Some nights I need help preparing dinner. I don’t have the energy to make something from scratch. There are plenty of side dishes in easy to make mixes but I can’t eat most of them. They are either laden with salt, dairy, and other things I can’t digest. Or, you must mix them with butter, milk, or oil in order for them to come out right. Since I don’t eat any of those things, I’m limited.
Casbah, a division of Hain Celestial Group, has a line of side dish grain mixes that are easy to make and taste pretty good. The mixes are based on rice or couscous. The mixes come with seasoning packets so you can pour in as little or as much as you like. All cook easily in the microwave. Also, if you’d like to make a full meal of it, you can add 2 cups of your favorite veggies such as broccoli, peas, spinach, etc.
I have three favorites in the Casbah line: Rice Pilaf with Organiz Orzo, Nutted Pilaf, and Couscous Pilaf. I also like the Spanish Rice, but my stomach doesn’t like the peppers that come with it.
The Couscous only takes 5 minutes to cook, while the others take about 15 minutes depending on the cooking method.
A look at the Casbah website shows that they are increasing their product line, although the website isn’t fully functioning yet, so you can’t see what they are. Looks like more good stuff is on the way! (By the way, they also have a line of grains such as couscous and basmati rice if you’d like to create your own side dish.)
