Reviews about Grains & Pastas

Katrena says "Tinkyada Grand Shell Pasta is OK but Hard to Cook Properly" about Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Grand Shell (with Rice Bran)

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:18:21 GMT

Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells with rice bran is a very small box of very large pasta shells.

What I like about Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells:

I do like the way this product is produced and packaged. It has clear labels regarding multiple allergens and includes the following information:

wheat free
gluten free
kosher certified
cholesterol free
low far
low sodium
source of fiber

This product is manufactured in a factory in which the entire factory only produces rice products, so there isn't the risk of cross-contamination of wheat products, which is great. I've bought quite a few Tinkyada pastas and they seem to be consistently labeled and it's nice to have the peace of mind to have something absolutely gluten-free. I believe these are also organic because they are sold at Whole Foods, which specializes in organic products.

What I don't like about Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells:

The package says these are not mushy--that's an understatement. It seems to take forever...

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ashleynaka says "Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice is quick and yummy!" about Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice

ashleynaka — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:44:42 GMT

If you are in a bind and need a quick side dish, Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice is just the fix for you. It is convenient and easy to make. You can add additional ingredients to make it your own. I like to add a pinch of garlic and onion powder to give it a kick. A little soy sauce never hurt either, especially if you are cooking an Asian meal. It is great to use as a single serving or combine a few for a larger portion to serve. Either way, it is a quick and healthy side dish that everyone will love.

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njchicaa says "We enjoyed Zatarain's Rice Pilaf and will buy it again." about Zatarain's Rice Pilaf

njchicaa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:48:16 GMT

We usually use mashed potatoes or jasmine/basmati rice made in the rice cooker as side dishes for chicken, beef, and pork. Every now and then we get bored with those options, though, so I keep a few boxes of seasoned rice mixes on hand for those occasions. One of the newest ones we've tried is Zatarain's Rice Pilaf.

Zatarain's Rice Pilaf is a blend of long grain rice and orzo plasta with bits of red and green bell pepper, onion, tomato, and herbs scattered throughout. It is super-easy to prepare: you just combine 1 and 3/4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of butter and bring it to a boil. When you have a rolling boil, you add this rice pilaf mix, turn the heat down, cover the pot, and then simmer everything for between 20 and 25 minutes. After it is cooked, you turn off the heat, let it stand for 5 minutes, fluff the rice, and then serve. Simple!

Both my husband and I enjoyed the Zatarain's Rice Pilaf that I served with grilled steak and steamed carrots last night. We both agreed...

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weallfalldown says "These noodles fall flat. Literally." about American beauty quick cook pasta 3 minute pasta

weallfalldown — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:28:36 GMT

I have a husband and 4 children to cook for along with every other thing so sometimes I need to get cooking like yesterday if u know what I mean. I purchased American Beauty Quick Cook 3 mjnute noodles from walmart thinking, oh wow this would be helpfull when every minute counts. Well they cook in 3 minutes even 2 but the are really gross and kind of gummy and no matter how I cooked them they were sticky. The penne noodles were tube like when I put them in the water but totally flat when they are cooked. That completely ruins the texture. Also they are more pricey than the regular 10 to 12 minute noodles. I had bought 4 boxes thinking how can a noodle be bad if cooked right? Well I cant bring myself to waste food thinking of all the hungry people so we did eat the meals prepared with all 4 boxes, but the noodles almost made me gag. Thank goodness they are gone!!...

nicki2442 says "A great tasting, quick to make, tortellini" about Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini

nicki2442 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:53:50 GMT

I have always and will always be a pasta lover. I could eat some sort of pasta dish every day...and never sicken of it. I normally dont check out the section of the grocery store where Buitoni is sold..mainly because it is sold by the huge chunks of cheeses--but I strolled by it about 5 months ago and saw the Buitoni products. I picked up a small package of the three cheese tortellini and made it for dinner. I was amazed at the quality and good taste of the pasta. I have since tried two other flavors and they are just as good. They only take about 8 minutes to cook and then you just drain, add in your favorite sauce (and/or veggies of your choice), heat together and serve. So easy...and so tasty!

I now buy the largest size available at the grocery store each time I go. It makes for a quick pasta meal anytime that I want...and it only takes one pan to cook it in. The small size package retails for about $3-$4 and the large is $6-$7.

Final thoughts: There is nothing that...

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njchicaa says "This Cheddar Broccoli Rice is a nice little rice change-up. " about Zatarain's Cheddar Broccoli Rice

njchicaa — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:29:07 GMT

When I cook dinner, we have a main meat dish, a veggie, and some kind of carb side dish, usually potatoes or rice. I've really been getting bored with plain old rice, so I've been trying out other side options like stuffing, cous cous, and flavored rice. Enter Zatarain's Cheddar Broccoli Rice.

