Lean Cuisine Salmon with Basil

December 24, 2007 | Reviewer: Becky

Lean Cuisine Salmon with Basil Price: $2.12 + tax
Serving: 1 entree, 9 5/8oz.
Calories: 220
Fat: 9%, 6g
Cholesterol: 7%, 20mg
Sodium: 28%, 660mg
Protein: 18g
Carbs: 8%, 24g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 4 Points

Lean Cuisine says: Wild salmon on a bed of whole wheat orzo pasta with yellow and orange carrots and spinach in a basil sauce.

Becky says: I like seafood. A lot. I like it prepared in every way imaginable (yes, that includes raw!). But frozen fish worries me – I am treated to flashbacks of my youth, when the only fish that my mother dared to feed us was canned tuna or cod that had been frozen, and thawed, and frozen again numerous times before being broiled to a consistency that resembles something that should not be consumed by anyone. Needless to say, I didn’t have high hopes for Lean Cuisine’s salmon.

But this is one of the instances where I am glad to say that I was wrong, wrong, oh so wrong. Once cooked, the salmon in this dish is tender and moist, and has very little of the nasty ‘fishy’ flavor/smell that is so often present in frozen fish. Once you separate the fish with your fork and mix everything together, there’s plenty to go around. Even though the veggies are limited to carrots (yellow and orange) and spinach, there are plenty of each. The spinach is cooked, but not slimy, and the carrots maintain their somewhat crunchy texture. The sauce is fantastic, though if you don’t like basil, you probably won’t care for it. I was pleased with how well the flavor accented the fish and vegetables.

I’m not sure why orzo pasta was chosen to accompany this dish, but kudos to whoever thought it up! This small, tender pasta soaks up the sauce well, and doesn’t overpower the dish. My main complaint overall is that there isn’t more pasta. The meal only has 220 calories, for crying out loud, people . . . I need MORE! That’s why I usually end up bringing a package of veggies to nuke when this is on the menu…or today, I just ate more Christma…I mean, holiday cookies & candy that co-workers brought in to work.

Overall, this meal has become one of my ‘standards’ – something that I know I like, and purchase on a regular basis.

Filed Under 4 WW Points, Four Stars, Lean Cuisine Reviews, Low Glycemic Index | 13 Comments

DiGiorno 12 Inch Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza

December 21, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

DiGiorno 12 Inch Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza Price: $4.79
Serving: 1/6 pizza, 4.7oz.
Calories: 330
Fat: 20%, 13g
Cholesterol: 8%, 25mg
Sodium: 38%, 920mg
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 13%, 39g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 7 Points

DiGiorno says: Whether you are looking for a soft, delicious RISING CRUST or a thin, crispy crust, there is a DIGIORNO pizza for you. And all of them come with mouth-watering toppings - crisp vegetables, wholesome meats and delicious cheeses!

Abi says: DiGiorno will always be a third place pizza for me, firmly behind Freschetta and Amy’s Kitchen and way, way ahead of Domino’s. Domino’s wasn’t always in third place in our house. Instead, we’d take advantage of the 5-5-5 offer and get three medium, one-topping pizzas for five dollars: pepperoni, onion, and bell pepper or sausage. Have you ever had an onion pizza? It doesn’t sound that great, but it is delicious!

Anyways, the 5-5-5 deal from Domino’s is dead here in Palo Alto. I first learned of this about two weeks after moving here. There were no frozen pizzas in the apartment and we wanted pizza but we didn’t want to go out. Calling Domino’s yielded a new, startling price on a medium pepperoni pizza: $15.00.

Sure, that includes taxes and delivery charges. But Domino’s has not yet produced a pizza that I’m willing to pay that much money to enjoy. For me, Domino’s is a way to stock up on a bunch of pizza and eat pizza for multiple meals in a row until 36 hours later I am pronouncing that don’t want any more pizza for a month.

Since realizing that I’d have to pay an arm and a leg for otherwise cheap pizza, I’ve made sure that there is some form of frozen pizza in the house at all times. I just buy whatever is on sale or at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is always cheap, but they only stock two types of pizza: Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza and DiGiorno’s (this is not a Super Wal-Mart is it just a Wal-Mart this a freezer case).

