Showing posts with label Trader Joes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trader Joes. Show all posts

Teriyaki Salmon

This is my husband's favorite salmon recipe.  Salmon is often requested for a birthday meal and is our main dish for Christmas Eve dinner.  You can either use the Trader Joes Soyaki sauce or use the simple from scratch recipe below.  Both are delicious!  I love to serve this with an orzo pasta or rice pilaf and then broccoli/broccolini or green beans.
Image from Here.



Terriyaki Sauce for 4-6 Salmon fillets:
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 TBS avocado or olive oil
3 TBS soy sauce
1.5 TBS fresh garlic, minced
1.5 TBS fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp sesame seeds (white or black)

-Marinate fillets in teriyaki sauce for 30-60 minutes in refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 400.
-Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Place marinated fillets on foil and then bake at 400 for 25-30 or until cooked through.

*Note for the orzo pasta, I combine orzo, sautéed bell peppers & spinach, and then add the same teriyaki sauce to taste.


For an even easier version, the Soyaki Teriyaki sauce from Trader Joes works well too.


 

Egg Toast with avocado and honey

 

So so good.  So so simple.  This is a great meal for one!
Egg toast is kind of a comfort food for me now.  It is a great breakfast, but if we have this just as often for dinner!  This is not something I grew up eating.  There are several variations.  Make it your own!  The picture kind of says it all, so no directions here!

Image from Here.


Toasted Sourdough
Avocado (season with pepper/garlic salt)
Fried Egg (cooked to your preference) seasoned with salt/pepper
Drizzle of honey (or Trader Joes Spicy Honey)

This is the spicy honey from Trader Joes.  This gives the perfect subtle heat kick!



Pancakes with blueberries and Lemon Curd

 

Here is a favorite pancake breakfast combo.
Image from Here.

Pancakes (Favorite quick mix is the Kodiak Brand)
Mini Blueberries (Trader Joes sells these in the freezer section or maybe your local grocery store)
Lemon Curd (Trader Joes Brand)
Maple Syrup
Whipping Cream (optional)

*I prefer to put the blueberries on top of my pancakes rather than baking them into the batter.  I also prefer the mini frozen blueberries because you can always have them on hand, and they defrost quickly.
*Lemon Curd--it is RICH!  Just spread a thin layer OR you can add 2-3 TBS into your whipping cream/pwd sugar and then whip them together.

Trader Joes Vegetable Masala Taco

 

Here is another "Trader Joes" recipe.  This recipe is flexible.  You don't have to use these Trader Joes items.  You may find similar substitutes.  I used to make a lot of veggie bean burger tacos in my college years.  The Vegetable Masala Burger from Trader Joes is a fun twist on this due to the spice differences.

Taco Ingredients--use some combination of the following:
Vegetable Masala Burger (Trader Joes brand, cooked according to package directions), cut into strips
Lettuce Greens/cabbage
chopped cucumbers
chopped peppers
shredded carrots
Chopped cherry tomatoes
Cilantro Dressing (Trader Joes brand or other)
Tortilla (Trader Joes has several varieties.  I prefer them over normal store brands, but they go MOLDY QUICKLY, so keep them in freezer until day of use.  They will keep 2-3 days in the refrigerator).

*For your dressing you can also use a favorite ranch dressing, or tzakiki sauce.





Layered Avocado Toast

 

This is a simple meal or snack that leaves you feeling satisfied!  It actually is a FAVORITE breakfast of mine.


Layer 1: Cracked Wheat Sourdough, toasted
Layer 2: Spread with thin layer of pine nut (sabra brand) or Mediterranean hummus (Trader Joes brand)
Layer 3: Smashed avocado (season with garlic herb seasoning and salt/pepper)
Layer 4: micro greens


*You can use any bread you'd like, but my favorite bread to use is the Trader Joes Cracked Wheat Sourdough or Wheat Sourdough.
*A layer of hummus may sound weird but give it a try!  If you're not a fan, just leave it off and stick with three layers.

Falafel Taco or Salad Bowl


I've become a big fan of Greek Food.  My most recent trip to Europe, I probably ate Greek Food every other day.  It is quick and fresh!
You can make this either salad or taco style!
Image from Here
Image from Here

Using Trader Joes cooked falafel (in frozen section), Mediterranean hummus, tzatkiki sauce, sweet potato fries, and bottled sliced kalamata olives makes this recipe extra simple!

