As many of you know, our house is newly gluten free because our two youngest, babies A and B, have been recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. In an effort to make our menu choices as quick and healthy as possible, we were granted the wonderful opportunity to check out some top choices by cooksimple.
Check out how cooksimple began:
The story of cooksimple™ founder Keith Lauver is one that resonates
with many people. Keith was in his early 30s with a new baby at home,
traveling weekly for work, eating out most nights, and paying little
regard to his personal health. In November 2002, he walked into a clinic
for a life insurance medical exam and walked out with three numbers
that changed his life: Cholesterol=260, Triglycerides=586, Weight=194.
What did these numbers equate to? Keith was considered twice as likely
to die as the “average guy.”
This wake-up call convinced Keith to make some major changes...Taking control of what he was eating was the key to building a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.
...The company was founded on the principle that people will eat
healthier if doing so is tasty, easy, and accessible. cooksimple™ has
designed a product line to do just that by removing the largest barrier
for everyone: the lack of time to cook at home. The recipes are a breeze
to prepare, flavorful, satisfying, and inexpensive, while also
delivering superior nutrition.
from their website, www.thehealthypantry.com
So, Can cooksimple really impress me twice in a row? Let's see!
Last night we tried the tamale pie;
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| Ok, so clearly I am NOT a food photographer ;) but here's what you get with the Tamale Pie kit |
Like the white bean chili, you need to add ground meat, and this time, diced tomatoes. I didn't have any ground meat on hand this time, so I pulled some pork chops from the freezer and again, stuck them in the crock-pot in the am with the can of diced tomatoes.
Right before I was ready to make the pie, I took them out and shredded them quickly with a fork, gave them a quick chop, and threw them back in the slow cooker.
What did I have to do next, you ask? Add the spice packet and some water.
Yep, that's it.
I waited for it to bubble, as instructed, and at the last minute, added the instructed amount of shredded cheese. Here's what it looked like;
Now you'll see that there is also a cornbread topping for this dish, so again, super easy to prepare, and then just you pour it over top- 19 minutes later..... BAM:
Review:
So, we were SO impressed with the White Bean Chili , that I think I psyched myself out for this one. I served this, as I did the chili, with a simple arugula salad with balsamic honey dressing.
I really enjoyed the chili/tamale part of this dish. A little more of almost a curry-ish taste to this one, but was a nice compliment to the peppery arugula. I was not, however, a fan of the cornbread topping. A bit to thick and dense for me. I think if I made this again, I might only use half of the cornbread mixture overtop.
Hubby and Sissy on the other hand, LOVED the cornbread!
Other pluses:
* Made enough to feed 5 of us. For 2 nights! ;)
* Everyone enjoyed it: Mom, Dad, Sissy, Baby A (2 yo ) and Baby B (10 mo)
* Again, SO EASY! (LOVE THAT!)
2nd night (tonight)- we had the leftovers heated and topped with sour cream and salsa and dipped blue corn chips into it. DELISH! <3
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| baby A enjoying her tamale pie with shredded cheese, blue corn chips, and Silk Chocolate Milk |
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| Baby B enjoying hers chopped up with some shredded cheese and some water! |
Giveaway:
We want YOU to enjoy a gluten free night on cooksimple as well! So HERE is how YOU can WIN:
Mandatory Entries:
* Subscribe to NNM via Google Friend Connect and comment below that you have done so
* Follow NNM on Facebook (already a follower? that's ok! It counts!) Just comment on our wall by naming a cooksimple kit "flavor"
* Follow cooksimple on Facebook and comment on their wall that NNM sent you
Additional Entries:
In order to keep track of all additional entries, for each entry completed, you MUST comment below here that you have done so (other wise I can't track everyone!) :
* FOLLOW NNM on Twitter
* FOLLOW cooksimple on Twitter
* TWEET this giveaway using #NurturingtheNaturalMama #giveaway and tag @mymackey and @cooksimplemeals
* FOLLOW NNM on Pinterest
* FOLLOW cooksimple on Pinterest
* RE PIN this giveaway
Aaaaand GO! Goodluck! WINNER will be chosen at random Friday March 29th at 8pm, EST
