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Lekker & Anders - mediterrane Tiefkuehlprodukte im Test

The poultry rolls come in a double pack (135 grams each)

Lekker & Anders! – Mediterranean dishes, special frozen products I know that the mere mention of "frozen food" might already make some die-hard fans of this food category boo, but I still want to tell you about the products from "Lekker & Anders!". Firstly, because not everything that's frozen is bad, and secondly, because "Lekker & Anders!" clearly proves this with their Mediterranean-style "Pure Ingredients" frozen food. Let me convince you.

Lekker & Anders – the brand

The brand "Lekker & Anders!" has only existed since 2014. Since then, its products, which are completely free of artificial additives and pork, have been available in numerous supermarkets. Just like the originally Dutch brand itself, the products are bold, youthful, innovative, and trendy in their composition. Some items are only available in Germany, while others (for example, the poultry rolls) can also be found in the Netherlands. All products containing meat are manufactured in Germany.

What makes the products special?

To be able to test them thoroughly, I stocked up on numerous products from the "Lekker & Anders!" range and put them through their paces. They offer things like Turkish pizzas, doner wraps, chicken kebabs, meatballs in various sizes (…in Bavaria, they're also called "Fleischpflanzerl" ;-)…), burger patties, and chicken rolls. A doner pizza will also be available in Germany starting in February 2017. What makes these products different and healthier than many other frozen foods? All products in the range contain no artificial additives, are free of artificial colors and flavors, and are made with the utmost care from high-quality ingredients. Only pure and natural ingredients are used. What's more, they are quick and easy to prepare in just a few minutes. You can cook them in a pan, in the oven, on the grill, or in the microwave – depending on the product.

For example, the wraps are made from thin dough and topped with healthy, high-quality ingredients. For me, "frozen product" doesn't automatically mean: "Open the package, pop it in the oven, and you're done!", but often also offers room for individual customization to personalize the products to your own taste. On the wrap dough with seasoned doner meat, fresh herbs, and sauce, you can add various other ingredients as you like. Let me start with my personal experiences:

The poultry burger petti

The products in the test

First, I tried the "Lekker & Anders!" burgers. Each package contains either six or twelve pieces; each chicken patty weighs 70 grams and is unbreaded. That's what makes them special. Frozen burger patties are often breaded and therefore, of course, much fattier and less healthy than pure meat. The "Lekker & Anders!" burger patties are ready to eat in two to four minutes and can be placed between your burger buns. I kept it fairly classic in my test, partly because I didn't want to mask the taste of the meat. I liked that the meat was tender and soft. Often, meat like this develops a rubbery texture due to the rapid and very hot thawing process. If you follow the preparation instructions on the package, this isn't the case at all; on the contrary, the taste of chicken is clearly recognizable, and you don't get that typical "frozen" taste in your mouth, which is probably why many people are against frozen food in the first place.

Turkish pizza

The Turkish pizza piqued my curiosity the most. Firstly, because there are so many incredibly bad to mediocre frozen pizzas out there, and secondly, I was eager to taste it. The "Lekker & Anders!" pizza has a very thin crust and could almost be described as a wrap. What makes it special is that it can be customized with any toppings you like; the base is already pre-topped with a flavorful mix – whether you add any is, of course, entirely up to you. It's ready in three minutes. The dough is made from wheat flour, water, salt, olive pomace oil, yeast, and spices. The pre-made topping includes chopped tomatoes (juice and puree), onions, chicken, beef, spices, and more. I liked that the sauce, while flavorful, provides a good base for additional toppings. However, I personally found it less practical that without extra toppings, it's not really a finished "pizza" – I would have felt it was missing something flavor-wise without my added ingredients. Overall, though, the product won me over, especially because the crust is nice and crispy and the sauce doesn't taste artificial. Of course, you can't really compare frozen products directly to freshly prepared products, for example in a restaurant or completely homemade. There are always compromises to be made, and considering that, the "Lekker & Anders!" products are indeed very tasty.

How do you eat the doner pizza?

I also had the chance to try the doner pizza, made in Germany, but currently (until February 2017) officially only available in the Netherlands. Here in Germany, we currently have a doner wrap for sale. If you buy that, you can expect a very thin crust with seasoned doner meat, fresh herbs, and a delicious sauce. The doner pizza, on the other hand, has a slightly thicker crust, tastes quite spicy in my opinion, and can go straight from the package into the oven. It's primarily the type and flavor of the meat that makes it a "doner" pizza, immediately bringing to mind a doner kebab after the first bite – just in pizza form. The meat is of good quality, doesn't taste tough or soggy after cooking, and, together with the other ingredients, makes for a successful result. I've had doner kebabs that were much worse.

Personally, I was most skeptical about the chicken rolls. These come in a pack of two and each weighs 135 grams. Officially billed as the "first frozen chicken roll for home baking," the product promises a lot. It consists of authentic Dutch frikandel (called "Brat- oder Fleischrollen" in Germany) and is encased in crispy yeast dough. It reminded me a bit of the "Bavarian Leberkäs-Broitel," which I presented in a separate article some time ago. The product claims that the chicken rolls taste good both hot and cold – meaning thawed and cooled, not "frozen and cold." 😉 "Challenge accepted!" – I baked one warm straight from the oven after 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, and let the other cool down, honestly expecting a somewhat rubbery texture (when cold). But nope! No rubber, no unpleasant surprises. Indeed, assuming you like poultry, it's a welcome and tasty snack. In my opinion, it's much better served hot. If you're really hungry, you'll need two.

My selected range for testing

Conclusion and experience

These were just a few of the products in detail. Overall, the "Lekker & Anders!" product line, as I've experienced it, has won me over. Since I'm not exactly a great cook myself and rarely, if ever, cook at home, my freezer is always stocked for emergencies – even though I don't constantly rely on frozen food. With the "Pure Ingredients" line from "Lekker & Anders!", I've found a brand I'm happy to stock up on to satisfy my hunger between meals or after stressful days without food (…I do have those too… ;-)). Those who are absolutely against frozen food might want to break their old habits and try something new with "Lekker & Anders!". I enjoyed everything and will certainly be reaching for it more often at the supermarket when I need something quick and don't want to end up with anything completely unhealthy.

Tested: Lekker & Anders! – Frozen products
Available: Real, Rewe, Edeka supermarkets
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