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We’re Ready for Fright Night with Cardinal Ready

June 19, 2015 By Lena

NOTE: The following sampling opportunity is open to residents of Ontario, Canada only.

Spoiler Alert: The recipe for my Hawaiian Pork Tacos follows. You may want to stick around.
DSC_0966aFright Night. Think I’m taking about that b-rated film? Think again. I’m talking about those weekday nights when my husband works late, the kids have sports or swimming, I’ve got a Twitter Party and there’s NOTHING TO EAT.

Apparently, there’s more than one Fright Night chez Lena.

Our family’s dynamic has changed through the years. Whereas we used to enjoy casual, unhurried dinners (actually eaten at the dinner table), today our demanding jobs and activities pull us in different directions. My husband is in sales, so he’s often on the road or working late. My job has no set hours; I could be working at 5:30AM or 11:00PM, depending on the day. And often, I’m on Twitter at night (I know you know what I’m up to then). Ryder has soccer on Mondays and Reid has soccer on Wednesdays and they both have swimming on Thursdays. And yet somehow, the expectation is that I’ll produce a delicious, healthy meal that the entire family will love.

*Checking to make sure I signed up for this. Sigh, apparently it’s indeed part of being a mom.*

I try my hardest to avoid the lure of the “dial-a-dinner”. Take-out is easy! One phone call, a few bucks for a tip, et voila! The whole family is fed. The trouble is, the only takeout the whole family can agree on is pizza, and families cannot live on pizza alone. 

So, what if I told you that I’ve found nutritious and delicious, fully cooked menu items that are ready when I am? Introducing Cardinal Ready.

easy_as_123_enFriends, Ready products are the answer to Fright Night dinners! They allow me to create perfect meals that are ready in 10 minutes or less, which means that great meals can happen any night of the week. Simply start with a Ready selection, add some veggies and a simple side and you’re all set for a complete family meal in a fraction of the time. On practically any weeknight, the ability to serve up BIG taste in a little time is my kind of heaven.

Cardinal Ready, available at select Sobeys locations across Ontario, has something for everybody. Ready’s Pulled Pork in Chipotle Sauce is fully cooked and full of flavour. The chipotle in the BBQ sauce adds just the right kick! Or try Ready’s Butter Chicken; a creamy curry sauce surrounds tender chicken for an Indian taste and flavour that will tickle your taste buds. We also love Ready’s Slow Cooked Diced Beef. Tender and flavourful beef stew in minutes? YES!

This past Fright Night (Monday), Ready’s Pork Steak was the star of the show. Perfectly seasoned, juicy and fully cooked! Ready’s Pork Steaks are:

– Flame grilled and lightly seasoned
– Very high in protein and gluten free
– A good source of iron and contain no preservatives

Simply chop, slice or dice or enjoy directly from the pack, or add to your favourite meal, heat and serve! Ask your family to come up with a new combination of side dishes every time you make this quick and easy dinner. Coleslaw? Roasted potatoes? Rice pilaf? Applesauce? Whatever they pick, you know the pork will be ready in minutes.

Now I’m all about multitasking, so I like to combine my sides with my main. I created Hawaiian Pork Tacos, a well-balanced meal that can suit the tastes of the entire family – just pick and choose what you love to make it your own.

HAWAIIAN PORK TACOS (serves 4)

3 Cardinal Ready Pork Steaks (1/2 a package)
1 pineapple, sliced into 1-inch rounds
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1 japaleno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 prepared creamy coleslaw
1 lime, halved
small bunch cilantro, chopped
8 small corn tortillas

Prepare an indoor grill pan with cooking spray and heat on medium-high until hot. Place pork steaks and 2 rounds of pineapple on the pan, turning once or twice until heated through. Remove from pan and cool slightly.

Roughly dice pork steaks and pineapple. That’s it! Assemble the tacos, finishing with a hit of fresh lime juice. The flavours are vibrant and I love the combination of spicy-sweet-sour. Add tomatoes, yellow pepper or shredded cheese – the possibilities are endless. The best part? 10 minutes from start to finish!
DSC_0967aLove what you see? We want YOU to try Cardinal Ready Products! I’ll randomly select ten (10) Ontario readers to receive a $25 Sobeys Gift Card to prepare a quick and simple meal featuring Ready’s delicious menu items. Then, in exchange for providing your honest feedback about the product, you’ll have a chance to win a $100 Sobeys Gift Card!

