Lo Mein in 10 Minutes!

Look at what I received in the mail last week...

1 free Birds Eye® Voila!® coupon for me and 100 BOGO coupons to share with my family, friends and readers. They were sent to me as part of Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program! After the wonderful experience I had with BIRDS EYE Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites, I was so excited to try Voila!® products! Would you believe that there are 17 varieties of Birds Eye® Voila!®??! It's good that there were just 6 flavors available at the nearby Super Walmart so it was a lot easier for me to choose what I want to try. I got one each of Beef Lo Mein, Garlic Shrimp and Three Cheese Chicken...and of course, my Asian taste buds told me to try the Beef Lo Mein first...

...and that's what I did! I followed the skillet cooking instructions which according to the package is the preferred method. I just placed the contents of the bag and sauce pouch in a large skillet...

...cooked it covered on high for 6 minutes with occasional stirring, then reduced heat to medium-high and cooked for 4 minutes more.

I wanted more green veggies, so I cooked it with some snow peas and green beans. It was really so easy to prepare, and a 21 oz. package can feed two...so Ryan and I had a tasty meal in 10 minutes! We ate it with extra long Filipino Egg Rolls! :)

The package says "Made with Kikkoman Soy Sauce"...and it wasn't lying! Birds Eye® Voila!® Beef Lo Mein smells and tastes like Kikkoman Soy Sauce! I know because Kikkoman is my favorite brand. The package description "Traditonal Lo Mein with Tender Beef, Bok Choy, Onion Strips and Shoe String Carrots" is also true. As you can see from the picture, the Lo Mein is filled with all those ingredients...and the good thing is that the natural flavor of beef, bok choy, onions and carrots are still there, and the vegetables still have the crisp I am looking for! The quality of the beef used is also good.

Overall, Birds Eye® Voila!® Beef Lo Mein is a good product. It looks so fresh and appetizing after cooking! It has true Lo Mein flavor and for the price of $3.98 (at our Walmart), it can bring delight especially to Asian palates. If it's just for the taste and the ease it brings in serving dinner at a very affordable cost, I would highly recommend it just like BIRDS EYE Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites. 

But I cook Asian noodles a lot, and I can cook a very tasty Lo Mein in less than 10 ingredients. After seeing all these ingredients (Pasta: Cooked Linguini Pasta (Water, Semolina, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid). Vegetables: Onions, Carrots, Bok Choy. Seasoned Cooked Roasted Beef Steak Strips And Binder Product: Beef, Beef Stock, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Seared Steak Flavor (Maltodextrin, Natural Flavor, Beef Extract, Chicken Fat, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Beef Tallow, Yeast Extract), Sodium Phosphates, Natural Butter Flavor (Maltodextrin, Butter Flavor), Caramel Color, Spices Extractives. Sauce: Kikkoman Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Water, Sugar, Garlic, Soybean Oil, Wok Flavor (Ginger Root, Garlic Puree, Potato Maltodextrin, Sunflower Oil, Rice Flour, Toasted Sesame Oil, Salt, Guar Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Extractives Of Rosemary), Modified Food Starch, Sesame Oil, Caramel Color, Ginger Flavor (Maltodextrin, Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Mono- And Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Soybean Oil), Garlic Flavor (Corn Syrup Solids, Modified Food Starch, Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Xanthan Gum, Chive Flavor (Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Triacetin, Natural Flavor) listed in the package, I kinda ask myself what were all those ingredients for, and it made me uncomfortable! But yeah, that's how frozen foods are..they need additives to keep them fresh or enhance its color, flavor or texture. Knowing that Birds Eye makes good quality frozen food was a great relief! 

If I have time to cook, I still prefer to do it from scratch...but if I don't, Birds Eye Voila! products are my top choice as substitute to made-from-scratch dinner! I would again emphasize that homemade is still the best for me...but I must say that Birds Eye® Voila!® is a quick and delicious home cooked meal alternative!

I have given out 50 of the BOGO coupons to our friends, and I have used 1 so I still have 49 of them! For those who are interested in trying Birds Eye® Voila!®, just leave a comment here and let me know. I'll contact you to get your mailing address. :)

Disclosure: I was offered a complimentary Birds Eye® Voila!® coupon through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program. I was not required to provide a positive nor negative product review. All opinions expressed here are my own.