You can tell that the folks at DiGiorno really care about their pizza crust. This pepperoni pizza rose up beautifully, with a crust that was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They must have a lab full of crust scientists continually experimenting in an effort to create the most perfect crust in existence. Unfortunately, that degree of care that is taken with the crust doesn’t quite make it to the toppings (except for the pepperoni count, which is a precise 18, meaning there are exactly three slices of pepperoni per serving).

There’s a ton of sauce (a bonus for all of you sauce-lovers out there), and lots of single-note mozzarella cheese, and plenty of pepperoni rounds. It is just too bad that the pepperoni is so greasy I go through multiple paper towels when blotting each slice of pizza. Let’s face it, some people can deal with pools of orange oil on their pizza and some cannot. I cannot.

But, for all of the people like me who think that DiGiorno pizza is too greasy (the entire pizza is 42 Weight Watchers Points) and lacks a full flavor pallette, there are people like Sylvia, who write to me thinking that HeatEatReview.com actually produces DiGiorno pizzas:

Tried your new DiGiorno Ultimate Pizza for the second time. Will no longer be ordering delivery-style pizza. Deelicious! Keep up the good work.
PS: Packaging is superb! Thanx. Sylvia

I have to agree that the packaging is superb. It was super-easy to remove this pizza from the plastic wrap. Really, where did pizza producers get the idea that a plastic-based set of swaddling clothes was necessary for each pizza? It is a freaking pizza, not the baby Jesus. Sadly, not every DiGiorno pizza produces a success story:

I got the DiGiorno Ultimate and the directions for a “crisper crust, said to place the pizza right on the rack of the oven.” So I followed the directions and about ten minutes later my house was smoked out, because the cheese had melted off of the pizza onto the rack and started to burn. I suggest that instead of putting the pizza directly onto the rack that you put the pizza onto a cookie sheet or pizza stone. Thank you. J Swackhamer.

It also seems that I’m doing a poor job of supplying California grocery stores with their needed pizzas:

I cannot find your digorno wheat pizza anywhere. I used to always get it at the store. Is it discontinued? If not where can I get it? I live in Valencia Ca. Mindy

Dear Mindy: I have no idea. And finally, has anyone out there tried the DiGiorno Garlic Bread Pizza? Linda seems to like it . . . . . and ellipses.

I would just like to make a comment on your new “GARLIC BREAD PIZZA” it is excellent-thanks for your scrumptous [sic] product……It’s the best pizza I have purchased ever……………… Linda

So, what’s your favorite brand of frozen pizza?

Filed Under 7 WW Points, DiGiorno Reviews, Frozen Pizza Reviews, Three Stars | 12 Comments

Freschetta PizzAmore 10-Topping Supreme Pizza

December 20, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Freschetta PizzAmore 10-Topping Supreme Pizza Price: $5.00 (on sale)
Serving: 2 slices, 5oz.
Calories: 380
Fat: 25%, 16g
Cholesterol: 10%, 30mg
Sodium: 40%, 950mg
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 14%, 41g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 9 Points

Freschetta says: Pre-sliced and covered with generous amounts of large-cut toppings and all natural cheese that complete the take-out pizza experience. Since each pizza is baked and served on a disposable tray, there is minimal oven mess and no pizza cutter to clean — truly giving moms the night off from cooking.

Abi says: Before I even get into how this pizza tastes or how silly I find the name, can we take a moment to ponder two things?

Do people still using pizza cutters? As a fan of Alton Brown and recent reader of his Kitchen Gear book, I have to say that a pizza slicer is a waste of space for most home cooks and a pain for any hand-washer to clean. Get yourself a good, sharp, big knife (the Santoku style works well on pizza) and give your rotary slicer to Goodwill.
“Truly giving moms the night off from cooking” makes me gag. Does it make you gag? Do you suddenly feel like you’ve been transported back to another era? I certainly do. I don’t have children yet, so I’m not sure who would feed them, but the idea that moms are solely responsible for dinner make me sort of sad.

Okay, enough ranting about the package blurb. Just kidding. From now on, whenever I add garnish or sprinkle spices over the top of something, I am going to call it a topping. The front of the Freschetta box lists the 10 toppings as:

Mozzarella
Parmesan
Pepperoni
Spicy Sausage
Green,
Red and
Yellow Bell Peppers
Roasted Red Onions
Garlic &
Oregano

I don’t know about you, but when I think of ‘toppings’ I think of things that go beyond the scope of cheese and seasonings: I think of vegetables and meats. Freschetta is reaching with the ‘10-Topping’ moniker, assuming that most consumers will behave as I did, trusting that there are ten toppings on the pizza rather than reading the box closely and realizing that calling garlic and oregano toppings rather than seasonings is something of a joke. Plus, the toppings are relatively scant considering that there are ‘10′ of them. The bell peppers and onions add beautiful color, but I’d like a bit of vegetable in every bite.