To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us which Cardinal Ready menu item you’d love to try, and why. I’ll draw for winners at the end of the month – good luck!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Cardinal Ready, easy meal ideas, quick meals, sampling opportunity

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joy

    June 19, 2015 at 11:00 am

    I have seen these at Sobeys – anything that makes meals easier, makes me happy! I would like to try: Butter Chicken!

  2. Corry Lehmann

    June 19, 2015 at 11:01 am

    Ready’s Pulled Pork in Chipotle Sauce served on a toasted bun with my homemade coleslaw and barbecued corn-on-the-cob!

  3. Jennpup (@jennpup)

    June 19, 2015 at 11:03 am

    I need to check out the Cardinal Ready Butter Chicken – I love the serving suggestion of “Butter Chicken Toast”! Must try. And your Hawaiian Pork Tacos look amazing! Inspired me to want to create a hawaiian pork grilled version – I love a flour tortilla made hot and crispy. :-)

  4. Georgina

    June 19, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Dear listen to Lena: How do I do this to enter to try a product? I have never seen these at Sobeys but will definitely look for them now. I do not cook ribs so my choices would be the Pork Back Ribs in BBQ Sauce or the Chicken and Ribs….both are calling my name.

  5. bethann Dekoker

    June 19, 2015 at 11:07 am

    I would love to try the Cardinal Ready Fully Cooked Ground Beef. It would be handy to have just a small amount of ground beef prepared instead of a large package, to give my meals some variation.

  6. Crystal Hannula

    June 19, 2015 at 11:09 am

    They all look really good!! I really love pulled pork so I am going to say I would love to try the Ready’s Pulled Pork in Chipotle sauce! I love the idea of throwing it into a taco too! Going to try this out because pulled pork usually takes a while to make from scratch!

  7. Sarah Smart

    June 19, 2015 at 11:09 am

    The pulled pork in chipotle sauce sounds like something I’d love to try!

  8. Lisa Neutel

    June 19, 2015 at 11:14 am

    id love to try the Cardinal Ready’s Slow Cooked Diced Beef. makes making my beef stew easier and quicker im all for it

  9. Cathy O

    June 19, 2015 at 11:19 am

    That’s a tough choice…probably the butter chicken or the pulled pork…but really, if they are as good as they sound and as quick as you say, any of them would be perfect for our hectic household!

  10. Jane Reid

    June 19, 2015 at 11:25 am

    Ready’s Pork Steak sounds just the ticket for me. It sounds great to add to my Stir Fry as it is fully cooked meaning dinner would go from pack to plate in under 10 minutes simply perfect!

  11. Cheryl P

    June 19, 2015 at 11:27 am

    I love the sounds of those pork tacos! What a convenience this would be for grabbing something quick or on the go!

  12. Erika Letson

    June 19, 2015 at 11:32 am

    I would love to try the Slow Cooked Diced Beef!

  13. Sherri Ford

    June 19, 2015 at 11:34 am

    I would love to try the Chicken Breasts!

  14. Jenna D

    June 19, 2015 at 11:35 am

    Super tempted by the Butter Chicken! Usually reserved for a special night out’s dinner, it’d be so nice to have it at home, and without a ton of work! Pulled pork would be my second choice :)

  15. diane welburn

    June 19, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Pulled Pork Tacos! But there are several other recipes like Butter chicken and meatloaf pita pockets! Yum

  16. mrdisco

    June 19, 2015 at 11:42 am

    i’m down for some Ready’s Butter Chicken

    • mrdisco

      June 19, 2015 at 11:46 am

      as for the why – it would be a nice change of pace to have some ethnic kick for dinner. Add some fresh, warm naan bread, white wine, follwed by kulfi for dessert and you’ve got yourself masala masterpiece.

  17. Lori Shmuir

    June 19, 2015 at 11:43 am

    I would love to try the Chicken and Ribs – we love both in our house and it would be great to be able to have them ready so quick on a weeknight! Thanks for the chance to win!

