take an RC if there isn't a Pepsi. Heck, I'm even up for a Big K or a Faygo cola at a school fair or kid's party! That said, I found American Fare Cola to be right on the money as far as classic cola taste. On a sweetness level it compared very nicely to a Pepsi. On the bold and bubbly side, it had a little bit of Coke in the DNA. It definitely delivered superior drinkability over the second tier brands, where you get exactly what you paid for -- Flat, syrupy, bland-in-a-can.

We will be making American Fare Cola a Lewis family staple when next summer rolls around and the backyard BBQ season is in full swing once again.

For taking on the giants of canned soda, and holding its ground, I give American Fare Cola four stars!

Concord Foods Salsa Seasoning Mix

Source: Save-A-Lot

Price: Around $.75

Size: 30g (1.06oz)

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

They Say: "Just Add Tomatoes & Onion"

Being a lover of Mexican foods, I decided to try my hand at making salsa a few months ago. Inspired by my friend Kurt, who makes an amazing Salsa Fresca every summer using his own home grown vegetables and spices, I thought I would take baby steps and visit Save-A-Lot.

I knew I needed tomatoes, onions and cilantro so I popped all those items into the cart. I chose Roma Tomatoes because of their common use in sauces. As I rounded the corner of the vegetable aisle I saw this seasoning mix on a rack with some other spices and marinades. I thought... Why not?

From the very first batch, I was in love! I have made four or five more batches since then, some with the Salsa Seasoning and some without. The batches with, were definitely superior to the plain ones! The recipe is foolproof and the dish won't stay full for long.

Easy-peezy, lemon squeezy... Grab your SlapChop and go!

Finely chop and mix together:

4 or 5 Roma Tomatoes

1 White Onion

A Fist Full of Cilantro

Add:

A Squirt of Lemon or Lime Juice

1 Package of Concord Farms Salsa Seasoning Mix

(Optional) A Few Tablespoons of Crushed Pineapple or Other Fruit

...Stir it all up and let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes. This will make enough salsa to pass at a party, or to serve before dinner with 4-6 guests.

I give this product from Concord Foods five out of five stars! Ay caramba! Let's eat!

La Mas Rica Fiesta Layer Dip

Source: Aldi

Price: $3.29

Size: 567g (20oz)

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

They Say: "Serve Cold"

I picked this item up for our New Year's Eve party. It was in the refrigerated section of Aldi containing other "party cheese" items like Neuchatel and pre-sliced cheese packages.

The "7 Layer Dip" is nothing new to the Lewis house, as we have many friends who choose that as their dish-to-pass at family gatherings all year around. The Fiesta Layer Dip seemed to have all the right ingredients for a quick pick substitute if there wasn't enough time to build the real deal; Mild Salsa, Black Beans, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Tomatoes and a Cheddar Cheese topping. So out it came, along with a big bowl of the new Tostito Dipping Strips!

According to the label, we were to serve the dip cold. The first ten or twenty swipes were able to get some cheese, a little tomato, and a lot of the unusually thick sour cream. By the time guests got down to the spicier beans and salsa, the dip was essentially room temperature. Not a deal breaker overall, but it wasn't a nice blend of flavors that I expect from a multi-layer dip like this. Although I'm no packaging expert, I believe our friends at La Mas Rica should make the container wider and more shallow. This would allow dippers to mix the layers much faster.

At the end of the evening, there was still a good 30% left to waste. For my overall disappointment in something I had high hopes for, I give it one star out of five. Some of the flavors were there, but the product just didn't deliver that "7 Layer" expectation I had in mind.

Grandessa Signature House Vinaigrette Dressing

Source: Aldi

Price: $1.99 or Less

Size: 375ml (12.7oz)

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

They Say: "Whole Garlic Cloves, Cider Vinegar & Special Spices"

I found this "store brand" dressing on a recent trip to my neighborhood Aldi. With a price of $1.69, I thought it would be worth trying. I snatched up a bag of tossed salad (also the Aldi store brand) and headed home.

I'm not a fan of garlic in most cases, the big exception being an incredible cheese and garlic dip made by a local pizza shop for their breadsticks. After a good shaking, I popped the lid. Garlic was definitely the first smell to come out and meet me. After adding a decent soak to my bargain toss, I grabbed a fork to dig in. The strong smell of the dressing is tempered in overall flavor by the very tart and tangy vinaigrette! Each bite was perfectly even in taste, and I quickly found my way to the bottom of the bowl.

Two days and three salads later, the bottle is already half empty!

The Grandessa Signature homepage for this dressing suggests I "Splash it over a crisp summer salad, marinate grilling meats to perfection, and take my garden fresh veggies for a refreshing dip!" I don't know if my veggies are ready for all that attention, but the marinade sounds like a great idea.

I give the Grandessa Signature House Vinaigrette Dressing four stars for a great price and surprisingly bold taste.