Wednesday 20 June 2012

Ainsley Harriott World Kitchen Chilli & Lime Flavoured Quinoa & Basmati Rice review


I decided that I'd forego the roast potatoes with my Sunday roast this week and opt for a healthier alternative. Scanning the cupboards for inspiration, I decided to try out another of the Ainsley Harriott World Kitchen packs and selected the Chilli & Lime Flavoured Quinoa & Basmati Rice.


Having never tried quinoa before, I was intrigued to discover the contents of the sachet. Well, at first glance, it looks a bit like bird seed, mixed in with rice !


The instructions tell you to add the contents of both sachets to the pan before pouring over cold water and mixing, so I tipped on the slightly more interesting sachet, containing a variety of colourful bits (presumably chilli and lime) and flavourings. As I mentioned when I reviewed Ainsley's Lentil Dahl, I am slightly irritated by the excess packaging - it's a waste of time and resources having two sachets when you need to empty both in the same pan at the same time. Come on Ainsley, let's reduce excess packaging and just put it all in the same sachet, which then wouldn't need the outer cardboard box either !

Preparing the dish couldn't be simpler. You need to bring the water to the boil and leave it to cook for 15-20 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed and the quinoa grains have become transparent. I served it up with some chicken and vegetables.


Tastewise, it's very similar to couscous, with a lovely zesty flavour of lime and a distinct chilli kick (nothing too eye-watering though, just a nice small amount of heat). It makes a change to the usual rice or pasta and is very versatile - it would be ideal with chicken or fish (especially salmon) but would go with pretty much anything.

Each pack contains two servings and a serving contains 255 calories, 50.1g of carbohydrates (of which 3.9g of sugars), 2.2g of fat (of which 0.2g saturates) and 5.9g of fibre. It's dead easy to cook, is really quick to prepare and is ideal for keeping in the cupboard for when you need to rustle up a fuss-free meal in a hurry.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £1.39 for 150g


Disclosure : I received a selection of Ainsley Harriott World Kitchen products in order to write honest reviews.

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5 comments:

  1. This looks yummy, I like most of his products I find. I also love quinoa, but find it pricey so mixing it with rice is a good idea.

    holnrewcomps@gmail.com

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  2. Tink Rhonda Lee Mse20 June 2012 at 23:04

    Oh my god I LOVE Ainsley Harriott products! the rice is AMAZING! I will have to have a look out for this, great review.

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  3. I love his cous cous - I will try these :)

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  4. Looks great. I love the cous cous too. Unfortunately things like this turn out quite expensive for us - a family of 7. Hope they do some decent family sized packs soon!
    @mumoffunkids

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    Replies
    1. Did you see that they are/were giving away packs of couscous on Ainsley's facebook page? Don't know if they still have some left though - http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot.com/2012/06/want-to-try-ainsleys-couscous-for-free.html

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