 


Toppings/Fillings Options:
Falafel (Trader Joes has a super easy and simple prepared falafel balls that you just bake in the oven)
Red onion
Hummus
cucumber
kalamata olives
Mild banana pepper rings
bell peppers
tomatoes
shredded carrots
sliced avocado
feta cheese
Lettuce greens/spinach
Tzatziki sauce (Trader Joes has prepared version if you want a simple shortcut)
Microgreens (can also get these at Trader Joes)
Sweet Potato Fries

Build your taco with a tortilla of choice (prefer Trader Joes options since they don't have weird after taste---but they DO GO MOLDY quickly, so keep them frozen until you plan to use them.  They will keep in fridge 2-3 days) and a variety of toppings.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This is a flexible recipe.  
Soups are a great way to utilize all of the 
random vegetables in your fridge/freezer!
(Image from two peas & their pod)


Carmelize over medium heat for 7 minutes:
1 onion
3 TBS olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

Add and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables just tender:
1 TBS Thyme
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c. celery, chopped
2 c. carrots, chopped
1 1/2 c. peas
2 c. zucchini
2 c. cooked chicken
2 quarts chicken broth (prefer Trader Joes brand)
*Optional add ins:  cooked rice, barley, quinoa, orzo, parsley, mushrooms
*Serve with rolls, biscuits, or soda crackers
*Trader Joes 21 Chicken Salute Seasoning works well with this recipe as well.

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa


I had never had a fish taco until about three years ago.  To many that may be crazy!  It always sounded a bit weird to me, but I finally made the plunge...and now it is a family favorite!  We especially like this in the summer, but anytime is good.  Trader Joes is a great place to get your tortillas, breaded, tilapia, sprouts, chili lime seasoning, and peach/mango salsa!
Image from here.


Breaded Tilapia (bake according to box directions and cut into strips)
Flour or corn tortillas
sliced avocado
Trader Joes Peach/Mango Salsa (or another favorite brand or a fresh salsa works great too)
sliced radishes
sprouts
Cabbage Slaw (see recipe below)
*jalapenos optional
*limes for serving
*Chili Lime seasoning from Trader Joes for extra flavor/kick

Cabbage Slaw 16 oz:
red/green cabbage
shredded carrots
Coleslaw Dressing:
1/2 c. sour cream
3 TBS honey
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
-Note the coleslaw will seem very dry.  The longer it sits in the dressing, the more it will soften.

Trader Joes Cooking Class Handouts


I finally have some pictures of one of my cooking classes.  My sister was in town to help me out with this one!  It is always so much work to plan these, but I love sharing recipes and seeing other women get excited about cooking for their families.

Baguette with Trader Joes Garlic Onion Jam and Dubliner Cheese

Brushetta





Favorites from Trader Joes
Thursday, February 2, 2017



Produce:
Colored Carrots
Cauliflower Rice
Premade salads
Salad Dressings
Deli Meats
Yogurt
Cream Fraiche
Pizza Dough

Breads:
Tortillas: 
Handmade (thicker)
Whole Wheat/Corn
Flour/Corn
Cracked Wheat Sourdough


Canned Goods:
Coconut Cream
Coconut Milk


Bottled Goods:
Pickles
BBQ Sriacha/Garlic
BBW Carolina
Smokey Peach Salsa
Masala Simmer Sauce
Balsamic Glaze
Soyaki
Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam
Eggplant Spread
Cookie Butter
Pumpkin Butter (Seasonal)

Drinks:
Spiced Cider (Seasonal)
Honeycrisp Cider
Sparkling French Lemonades

Frozen:
Italian Style Meatballs $3.99
Frozen Roasted (Blackened) Corn
Garam Masala Veggie Burgers
Coconut Shrimp $5.99
Fries
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Pesto Pizza $4.99
BBQ Pizza
Samosas Chicken Tikka Appetizer $3.99

Other:
Coconut Oil Can Spray
Shelf Stable Whipping Cream$1.29
Organic Vegetable/Chicken Broth $1.99
Dried Fruit (not sulphered)
Dried Fruit Bar (fruit leather)$.69
Fruit Bar (thicker than fruit leather bars)$0.99
Fruit Bar w/ Chia Seeds $.99
Herb Popcorn
Colored Corn Chips
Pita Multigrain Crackers $2.49
Raisin & Rosemary Crackers $3.99
Popcorn Seeds (to make own popcorn)
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix (seasonal)
Flowers/Plants at entrance
Seasonal Gifts
Coconut Body Butter

Treats
Caramel Sauce
Fudge Sauce
Cookie Thins (lemon, coconut, ginger)
Cat Cookies $2.99
Vanilla Wafers

Spices:
$2 a bottle
Everyday Seasonings Grinder




Bruschetta with Feta Spread and Balsamic Glaze

Serves 12-15
Cheese mixture:
6-8 ounces good feta, crumbled
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
-Place the feta and cream cheese in bowl and mix with a spoon until the cheeses are blended. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, ½- teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir until smooth.

Tomato mixture:
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I prefer just one clove)
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
2 TBS balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar)
2 pounds ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
-Combine the garlic, vinegars, tomatoes and basil.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Assembly:
30 diagonal baguette slices, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
-To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle with extra basil, drizzle Trader Joes Balsamic Glaze on top and serve.

Roasted Vegetables
This is a DELICIOUS vegetarian main dish, or you can use it as a side dish.  We eat a big bowl of this with a spinach smoothie.  The purple potatoes really make the dish look colorful and gourmet.  Note, the smaller you cut the vegetables the faster they will roast.  This recipe is flexible when it comes to proportions and feel free to experiment with your spices!

