Did you ever think that you could make really good Chinese food in the comfort of your own home?
I know that sounded like the intro to an informercial, but yea, me neither.
So this may not have been done TOTALLY without help, but thanks to Cuckoo Kitchen, I have successfully made delicious Chinese food at home. AND it’s healthier. Not that I’m one to ever really care about health, but I’m getting older…I might want to consider lowering my MSG and trans fat intake…maybe.
Anyway, I was definitely skeptical, but I have to say I am more than happy with the results from Cuckoo Kitchen. They deliver these heat and eat meals right to your door in insulated packaging, then all you have to do is cook/heat the ingredients in a pan or in a microwave. The ingredients are all portioned out in their own bags/containers, and some don’t even require cooking (see: Sesame Cold Noodles).
Read below to see what I made and you can click here to order for yourself and try it out! The price is on point too – those cold noodles above? $4.95. General Tso’s? $7.95. And the portions are large too. While I understand sometimes you just don’t want to get off the couch and cook, this is SUPER easy and I didn’t feel a wave of gluttonous shame after eating it. Always a huge plus.
Each package has the directions right on the label along with the nutrition info. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that calories and fat are NOT something you want to see when it comes to your standard Chinese takeout. In the case of Cuckoo Kitchen, you’re not going to be saddened by the numbers! In fact, you will probably feel good inside. Topped off by the fact that you’re making it yourself…there’s just so many self esteem boosters in one small package.
Read, order, eat, enjoy. I included the step by step pics for the General Tso’s chicken and Dry Fried String Beans, and only the completed dishes for the others (figured you would get the idea by that point). Names of the meals are hyperlinked directly to the website for details, directions, and ingredients.
Loved these. So so much. The sauce was super flavorful with a bit of spice and heat from chilies and Szechuan peppers. I thought the sauce was a TOUCH oily, but I am not one to shy away from oil, so if you’re sensitive to it, just use a little less sauce.
Step 1: Pour sauce from pouch into pan.
Step 2: Add the string Beans
Step 3: Stir together. Put in compostable container. EAT. That’s it!
This one took me by surprise. I thought I was going to hate it, and that’s only because it was tough to execute…I’ll just be up front about that. The chicken was hard to break apart in the pan, but once it does and you stir it around in the sauce…it’s really tasty. And dare I say it, VERY comparable to takeout. 100% would be more patient with it next time and maybe let it break on it’s own, but I was hungry, what can I say.
Step 1: Take out the ingredients. Pour sauce into pan.
Step 2: Add veggies, add chicken. Stir and break apart the chicken little by little. I recommend a fork.
Step 3 (Optional): Thicken sauce with the cornstarch. I did. Because YAY thickening agents.
Step 4: NOM NOM
This one was not my favorite, and that’s probably because tofu is not my favorite. It’s a texture thing. This is why I could never be a vegetarian. Texture of ground meat > texture of tofu. Marbly, juicy steak > tofu. You get the idea. That said, the Cuckoo Kitchen version of Mapo Tofu has a little bit of beef in it; so, I’m ok with tofu when it comes with a side of meat. My issue with this Mapo Tofu was the spice factor. A little too spicy for me. I love spicy food, and even I had to take a few deep breaths and chug some water.
It’s a REPEAT! My dad says “this is a repeat” for foods he would like to have again. And I would like to have this again. Maybe even right now. Talk about easy! Put noodles into compostable container. Mix in sauce. Mix in baby carrots. EAT. Oh sorry, sprinkle with crushed nuts and sesame seeds. NOW EAT. Loved the sauce, loved the noodles. SOME might say the noodles were a little soft, but I like my noodles soft, not crunchy. I’m pretty sure that’s why they’re called noodles, not “twigs”.
Here’s a fun fact: the other night I came home kind of drunk and didn’t want to wait for Seamless. Then I realized I had the Chinger Braised Beef Buns in my fridge, so I decided to give those a shot. Really easy and tasty, though I’m not going to lie, I melted some cheese in the sandwich too. Again, I was drunk. It was great.
So to wrap this up – let’s get cooking. And by cooking I mean having Cuckoo Kitchen do 95% of the work for you, and you feeling like an accomplished human being. I know I have very few moments in my life where I feel like that, so I’ll take what I can get. Thanks, Cuckoo Kitchen!
Love,
A somewhat cuckoo Skinny Pig
