While frozen meals are delicious and super convenient they do lose some of their texture when heated. You will be surprised how easy it is to get it tasting like a freshly made meal. Try these ideas to ‘Crunch it Up’.
A simple salad – Serve your meal with a simple side salad of lettuce, cucumber and onion and you will be amazed how different it tastes
Fresh Herbs – see a previous blog ‘Add Flavour with Herbs’
Celery – Sounds odd, but try chopping it finely and add it to dishes like Chicken a la King, Moroccan Lamb, Roast vegetables or buttered carrots.
Onions – Use in the same way as celery. Try regular onions, red onions, spring onions or pickling onions for a variety of tastes. Use raw, stir fried or caramelised
Yoghurt – This is the easiest way to liven up a curry. Add some chopped coriander, onion, cucumber or parsley to a small tub of natural yoghurt and put a dollop on the curry.
Cream – Ideal for soups. Simply stir in a spoonful when the soup is hot
Nuts – Slivered almonds, whole cashews, pecan nuts and peanuts can be stirred into many dishes. Try them with creamed spinach, curries, roast butternut, savoury rice and vegetarian meals
Tomatoes – Cut some cocktail tomatoes in half and add them to the dish. You could also mix some chopped fresh herbs for extra flavour
Side veg – steam broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or another veggie to serve alongside the meal
Cucumber – Delicious chopped up and added to curries, soups and pasta dishes
Croutons – Perfect with soups and salads, and they add some crunch to pasta dishes too.
Bacon bits – Chop some bacon and fry until crispy. Use it top soups, veggies or meals with a sauce
Grated carrots or beetroot – These will add some crunch and colour.