We've all been there: It seems like there are multiple times a month when my wife and I come home and look at each other and say, "What do you want for dinner?" The weight of the topic and the 'hangry' tone that comes with the question causes us reach for something convenient. Or maybe what's on the meal plan just doesn't sound good, or it's been a long day and cooking just doesn't seem appealing.
Whether it be fast food or processed non-perishables, the convenient meals that can satisfy the urgency of needing to eat are typically not nutritionally sound, make one feel terrible after eating it physically and emotionally.
If only there were a way to buy pre-made food, that can quickly and easily be prepared, and fulfills hunger but is also healthy. That convenience has been found in a new initiative created by Professional Catering in Greenville, SC.
Get this: they use fresh ingredients fully prepared by a professional chef, vacuum seal it into a plastic bag, and freeze them for preservation. No artificial preservatives, no MSG and no extra ingredients. Just simple, good food.
After being told about this 'miracle meal' my wife and I decided to try it out:
At first, I did not know what to expect. Everything we needed came in a neat brown paper bag. Inside the bag was our food, prepared, sealed in plastic and frozen to keep it fresh.
There were plenty of options from the seasonal menu. They were doing a Cajun menu where we could have chosen from Chicken Creole, Jambalaya, Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffee and Pork Loin. We went with the Cajun pork loin and mixed vegetables. On the bags were the serving size, ingredients and instructions on how to reheat the food.
The instructions were easy to read and simple. Step one was to fill a large pot of water and bring to rolling boil.
Next, place the food into the boiling water for six to eight minutes. We did the full eight minutes.
For safety, use a hot mitt and tongs to retrieve the food from the hot water. The steam is very hot: I learned this the hard way putting the food in the water, so the mitt may be an extra precaution but a good idea.
Here I let the food cool a bit before handling.
For this meal, other than the pot of water and tongs all you really need are your plates and some scissors.
And voila! Cajun pork loin with mixed veggies. The pork was moist and flavorful and the veggies kept a slight crunch and tasted fresh. I never would have guessed that this was a frozen dinner.
Professional Catering has now saved my wife and I from the temptation of going out (spending money) or from eating junk food to curb our appetite after a long day's work. We plan to stock up our freezer for the times we don't have a meal plan in place or if we're just not up for cooking that night.
Follow their link for more info on how you can save dinner.
