Trying New Things

CONGRATS TO CLARISSA D!

I like spicy food but if you make it too spicy, I'm outta here.  I was sent a few products from Frieda's to try out and review for you guys.  The pine nuts and tomato pesto seemed pretty easy to find a recipe to toss them into.  I was also sent dried chipotle chiles.  I have to admit, I was stumped.  I don't really cook with chiles a lot.  So I put them off to the side and tested out the pine nuts first by making my dish to pass this Thanksgiving, Green Beans with Brown Butter & Pine Nuts.  

It turned out amazing, Frieda's pine nuts are so fresh and tasty!  I was munching on them as I was putting together this recipe.  They offer the perfect amount of crunch and nutty flavor without taking over the dish!  Pine nuts are quite versatile to add texture and flavor to green and pasta salads, tossed into a stir-fry or added to rice and vegetable dishes. The creamy texture and soft flavor are enhanced when toasted. Pine nuts are great in fruit salads or as a quick snack.  

Next I used the Tomato Pesto on a homemade pizza as suggested on Frieda's website.  Oh my GOSH it was an amazing burst of flavor vs the common tomato sauce.  I loved how it gave the pizza a whole new dimension and my friends were asking what I used to add that "flavor they couldn't put their finger on."  It's such an easy way to impress family & friends!

Then there were the dried chipotle chiles.  I pondered and searched and wondered how I would use these things.  I was a little intimidated because they clearly printed on the package to use gloves while handling.  EEK!  But I finally found a recipe that sounded wonderful and included dried chipotle chiles.  The Enchilada Lasagna would be my step out into a new food world, using ingredients that previously seemed off limits.  

I was a little nervous it would be too spicy, but I learned that removing the seeds also removes some of the heat from the chili so this lasagna packed enough of a kick to make it fun but not too much to send Jason & I crying from the table. 

  

Overall I was very impressed with the quality and the flavor with all the items I was sent from Frieda's.  Their company slogan "We change the way America eats" hit home with me, I love trying new recipes and this product review truly made me look outside the box on what I usually gravitate towards.  I conquered my unnecessary fear of dried chiles and realized with the proper care and handling, they're a wonderful addition to many dishes!

Frieda's offers more than 600 specialty fruits vegetables and companion items to supermarkets, restaurants and distributors.  Frieda's practically invented the specialty produce category and has introduced many once-rare produce items to American tables. Frieda's is the company who introduced the Kiwifruit in 1962, and that was just the beginning. Since then, they've introduced more than 180 specialty and exotic items to produce departments and food service distributors throughout the United States. Shallots, Cherimoyas, Donut® Peaches, Sugar Snap Peas and Habanero Peppers, to name just a few.

Founder Frieda Caplan's story is an inspiration in itself. In a time when few women ran businesses, Frieda pioneered and persevered to succeed in the male-dominated produce industry. Frieda's is the first wholesale produce company in the United States to be founded, owned, and operated by a woman and remains a family-owned and operated business today. Frieda Caplan is Chairman of the Board, while her daughters Karen and Jackie serve as President/CEO and Vice President, respectively.

Try your luck at their Holiday Gourmet giveaway they are running on their Facebook Page as well.  You must like them on Facebook and then participate in one of their posts (Answer a question, post a recipe) to enter to win!

BUY:

You can find these awesome ingredients and many more on Frieda's website or by checking out a store near you via their website.  

WIN: 

Frieda's is offering one lucky reader a gift bag of their products!  It contains: 

• Purple Kiwi Cookbook (Signed by Karen Caplan, Author and CEO of Frieda’s) 
• Green Reusable Bag 
• Pen & Notepad 
• Tomato Pesto 
• Pine Nuts 
• Crepes 
• Dried fruit

Drawing ends at 12:01 AM on Tuesday December 13. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Tuesday December 13. I will send an email to the winner & you will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Please be sure to read the rules!

Use the Rafflecopter form below. If you don't see it - click on the title of this post. Otherwise email me at tarah716[at]ymail.com for instructions on how to enter.

I wasn't paid or swayed to write this post, I was sent the above mentioned products and asked to provide an open and honest review and giveaway!