  18. Rachel Enns

    June 19, 2015 at 11:44 am

    Love to try Pulled Pork in Chipotle sauce. Or the Butter Chicken. Tough choice

  19. Melinda L.

    June 19, 2015 at 11:51 am

    Pulled Pork in Chipotle Sauce because we love pulled pork and are always on the hunt for delicious pulled pork, especially when we are short on time to make it ourselves

  20. Valerie Mallette

    June 19, 2015 at 11:52 am

    I would love to try Ready’s Pork Steak because it looks delicious, I think my family would really enjoy it and I could create a great meal with it as the star of the meal.

  21. Terri Baker

    June 19, 2015 at 12:18 pm

    I’d really like to try the butter chicken. Butter chicken is one of my family’s favourite dishes, so if my son likes it, we have a winner.

  22. Laurie Burns

    June 19, 2015 at 12:24 pm

    I need to make those Hawaiian Pork Tacos!!!!!!!! I like pineapple and tacos, yay yay!

  23. kathy downey

    June 19, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    I will have to check out the Cardinal Ready Butter Chicken

  24. Louanne Baelde

    June 19, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    I would love to try the Cardinal Ready’s Slow Cooked Diced Beef.

  25. christel

    June 19, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    Oh my gosh…Cardinal Ready has butter chicken? My fave :)

  26. CL Chin

    June 19, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    wow, these look great, thanks for bringing these to our attention. I want to try the meatloaf!

  27. margo beredjiklian

    June 19, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    they all look good, especially the chicken and ribs, thanks 4 the chance to win :)

  28. Branka Stefanovic

    June 19, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    I would love to try the Pulled Pork in Chipotle. Anything to make my life easier on a week night would be appreciated.

  29. Carol Denny

    June 19, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    I would try the Butter Chicken.

  30. Caroline B.

    June 19, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    They all look delicious, but if I had to choose, I’d say the chicken. We eat a lot of chicken in my house so this would be really convenient.

  31. Marissa

    June 19, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    The Butter Chicken sounds like a good choice for me.

  32. Michelle Policelli

    June 19, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    I’d love to try the Cardinal Ready Butter Chicken!

  33. Rick F

    June 19, 2015 at 4:07 pm

    I’d definitely try the pork tacos. Love pork in any shape or form and I definitely love Mexican. I’d like to know where you found fresh Corn Tortillas? All I’ve ever been able to find are flour. Tacos need Corn Tortillas and fresh sure beats what you get in those kits. Not brave enough to make my own. Even have press.

  34. Shelley N

    June 19, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    I would so love to try the butter chicken since it is one of my favourite dishes

  35. Donna Lyn

    June 19, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    I’d try the Butter Chicken.

  36. Tricha F.

    June 19, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    I would love to try Pork Back Ribs in Barbeque Sauce. Anything to make getting dinner on the table easy.

  37. Vivian Z

    June 19, 2015 at 4:39 pm

    I would love to try Ready’s Butter Chicken because we just love curry. :)

  38. Debby Kulchar

    June 19, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    Ready’s Pulled Pork in Chipotle Sauce – this sounds yummy – love me some pulled pork – would love to try and see if it tastes as good as my homemade

  39. Brandee H

    June 19, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    Definitely the pulled pork in chipotle sauce. The picture of the tacos with pulled pork on their page looks delicious!! But that butter chicken is also calling my name!!! I just stopped at Sobeys to grab some things for an impromptu picnic, I will have to keep an eye out for these!

  40. Chrissy

    June 19, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Cardinal Ready’s Slow Cooked Diced Beef, looks and sounds amazing!!

  41. Paula Bonacci

    June 19, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    Since I will be starting my diet on Monday I will have to choose the Chicken Breast. I am thinking it would be great in a salad or with a side of veggies. Also you could use in stirfry

  42. Francine

    June 19, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    I’d love to try the Butter Chicken!

    • Francine

      June 19, 2015 at 7:32 pm

      Our favourite Indian takeout spot is moving…further away. It would be nice to be able to make it at home quickly!

  43. Sandra F

    June 19, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    I would like to try the Hawaiian pork tacos.

