Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
If you buy fresh pasta from Trader Joe’s, you might have noticed they’ve updated the packaging on most of the ravioli products. They are now brightly colored. This means one of two things: either they’ve changed the product or they’ve only just updated the packaging.
In this case they’ve altered the name from previous years. They’ve dropped the name “Girasoli” and added the word ravioli. But overall, the taste seems pretty spot on from previous years. …
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.…
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Beet Strawberry Juice is organic and will be a beet lovers dream.
The cons: If you had any hopes of a strawberry flavor, you’ll be wrong because the beet took over.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper Pappardelle is thick cut pasta that has a nice lemon taste.
The cons: Flavor might not be for everyone. Best served with olive oil or butter. Expensive compared to regular boxed pasta.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sparkling French Berry Lemonade really tastes less like lemonade and more like Strawberry soda.
The cons: Nutritionally it’s sugar water and 2% juice not lemonade.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Yuzu Hot Sauce tastes like lemon and can compliment anything lemon based by adding a touch of heat.
The cons: Trader Joe’s Yuzu Hot Sauce is a bit pricier than other hot sauces.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Lemon Rosemary Chicken has a tasty finished product if you can put in the time. It’s a timesaver if you forget to take care of things the night before.
The cons: You are actually expected to cook this. If you need dinner quickly, skip over this. This product needs an hour in the oven.
The verdict: …
The pros: With Trader Joe’s Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins you can have 9 cookies per serving, delicate lemon flavor with a hint of sweetness
The cons: It’s lemon, but doesn’t taste overwhelmingly like Meyer lemon, it tastes just like regular lemons.
The verdict: …
I took a class a few years back at Sur La Table. I honestly haven’t taken a bad one yet. Maybe a couple of recipes weren’t my absolute favorite, but for the most part they have been amazing. Quite a few of those recipes have been added into my regular repertoire. If you are lacking in cooking skills or want to learn something new, this is one of the most accessible places to start….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Lemongrass Chicken Stix are quick, easy, tasty, chicken spring rolls with strong lemongrass flavor. Wrappers were crispy right out of the oven. Ready in about 10 minutes. Would make a lovely appetizer.
The cons: Lemongrass may not be a flavor that everyone appreciates as it’s a very pronounced flavor.
The verdict: …
Salad can be so boring and predictable. When I think of salad my mind goes in one of two directions: fruit or the leafy green stuff. Many fruit salads that I’ve had are just ok. Very few leave me refreshed or wanting much more. Especially the canned variety. When I opened a recent copy of Food Network’s magazine I saw a recipe that looked easy and caught my eye, Citrus Vanilla Salad….
The pros: It’s ready in about 2 minutes in the microwave. Trader Joe’s Chicken Piccata is marginally edible.
The cons: While edible, this is not the best dish or even marginally good. The sauce is congealed and is not a true piccata sauce. Piccata sauce is just like francese just with capers added in. This was a yellow blob that once it plopped on the chicken, the microwave did this dish no favors. However, I did not use the recommend method of cooking either. Sadly, in the microwave this isn’t good.
The verdict: …
This recipe makes light as a feather scones. The poppy seeds give this a nice textural element. The lemon makes it refreshing.
