The Long And Winding Road

As we become more (hopefully) in tune with the needs of other cultures and beliefs we begin to see a change in how our foods are prepared (and marketed).  I don't think many people are phased when they see that a meal is now Kosher or vegetarian and though it's slowly being adopted, more meals are now also coming Halal.  For a meal to be Halal the animals who's products are included, need to be ritualistically slaughtered and other foods need to be natural and not processed, so whole grains, fruits, veggies and fish among others.  A Halal meal isn't going to taste any different than a non-Halal meal and because of the guidelines, you're actually getting a better quality ingredients in the dish.  Lets see if that adds that extra kick to our mac n' cheese.


The Review

Brand:
Saffron Road Macaroni & Cheese

Stamped Halal, like a prime grade of beef.  I like it!

Price:

3.69 at Whole Foods

Packaging Description:

(On Front)

*Authentic Recipe *Made with milk from cows not trated with rBST *All Natural *Vegetarian

Jerusalem Aritchoke Pasta Prepared in a Rich Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Cheese Sauce

(On Back)

Saffron Road celebrates the memorable meals and mutual values families and friends of all cultures share around the dinner table. In this tradition, we invite you to enjoy Saffron Road's All Natural Halal certified world cuisine. We know that great food begins at the farm, so we source our ingredients from only the finest producers available. It's no coincidence that we buy from small sustainably run farms and that we demand ingredients with no artifical flavors or preservatives. Our dairies and cheese makers hoave pledged to use milk only from cows not treated with rBST*. Because the goal of Halal is food that's all natural and naturally delicious.

Halal is a tradition that has nourished billions of people over the last 1,400 years. Halal promotes the sacred practices of respect for the land, fair treatment for farmers, and wholesome food to eat. You'll be amazed how good such carefully prepared food tastes and how it genuinely replenishes the body and soul!

Preparation:

*Remove the tray from the box.



Noodles look more like shreds of pasta, rather than actual pasta... interesting!



*Grab your favorite sharp/pointy implement and stab two or three times into the plastic film.

*Place the tray in the microwave and cook for two minutes.

Through the first round of cooking and still looking mostly frozen, as expected. 

*After you have removed the tray from the microwave, peel the plastic film back and stir up the meal.



Pre-stirred



Post-stirred

*Lay the film back over the meal and place back into the microwave and cook for an additional two minutes.

*Pull the tray out of the microwave and let it sit for one to two minutes to cool.



See!  Somewhat shredded noodles!



*Once cooled, completely remove the film and stir the mac once again.



See, remove the film, add a fork and it looks like a totally ready to eat meal... because it is.  Man who writes these comments?



*Commence with the nomming!


Taste:
Out of the microwave I smelled a somewhat cheesy aroma.  The pasta was firm and cooked and the cheese was a sharp cheddar, but it was about as mild of a sharp as one could get. The dish was cheesy, but not very potent.  In addition the meal was a bit more oily than I expected and it felt more like lots of cheese melted on pasta than there was some kind of cheesy/sauciness to the dish.

Final Score:
If there wasn't mentions of this dish being Halal all over the box I wouldn't have known the difference.  That's a good thing.  Our country still has some stigmas to get past when it comes to other religions and cultures, when people seem to forget that at one point, almost every one who lives here now wasn't from here.  We don't mind that our hot dogs are Kosher, let's not mind that some mac n' cheeses are Halal.  Unfortunately, this dish was nothing to write home about.  It was reasonable, and though a bit on the mild side when it comes to a cheesy taste, the fact that it was oily and the flavor was a bit spotty did it in.  I've had better and had worse, much worse.  Also note this was yet another meal that without reading what you're eating, you've just subjected yourself to multiple servings.  If you polish off the dish you are (hopefully) enjoying two servings and getting a huge portion of your daily fat intake without even trying, so be aware! 

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size 5.5 oz (156g)
Servings Per Container 2

Calories 260  Calories From Fat 110
Total Fat 13g  (20% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 7g  (34% DV)
Trans Fat 0g 
Cholesterol 30mg  (10% DV)
Sodium 260mg (11% DV)
Potassium 125mg (4%)
Total Carbohydrates 26g (9% DV)
Dietary Fiber 1g (4% DV)
Sugar 3g
Protein 10g