I've seen many flavored rices but they usually don't interest me, so when I saw a Cheddar Broccoli version on the shelf, I decided to check it out. It is very easy to make: you simply add 2 and 1/4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of butter, and the contents of the box of Zatarain's Cheddar Broccoli Rice. After you stir it up, you bring everything to a boil, cover and simmer it for 25 minutes, and then let stand for 5 minutes before eating.

This is a processed product that contains a fluorescent orange cheese powder that reminds me of Kraft mac-n-cheese. It is "cheesy" but doesn't have a true broccoli flavor. This Zatarain's Rice Mix certainly isn't disgusting but it also isn't gourmet food. ...

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AnnaBanana says "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a TIE for first place!" about Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice

AnnaBanana — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:15:12 GMT

Until a couple days ago, I thought that I had tasted the best when I had enjoyed (and later reviewed) Trader Joe's Organic Jasmine Rice. I still think that but am happy to report to my audience that now we have a tie for first place -- Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice. which is grown in the Sacramento Valley of northern California. Simply put, this is the best brown rice, in fact it may be the FIRST real brown rice I have ever tried. According to label information: "Brown Rice is the entire grain of rice with only the inedible outer husk removed. The nutritious,high-fiber bran coating gives brown rice its nutty flavor and chewy texture."

Each box contains three two-cup pouches which are cooked to perfection. All you have to do is make a quarter inch slit in a pouch, place it in the microwave seam-side up and heat for three minutes. (Instructions are also given for stove-top heating.)

STATS:

One cup (half a pouch) is considered to be a serving which contains 160 calories with...

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TheBard says "Delicious, not so nutritious, not so good for you, but..." about Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Sharp Cheddar

TheBard — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:56:49 GMT

I love macaroni & cheese, but I don't always have the time to prepare a dish from scratch. In those times, when time is of the essence, I turn to Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner. Now this isn't the regular ole Kraft Mac & Cheese with the powered cheese, that tastes like it was made for children, or other without a discriminating palate, Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner comes complete with a package of real cheese, and elbow macaroni.

The Kraft brand has always been my favorite; I like the way it cooks up; fast and easy. Cut open the pouch with its four cheese blend sauce empty into the still steaming macaroni, mix and enjoy.

My Viewpoint

Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner makes a great side dish for almost any meat and vegetable, but I like to pair it with either fried of baked chicken, pork chops, or fried catfish. The 14oz package packs a fair amount of flavor, and serves up at least four.

While the product is good right out of the package I like to "doctor" it...

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njchicaa says "I rely on Kraft EasyMac Triple Cheese for quick lunches at work." about Kraft EasyMac Triple Cheese

njchicaa — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:37:28 GMT

With just two of us here in the house, we almost always have leftovers to bring to work for lunch the next day. There are some times, though, when we don't have anything to take or when I simply forget to grab my lunch. I keep a supply of Kraft Triple Cheese EasyMac on hand at work for the times that I need a quick lunch.

It is super-easy and fast to cook this Kraft Easy Mac. All you do is remove the plastic lid and cheese sauce packet, add room-temperature water up to the "fill" line on the side of the cup, and then microwave the pasta and water for about 3 and a half minutes or until pasta is tender. After it has cooked, you will see extra water in the cup but you need it when you add the sauce packet in order to make the triple cheese sauce. You just pour the sauce mix in, stir it up, let everything stand for another minute or so, and then it is ready to eat!

I tend to be picky about "prepared" foods like these, but I have no complaints about the taste of this Kraft Triple...

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ApriBambino says "Rienzi Arborio Rice makes perfect risotto" about Reinzi Arborio Rice

ApriBambino — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:48:52 GMT

Rienzi Premium Gourmet Arborio Rice

If you've never used Arborio rice before, the Rienzi brand is a good place to start. Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley region where it's grown.

After tasting this delicious and unique rice it's said that Thomas Jefferson smuggled some in a coat pocket bringing it back to America, a punishable crime back then but, it was not to be as this rice can only grow in Italy.

Each short-grain is a pearly white gem, because of its dense nature, this rice tends to take longer to cook than more conventional rice. The grains do stay a bit firm (al dente') but the results are wonderful as the consistency is so creamy and it picks up the flavor of any stock you're cooking it with.

Rienzi Premium Gourmet Arborio Rice comes is a vacuumed sealed inner pouch inside a box for maximum freshness. Not an inexpensive rice, a 16 ounce package can run anywhere from $3. to $5. dollars but you get a hearty helping...

