Real Aphrodisiacs for Valentine's
Making Chocolate from Wild Cacao
How to Make a Marshmallow Pop
Valentine Gifts for the Five Senses
McBites = Modern McNuggets?
Sausage Recipes of the Month
By: Gold’n Plump Poultry
I Paid: $2.19 per pound for a whole bird up to $6.49 for a 14-ounce package of breast fillets (prices may vary by region)
Like many fancy-pants modern-day chickens, Just Bare birds are labeled “cage free,” “vegetable fed,” “no antibiotics,” and “no added hormones.” Unlike many similarly labeled offerings, however, Just Bare’s products are supported by a minimalist, ultraclean, easy-to-navigate website with an FAQ that breaks down the claims in plain English. You can even track what farm your chicken came from. (Mine came from Farm 109, “Roger T” of Sartell, Minnesota.)
From the site’s FAQ:
“Q: I noticed your label says that your chickens are ‘cage free.’ What does that mean?
“A: It means that our chickens are never, ever raised in cages. They are free to move about in modern, climate-controlled barns with strict bio-security plans. This reduces the threat of stress or exposure to the elements and environmental dangers such as avian influenza.”
Simple. To the point. Beautiful.
As for flavor: It’s there. The chicken breasts and tenders were light, delicate, and pleasant. Even the thighs were surprisingly tender and flavorful. So far Just Bare’s products are available at SuperTargets around the country and in a handful of Midwestern supermarket chains.
By: Kashi Company
I Paid: $3.49 for a 5.5-ounce sandwich (prices may vary by region)
The high-end national natural-foods brand Kashi has begun rolling out its own Hot Pocket–esque product. That is, microwavable stuffed sandwiches filled with a variety of thingamabobs. And at around 300 calories apiece, they neatly straddle the line between light meal and substantial snack.
The beauty of a Hot Pocket is its portability and lack of pretense, and Kashi’s take on the form embraces both strengths. The unpleasant part of a Hot Pocket is its nasty filling, a substance that may vary in terms of name or chemical makeup but is sufficiently notorious to have inspired this five-minute-long stand-up comedy bit.
Kashi’s versions are real upgrades. The vegan Veggie Medley looks like self-denial in a whole-grain sesame bread shell. But it’s actually not too bad. Filled with red peppers, onions, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, white beans, and a balsamic-basil sauce, it has a flavor that is relatively lively and nicely balanced. The red peppers and balsamic really run the show, but that’s not a bad thing. And like all the other Kashi Pocket Bread Sandwiches, the Veggie Medley comes wrapped in seven-whole-grain bread that is fairly tender and mild, both structurally sound enough to contain its microwaved filling and gracious enough to not stomp all over the filling’s flavor.
The Chicken Rustico is even better. Its flavor and texture are suggestive of creamy pasta, with very finely diced chicken and a subtle spinach/white wine flavor. Turkey Fiesta sounds like a bad theme for a school hot-lunch day, but it’s quite a nice overall experience, emphasizing roasted corn, black beans, and a note of chipotle.
"Even the thighs were surprisingly tender and flavorful." Dark meat is supposed to be more flavorful than light. And at the age most chickens are "harvested" you wouldn't expect toughness.
It's my understanding that in Europe the dark meat is preferred to the light, for reasons of flavor. I know I prefer it
Can I just point out that though the Just Bare chickens are not raised in cages (it was my understanding that only egg-laying hens were kept in cages anyway) they may still be subject to intensive farming practices where they have very limited space. http://www.chickenout.tv/
I really didn't like the veggie pocket. I could taste the veggies found the balsamic sauce overpowering and unpleasant. I guess I felt like it needed some cheese or something too. And while I usually stick to whole grains, I thought the pocket was too grainy. I've got the chicken one in my freezer and haven't been to excited about trying it after the veggie one. Maybe now I'll give it a shot.
Lots of companies have divisions with healthy and unhealthy items. It is nothing new for businesses to want to make money from a variety of people. Move along.
And to stay on topic, while they might taste okay, is the pocket a decent enough meal? Maybe pair it with a salad?
Thank you for the nod to Jim Gaffigan - I can't walk the freezer aisle of the grocery store without remembering that bit and laughing out loud.
While I like Kashi's products I do want to point out they are brought to you by Kelloggs the same people who make Pop Tarts and Froot Loops.
I tried the veggie pocket a while back. I agree the filing is tasty. You can definitely taste the individual, roasted flavors of the different veggies. I thought though that the bread to veggie ratio was too high. Also, not very reasonable price-wise. Not bad, just not great.