Cut a medley of the following:
Carrots
Purple potatoes
Mini-creamer fingerling potatoes
Zucchini
Bell peppers
onion
Cauliflower
Cherry Tomatoes
Kale
Parsnips


-Pre-heat oven to 425
-Chop the veggies you are using into bite size pieces and place on 11x 17 cookie sheet.
-Drizzle on some olive oil, season with salt/pepper, and other desired spices & mix thoroughly
-Spice ideas: Season with Tones Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning (from Sam's Club) or Italian Seasoning or whatever seasoning you want!  You can add a bit of cayenne or red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, garlic powder, etc.
- Roast for 15-25 minutes until veggies begin to brown around edges.
-Sprinkle with some grated parmesan and toasted pine nuts and serve.  What sends this over the top is to drizzle with Trader Joes Balsamic Glaze


Thai Vegetable Salad
When it comes to salads, I like a LOT of toppings!  I make this salad all the time and it varies depending what I have in my fridge.  Feel free to use ALL or just some of any of the following ingredients!


Shredded red and green Cabbage
Romaine lettuce
spinach
Shredded Carrots
Cucumbers
Sliced Red Peppers
Pea pods
Sesame Seeds

Blanched green beans
avocado
Grilled Chicken
Canned mandarin oranges, juice drained
Peanuts or Cashews or toasted almonds
Crushed Ramen Noodles or Rice/Chow Mein Noodles



-Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with Trader Joes Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

Trader Joes!

Where to start?  Here are just a few Trader Joe items you may want to try!

Coconut Cream is often hard to find. Great for Indian and Thai cooking. This is also tasty in smoothies.

This veggie broth is darker in color and more robust in flavor than your average brands.

These fruit bars have only two ingredients: Apple and Mango. No added sugar, dye, or preservatives.

I love this Soyaki sauce! It's great as a marinade for steak (I like to use thinly cut flank steak for a beef stir fry served over rice). It also makes a great teriyaki sauce for salmon.

With a hint of mustard, the Carolina Gold BBQ sauce is one of our favorites!

The Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam is to die for! It's great as an accompaniment with bread and cheeses. Try it on a gourmet hamburger with your favorite brie cheese and a little bacon!

The Caramel Sauce and Fudge Sauces could make concrete taste good. We fight over who gets to enjoy the spoon that's been used to serve the sauce!

These spreads are great with any Greek platters, pitas, crackers, bread, etc. Try them on your panini or regular sandwiches.

Use on waffles, tarts, crepes, fruit pizza, filling for cupcakes and cakes. Delicious with berries!

This Sriracha BBQ sauce is quite addictive with a sweet flavor up front and a kick at the end! It's great on beef brisket, pulled pork or chicken sandwiches.

TJ's spices are really high quality for a low price.

This shelf stable whipping cream is a cook's best friend. There's often times when I need whipping cream and don't have any in the fridge.

The Handmade Flour Tortillas taste truly homemade. They don't have the pasty flavor of Mission tortillas and don't have the preservative-y taste either.

I love popcorn as a healthy snack. This version is great because it skips the butter calories in favor of herbs and spices.

These don't have any added sugar although they are plenty sweet since they're made from juice concentrates.

This is hands down the best store spiced apple cider! It's delicious cold; however, it makes a great hot cider. I use this in making wassail which is a winter staple.

It's always nice to have a good pie crust on hand to simplify some desserts. This one has a more buttery flavor and browns nicely, although this BUTTER HOMEMADE CRUST is always better!

For French Macaron fans, these are beautiful.  Avoid the stress of making your own--they are very tricky to make, I've tried!  Look in the Freezer section. These are a great Gluten Free dessert!

As good as Haagen Daz, this ice cream is for those who will appreciate it!

The best Mint Chip ice cream in my sister's opinion.  I prefer mint chip ice cream with smaller chocolate pieces, but this is good.

For a quick dinner, TJ pizza's are nice to have on hand.
Our favorite frozen pizza!

While you can buy hash browns anywhere, I'm partial to these.

These cookies come in Myer Lemon, Coconut, and Triple Ginger. I love serving the Lemon ones with my frozen berry yogurt. The coconut ones are a great foundation for individual cheesecakes (add some lime zest and juice to the cheesecake for a yummy Coconut Lime Cheesecake).

This shrimp makes great fish tacos with a cabbage slaw. You can also pair this with an Asian chili sauce for an appetizer.

I have an addiction!

TJ fries are just really tasty.  Just bake them in your oven and you have a tasty side dish with your favorite burger.


Great plain or with cheese spreads.  These seem very weird and you may be hesitant to try, but be daring and give them a try.  They just may become your favorite.

The best prepared Spinach/Artichoke dip. Keep in the freezer and just microwave for a quick appetizer with chips or bread.

Great crackers for appetizers

I love the Dark Chocolate Truffle bar. Hide it so it doesn't disappear without you getting some!