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onwaytozion says "Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice is on my list of staples" about Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice

onwaytozion — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:21:45 GMT

Minute Rice always had a place in my pantry as one of the ingredients I often turned to. Now, Minute has created individual servings of rice, including my favorite, better-for-you, Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice. Now when I need a side dish, or an ingredient for a main dish, I can just microwave a carton or two and have what I need in a minute. The carton doesn't need to be refrigerated, so it doesn't take up valuable refrigerator space.

My only complaint would be the serving size. The package describes the serving size as one container per person. However, I usually cook for two and find that one container is plenty for both of us.

The rice can be eaten plain as a side-dish, or can be added to for a main dish. You can add beans to make a complete protein, or tuna, vegetables, salsa... the possibilities are endless!

Any rice, including brown rice, can be difficult and time-consuming to cook from its raw state. Thank goodness Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice removed all that hassle!

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rmfraumeyer says "My new favorite Pasta" about Ronzoni Smart Taste

rmfraumeyer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:59:25 GMT

This is the greatest pasta ever! I tried Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta on a whim about a year ago because I was looking for a pasta that was healthier than the traditional kind, but didn't taste like cardboard the way a lot of whole wheat pastas tend to. The bright purple box got my attention and I picked up a box to try.

It looked like regular pasta, cooked like regular pasta, but tasted so much better! It's made with whole grains, has lots of vitamins and fiber in it, and fewer calories than most pastas, and it's the only kind I buy now. Sadly they only have a few shapes available right now: spaghetti, elbow, penne, and rotini, but I'm hoping that they'll add more fun shapes soon. I no longer feel guilty for eating pasta, and it's a huge help in increasing fiber intake. The price is reasonable (around $1.50) and I only ever buy other brands now when I need a specific shape of pasta that they don't make

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Veradae says "Like homemade in minutes" about Betty Crocker Homestyle Instant Potatoes

Veradae — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:26:17 GMT

I am a scratch cook and seriously skeptical of any brand of instant mashed potatoes. My experience from the past is that instant potatoes taste fake and the texture is awful. Imagine my surprise when I tried Betty Crocker's homestyle instant potatoes. The texture was spot on and the taste was homemade - delicious. Amazing for instant mashed potatoes!

When I am in a hurry to get dinner on the table, these potatoes save the day. Incredibly simple and fast to make, even the most beginner cook can master them. My favorite way to use them is on top of a casserole or shepard's pie.

if you tried instant potatoes in the past and were disappointed, give these a try. You may just be pleasantly surprised.

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dmlichnerowicz says "As far from Chef Boyardee as you can get without being homemade" about Buitoni Chicken & Prosciutto Tortelloni

dmlichnerowicz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:15:18 GMT

We eat a lot of pasta, mostly because we love it, but it's also a really easy dinner to make at home with our busy lifestyle. While grocery shopping, we picked up Buitoni Chicken & Prosciutto Tortellini, so we'd have a quick meal to fix after unloading our groceries.

Buitoni Chicken & Prosciutto Tortellini is typically not very cheap. I paid almost $5 for a 9 oz. package, which is significantly more than dried pasta. The easy-to-open plastic package provides 2 1/2 servings (about a cup each). As far as nutrition, the pasta is pretty healthy. Only 330 calories and 9 grams of fat per serving, although the sodium is a little high (650 mg). Directions are simple: cook the tortellini in boiling water for 8-10 minutes until al dente. The pasta rings contain proscuitto (Italian spicy ham), chicken, Parmesan cheese, and some herbs. We topped ours with tomato and basil sauce...no conflicting flavors that way!

I really liked this pasta! The texture of the tortellini was firm...

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njchicaa says "We love Near East Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf!" about Near East Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf

njchicaa — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:07:34 GMT

We include rice as a side dish to many of our dinners. Most of the time it is plain white jasmine or basmati rice that I can cook in my rice cooker, but occasionally I use Near East Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf to switch things up a bit.

This Toasted Almond Rice is a box containing a rice/orzo/wheat mixture and packets of toasted almond slivers and a spice mixture. You add 1 and 3/4 cups of water plus butter or olive oil to a medium pot and then bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, you stir in the rice and packet contents, return to a boil, and then cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer everything for 20-25 minutes. It really is simple to cook Near East Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf!

There is a reason that I own a rice cooker. In all honesty, I am a complete failure when it comes to cooking rice in a pot on the stove. After a couple of years of sticky and gluey rice, my husband suggested that my mother-in-law buy me a rice cooker when she asked what she should buy me for Christmas. ...

