Trader Joe’s HARVEST APPLE SALAD KIT (seasonal)

27 Nov 2024 8 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, cheese, condiments, DIY, Dried Fruits and Nuts, fresh, General, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, review, seasonal, Trader Joes, WhatsGoodAtTJ?, Xmas season Tags: , , , , , , , ,


“SPRING MIX, UNEXPECTED CHEDDAR, APPLE CINNAMON CHIPS AND PECANS WITH AN APPLE VINAIGRETTE” (THIS IS SEASONAL)

Some of Trader Joe’s prepared salads are are bit hit or miss. With this (seasonal) Harvest Apple salad however both of us were impressed. We found it quite good, so I’m going with calling this one a HIT.

Trader Joe’s has this around the Holidays like its a bit special, and we thought it was a bit special due to the included additions. Inside with the lettuce are some little plastic bags with dressing and the additions to add, specifically some apple chips, some unexpected grated cheddar and some pecans, all staying crunchy wrapped up. It’s these 3 additions plus the dressing which really made this into something a bit special. So good I can imagine you might think this came out of a special salad place or restaurant kitchen, where they would easily charge you about three times the price of this one which is four dollars.

I found the dried apple crisps were the special component here. I really loved those. The apple chips added a nice texture and taste to the greens for contrast. The pecans were excellent as well. There aren’t a ton of nuts here but as with most TJ’s stuff, just enough. Not a ton of grated unexpected cheddar either but this cheddar does add a nice taste (Next time I would add more, just grate up a hunk of that yummy Unexpected Cheddar )

Dressing: I liked the included “apple vinaigrette” which matches well with all the other ingredients. Additions you could add? This would be even better with a bit of cut up fresh apple. Maybe some dried cranberries?

TJ’s calls this salad “seasonal” meaning you will see it around the Holidays starting pre-Thanksgiving through Xmas or so. Meaning this would be great for some guests/fancy up a dinner and of course all it requires is putting the stuff in a bowl!

In addition to being “just a salad” this would be good for “beefing it up” into something more substantial by topping it with most any protein. Perhaps slices of chicken or steak, or baked tofu for that matter, or additional cheese, if you wanted to make this into a protein with salad thing.

(packets here, half used)

Trader Joe’s HARVEST APPLE SALAD kit, $3.99. I’d say one bag is about enough for about 2 people as part of a dinner. Or one salad lover. Again, add some sliced chicken on top of this and you could make this a nice balanced lunch or dinner.

TIP: with any of these pre-packed salads I always find these soft lettuces go bad pretty quickly, after 2 or 3 days, so use them asap. I always pierce the bags with a knife when I get home to make a few airs holes which I think adds a little more shelf life. Or open bag and put in a paper towel to absorb moisture and stay fresher longer. Also check for any odd bad leaves. One mushy leaf will make them all go bad fast.

Trader Joe’s ROSEMARY BUSH (“mini Xmas tree”)

26 Nov 2024 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, fresh, seasonal, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, WhatsGoodAtTJ?, Xmas season Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,


I’ve seen those Xmas tree style Rosemary Bushes that Whole Foods sells every year. They are cute, shaped to look like a mini Christmas tree. Suitable to serve as a little Xmas tree, and even decorate. $20 each?

At some point Trader Joe’s must have been “inspired” (nicer than copied) to make them too. They started offering the same type of little rosemary bushes, and for cheaper, of course!

The other day I saw this rosemary bush at my Trader Joe’s, which they start selling around Thanksgiving. The plants looked really healthy and smelled great of course. They were $10.99. I decided to get one, thinking this will serve two purposes. For this holiday season it will be a mini Xmas tree – in addition of course to supplying some fresh rosemary! To avoid damaging the rosemary bush I will probably not decorate it much. OK maybe a few cotton balls? Maybe some little led lights around the bottom?

Be sure to spray these once a day as they can dry out very easily. I have found rosemary trickier than it appears, as they can easily be over watered, yet let them dry out too much and that can be bad as well.

Whole Foods sells these for about double TJ’s price?

Trader Joe’s Rosemary Bushes, $10.99 (2024)

Tips here for keeping rosemary healthy and going all year. Fingers crossed!

https://growagoodlife.com/propagate-rosemary-plant-from-stem-cuttings/

Update: They don’t last forever for me. A few months, then sections turn black. Mine always eventually seem to croak no matter what I do (sob). Still, they served their purpose as a mini tree!

Trader Joe’s ANCHOVY FILLETS in olive oil

26 Nov 2024 2 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, can, condiments, DIY, fish, jar, News, Pantry, pescatarian, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, seafood, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


For year I’ve been buying the little cans of anchovies in olive oil at Trader Joe’s, sold in a yellow can under the famous Italian-American “CENTO” brand for as long as I can remember. I try to always have at least one can in the pantry, as anchovies are so useful for cooking (trust me)

Today I saw that those yellow cans of anchovies come in a new can now sold under the TJ brand: “Trader Joe’s Anchovy Fillets In Olive Oil”. Even the sign below them not only says “Cento” they even wrote the (R symbol – for registered trademark)! Perhaps they just didn’t get around to changing the sign. I think they had a price increase from $1.49 to $1.79.

