by Christine Pesta
While I do cook quite often, I find there are times after a long day when I just plain don’t feel like even whipping up a quick meal. I just want to sit down. I just wish the meal could cook itself, not to mention dirtying pots, pans, and dishes means having to deal with them later. That has always been the beauty of the frozen prepared meal.
Yes, I know – it’s not always the healthiest way to go, but in a pinch, it can be a lifesaver. I don’t turn to them very often, but I do like to keep at least one or two in my freezer for emergencies. I try to find the ones that have the least amount of “unnatural” ingredients, a decent portion, and are not over-priced.
So when I saw the Purple Carrot brand making its debut at my local supermarket, I was curious. There were about three or four to choose from, and all of them looked interesting. Each were under five dollars, so I felt like it wouldn’t be too expensive a roll of the dice should the meal not turn out to be everything I hoped for.
Well, as luck would have it, I came up a winner! I chose the Fiesta Pepper Bowl to try as it kind of had the look of something I might make myself. I was curious to see how the flavor of it might match the type of dishes I’m used to eating.
It seemed a good size portion at 10.75 ounces (304g), as I do not like to get any prepared meal that isn’t at least 10 ounces and the picture made it look as though it would be somewhat filling.
At just under six minutes in the microwave oven, the wait was acceptable, particularly since I didn’t have to do anything myself. Once I pulled it out and took the film covering off, I noticed that there wasn’t much shrinkage to the meal (I find that so many tend to practically disappear upon cooking). I gave it a good mix and dug in.
The taste was pretty good with the first bite; then I took a second bite. I found that I enjoyed it more with each forkful. The spiciness was not too intense, but it was very flavorful. While I am used to spicy foods, I don’t believe it would put anyone off who wasn’t. In fact, it might even get them interested in trying spicier dishes more often.
The meal consisted of yellow bell peppers, black beans, Gardein Be’f Crumble, broccoli stalks, butternut squash, cauliflower, green onions, and jalapeño peppers. It was all put together with a sauce that is described on the package as a, “creamy and smokey, plant-based queso”.
I didn’t find the sauce to be overly creamy, but I did like it. I don’t know that I would have enjoyed the dish as much if it had been any “creamier”. Everything seemed to be balanced just right in terms of flavor, and the cauliflower was riced, which, for me was perfect as I don’t know that I would have purchased it if actual rice had been added to the bowl. As a result, it also helped to keep the carb count down (31g), which is also of importance to me personally, not to mention it made for just one more veggie in a bowl that seemed packed with them. It was also high in protein (15g) as well as fiber (9g), and for those watching their caloric intake, it came in at a very pleasing 270 calories.
Overall, I was very pleasantly satisfied with the meal, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick dish for a lunch or dinner. The experience has actually made me curious as to what the other meals in the Purple Carrot line might be like. I will be sure to try those out as well and report back – as I already know of a few vegans who are interested!
Interested in giving the Purple Carrot Fiesta Pepper Bowl a try yourself? Click here!
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Christine Pesta is a writer, and the owner and Executive Editor of Live Your Life Vegan. You can follow her here, on Live Your Life Vegan, where she contributes regularly, as well as on social media.
