the buzz

“Frozen and Fabulous”

I’d like to tell you that I cook every night, digging into a bounty of locally sourced, sustainably grown ingredients and turning them into stunning, healthy, and delicious meals. This happens quite rarely, in fact. I cook on occasion and when I do, it’s quick and simple. Roast chicken, an easy fish dish, or pasta. Emily gets the leftovers the next day for lunch. Often times, though, Craig and I have some sort of Trader Joe’s Indian Food (surprisingly good), or pizza. So when I was recently asked to try a new line of frozen vegetarian entrees called LightLife,  I figured I’d give them a whirl.

They were only $3.99 each and they promised whole grains, two full servings of vegetables, low calorie (250 to 290 per meal) and low fat. They were a good source of iron, antioxidant vitamins A and C and high in dietary fiber. Heck, I was game. But I never in a million years thought I’d like them. I was dead wrong.

These frozen dinners, offered in a half varieties, were excellent. I tried the Zesty Mexican and I could smell the peppers cooking. I could see the vegetables, sliced big and thick and fresh. It was loaded with beans (black and pinto, which were not mushy, but firm and creamy) with lots of corn over brown rice tossed in a lime-chipotle sauce. I could have added sour cream, and tortilla chips and had a great party platter. It was filling, tasty, easy, and healthy.

I gave my mom the Linguine Siciliano to try, just to see if they could do pasta dinner as well as the Mexican meal, and it turns out they can. The pasta was loaded up with chunks of tomato, red and yellow peppers, white beans, onions and asparagus in a tomato sauce. She raved about it. She also loved that she could actually smell and taste the vegetables and she was impressed with the amount of pasta that was not soggy but perfectly cooked.

Look, I am not saying you should live on frozen food, but there is a time and place when these sorts of entrees do come in handy. They are immensely affordable, good for you, and really tasty. Check them out.

The varieties follow:

Asian Teriyaki- Big chunks of broccoli, edamame, carrots, roasted red peppers, Shiitake mushrooms and whole-grain brown rice are complemented by a sweet and savory pineapple teriyaki sauce.

Indian Veggie Masala- Cauliflower florets, sweet potatoes, chick peas and whole grain brown rice are blended with rich spices and an authentic Indian Masala sauce.

Linguine Siciliano- Chunks of tomato, fresh-tasting sweet red and yellow peppers, white beans, sautéed onions and asparagus stand out on a bed of whole grain pasta with a robust parmesan tomato sauce.

Shanghai Fried Rice- Sugar snap peas, fire-roasted peppers, edamame, water chestnuts, carrots, corn and whole grain brown rice are accented with a sesame oil, and garlic sauce.

Tuscan Portobello- Roasted Portobello mushrooms are accompanied by white mushrooms, spinach, red peppers, asparagus and whole-grain barley with a rustic red wine vinegar and mirepoix sauce.

Zesty Mexican- The flavors of fire-roasted peppers, corn, black beans, pinto beans and whole-grain brown rice are enhanced with a zesty lime-chipotle sauce.

Lightlife Veggie Entrees can be found at Pathmark, Food Emporium, Shoprite, A&P and Foodtown.  The easiest way to find the store closest to you is to use the store locator found at: http://www.lightlife.com/storelocator.jsp.  The suggested price is $3.99 per entrée.

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