(and now $1.99 I think! Summer 2025)

In any case, anchovy fillets are great to have in the pantry. Have a least one there for whenever you need it.

Anchovies can add a ton of flavor to many dishes. They are just full of UMAMI. Even the Romans used them (well as garum) a kind of fish sauce made from anchovies, just like Thai Nam Pla fish sauce.

Don’t be afraid of anchovies. They’re an amazing ingredient. For example when you have “nothing for dinner”, just go in the pantry. Grab a package of spaghetti or capellini and a can of these anchovies. Start with 3-4 cloves of garlic, chop and toss in your pan, then pour in 2 tbls olive oil and let that sauté for minute. Now add in a can of anchovies (or half a can if this is your first time). Crush them up with a spoon. As they cook they will dissolve into your anchovy garlic pasta sauce. Toss in your pasta (undercook it two minutes) and a 1/2 ladle of the pasta water and let it come together mixing it well for a minute or so. Cook for a minute plus or until just al dente. Add chopped parsley, maybe some toasted breadcrumbs or panko. A squeeze of lemon. Voila a yummy dinner. Your welcome!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17167/sicilian-spaghetti/

Anchovies match incredibly well with tomatoes and especially tomato sauce. Want to add something special to your jar of store bought sauce which will give it a ton of flavor and make it taste homemade? Try smashing a few anchovy fillets up with a knife into a paste and toss that into your sauce on the stove. Let them mellow for 5-10 mins on a simmer.

TIP: If I just use a few fillets from the can don’t use the whole can up I put the left over anchovies in a little glass jar. Cover with oil. They will last a month or two in the fridge.

Here is a recipe I found on the TJ website for UMAMI DRESSING using a can of anchovies.

Umami Dressing

  • 1 package Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil, drained and diced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • Juice from two Lemons
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp EVOO
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper or to taste

In a medium bowl, mash the anchovies and garlic with a fork to form a paste. Add the lemon juice and mustard and stir until well incorporated. Slowly whisk in oil until it starts to emulsify. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Makes about 1 cup of dressing. Serving ideas: over bitter greens (radicchio, kale, arugula, Belgian endives) with freshly grated Parmesan, dress a Niçoise salad or as a dip for crusty bread

By the way, looking closely at the two cans, I see the yellow ones say Product of Morocco. The green ones say Product of Albania —

(google) “Albanian anchovies, particularly those sourced from the Adriatic Sea, are known for their high quality and are a popular culinary ingredient. Albania is a major exporter of fresh and processed anchovies, with some anchovy products being processed in Albania from anchovies caught in the Cantabrian Sea”

Finding Eggs Sold Out At Trader Joe’s?

17 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in News, Prices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,


Mid-November 2024 – Twice this week I went to two different Trader Joe’s in my area (NYC UWS) and found eggs to be completely sold out. The egg case was completely empty.

An employee told me, “Sorry. All Sold out. Eggs are done for the day. “

Has the same thing has happened to you recently? Here’s why.

It’s directly related to another uptick in the H5N1 Avian Flu situation. Again.

Trader Joe’s is getting a limited supply of eggs delivered to them daily. The same employee told me, “We get a delivery in the morning. We put what we have out then and they’re first come first served. So come earlier. By the afternoon, they’re usually sold out.” (Early bird gets the worm?)

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html

(Google Result) : Is bird flu on the rise?

“What to know about the avian flu and the risk to humans. The number of confirmed bird flu cases has risen in the U.S. to 31, federal health officials said on Thursday. Washington health officials reported four presumptive positive bird flu cases over the weekend. Oct 24, 2024 “

Related to this of course is the real reason the price of eggs have increased is the Avian Flu and not so much inflation. Supply and demand.

On a related note I recall only a year or two ago, Trader Joe’s were selling Jumbo regular eggs for only 99 cents/dozen! Ah, those were the days. Those are now $2.99. Now $4.29 !! (Dec. 5 2024)

Trader Joe’s PORK AND GINGER SOUP DUMPLINGS (Xiao Long Bao)

12 Nov 2024 3 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, frozen, General, News, Prices, Products, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,


Review of Trader Joe’s steamed PORK AND GINGER SOUP DUMPLINGS (aka Xiao Long Bao)

Now I am what you might call a devotee of Xiao Long Bao or “soup dumplings”. I am crazy for them. I mean really good ones and thankfully New York City has a number of places where one can get excellent soup dumplings. One of my favorite places is in Flushing, Queens at a well known restaurant that specializes in them called, “NAN XIANG XIAO LONG BAO “(If you can, go there!) This place is famous for soup dumplings and the restaurant even has huge glass windows so you can see into the kitchen and watch a swarm of kitchen workers making them continuously in front of you. First rolling out the delicate dough wrappers. Stuffing those wrappers with the famous stuffing that has lots of gelatin which dissolves into liquid when they get steamed to make a bit of soup inside each one.

