Category: Product Reviews (Page 18 of 19)

      A can a week: Campbell’s Chunky Grilled Steak Chili with Beans

      February 10, 2011 /

      Chef JimToday as I was scouring the grocery store shelves, I wanted to try a chili that was a bit different. So Campbell’s Chunky Grilled Steak Chili with Beans caught my eye. Sure, Campbell’s isn’t exactly Hormel, but they do soup right, so how much could they mess up chili, right? Plus, the prospect of big chunks of steak sounded intriguing to me.

      So I fired this stuff up for lunch and, well, it’s okay. The first thing I noticed was an utter lack of spice. Not only does the tomato flavor dominate the taste of chili powder, but I had to douse it with hot sauce because on a scale of 1 to 10, this chili registered a heat index of about 0.5. No, it didn’t claim to be spicy, but still…it’s freaking chili, not tomato soup with beef. Speaking of beef, the chunks of meat were definitely nice. They were small chunks but nice and meaty and tender. I also liked that there was corn in the chili, giving it a nice Southwest flair.

      Assuming you have hot sauce on hand, you might give this a try, but if you’re looking for traditional chili flavor, stick with the guys like Hormel that just do chili.

      Food on a Budget, Healthy, Product Reviews

      Product review: Biggest Loser Simply Sensible meals

      January 31, 2011 /

      Chef JimNBC’s “The Biggest Loser” isn’t just a hit reality TV show–it’s become big business with cookbooks, workout videos, and now with easy-to-prepare refrigerated meals that you can buy in your grocery store. These aren’t frozen meals, and they aren’t the same meal plan fare we reviewed recently. These are meals anyone can buy, and nuke at home, putting a healthy option dinner on the table in minutes.

      The PR company for the meals sent us four of them to sample, and quite honestly, they were all very good. Some stood out and some had things that stood out in a bad way, but for the most part, it’s hard to find food you can have on the table this fast that is this healthy that you don’t make yourself or eat in a restaurant. Here is the breakdown of what we tried….

      Beef Tips with Gravy and Brown Rice–The meat was fairly tender, and while the sauce lists garlic high on the ingredient list, the garlic did not overpower the meal at all. The sauce was flavorful, and despite the fact that the rice was sort of undercooked and grainy, I didn’t want to stop eating this one.

      Mediterraean Chicken with Bowtie Pasta–This meal had a strong red bell pepper flavor, and the chicken was surprisingly moist and tender. The pasta, like the rice in the beef tips meal, was kind of dry and grainy, even served with the sauce from the chicken.

      Pot Roast and Gray with Mashed Potatoes–This one was a bit baffling, mainly because the meat was one big chunk instead of several little ones, but maybe that is the authentic feel they wanted. It was certainly tender meat that you could break apart with a fork, and was quite delicious. It was also stringy the way pot roast should be. However, the potatoes, which were supposed to be real potatoes, were bland and also grainy. I also would have liked to see more carrots in the dish.

      Zing Chicken with Brown Rice–This one had a really nice sweet and spicy kick–maybe a bit too sweet for a “healthy” meal, but it sure tasted good. The chicken was tender, and just like the others, I would have liked more vegetables and the rice was dry and grainy. But overall this was maybe my favorite of the four.

      If you have a chance to try these Simply Sensible meals, you can buy them and store them in the fridge for months before having to eat or freeze them….and they are really great meals to have on hand if you need something quick and healthy in your fridge.

      Healthy, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      A can a week: Blue Diamond Blazin’ Buffalo Wing almonds

      January 26, 2011 /

      Chef JimWell, this is the original “a can a week,” as the Blue Diamond Almond folks coined that phrase a few decades ago with their “A can a week, is all we ask” TV campaigns. And with nuts falling back into our good carb-hating graces again, Blue Diamond has expanded their line of almonds a lot in the past few years.

