Since today marks the Chinese New Year and we are entering the Year of the Monkey, I will start with the Firecracker Tilda Rice we got to review over the weekend.
Alex loves putting together oriental recipes so this was right up his street. The convenience of flavoursome packaged rice made dinner last night nearly childplay.
Alex loves improvising so after frying 450 grams of chicken in sesame oil in a wok, he decided to throw in a package of Tesco stir fry vegetable medley (you know, the broccoli, red pepper, baby sweetcorn, spring onion and green beans one), followed when the veggies were al dente by a pack of chow mein sauce. To make things a bit more authentic, he added some fresh pineapple and ginger as the sauce was seeping over the ingredients. The last to go in was the Tilda rice, as it only needs heated throughout.
He decided to serve his dish in a thin egg omelet, in which he enveloped the rice dish, with lashings of authentic soy sauce. It was absolutely delish but in retrospect, he told me he would probably use no chow mein sauce next time he cooks the recipe, as the taste of the rice didn’t come through strong enough.
We appreciated the convenience of the packaged rice and I will buy Tilda again when I am in a rush and dinner needs to be on the table quick! If you want to get a taste of the Firecracker rice, make sure to purchase before April 2016, this is a limited edition and it will not be available in supermarkets after that date.
The second product we were told about and are still awaiting the arrival of in our local supermarket is Arla’s new Best of Both milk.
“Arla, the UK’s largest dairy company, has launched a unique branded milk product: Arla ‘Best of Both’ (Arla BOB); fat-free1 milk that tastes as good as semi-skimmed, packaged with a distinctive yellow top.
The farmer-owned dairy cooperative has spent three years developing the technology to produce Arla BOB. It involves collecting some of the naturally occurring protein2 in milk and carefully adding more of it back into skimmed milk to deliver a taste and texture that is as good as semi-skimmed3 and fat-free. In addition, with Arla’s unique PurFiltreTM process, it also lasts longer in the fridge.”
I am curious to try it and see if the taste is as good as Arla claims as, for a fat-free milk, I would expect less in terms of taste and more in terms of health benefits.
Have you tried the new Arla BoB milk already? What were your impressions ?
The last products I will mention in today’s post are the Super Yummies, the new healthy toddler snack range by Cow and Gate.
” The Super Yummies are a new range of deliciously different snacks, developed by mums and nutritionists for little ones 12 months+. Made from carefully selected, real ingredients to create new, unique and exciting tastes and textures for your toddler to discover.
Part of the well-loved Cow & Gate family, The Super Yummies are superly delicious and come in ground-breaking flavour combinations that your toddler will love. With only naturally occurring salt and sugar, making the range irresistible for both mum and their little one.
Perfect to fuel little ones’ everyday adventures, the range includes unique freeze dried fruit pieces and vegetable slices, breadsticks, rice cakes, and a variety of fruit and yoghurt pouches – all of which taste, look and feel like the real deal!”
Although Emma is no longer a toddler, she gave some of the products we got sent a go. She really enjoyed the refreshing taste of the yughurt and the fruit pouches and would choose them to go into her lunch box, as an alternative to the chocolate buttons or little treats she gets regularly.
We had a little visitor at the weekend and he did give the spinach breadsticks a go. He didn’t reject them but was more interested in the pizza everyone was having so I am guessing the taste is not as strong, due to the lack of extra sugar and salt in them. Which cannot be a bad thing, for sure!
We are planning on having another baby this year and all being well, next year we will be enjoying this range extensively :-).
What other new kids on the food aisle have you been trying recently and what would you recommend for trying?
Mama's Haven 
My husband said he is going to go out and buy the Tilda rice as he really wants to give it a try. The rice dish looks yum
I am liking the sound of the TIlda rice, something with a bit of a kick always gets the thumbs up from me!
Microwave rice is great when you’re in a hurry or I’ve only got to do rice for me. The supper yummies look great too and will look out for them in the supermarket x
Im not a huge rice fan, but being on a gluten free diet at the moment my options are limited so I’m eating it more. My hubby would love the spicy rice I’m sure.
I love using microwave rice in enchiladas for a speedy supper – thanks for the recommendation x
I love Tilda rice and always stock up when it’s on special offer. My husband doesn’t like rice and kids only eat a small amount so these pouches are three perfect amount for our family and I love the different flavours. I’m not sure I could handle the heat of the firecracker one but may just give it a go. The cow and gate goodies look good and will more than likely give them a try with a 3 1/2 year old and 16 month old, we have used their fruit pots and they love them! I’m not sure we would try the milk as the kids have full fat milk and hubby and I have uht milk, although proper milk tastes so much better on cereal! Good luck with the baby making and will look forward to your exciting announcement in the not too distant future xxxx
Why oh why did I read this when I’ve not had dinner yet?! Now nothing will satisfy me other than some scrummy chinese food!
Oh that Tilda rice looks interesting! May have to grab a bag
I love rice your can microwave! love the idea of the omelette parcel too very clever!
Sounds convenient- not something I’d usually think to buy but I can see the appeal. Glad your husband managed to make something so tasty.
We love Tilda rice…I am so bad at cooking rice you would not believe so these pouches are perfect!
That firecracker rice sounds amazing. We have tried the Super Yummies but I have to admit we don’t like them :0(
I’m not great with spicy foods so I’m not sure Tilda’s fire crackers are for me. But I am loving the look of those Super Yummies – Beetroot crisps sound fab x
I always have some microwave rice in the cupboard as a stand-by for when something quick is needed. Will look out for the new flavour – sounds good!
Love the sound of the Tilda rice, will add some to my basket next time I’m at the supermarket x
I’m not that into spicy food at all, I can just about cope with a tikka masala lol. But the rice packets are so much easier than cooking rice from scratch x
Looks delicious. I love Chinese food and should really make more at home.
Really liking the idea of the Tilda rice! I always make too much so I waste loads, this would be so much easier! The simple things heh!
We often do this sort of meal, but with noodles as they are quick, but I can get what you mean about Tilda rice.
The Super Yummies look ideal for my youngest son. I also love the BOB milk and how it still tastes yummy whilst being skimmed x
I love the sound of that rice although I suspect it would be too hot for my lot – we do love the tilda rice pouches though as they’re really easy when you’re in a rush
we love the Tilda stuff, we always buy their rice and the kids pouches too x