  44. Deborah Peever

    June 19, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    I would love to try the Cardinal Chicken and Ribs I can almost hear the applause from my dearly beloved. His all time favorite meal which I often do not have the time to prepare. #CardinalReadyProducts

  45. Linda Cassidy

    June 19, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    pulled pork in chipotle sauce. yum

  46. patty george

    June 19, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    butter chicken toast is calling me for dinner

  47. Athena

    June 20, 2015 at 7:10 am

    So many good choices! I’d choose Ready’s Pulled Pork in Chipotle sauce

  48. Paula Goodman

    June 20, 2015 at 8:28 am

    Cardinal Ready’s Slow Cooked Diced Beef or the Butter Chicken, both look so good!!

  49. jaimeem

    June 20, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Id choose Cardinal Ready’s Pulled Pork in Chipotle Sauce. Sounds good, and pulled pork is always welcomed in this home

  50. Debbie W

    June 20, 2015 at 9:33 am

    I would pick up the chicken breasts. There are so many things I could do with that. From salads, to stir fries, to wraps.

  51. Cheryl

    June 20, 2015 at 9:59 am

    Slow cooked diced beef sounds delicious

  52. seham merzib

    June 20, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    the chicken breasts, we love it and use it in our salads and meals

  53. Stephanie LaPlante

    June 20, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    I’d love to try the Cardinal Ready Butter Chicken because that seems to be the kind of meal I’ve been addicted to these days AND it looks delicious!

  54. Anu Chopra

    June 20, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    I would love to try the Ready’s Butter Chicken because I think it would be a big hit with our family!

  55. Alayne Langford

    June 20, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    Lena, I would definitely try the butter chicken! Why you ask? Because peeps will think Alayne has created an Indian cuisine and I will be the talk of the neighborhood, not that I already am, but this time it will be for a good reason! Winner Winner Cardinal Ready Dinner!! :) Look who’s talking now, eh? ;)

  56. catherine brown

    June 20, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    slow cooked diced beef

  57. Monica Petzoldt

    June 20, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    Butter chicken for sure is what I will try.

  58. Robert Simard

    June 21, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    i would love to try butter chicken. yummy

  59. Suzi

    June 21, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    I’d like to try the Butter Chicken with Naan and parathas (can’t spell them but I can eat them!) and some mixed veggies. I’m always looking for the best Indian flavours and they seem to elude me so I’m hoping this would be it! :)

  60. Victoria Ess

    June 21, 2015 at 8:31 pm

    I’d love to try the Ready’s Pork Steak!

  61. Jennifer capin

    June 21, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    Probably the butter chicken. My boys love butter chicken

  62. Rosanne Robinson

    June 22, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    I’d love to try the Slow Cooked Diced Beef because my hubby and grandson LOVE tender beef and it sounds scrumptious!

  63. Amber Y

    June 22, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    Oh these are right up my alley! The Cardinal Ready Butter Chicken is the product I’m the most excited to try. I’d use it in a poutine and to make a pizza as those are two of my favourite ways to eat butter chicken.

  64. Lynda Cook

    June 22, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    I would love to try the Chicken and Ribs, looks very tasty

  65. Marina Bird

    June 23, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    Hawaiian Pork Tacos. they have a lot of veggies and I am trying to eat more healthy meals.

  66. sarah sar

    June 24, 2015 at 2:06 am

    I’d love to try the Butter Chicken! That is a household favourite…even the kids beg me to make it every week!

  67. Marla

    June 24, 2015 at 9:44 am

    I would love to try the yummy butter chicken or chicken breasts. I know hubby would flip for these Hawaiian pork tacos too

  68. Josie Tusa

    June 27, 2015 at 11:27 pm

    I would love to try the Cardinal Ready Fully Cooked Ground Beef. It would save me a lot of time and work in the kitchen!

  69. Peter Tusa

    June 27, 2015 at 11:36 pm

    I would love to try the Pork Back Ribs in bbq sauce, simply because they look mouth wateringly delicious!

  70. Danielle

    June 28, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    I’d love to try the Butter Chicken

  71. naiddia p

    July 2, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Would love to try butter chicken.

  72. Debbie White Beattie

    August 14, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    I’ve never seen this section or selection but what a great idea for quick meals

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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