Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice Café Steamers
![steamed items placed into the accompanying sauce](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/20120225-004.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
The show Top Chef on BravoTV is one of my favorite television shows. Recently, I have seen numerous ads on TV for the Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice cafe steamers and was curious as to how they were. I’ve had Healthy Choice café steamers before and they were good . . . would the Top Chef inspiration and influence make them that much better? Costco had a coupon in their February mailer for these frozen dinner entrees so it made it even more tempting to get some and try them out.
To give a little background on the Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice options, Healthy Choice has been a sponsor of Top Chef and in between television seasons Healthy Choice and BravoTV hosted a competition between four former Top Chef contestants and fan favorites:
- Casey Thompson
- Sara Nguyen
- Ryan Scott
- Tre Wilcox
The winner of the Top Chef styled competition would get to help Healthy Choice launch the new Top Chef inspired line of café steamers. In the end, the winner was Ryan Scott who edged out Casey Thompson.
![Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice cafe steamer right out of the microwave an appetizing cafe steamer just out of the microwave](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/20120225-003.jpg?w=300&h=200)
The steamer tray right out of the microwave and the plastic cover removed - all ingredients looking hot and delicious
I’m not sure of the specific market segmentation details for frozen foods / TV dinners but I am sure I probably fall into one of their consumer segments. In my grocery runs, I tend to get more fresh fruits, vegetables and meat to make my own food. However, I will mosey into the frozen foods section occasionally to peruse what’s new and/or on sale and stock up on a few things for those occasions that I’m too lazy, lacking ingredients, or lacking the time to make a proper meal.
To prepare the Healthy Choice entree, you remove the tray from the box, pop it in the microwave, and heat the tray (this is all done with the plastic covering still left on). Once the microwaving is done, the steamed ingredients are placed into the accompanying sauce in the larger outer tray while the inner steaming tray itself is discarded. The ingredients and sauce are mixed together and the final mixed product is then ready for consumption.
![Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice cafe steamer steamed items placed into the accompanying sauce](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/20120225-004.jpg?w=590&h=393)
The steaming tray is removed and steamed items are then placed into the accompanying sauce in the bottom tray
Similar to other frozen dinner entrees, I found that the portion sizes are pretty small compared to what you might get in a restaurant. But, that may be a reflection of how large portion sizes at restaurants in the United States have become, or how voracious my appetite! Realistically, it is probably the way that frozen dinners limit the caloric intake. Don’t get me wrong though, the café steamer portion size wasn’t skimpy but I could probably eat two steamers in one sitting pretty easily.
![Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice cafe steamer final mixed product Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice cafe steamer final mixed product](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/20120225-005.jpg?w=590&h=393)
The Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice café steamer final product after mixing the steamed ingredients in the accompanying sauce
So, how do the Top Chef inspired Café Steamers compare to the other Café Steamers in Healthy Choice’s lineup? Well, I did think the ingredients used were of very good quality. Being that the preparation method was steaming in the microwave , the ingredients looked very appetizing once microwaved retaining their bright fresh colors. The steamed broccoli also retained a little crispy texture as opposed to having that soggy texture that can easily occur with vegetables prepared from other frozen entrees. The color of the final mixed together product seemed a little more yellow than I would have thought it would be (I expected more of a reddish tint since it was marinara sauce), but the taste was really good and I did enjoy my entree. I don’t know that I would say right off the bat that the Top Chef inspired steamer was necessarily much much tastier than a regular Healthy Choice steamer but I do think it was a bit better and definitely one of the better TV dinners that I have had. I’ll admit though that I wasn’t completely scientific in my testing since I didn’t have a regular steamer in the same sitting as the Top Chef inspired one. I guess I have a few more replicates to go in order to get an adequate sample size, not to mention some other flavors to try :).
Overall, I enjoyed the Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice café steamer and if I’m at the grocery store again and looking for some dinner entrees in the frozen foods section, I’ll be sure to look at the Healthy Choice options again. Without a coupon discount, I might think twice compared to some other options, but if I’m not penny-pinching and deciding based on quality, taste, and presentation, then the Top Chef inspired Healthy Choice options it is.
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FYI, I have not been hired to promote the Healthy Choice Café Steamer meals so l am not writing this entry or advertising on their behalf. As with all of my posts, I’m just sharing my thoughts and opinions. Cheers!