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thetree23 says "Carolina Jasmine rice is great with seafood dishes." about Carolina Jasmine Rice

thetree23 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:28:38 GMT

I am a very health oriented person when it comes to the food my family is permitted to consume and this Rice or Carolina Jasmine Rice seems as if it would go quite well with Salmon. I am always looking for a way to change up the consumption of food my family partakes in as a way to help them love eating healthy and as long as there are ways of doing that with the added benefit of it being easy I am all for it.I was at a health instructors home as part of a health awareness meeting and he had this Carolina Jasmine rice on the menu and I was able to sample a taste of it and I just could not believe how well it complimented the Salmon which was the main dish and with a lot of other expensive dishes that were laid out I was content with Carolina Jasmine rice piled high on my Salmon.

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lorihall2861 says "Does not take time at all" about Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice

lorihall2861 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:00:21 GMT

If you like rice, but don't want to take the time to wait on cooking rice and need something quick, Minute Rice Ready to Serve is great. The brown rice is quick, easy, and tasty. This also comes in Chicken Rice Mix.

My husband could eat rice everyday and for a change sometimes, I put this in his lunch with some Kippers and he loves it. No adding water or anything, all he has to do is pop it in the microwave for one minute and it is ready. He is an individual that does not have alot of time to put something together at lunch. Actually he wants to be able to just eat it straight from his lunchbox, but realizes if he wants variety he can do one simple step.

This also has no cholesterol, which is something we need to keep an eye on.

Comes in packages of two and is reasonably priced. Right now there are coupons on the inside of the package.

You like rice, need it quick and one serving this is worth the money.

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pitcherday says "More convenient than frozen, but still average" about Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers: Rotini & Zesty Marinara sauce

pitcherday — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:33:51 GMT

I like convenient meals. With pasta and red sauce you really can't go wrong. You can make it on the stove, buy it in frozen meals, get it in a can (yes, I do like Spaghetti-O's), and now in this Fresh Mixer thing.

This Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers Rotini and Zesty Marinara sauce stands up to all of those. I think this would be the best of them all to take to work with you because it does not need to be refrigerated, and the sauce does not need to be heated, so you avoid the red explosion.

It comes in a plastic clear oval microwavable container. The dry pasta is in the bottom, there is a separate tray for the sauce in the top, and you remove the film on the lid to turn it into a strainer. You take out the sauce tray, fill the container with the pasta in it to the fill line, replace the strainer top, and microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. You wait one minute, and strain the pasta, stir in the sauce, and enjoy. You can heat the sauce if you want to. I did not and it was still quite warm.

It tastes...

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elvisdo says "Carolina Jasmine Rice Brings Out a Tasteful Aromatic Flavour" about Carolina Jasmine Rice

elvisdo — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:49:56 GMT

My parents planned a trip to visit my family recently from Vancouver, British Columbia. Being of mainly Asian descent, I knew that it was necessary to stock up on some Asian provisions when they made their visit to New Jersey. I usually have a few bags of rice at home but I knew I needed to get some more. These days I've been purchasing Carolina Jasmine Rice.

There is a wide selection of rice available in the supermarkets but not all of them are the same. I didn't know anything about the Carolina brand. My father (who does all the cooking) always told me to by authentic Thai rice that usually comes in a big burlap bag. This wasn't in a burlap bag but it was authentic, Thai rice. Jasmine rice is white, fluffy, and aromatic. It has a light scent that comes out while the rice cooks. The distinctive flavor is a perfect accompaniment to Asian cuisine.

Even though it is an exotic-tasting rice, it is also easy to find. Rice is very easy to cook, or at least it is to me since I've done it for...

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this2shallpass19 says "Way better than that refrigerated stuff at the store!" about Trader Joe's Italian Tortellini with Pesto Filling

this2shallpass19 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:51:13 GMT

After my not-so-great experience with refrigerated pasta, like Buitoni Ravioli, I didn't think I was going to make store bought tortellini or ravioli again. Since I love almost everything I have ever purchased from Trader Joe's, I decided to take a chance on their Trader Joe's Italian Tortellini with Pesto Filling. It is different because it comes dried, in the regular pasta aisle, not refrigerated.

Trader Joe's Italian Tortellini with Pesto Filling is imported from Italy, so it must be good, right? Well, I think so. I boiled the tortellini and served it with Trader Giotto's Pesto Alla Genovese, a splash of half & half, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and pancetta from Trader Joe's. It was delicious! My husband and I couldn't stop eating it, it was so good.

The texture of the tortellini is perfect. It is perfectly al dente since it was dried and not refrigerated. I think refrigerated pasta is over-cooked and too soft for my liking. Trader Joe's Italian Tortellini with...

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