Tandoor Chef Chicken Tikka Masala

December 29, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $3.49
Serving: 1 bowl, 10 oz.
Calories: 330
Fat: 34%, 22g
Sodium: 32%, 770mg
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 3%, 10g
Fiber: 3%, 1g

if they brought back the rice

Tandoor Chef says: Boneless chicken breast marinated, roasted and simmered in a robust, creamy sauce.

Abi says: The during the late summer of 2006, Deep Foods consolidated their Curry Classics and Green Guru frozen meal lines into the Tandoor Chef brand. The sauces and quality are the same, but the some meals no longer include rice.

The loss of rice took Tandoor Chef’s Chicken Tikka Masala from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Pretty Good’. I don’t particularly want or need to eat an entire container of sauce along with my chicken. Sure, the chicken is deliciously tender and bathed in a masala sauce that defies diets, but it isn’t what I want for a whole lunch. After a brief examination of the nutritional info (9 net carbs!), I wonder if someone at Deep Foods is on an Atkins kick. Let’s pray that it ends quickly and without further food-altering incidents.

All of you sauce-lovers are in luck; the masala is fragrant with spices; warming and hearty. Unfortunately, I want a slightly balanced meal, a meal with rice, a meal with carbs. I miss mixing my chicken and sauce and rice together in a loving, community-building action. Hey Deep Foods, bring back the rice!

Filed Under Chicken, Four Stars, Tandoor Chef Reviews, Three Stars | 17 Comments

Best and Worst Frozen Meals of 2006

December 29, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi Jones

2006 Top Ten Countdown Icon

The other day, my coworker, friend, and sometime frozen-food-reviewer Kate commented that with the coming of 2007 we’d be enjoying a lot of great lists. You should have seen the joy in her eyes at that realization. Seriously, it sort of made me fear for my life.

Fortunately for people who love lists, we at HeatEatReview.com are not immune to list-mania. No, we can’t tell you the Ten Best Movies of 2006 or the 40 Best Albums of 2006. But we know a whole heck of a lot about convenience foods.

Thanks for sticking with us over the past 9 months. We’ve consumed a multitude of microwavable meals; thank God these tortures have not been for naught. We’re now armed with over 200 reviews (yes, you read that correctly), a whole lot of frozen-food-wisdom, and enough tastebud loss to consider applying for a research grant.

It is with both pride and horror that we present to you our lists for 2006. During the list-fest, this post will stay at the top of HeatEatReview.com’s front page. Below this post will appear our awesome lists.

Filed Under Announcements, Site News | 3 Comments

Top Ten Asian Frozen Meals

December 28, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi Jones

panda icon

Can you believe that I didn’t have real Indian or Thai food until I was in college? I’m still trying to get over the fact that these foods weren’t introduced into rural Oregon until the late 90’s. This list will guide you to the best pan-Asian frozen meals. And yes, that is a Panda. I’m taking the day off today and my mom and I are going to see Tai Shan. We’re also going to Mt. Vernon, but I think she’s more excited about the panda.

Trader Joe’s Jaipur Vegetables and Garlic Naan - Amy says: I could do this review in 3 words: “explosion of flavor”.
Curry Classics Chicken Tikka Masala - This meal, which is no longer available in the DC area, is one of the best frozen Indian meals I’ve ever consumed.
Green Guru Paneer Tikka Masala is also super-delicious. It isn’t available with rice anymore and is now produced under the ‘Tandoor Chef’ brand. So much for obvious vegetarian options.
Amy’s Kitchen Mattar Paneer - As Jess says “This is my ‘go to’ meal when I know I’m looking forward to rough waves on the sea of life. I know that this meal will at least guarantee a happy lunching experience and sometimes that’s enough of an incentive to keep on keeping on.” read the rest of this review…
Kashi Sweet and Sour Chicken - It’s like eating Chinese food in Arizona. Or like eating BBQ in a Chinese restaurant. Or perhaps like neither of these things. read the rest of this review…
Trader Joe’s Chicken Gyoza Potstickers - Yum. Yum. Yum. Yeah, they contain gray meat. I don’t care.
Green Guru Channa Masala - While Kate’s review is beautiful in its simplicity, the comment under the review is even better.
Lean Cuisine Sweet and Sour Chicken - Jess says “My mom has this ridiculous obsession with Americanized Chinese food. Literally this woman could eat Chinese -style food for every meal, every day of the week, and be completely content with her life.” read the rest of this review…
Trader Joe’s Chicken Tandoori with Spinach - I had another one of these the other day. It no longer contains peas and there was even more chicken. It isn’t a ton of food, but pair it with a piece of fruit and a chocolate bar and you’ve got a scrumptious lunch.
Lean Cuisine Chicken in Peanut Sauce - It was like running through a peanuty, wheat field on a sunny Spring day. At least, that’s what Jess claims.

Filed Under Frozen Meal News, Site News | Leave a Comment

Top Ten Rice-Containing Meals

December 27, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi Jones

cartoon rice bowl

These meals all contain rice. They are all tasty. Enjoy HeatEatReview’s list of the top-ten rice-containing meals of 2006 and take a moment to check out the website of the International Rice Research Institute. Nearly half of Earth’s population relies on rice, the third largest crop in the world.