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Skip to main contentThe ragu is not rich, it’s basically tinned tomatoes with some garlic. It’s not bad, but it’s nothing special. There’s a pitiful quantity of cabbage, which just about tips the balance for it being 1 of your 5 a day. The meatballs allegedly contain beef and pork, but all I can taste is vegetable. It’s… [Read More]
Can there be a more quintessentially middle class dish than a vegan, Italian dish from Waitrose? Perhaps only if it the mushrooms were hand picked from the garden. But that wouldn’t have worked very well for this dish: my garden might just about grow a weed or two; nothing as rich and earthy as the… [Read More]
The ingredients list aren’t hugely promising: “smoked British formed ham with added water”. Formed ham. With added water. Doesn’t exactly make your mouth water, does it? Still, each chunk of ham feels suitably meaty at the chew. The meatballs are better ignored. They taste very much of sage and breadcrumb; it’s hard to imagine there… [Read More]
Unlike a Pot Noodle or a bang-and-zap microwave meal, this thing actually requires cookery. Think butter, water, and careful stirring, and all the washing up that goes with that. If I’m already cooking, I may as well go the extra mile – so I roasted a duck leg. Then I opened the only other tin I… [Read More]
This didn’t look very appetising in my local supermarket – a splat of tomato on some rather fake looking meatballs, under a pile of spaghetti that will inevitably disintegrate on heating in the microwave. Still, I fancied something Italian, and I thought I’d review this for the benefit of you, my lovely dear reader. First… [Read More]
Bloody hot – like every microwave lasagne in history. Be careful not to burn your mouth. Not bad flavour though. The white sauce has a slightly strange aftertaste (nutmeg?), but it’s not too off-putting. As you can see, I got it for a “sell this before the meat goes off” price of £1.12, which may… [Read More]
Pretty painful instructions. Add 250 ml of water, 100ml of milk, 10g of butter (optional), put in a large bowl, apply microwavable film (?!), pierce holes in it, microwave for several minutes and figure out when to stir twice during the cooking process. But I’m impressed with the end result. It has a nice smoky… [Read More]
Remove the lid, disappointment – hardly anything in here! Add hot water, stir, leave for five whole minutes. Pleasantly surprised when I returned – the pasta comes out normal size! Sauce is deliciously thick and creamy for a “just add water” dish. Nice bacon flavour, though no visible bits. I wondered if there maybe wasn’t… [Read More]
As you can see, this became a watery mess. That would be ok if it was an indulgent wateriness, but it really wasn’t. I’ve tasted more cheese at a vegan’s banquet. I’m sure a dirtier metaphor exists if you want to spice up the review. Speaking of spice, the odd mushed up chicken filling has a… [Read More]
Very creamy and decadent. For me, the spinach is a little too long and stringy and would have benefited from being blended first. There is too much emphasis on the cream and not enough on the cheese- I like a flavoursome, browned cheese on the top; this cannelloni didn’t deliver. *Review from May 2013