Mediterranean-Style Chicken Bowl - Deal of the Day Review

An almost overwhelming mashup of intense flavors makes my latest Deal of the Day a tasty one.SMARTMADE Mediterranean-Style Chicken Bowl by Smart Ones is a loaded with flavor. 

And I have to give it up to my local 99c only Store for this tasty budget frozen bowl. And it's quick to microwave.

Frozen and Zapped

At first bite, you are hit with sour notes of white feta cheese nuggets. But tiny bland grain pearls of quinoa cut the feta cheese intensity. And the quinoa pearls are cooked just right -- I liked you could feel the pleasing texture.

There are a lot of veggies too, including dried tomato, red bell pepper, chickpeas, onion, and artichoke. Most of the veggies are a bit too pulverized, except for whole chickpeas.

The chickpeas are a welcome addition and I liked that they were large and not overcooked to mushiness. 

 I would have liked larger shreds of kale, slivers of red bell pepper, and chunks of artichoke. While hard to distinguish, those veggie pieces make a tasty blend.

A light sauce is flavored with tomato, it's intense due to fire-roasted tomato, but not overpowering.

Real strips of chicken breast are included, and I counted about 3 to 4 chunks. While not a generous portion, it was enough for a small meal. The chicken breast pieces were cooked just right, not too tough or overcooked.

I like meals by Smart Ones even if they are on the small size at 9 ounces, but they more than make that up for that shortcoming in deliciousness. It's still a great deal even if you have to pay full price at a regular grocery store.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Well, I think you can figure out how SMARTMADE Mediterranean-Style Chicken Bowl by Smart Ones rate on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best. While small in serving size this Deal of the Day is big on flavors, so it scores a perfect 9 !

Orange Sesame Chicken Bowl - Deal of the Day Review

This is one sweet Deal of the Day. And it's a delish Orange Sesame Chicken Bowl by Smart Ones, under the banner of SMARTMADE.

I am a fan of Smart Ones by Weight Watchers, and this frozen entree lives up to their tasty reputation.

 Frozen & Zapped

You first taste the sweet orange sauce. It is flavored with pineapple juice too. There is a slight hint of soy sauce that's listed as low sodium. It is sticky and thick, so make sure you stir the defrosted ingredients to get it on all the chicken, veggies and quinoa. I would like more sauce, but what's there is good enough.

This bowl had 4 or 5 huge pieces of white meat chicken. It remained moist when zapped in the microwave - the sauce helps steam the meat. And it is real chicken, not sliced from a processed poultry loaf. The photo shows sesame seeds covering the chicken. I could not taste the sesame seeds as the quinoa was so similar - not that it matters much.

I liked the large veggie pieces of broccoli. The whole snap peas remain firm and fresh tasting. And small squares of red bell pepper add the right amount of pungent flavor. This is one well balanced bowl of savory and sweet.

This oriental-style stir fry is made with quinoa instead of white rice and that's a good thing. I prefer rice, but am starting to warm up to tapioca-like pearls of quinoa. If you have not tried quinoa it is usually steamed, and when done the tiny round seeds pop when bitten. The taste is a grain flavor, with a very mild oats taste. If you are eating glutten-free, this is for you. Quinoa comes from a flowering plant that originates in South America.

At 9 ounces this is a light lunch, but with the addition of quinoa, it is quite filling for it's small package. The ingredient list is small with mainly real ingredients and no fillers or chemicals.

click on any photo to see larger

Once again Smart Ones have come up with a real winner of a frozen meal. So on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give SMARTMADE Orange Sesame Chicken Bowl by Smart Ones a perfect 9 !

This is one delish Deal of the Day made with fresh and real ingredients, so get a few of them if they still carry them in the 99c only Stores - hey, get a few from any grocery store at full price, it's worth every penny.