Champneys Wellbeing Food Range

Champneys (a spa chain) released a range of food products a couple of months ago, only available at Sainsburys. I picked up:


Thai style King Prawn Curry with Quinoa (served with flame-grilled aubergine, water chestnuts and pak choi) at left, and Wholewheat Penne Pasta with Mediterranean Style Roast Vegetables (served with mozzarella pearls and a herb creme fraiche sauce) at right

The pasta dish, post-microwave heating

I didn't quite like this dish, it was rather bland and the wholewheat pasta thing doesn't do it for me.

The quinoa dish, post-microwave heating

This was the exact opposite of the pasta dish. Delicious! Although, as always, British curries are rather mild and could ALWAYS do with more kick!

What is quinoa, you ask? It is a grain which is native to South America, and is a more 'complete' grain compared with wheat. Shame the Europeans didn't export it, choosing maize instead (apparently Malaysians have only heard of it very recently, thanks to some recent Malaysian magazine article).

Here it is a little bit more close up:


How does it (the quinoa) taste? Not bad. I could live with having quinoa as a substitute for rice, to be perfectly honest.