      They first introduced their BOLD line which included flavors such as Chili Lime, Jalapeno Smokehouse and my personal favorite, Wasabi and Soy. Seriously, when that Wasabi flavor came out, I bought a case directly from the company–no joke.

      Anyway, they have now introduced a flavor that is also near and dear to my heart–Blazin’ Buffalo Wing. If you love wings and if you’re like most folks who love wings, you’re addicted to the flavor of the sauce so much, that when you smell it or think of it your mouth waters on command. That’s how I am, and if you are, these nuts are for you….no pun intended.

      However, if you eat these Blue Diamond beauties too fast –crunching and swallowing right away–you might miss the flavor of the powdered wing sauce on these almonds. So best to savor them slowly and let the taste of wing sauce linger on your tongue–yeah, i said “linger on your tongue”…go ahead and laugh, but these nuts are no laughing matter. They are bold and delicious and you should go try them, or buy a case just in time for Super Bowl week.

      Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      A can a week: Muir Glen Chicken Tortilla Soup

      January 18, 2011 /

      Chef JimI’ve been really making an effort to eat better in 2011–and by that I mean healthier. You may remember I posted something about buying bigger pants just before the holidays, and I’m still wearing them–but trying to eat less carbs, eat more produce and get to the gym. Don’t worry…..I still love fatty fried foods and bacon, so there will be plenty of that in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, here is a review of a soup I tried today that tastes pretty damn good for being good for you, Muir Glen Organic Chicken Tortilla soup.

      It’s not like I go out of my way to eat organic, but I picked up this soup because it’s all natural–the ingredient list if fairly long but you won’t find any crap listed on it. It’s one large serving, though the can claims it’s two. But still, you’re eating quality food.

      This soup is a rich tomato/chicken broth with black beans, corn, and giant chunks of chicken meat. It’s also a tad spicy, but being me, I had to add some hot sauce. It wasn’t overly salty or not salty enough, and the only spice drawback is that the flavor of cumin kind of dominated-and cumin is not for everyone (just ask my wife, who calls it the “armpit” spice).

      Overall, this soup tastes great and is good for you, with 14 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per can. My only real complaint? There are no tortillas in it, and it’s called chicken tortilla soup. There is corn, and there is toasted corn flour to thicken it, but no actual tortillas. It didn’t affect the flavor, but still…why call it that?

      So if you’re looking for a healthy option for lunch that tastes great, pick up a can of Muir Glen soup…..I found it in the health food section of our local grocery store. And I’ll see you on the treadmill!

      Healthy, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      Product review: Turkey Perky Jerky

      January 11, 2011 /

      We reviewed the original version of Perky Jerky back in May on the Bullz-Eye Blog, and now they have a new version–Turkey Perky Jerky. Try saying that five times fast.

      The concept of this jerky is an interesting one–caffeinated beef jerky. It’s like everything you love at a convenience store in a nifty little package–well, maybe minus the newspaper and one of those triangle packaged sandwiches for later. But I digress.

      The great thing about Perky Jerky is that it’s all natural with no preservaties or nitrates. And just like the beef version, the turkey jerky has a strong soy/teriyaki flavor that is addictive enough even before you realize there is guarana (i.e. caffeine) in it. Yes, you have eaten jerky and now you are Cornholio.

      Seriously though, the caffeine buzz is real enough to give you a bit of a lift in the afternoon, and the taste is just awesome. As far as the difference between turkey and beef–the turkey version is made with turkey breast meat, so it’s low in calories (50 per serving) and has 9 grams of protein and zero fat, while the beef has 90 calories, 11 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat. The difference in taste is not much different, but the difference in texture is noticeable. The turkey is much chewier and not as tender as the beef version, probably because of the lack of fat that well, you’re eating turkey breast instead of steak.

      But guys, you just have to try this stuff…..it’s delicious, good for you, and literally uplifting.

      For more info, go to www.perkyjerky.com

      Product Reviews

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