Today: Buyer (and brunchers) beware.

[tweetmeme source=”elizabethev” only_single=false]I’m a big fan of shortcuts.  Not short haircuts, necessarily… I spent much of middle school growing one of those out… but shortcuts that make life a bit easier.  When a shortcut promises to make life a bit healthier, welp, I’m all ears.  I visited Healthy Habits Kitchen in Wellesley last week with a group my Boston Brunchers pals.

I had heard of this meal-assembly shop before– my former marathon coach works there!– and was excited to check it out.  I love the concept– families can pick up pre-prepped nutritious meals, each ready in 30 minutes or less.  Healthy Habits Kitchen helps to take the guess work, and prep work out of cooking healthy meals at home.  After learning a bit about how HHK works and watching a cooking demo, we were treated to a fantastic (straight from a meal kit) dinner.  Michelle and I enjoyed the vegetarian option, a tasty quinoa salad packed with tons of vegetables.  The rest of the crew had great things to say about the Cranberry Salsa Chicken and Cocoa-Coffee Rubbed Pork with Root Beer Cream Sauce that Sue prepared.  Oh, and there were cookies.  Really, really good cookies.

I have to say, I was quite smitten with it all.  I perused October’s menu, imagining which dishes I might like to try at home.  Healthy Habits Kitchen offers several flexible options for meal pick-up (they deliver too!), including availability at a number of local farmers’ markets.  Before leaving the shop in Wellesley, I purchased one of September’s vegetarian options: Sun-dried tomato, black olive and mozzarella orzo grain.  Sounds delicious, right?

It wasn’t until the orzo was already boiling, and the onions and fennel being sauteed when I noticed something unexpected on the ingredient list: chicken broth.  Say whaaaa?  I quickly shifted gears, tossing the sauce included in the meal kit, and whipping up my own substitution– all the while wondering what exactly was in the quinoa salad I’d liked so much earlier in the week, and wishing I had checked the ingredient list on this particular meal kit before handing over my debit card.  Ignoring the fine print?  That’s one short cut I will not be making again, any time soon.  I’ll take responsibility for not paying more attention, but in this day and age of food allergies and intolerance, if something is labeled vegetarian, it should be vegetarian.

And really.  Since when is chicken broth considered vegetarian?  How difficult would it have been to use vegetable broth?  I’m stumped.  For me, being a vegetarian is a lifestyle choice, not a medical or health issue, but I am put off by the whole thing nevertheless (also, if I had a dollar for every time chicken or meat or something like that was hidden in my meal… I would have at least six dollars).   I muttered swear words under my breath and hastily poured the offending sauce down the garbage disposal.  I quickly threw together my own version, using a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and what fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme) I had on hand.  I figured, while I was making a few changes here and there, why not pull out all the kalamata olives altogether? (I love a green olive, despise a black olive.)

By the time things came together, my temper had simmered a bit.  Cooking works wonders that way.

In fewer than 30 minutes, I had a great looking meal ready to serve.  While I will think twice before ordering from Healthy Habits Kitchen’s “vegetarian” offerings, I would consider purchasing a kit or two to cook for Nick, or for when we have company over.  While I’ve grown more and more comfortable cooking meat, fish and poultry, I tend to stick to the same three recipes and could certainly stand to be a bit more creative.  Plus, I would hand over my first born (not literally, creepers) to not have to cut and prep, like, touch, a chicken breast.

When trying something new, I suppose we have to ask ourselves the hard-hitting questions.  Does this really make my life easier?  Does it live up to its claims?  Does it make financial sense?  Do I have room in my freezer?  Will I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt and need to adopt a flock of chickens in repentance?  You know, questions like that.

Also On Tap for Today:

• The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is coming up 🙂
• Need some artwork for the kitchen?  These photos are gorgeous.
• Workin’ my tail off