What pre-made dishes taste better to you when you doctor them up?

GadgetGuy

GadgetGuy

(Formerly Shermie)
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I normally don't do pre-made dishes on account that they are so wicked salty. I'm on a low-sodium diet. But some cooks do that. So what about you? Do you find this practice necessary? Or do you just leave the dish as is & just 'wing it'? :wink:
 
I very rarely buy pre-made dishes or 'ready meals' as they are known in the UK. If I do, I invariably spice them up in some way. Here the salt content of those meals has been lowered quite drastically over the last few years - so much so that I end up adding salt! Ready-made pizza is something I get very occasionally. I usually add loads of chillies to it and extra herbs.
 
morning glory said:
I very rarely buy pre-made dishes or 'ready meals' as they are known in the UK. If I do, I invariably spice them up in some way. Here the salt content of those meals has been lowered quite drastically over the last few years - so much so that I end up adding salt! Ready-made pizza is something I get very occasionally. I usually add loads of chillies to it and extra herbs.
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They are supposed to be doing that here also, but I've seen very little or none of it. it is just so ridiculous, the amount of salt in pre-made foods today! Enough to choke a horse!!!! :mad::headshake:
 
Oddly there is a German brand of frozen pizza here in Australia that most enjoy. Dr Oetker Ristorante is the brand.

I still pimp them though. More cheese & mushrooms with a hefty dose of chilli flakes.


Mi goreng instant noodles (like ramen) get a workout here. I’ll throw mince in a pan, with whatever veg is lurking around, stir frying until well done, then add in the drained boiled noodles and the flavour sachets. Throw an egg on top.

I buy a lot of frozen dumplings but I add them to my own ginger chicken broth with some greens.
 
Shermie said:
They are supposed to be doing that here also, but I've seen very little or none of it. it is just so ridiculous, the amount of salt in pre-made foods today! Enough to choke a horse!!!! :mad::headshake:
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So true @Shermie . And let's not forget the chemicals thrown in these pre-packaged meals. For example, here is what is in Jeno Pizza rolls.
Ingredients of Pizza Rolls

Ingredients of Pizza Rolls

 
Frizz1974 said:
Oddly there is a German brand of frozen pizza here in Australia that most enjoy. Dr Oetker Ristorante is the brand.

I still pimp them though. More cheese & mushrooms with a hefty dose of chilli flakes.


Mi goreng instant noodles (like ramen) get a workout here. I’ll throw mince in a pan, with whatever veg is lurking around, stir frying until well done, then add in the drained boiled noodles and the flavour sachets. Throw an egg on top.

I buy a lot of frozen dumplings but I add them to my own ginger chicken broth with some greens.
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I too doctor pizzas up with chorizo shrooms and BBQ sauce.

Russ
 
TodayInTheKitchen said:
And let's not forget the chemicals thrown in these pre-packaged meals. For example, here is what is in Jeno Pizza rolls.
Click to expand...

Here many (most?) of the ready meals have no added chemicals (it didn't used to be so) so I guess we are lucky. Here for example is Chicken Tikka Masala from Tesco:

IDShot_540x540-23.jpg


Product Description
  • Marinated chicken breast in a spiced cream, tomato and cashew nut paste sauce with spiced basmati rice.
  • A taste of India Creamy spiced tomato curry made with a traditional spice blend. Working in partnership with expert Indian chefs we use traditional layering methods to create depth of flavour.
INGREDIENTS: Cooked Pilau Rice [Water, Basmati Rice, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Cumin Seeds, Colour (Curcumin), Cardamom Pods, Cardamom Powder, Ground Bay Leaf], Chicken Breast (22%), Onion, Single Cream (Milk), Tomato Purée, Yogurt (Milk), Rapeseed Oil, Ginger Purée, Garlic Purée, Ground Cashew Nuts, Honey, Butter (Milk), Cashew Nut, Salt, Coriander Leaf, Sugar, Soya Oil, Palm Oil, Cornflour, Paprika, Coriander Powder, Green Chilli, Cumin Powder, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder, Black Pepper, Colour (Paprika Extract), Cinnamon Powder, Clove Powder, Cardamom Powder, Fennel, Ground Bay Leaf, Ginger Powder, Mace, Star Anise, Fenugreek, Basil Powder, Lemon Oil, Sunflower Oil.

Curcumin (colouring) is a natural ingredient found in turmeric.
 
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Once in a very great while, we'll buy the frozen French bread pizzas and doctor them with more pepperoni and cheese, but I don't remember the last time we did that it's been so long. I'll get chicken pot pies and Kraft EZ Mac for lunch sometimes. Other than that, we'll sometimes pick up the fresh filled pasta when it's on sale and stick it in the freezer for a quick meal when we don't want to cook much, just have to make a quick sauce of some kind.
 
I no longer buy any ready meals from the supermarket. Ready meals in my house are dishes I have cooked and frozen myself so rarely need to spice them up at all. There are some I've frozen that need extra ingredients added like hard-boiled eggs or more garlic, but only because the extra ingredients are foods you cannot freeze/don't freeze very well. The only salt in mine will be the natural salt that is in some food.
 
There used to be a cooking show featured on the Food Network, titled Semi-Homemade Cooking. The host was Sandra Lee.

Anyone remember that show? it used to come on late Sunday mornings. I used to watch it a lot!! :wink:
 
Shermie said:
There used to be a cooking show featured on the Food Network, titled Semi-Homemade Cooking. The host was Sandra Lee.

Anyone remember that show? it used to come on late Sunday mornings. I used to watch it a lot!! :wink:
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Yep and all the money she spent on decor.
 
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