My good friend Cheryl Woods from England recently sent this Wonderbag to the jungle for some of us to try. The idea behind this basic technology is to heat the food to boiling, then seal it in this polystyrene-bead filled bag that holds in the heat while the food cooks itself.
I didn’t follow a recipe … I just thawed some chicken legs and found some potatoes, carrot, green beans, and then raided the garden for fresh spinach (right side) and hierba mora (top).
This was the only spice I used …. I bought it (and several other natural blends) at a Dollar Store the last time I was in Calgary, and it is hands down the tastiest freshest blend of spices I have used. (No, I’m not getting funded by Dollar Store for this advertising).
Here is the ingredient list … all natural … no preservatives or chemicals of any sort. There are about 5 different blends, and all are a cut above the usual.
I browned the chicken that i had seasoned well with the Seasoning Blend.
tossed in all the chopped veggies …
Added the potatoes and a couple of cups of water …
I stirred it all up and brought it to a rapid boil … simmered it for about 5 minutes …
Then popped it in the bag … and covered it with the insulated cover …
And pulled the drawstring to close it up tight.
I then left it on the back corner of the cupboard from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m. … and opened it.
To find this yummy moist fully cooked chicken stew.
VERDICT:
Not only was it a definite fuel saving, but the taste of the food was superb … it seemed like the flavour of every vegetable was fully present, exciting the tastebuds with every bite. Will I continue to use the Wonderbag?
A resounding YES! I made this excellent Morrocan Carrot Soup yesterday … and once again, the flavours were exuberant!
Downside of the Wonderbag … you have to plan ahead. But if you can throw some things in a pot and boil it all together first thing in the morning, you will have a superb dinner ready to eat, no matter what time you get home in the evening.
I have also done a lot of solar cooking, and the advantage of the Wonderbag is that you don’t need to count on the sun shining in order to pre-plan your menu. And if a rain cloud moves in at noon, it doesn’t mean you have to reschedule your meal for tomorrow. The disadvantage, of course, is that there is some usage of regular fuel to bring the food to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes before putting in the bag.
No, I am not being paid by Wonderbag for this positive feed-back.
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