Is there anything better than a warm mug of chai tea with almond milk?
If so, I’d love to try it. Chai infused breakfasts oats are a start. And Chai cookies are in my future. But for now, I’m going to delight in the simplicity of this tea.
Work food.
Oatmeal with ground flax seeds, blueberries and vanilla almond milk.
Fried millet with veggie and hard boiled egg.
Carrots, banana, candied ginger as snacks. Not my usual haul because this was for an 8 hour day, not the full 12. Luckily we were done with the class early and I came home to make myself this beauty.
Udi’s GF whole grain bun + avocado + seitan + 2 fried eggs
More freezer cleaning for dinner meant…
Candle Cafe frozen dinner!
I never buy frozen entrees, but I couldn’t help get this once I saw they had released their own line of grocery products. I freakin’ LOVE Candle Cafe, as you can see from the NYC restaurant tab.
Nutritional info above, ingredient list below.
My thoughts? Well, obviously this food is different from their fresh meals served in the restaurant…I mean it has to survive however long in the freezer so I’m not in love with the various additive that make that possible. I’m also wishy washy about the “natural flavors” although since it’s vegan, at least I know they are plant based. As for the measly 210 calorie count, well, that’s not very much for a dinner. I can see me wanting that for a lighter dinner, but I need at least 500 to fill me up.
This is what it looked like once I unwrapped it.
I cooked it in the microwave as per the instructions.
The seitan looked pretty blah, but it tasted good. I could have used less acid in the sauce though. Lemon and capers are both pretty tangy, so it needed something else to balance that out.
The rice was definitely al dente.
I steamed kale and added it on top, so my actual meal looked like this.
The best part was that it took no time at all. I guess that’s the idea of a frozen meal…
Do you buy frozen meals? Have you ever tried one before?
I had maple roasted almonds for dessert. And chai tea. Obviously.
YES to tea-infused grains! I’ve done it with oatmeal and quinoa…it makes me happy. Enjoy the weekend!
I’ve been loving chai tea lately too! I just posted the other day about how I’ve been combining it with a packet of instant coffee for a mock chai tea latte..it’s good if you need that extra kick! Have you tried Celestial Season’s Bengal Spice?! It’s strong but super delicious chai!
I can’t have anything with soy, so a lot of veggie frozen meals are out. However, I have to admit that I’ve been a HUGE fan of Amy’s Organics for years now. Being single, the single servings of lasagna, mac n cheese and my favorite–pesto tortellini–are perfect and really delicious. Plus, the pizzas…oh, the pizzas.
While homemade is best, they’re pretty darn good.
Chia means Tea in Hindi, so you are pretty much saying “Tea Tea”
Have you tried Celestial Seasonings Decaf Coconut chai?! It’s flipping amazing.. Seriously!
I don’t like frozen meals.. I mean in a pinch they can be better than nothing- but they always seem to lack in bulk and taste for me.. Maybe I’m just picky? I do use frozen veggies a lot though..
Yum! I love chai tea. The other day at Whole Foods I got one with a bit of steamed coconut milk added to it! So heavenly! 🙂 The only frozen meals I have bought in the past year or so are the Amy’s ones. I like the burritos in a pinch!
I am hopelessly addicted to Chai tea. What do you use to sweeten yours? I am huge fan of raw, local honey, but that is on the FODMAPS no-no list, and I’m trying to work on low FODMAPS and food combining to help with IBS. One cup a day I could consider a cheat, but I drink maybe 4 mugs of tea with honey a day, definitely against the rules. I love love love this blog, by the way! I look forward to every post 🙂
I used to eat frozen meals ALL the time, especially in HS and College. My mom ate lean cuisines, so I became hooked on them too. Now when I think of them it makes me ill… I have tried a couple kashi meals that are good. It’s just not the same as making your own fresh food!
LOVE candle 79. Not so sure I’d buy their frozen food though
My sister in chai love! Have you tried Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Coconut Chai? Only recently discovered it and already on my third can…I spell this addiction Y-U-M. 😉
Everything with chai tea is so good- I can’t wait to see your cookies!!!
While I don’t go to Starbucks often, when I do I’ve been getting a chai tea soy misto – it’s pretty fab since it’s got that chai spice (and I especially love the Tazo chai) but doesn’t have the insane sweetness of the chai latte.
I don’t have a microwave, and I can’t remember the last time I bought a frozen meal.
How do you choose a rice cooker? How much should I be looking to spend on a good model?
I see you are using the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 model which seems to be 5.5 cups. Is that 5.5 cups uncooked rice or 5.5 cups cooked rice? Also, is the cups real cups or “rice cooker cups”? Just wondering since I won’t be able to see it before buying online. Thanks!
Simply out of curiosity– It seems that you eat mainly gluten-free foods on a regular basis, as I try to too! I have steered clear of seitan because wheat usually makes me feel sluggish and upsets the tum. 🙁
Do you find that it affects you as other wheat products do, or does it seem to be easier on your system?
🙂
sukhi’s vegan chilli chicken is pretty tasty decently filling for a frozen meal!
hey ashley, i was away for the past few days so i tried to wmail you a response to this…not sure if you got it though. for the most part i try and go with non-wheat whole grains when im cooking which is relatively easy since i love quinoa and oats to death. i dont have a gluten allergy, but i am sensitive to wheat when i consume a large amount of it. wheat is a fructan which is a fodmap and since i follow a low fodmaps diet its best for me to minimize wheat in whatever form i can. gluten, however, it the protein portion of the grain, and so when i make my own seitan im able to make it wheat free. i realize this seems weird since the main ingredient in seitan is vital wheat gluten, but if you look at the nutritional info it actually has zero carbohydrates and thus no fodmaps. so thats my long winded way of saying, no, seitan doesnt bother my GI tract. hope that helps!
hmmm..i dont actually know. best to email the company.
a good one will be between 50-100 dollars an amazing one will be 150+
now ill be on the lookout – thanks!
and youd be correct.
stevia! its my godsend for fodmaps. i love nunaturals brand.
ps thanks so much for the nice comment 🙂
That makes complete sense! Thank you for laying it out for me. I’d love to see if a low fodmaps diet would benefit me– if you have a simple(ish) way to determine how effective it is on any one individual, I’d love to know. How long is the elimination phase to determine which foods are no bueno? Thanks again Elise!
Ps, loved seeing your SF pics- I live there (here)!!! 😉
if im going the decaf route i stick to tazo’s decaf. i dont buy celestial seasonings anymore bc they are a seaworld sponsor (and i cant bring myself to give them $$ after seeing the cove). its hard to avoid all the companies that are affiliated with dolphin abuse and all that illegal cruelty that goes on in japan but im still holding out on my lame little boycott.
such a great city!
the elimination phase can be as long as you want, but the minimum time is supposed to be two weeks. i felt the relief nearly immediately. now, determining which fodmaps exactly and in what amounts is a bit harder…ideally low fodmaps would be as clear cut as no fodmaps, so its definitely a balancing act that im still perfecting. youre supposed to reintroduce each fodmaps group in challenge phases, one by one. with a return to the elimination diet in between.
e, I have been having the Bob’s Red Mill Instant Oats with blue beezies and vanilla almond milk almost every day for breakfast during my elimination phase. And the days I did not, well, that’s for a private convo, but love love love it. I also have had a fried egg or scrambled egg to go along with my “sweet” breakfast. You know I have to have my savories in the AM. =)
Stomach is happy today! Had some avo for the first time this am. =)