Flying the friendly (United Airlines business) skies
![Chicken entree](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ua-chicken.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
My wife Connie was going to undergo a tonsillectomy surgery so I had to make a cross-country trip to be with her for surgery and her recuperation afterwards. Being a loyal frequent flier of United Airlines (UA) in the past few years, I’ve been able to gather enough miles in their MileagePlus frequent flier program to have Premier Executive status. One of the perks of being an elite member of their MP program is the unlimited complimentary upgrades – meaning elite members are automatically put onto the waiting list for seats in the next higher class of service for any UA flights that the member is traveling on. If seats are available in the higher class, they’ll be assigned to the elite members based on UA’s formula (members’ status level, mileage earned, etc).
I don’t typically fly business class though I have been fortunate to get a few upgrades once in a while. Typically, as I’m flying hub-to-hub, specifically Washington Dulles to San Francisco International or vice versa, there are (a) few business class seats left open, and (b) so many high level elites that a lowly PE member like myself would never get the complimentary upgrade. Perhaps it was because I was going IAD-LAX-SFO on a Wednesday (February 22, 2012), but I was pleasantly surprised when I actually got the complimentary upgrade to business class for my cross-country flight! This was also after I had been trying to use the automated kiosk to print my boarding pass and it kept not letting me do so and insisting that I had to talk to an agent to complete my check-in process.
After having my upgrade confirmed and receiving my boarding pass, I was looking forward to my flight as I knew I would be having a served dinner instead of being offered meals for purchase. Plus, I was looking forward to seeing the changes of United Airlines’ recently revised in-flight menu and premium cabin service. Airline food hasn’t garnered rave 3 star Michelin reviews but there have been efforts by multiple airlines to make their food better. United did so recently by getting assistance from internationally acclaimed Chef Curtis Stone.
The in-flight service began shortly after takeoff with a hot towel and warmed nuts in a ramekin. The nuts were a good snack. I also appreciated the mix of nuts which included almonds, cashews, and peanuts. I don’t usually have peanuts as a snack at my place, and when I have had them I’ve never taken the time to warm them. However, after having the warmed peanuts on my flight, I might just have to make an effort to have warmed nuts next time.
The main dinner service was served on a tray that had a salad, appetizer and main entree on it. Maybe it’s because I have realistic lower expectations for meals on airplanes, or just lower expectations in general (which I’d like to think not), but all of the dishes actually looked good. Thinking about the serving style some more though, I think what makes the whole meal experience on airplanes seem less appetizing, apart from the fact that you’re eating in a cramped space on a plane, is that the entire meal is being served on a tray. Meals on trays just make you think of food in cafeterias, school lunches, or prison meals, even if you do provide real silverware in a clean white napkin, and have a linen on the tray. Perhaps if the food dishes were served one at a time that would actually make it seem like airplane food was better. It’s not like you’re pressed for time on cross-country flights (P.S. United, maybe you can learn from Air New Zealand who does this even in their premium economy class).
Regarding the food that was served for dinner, the appetizer was a smoked salmon dish served with capers and a lemon slice. The smoked salmon wasn’t the best smoked salmon that I had ever had, but it wasn’t the other extreme either. It also did not taste just like a piece of smoked salmon from a store bought package. The salad consisted of pieces of romaine lettuce with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. It was served with a prepackaged sesame ginger dressing on the side that was nice, light and refreshing together with the salad. My main entree was a chicken dish that was definitely Italian influenced. The chicken was seasoned with Italian seasonings, and served with gnocchi, pasta sauce, carrots and long beans. The generous chicken piece wasn’t overcooked, as can be easily done, so all parts were nice and moist. The gnocchi had a good texture – firm but still soft in the mouth – though a little floury tasting.
Once the main tray had been taken away, the flight attendants came down the aisles with our dessert – carts of ice cream sundaes with our choice of size toppings. I chose to have my ice cream sundae topped with chocolate syrup and strawberries.
Overall, my dinner experience in United Airlines’ business class was good. All of the food was presented in a nice manner, tasted good and seemed fresh. I only wish they could have brought out the dishes one at a time rather than serving all on a tray. My last business class experience with United Airlines had been about six months ago on an international leg from Taiwan to Japan. I cannot remember what I had exactly or how things were served but based on my recollection the international experience was still better than this domestic meal which was definitely pretty good. I must say, airline food has come a long way since back in the day, and food up in United Airlines’ business class isn’t just reheated frozen dinners. Maybe one day I’ll be able to experience first class cabin service as I’m sure it’s even better.
