Chicken Enchiladas Suiza from the Classic Favorites selection. Smart Ones says, "Southwest flavors come to life (as if they were imaginary before?) in this tasty dish of chicken enchiladas accented with roasted green chiles, topped with sour cream sauce and served with zesty, Spanish rice."

The description is quite factual minus that the rice isn't zesty. It does, however, have a great texture with tomato-y under tones. There aren't as many chilies or corn kernels as depicted (nor are the laid so carefully on top) but the portion size compared to the picture is quite truthful. I would have like a bit more rice, but thats me. On any note, the enchiladas were what you'd expect of a frozen meal. The tortillas were a good thickness- not so thin as to break, but not to thick as to taste gummy- and didn't become hard or crispy in the microwave. The chicken inside is definitely a blend of spices (very balanced) white and dark meat, but also tastes and has the texture of an added soy protein. A quick look at the ingredient panel confirms this. It isn't a terrible thing, just a cost reducing, healthy filler. Either way, the label is still "chicken," and with regards to the government, a high percentage must contain actual chicken to keep the standard of identity. The more you know...

The sauce, where to start? I have a method of tasting these meals. I eat each component separately and evaluate, and if needed, break down into smaller components as I did with the filling and the tortilla. After, I pit them all together and consume as intended for an overall likeness. Since the sauce was draped over the enchilada, it too gets a separate evaluation. The mouth feel is great, the viscosity clung well to a fork without falling through the tines, and I could likely eat a few ounces of it. It has velvety smoothness like sour cream, a hint of smokiness and heat, and dissipates from the tongue without coating it heavily, leaving you free to get the next items full array of flavor. I complain only about the color. It reminds me of a terrible Banquet meal that I had when I was a child. It just needs that darker, charred orange and brunt red combination. I feel that it would add to the illusion that there is more heat in the meal (and there is some there) but I don't think the idea is translated well because of the lack of association.

In all, the meal was quite acceptable- much better than most Mexican restaurants- and I suggest purchasing it over driving your car out and getting another version of Americanized Mexican. 3.9/5

Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein

My choice of dinner last evening was the 5 point, 240 calorie Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein- a new item and part of the Bistro Selections. Smart Ones says, "Savor a classic Asian Recipe- tender shrimp tossed with Asian Noodles, matchstick carrots, and crisp sugar snap peas- all tossed in a mild soy-garlic sauce." Upon microwaving the meal, the whole downstairs of my condo was filled with the pleasant smell of garlic, spices, and soy. Even after finishing the meal, the scent lingered and had a way of bringing a calmness to the room. After microwaving the meal I started my ritual of counting shrimp. This time I was pleasantly surprised by two things, there were five shrimp pictured, and I got nine. I guess my deficit from yesterday was made up. Also, I noticed that prior to cooking, the shrimp were raw frozen, which is an ingenious idea as opposed to precooked shrimp in an effort to keep them from overcooking in the microwave. The idea pays off and the results comes in the form of tender shrimp with just the right amount of bite.

A good contrast to the shrimp are crunchy and moist water chestnuts. Those, paired with the al dente carrots and sugar snap peas (a very good value item, I believe) made up the medley of vegetables. I do have a sneaking suspicion that I could have cooked the meal one minute less and had slightly crispier vegetables, but then again, I like mine on the raw side. The accompanying pasta and sauce were a little lack luster in my experience last evening. The classical appearance of the yellowish noodles and brown sauce that you'll recall from your boxed take out is absent and somewhat reminds you that you are eating a healthier version of lo mein. The sauce is very light and has a clean finish, but is not very boisterous (again, because it is made to be healthy) and may leave some patrons yearning for a more full salty and savory flavor that they're familiar with.

However, my biggest gripe was the noodles. A larger diameter of traditional pasta- which is an acceptable substitute- was used for Lo Mein noodles. And while the size is right, the taste and bite just aren't comparable because of the method of preparation. Traditional Lo Mein will soak up the sauce better because, like typical pastas, they can be cooked to al dente. However the Lo Mein noodles are more often cooked until they are a little underdone (by the standards of a typical American palate) in the boiling water, then are finished in a wok of hot sauce and the accompanying items where the noodles will continue to cook until tender and even absorb some of the flavor of the sauce. In comparison, the American method of cooking pasta is to boil it until limp and then toss with sauce without any additional cooking. I do think that if the pasta were a little under done from the plant where it is produced and then cooked in the microwave, it'd have a more believable, classical texture verses the bite one would come to expect from a typical Italian meal.

Overall, the lightness and balance of the meal earns it a 4/5 and while I'd likely not purchase again, I think that it is a comparable dish that many consumers will enjoy.

Down and Out, but Not for the Count!

I've recently broken my hand, had ligaments re attached, and as a result, have been placed in a cast. I can't cook for myself or work and it is driving my out of my mind. So, Gastrotacular is going to get a lot more attention from me. For starters, I'm going to review the healthy microwaveable foods (as well as other convenience foods that I consume) until I can, at least, not have a series of vibrations shooting through my hand while I use a knife or flip food in a pan. This should be conducive to viewers of the blog who may not necessarily cook, but who do enjoy food.
Today's first entry:
Smart One's Shrimp Marinara.

The box says, "Linguini in a zesty marinara sauce with tender bay shrimp and mushrooms." At a whopping (sarcasm) 180 calories, its no wonder that I was still hungry after this meal. Note though, that I'm recovering from surgery and was not on a restrictive diet previously therefor, my caloric needs are fairly high. Lets begin with the pasta. As always with Smart Ones, you rarely get noodles that magically transform into Quik Set Concrete, stick together, burn, or any combination of the mentioned. Kudos to the formulation. Moving on, the sauce.

This marinara was awesome, quite tasty and had hints of basil and oregano that were not over powering, and honestly, tasted better than most jarred sauces out there today. The mushrooms added a good touch that gave the mouth feel and illusion of having more protein in the meal. This is where we fall short; the baby shrimp.

Now, I know the good people over at Smart Ones preform routine quality control checks on manufactured products in the lab to keep their description and package appearance consistent, but this particular unit missed the mark. The box shows a count of 9 baby shrimp, which has a likely allowance of 7-11 in a tray. My tray had a very disappointing 4. Weak sauce. Now, I know that companies small and large are into cost savings today, but this was not acceptable. Also, I can honestly say that if Smart One's was going to cut back purposely, they would re shoot the picture on the packaging to avoid "false advertising" complaints. I do believe that this was an error for my unit and likely doesn't happen more than the tolerances allow.

Otherwise, the meal was a success and I do recommend it to others for a quick 4 minute meal or snack. I give it a 4.5/5 for a well executed and palatable meal.