The pepperoni is terrifically peppery, adding a ton of flavor to the pizza without drenching it in oil. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had to blot a slice of Freschetta pizza. This makes me happy, because pizza blotting reminds me that I’m a picky eater and that pizza is generally not healthy. While both of those things are true, they are realities that I try to ignore. The spicy sausage, ingredient number four, is even more scant than the bell peppers. I am confused about this, even more confused than when I attempt to apply blush without looking like a victim of scarlet fever or a street walker.

The Freschetta crust is perfectly puffy, but only slightly crisp. This is confusing as all get out because the pizza comes packaged with a ‘baking sheet’. Do not trust this baking sheet. It is a flimsy piece of paper coated in black and it will not make your pizza crisp. I recommend ignoring the baking sheet and placing the pizza on a cookie sheet.

Why do I recommend the cookie sheet route rather than my preferred on-the-rack baking method? Well, this pizza is pre-sliced, a bit of news that should be heartily welcomed by all of you that lack knives and cutting boards. Because I own a cutting board and multiple knives, I find this pre-sliced pizza a bit silly. The cheese melts together, so that still has to be sliced and in the end all that you’ve got is pre-sliced dough. That isn’t so helpful when you’re buying a pizza specifically designed to keep your children from handing sharp kitchen implements.

If it didn’t taste so darn good, I’d suggest skipping the PizzAmore and sticking to the regular non-pre-sliced pizzas from Freschetta. Wow, it is 9am on the West Coast, I had breakfast two hours ago and all I want right now is a slice of pizza. Damn you, Freschetta.

Filed Under Four Stars, Freschetta Pizza Reviews, Frozen Pizza Reviews | 10 Comments

Trader Joe's Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

December 19, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe’s Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Price: $3.99
Serving: 1/3 pizza, 8oz.
Calories: 360
Fat: 21%, 14g
Cholesterol: 20%, 60mg
Sodium: 32%, 770mg
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 11%, 32g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 8 Points

Trader Joe says: Did you ever think you’d find a Philly Cheesesteak in the pizza section? Neither did we, until we came across this delicious creation. Inspired by the City of Brotherly Love, Trader Joe’s Philly Cheesesteak Pizza is destined to become aclassic in its own right. We’ve topped this pizza’s crust with thinly sliced, perfectly seasoned USDA choice roast beef, roasted onions, red & yellow bell peppers and four savory cheeses.

Abi says: Before this whole review gets underway, I’d like to let all of you know that I’ve never actually had a Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia. I’ve had cheesesteaks (with provolone, not Cheez Whiz) and I’ve been to Philadelphia (Core de Roma is a completely charming Italian restaurant serving Roman cuisine. You should go there. And get the artichokes. They are so good you will die.) but I haven’t had cheesesteak in Philadelphia. I’m sure it is transcendent.

This lack of experience can’t stop me from telling you what’s wrong with this pizza: too many toppings. That’s right, there’s just too much beef and cheese and too many peppers and onions. Seriously, Trader Joe, do you think that I have forks at my disposal? Do you think that I’m going to eat some toppings off the top of the pizza to make consumption easier?

The most common complaint I hear about frozen pizza is “There weren’t enough toppings.” Sure, pizza crust and sauce are usually nice, but they simply serve as a way for people to eat large quantities of salty meat without feeling like they’ve become temporary adherents to the Atkins diet.

Sadly, there’s a downside to having so many toppings on a pizza: the toppings in the middle were somewhat cool even though the edges of the pizza were definitely done. That crazy-delicious amount of seasoned sliced steak should probably be broiled at some point, but lacking that sort of patience (heat the oven to 500 degrees? and then watch it to make sure my pizza doesn’t burn? ha!).

I just tossed a couple already-sliced pieces in the microwave. They were still good enough to eat with relish and the entire pizza (which is on the medium-to-small side) was hearty enough to feed and sate two hungry adults.

Filed Under 8 WW Points, Beef, Four Stars, Frozen Pizza Reviews, Trader Joe's Reviews | 5 Comments