. . . . .
As an aside, when I first decided to blog about my food experiences the broad categories that came to mind were my test kitchen and my eating out experiences, the latter of which I decided to collectively group as “Restaurants”. However, it seems like I may have to come up with either a better term for encompassing my eating out experiences instead of “Restaurants” e.g. “Out and about”, or add some additional segregation to allow for better classification of experiences like this! Any ideas?
Jen’s Island Cafe & Deli
![Chicken roti inside closeup](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/20111228-006.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
On a day trip (December 28, 2011) to downtown Charlotte-Amalie, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, we decided to stop in to Jen’s Island Cafe & Deli for lunch as it seemed like one of the few places in downtown that served local cuisine. Most of the other bars and restaurants that we had seen in town seemed to just serve bar/pub food without any local fare. I’m sure they are just catering to what people want, but to me it seems like if you’re visiting somewhere you would want to try that somewhere’s food as part of experiencing the culture? But I digress . . .
At Jen’s, we started off with the conch fritters. Per the menu, the fritters were made with fresh conch, peppers, onions and seasonings fried and served with a mango chutney sauce. The batter was light and the fritter contents were well balanced though I must admit the conch seemed a little hidden at times. That’s always a challenge with making conch fritters though. The fritters were moist enough that they really didn’t need too much of the accompanying mango chutney unless you wanted to give it some additional flavor to the fritters, which did indeed make them even tastier.
For the main course, we decided to get an order of the chicken roti. For those who haven’t had a roti but are familiar with burritos, a roti is very similar. In the Caribbean, a “roti” (a traditional Trinidadian dish) refers to a filled pastry. For a more detailed introduction on rotis and what rotis are in different regions of the world, check out the Wikipedia roti entry. At Jen’s, the chicken roti had a filling of curried potatoes, carrots and chick peas, in a nicely made dhalpuri wrap. Everything came together well and I appreciated that the wrap was sturdy enough to hold everything yet not too dry or tough.
For those that may want to add some additional zing to their roti, or whatever they may order, Jen’s also makes its own hot sauce. Looking at the bottle the hot sauce appears to be habanero pepper-based, with generous amounts of garlic and onions, and some other ingredients. Although the hot sauce was made with habanero peppers it wasn’t scorching hot. I’d describe it as a toned down flavorful hot sauce with the slow acting habanero kick – a great sauce to complement your food.
Overall, we had a great lunch experience at Jen’s Island Cafe & Deli. We sat at the bar and it was definitely a very friendly atmosphere. We would definitely return for another meal if we are ever back in Charlotte-Amalie.
Jen’s Island Cafe & Deli
43-46 Norre Gade
Charlotte Amalie, VI 00802
(340) 777-4611
Uncle Joes’ (World Famous) BBQ
![Uncle Joe's BBQ - BBQ chicken platter](https://foodieforays.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/20111227-003.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
While on our honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands (December 2011), my wife and I had taken a day trip to St John where we did the Reef Bay Trail Hike. After the several hour long hike that had spanned lunch time, we were both pretty hungry and so some good food was definitely in order. Since we were visiting the USVI, we wanted to sample some local West Indian fare in downtown Cruz Bay. We saw Uncle Joe’s BBQ close by and had absolutely no qualms about dropping in for a bite to eat at this little roadside jaunt.
We decided to go for their chicken BBQ plate with sides of red beans and rice, and macaroni salad. The chicken was well cooked and generously covered with their unique BBQ sauce, which was tangy in flavor and had a little kick. Being in the Caribbean, based on my previous living experiences in the West Indies, my guess is that they used just a touch of scotch bonnet peppers in their sauce as it had that oh so wonderful lingering sensation of a good hot suace. Some others might not appreciate the coating amount of BBQ sauce but I thought it was just the right amount of sauce – enough for all of my chicken, and some left over for my rice and beans 🙂
All in all, a great meal that definitely hit the spot! BTW, if you’re looking for some authentic local fare, there aren’t many places in downtown Cruz Bay so I’d definitely hit up this place if you can.
Uncle Joe’s Barbecue
North Shore Rd, Cruz Bay
St John, VI
(340) 693-8806