Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
So you are craving Chinese, but for some reason you aren’t going out or ordering in. This is a good, but not a great answer to not getting it at your local Chinese food establishment. Why isn’t it great?
Well, the answer is simple: if it’s chicken fried rice, I expect there to be chicken with a healthy dose of veggies in there. Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice was mostly brown colored rice with chucks of scrambled egg….
Right before I got married, a coworker and I took a Croissant making class at Sur la Table. Yes, I had a fluffy white dress that was tailored to my exact frame and I was making buttered treats. Sorry, not sorry. When I walked away from that class I realized something important: they are a TON OF WORK (and a lot of butter). Labor of love is fine, but even Betty Crocker acknowledged women have things to do most of the time. Why mess with perfection when you can buy Trader Joe’s Chocolate Croissants in the freezer section….
It’s been a while since Trader Joe’s Black Bean and Cheese Taquitos have been found on store shelves. And that made me sad. And it made my readers sad because these were the more flavorful of two taquito options.
…
Is there anything more comforting than Mac and Cheese? I didn’t think so until I ate Trader Joe’s Mac and Cheese Bites. How can Mac and Cheese be made better? Clearly, the answer is breading them and frying them. This is another item from the freezer section, but I would keep this to a crowd pleasing appetizer or snack.
…
Lunches. There are so many times I am so guilty of not making my lunch. Before I moved close to a Trader Joe’s I existed off of frozen meals. But truthfully, they were pretty terrible. The calorie count was reasonable, but there was a sacrifice in taste. Most of those frozen meals tasted like cardboard. Trader Joe’s Korma Fish Curry tastes like anything but cardboard.
…
I remember going to the Hall of Science as a kid. And most childhood museum trips, the highlight was hitting the gift shop for some reason. The Hall of Science is no exception. They sold something that had all of our imagination going: Astronaut Food. Which reminds me a whole lot of Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried Strawberries.
…
My Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze recipe is quick, easy, moist and uses lemon to add another dimension of flavor. This is a perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert item to share or to freeze for fresh scones in the morning. These are delicious with both fresh blueberries and frozen blueberries. I’ve included lots of ways of adapting this recipe to make it even more delicious.…
If you’ve come to Trader Joe’s for your Corned Beef, you are in luck for St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you don’t celebrate that holiday, Trader Joe’s Corned Beef corned beef is something worth celebrating. Best of all there are two varieties: uncooked and precooked. This review focuses just on the corned beef you’ll be cooking for yourself. If you find that you are enjoying it, be prepared for this to disappear over the rainbow when corned beef season ends….
Confession time: It’s the second time in two days I’ve been to Trader Joes, forgive me, I went on a Sunday and it seems like food was going out of fashion, especially in the frozen section. I wasn’t actually there for this product. I was actually looking for Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter and Sage.
I adored it.
But like many things at Trader Joe’s they like to tease you with great items and come back and try something new every time. So, this is my new bag of gnocchi: Trader Joe’s Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. In plain English it’s regular gnocchi with tomato sauce and some cheese….
Well, it wouldn’t be the beginning of the year without looking at the lighter options available at Trader Joe’s. Now, I’ve had my fair share of Mac and Cheese offerings from the Pepperoni Mac and Cheese, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, and Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese. And yes, they are mostly pretty good.
…
The pros: Trader Joe’s Raclette Sliced Cheese is not new, but is a divine find in the cheese aisle.
The cons: For me, this item was addicting.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic White Truffle Potato Chips are thin potato chips that are packed with flavor of truffle. Yes, truffle is actually on the ingredient list.
The cons: If you aren’t into the earthy flavor that truffles bring then you should avoid this one. This bag is only 6 ounces.
The verdict:
…
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sweet Corn, Burrata and Basil Ravioli is the newest addition to Trader Joe’s fresh pasta items. It’s very pretty to look at. The cheese and basil were nice.
The cons: Not much of a burrata taste and the corn is whole.
The verdict: …
There are currently two varieties of Kale Chips available: Trader Joe’s Seasoned Kale Chips and Trader Joe’s Nacho Kale Chips. Which should you buy? I preferred the Nacho, but these weren’t bad as an alternative. They were salty, crisp and nutritionally a bit better than potato chips.
The pros: Trader Joe’s Seasoned Kale Chips are tasty and come in a resealable bag. You’ll want some portion control with this product.
The cons: These cost almost $32 per pound which makes them expensive. They have about as many calories as a bag of potato chips.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Peppered Turkey Bacon is a thicker cut and more peppered variation of Trader Joe’s Uncured Turkey Bacon. It was meaty, smoky, and only 40 calories per slice.
The cons: There are no directions for cooking this in the oven which is unusual as their other varieties of bacon do have these directions.
The verdict:
…
The pros: If you find salad to be boring or just love iceberg lettuce, Trader Joe’s Butter Lettuce is a good product to pick up.
The cons: Not as nutrient dense as some other salads in a bag, but if you need to break up your routine, this is a good one to reach for.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Espresso Baton is coffee and chocolate without the flavors being out of balance. One does not overwhelm the other.
The cons: If you are expecting a smooth chocolate, you’ll have some added texture here from the coffee grounds.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Almond Butter Tarte is a nice combination of chocolate from the crust, to the ganache and ribbons. Almond butter is present but it does not feel like you are eating an (almond) Reese’s candy.
The cons: The crisp crust wasn’t very crisp for very long. The box says you should eat the whole in the in 24 hours.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger is an Asian spin on their other veggie burgers. Was tasty out of the frying pan. Heat is subtle but present. Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Chili Burger had enough oil in the burger to cook it without oil in a pan.
The cons: If you are looking for that fake meat flavor, you are out of luck here.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Joe’s Dark Coffee Squares are for you if you enjoy your coffee black and have a sweet tooth. Trader Joe’s Dark Coffee Squares might satisfy both.
The cons: If you don’t care for the taste of black coffee, this isn’t for you.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Coffee Toffee Shortbread Cookies have a coffee taste that isn’t overwhelming, added texture from the toffee and a good amount of chocolate.
The cons: Price. This is a small container of cookies for almost $3 and comes with about a dozen cookies.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Canneles de Bordeaux is respectable in calories. Reminded me of a creme brulee with it’s caramelized outside (but no crunch here) and custard filling. I enjoyed this more heated slightly in the microwave than cooled.
The cons: These dessert are small so plan accordingly. You’ll finish each in about four bites.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s has taken on a new theme in the month of March: coffee. Maybe it’s day light savings time and everyone needs a buzz. Now they placed that caffeinated food item into your dinner with Trader Joe’s Coffee Rubbed Spatchcocked Chicken.
The pros: Moist chicken ready in about an hour. A very different taste from Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken.
The cons: The coffee flavor may not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bars is an on the go snack bar that’s organic and full of fiber.
The cons: Texture. This bar wasn’t chewy at all. I found it to be quite hard and the bar was very tiny.
The verdict: …