I think I had these Trader Joe’s version before and was not overly impressed. Especially as I had microwaved them – which I’ve now learned is not the best method (steam them)!

What prompted me to give them another try was we recently went to a new smaller sister place called Nan Xiang Express which recently opened up in New York City. We went to one on the Upper West Side and got the classic pork Xiao Long Bao.

Trader Joe’s version can’t equal those of course. Never the less when I made the Trader Joe’s dumplings the next day to compare them, we actually enjoyed them. This time I steamed them which gives a better result. Both of us said the same thing “Of course these are not as good as the restaurants but these are actually tasty. These are not at all bad.” For what these are, for the convenience and the price I have to say these are well worth your trying.

We enjoyed them with the sauce I made*. Sure the wrappers in these are a bit thick, not anywhere near as delicate or beautifully plated like Nan Xiang’s but again overall these are quite tasty and they did have a little spoonful of hot soup which you could suck out. Pour a little dumpling sauce* on and these make a pretty yummy snack or appetizer. Sure you can build a dinner around these (figure six per person for dinner plus some veggies, rice and other goodies)

Some people I hear are saying making these in soup and eating them like that.

Certainly the price here is great, six dumplings for $3.49 (at the restaurant: these are $10 for 6 pork dumplings and about $12 for the even yummier pork and crab version).

RECIPE: CLASSIC SOUP DUMPLING SAUCE (mix 3 parts Chinese black vinegar, 1 part soy sauce and a small knob of peeled fresh ginger, julienned or grated)

HOW TO COOK TRADER JOE’S SOUP DUMPLINGS – TIP: The traditional steaming method will give you a better result than microwaving these!

STOVE-TOP/STEAMED: “Fill a pot fitted with a steamer basket with water and bring to a boil. Place dumplings into steamer with space between them. Do not crowd. Cover with lid and steam for 8-10 minutes until fully heated. Remove carefully. Caution: these dumplings will be really really hot! Carefully pick up dumpling (chopsticks) and place on a spoon. Carefully bite dumpling to release the soup into the spoon. Slurp carefully. Eat dumpling”

Enjoy these with a little dumpling sauce. The way I eat these is I pick up a dumpling very carefully with chopsticks by the top, and finagle it gently into a deep size spoon (you don’t want to pierce accidentally and loose any soup inside). Carefully nibble a hole and suck out the soup and pour a drizzle of sauce onto my spoon.

A little bit of chili crisp too can be nice if you like spice (my jam is the real Lao Gan Ma).

Enjoy!

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/steamed-pork-ginger-soup-dumplings-065259

“From the same supplier that helped us bring Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings to Trader Joe’s, we are thrilled to introduce Trader Joe’s Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings. Inspired by the same original soup dumplings, xiao long bao, that originated in the Jiangsu province of China, this type of dumpling is traditionally prepared in a xiaolong, the small bamboo steaming basket from which it gets its name. In English-speaking countries they’re most often called Soup Dumplings because they are filled with hot soup (and therefore must be eaten carefully!) Xiao long bao are traditionally filled with pork, so this second entry in our freezers adheres closer to culinary tradition.”

Trader Joe’s HIGH FIBER CEREAL

08 Nov 2024 3 Comments

by promacnyc in baked, cereal, dairy, DIY, Dried Fruits and Nuts, fresh, General, Meh, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,


High Fiber. Low Fat. Low Sodium. Vitamins.

ZERO CHOLESTEROL

Fortified with 8 Vitamins Plus Iron.

NINE GRAMS OF FIBER PER SERVING.

What’s not to like?!

Start your day with some fiber!

OK to be honest this is probably not going to win any awards for the way it tastes. However its not bad. It tastes OK. In fact, once I got used to it, I kind of liked the taste. Let’s be honest. Frankly you don’t buy this for the way it tastes. You will buy this because its one the the healthier cereal options you will see in the cereal section at Trader Joe’s. And you want to easily add some more Fiber into your diet.

I buy granola. It tastes better than this but granola isn’t as healthy a choice as this cereal. As the name implies the main purpose of this cereal is simple.

This is a very easy way to get more dietary Fiber into your diet.

It does this mainly from all the kinds of bran it has (wheat, corn, and oat). Bran is of course the outer coating of most grains. Loaded with fiber and it is usually stripped out. Not here.

Ingredients: wheat bran, corn flour, corn bran, cane sugar, whole wheat, oat bran, and fortified with vitamins plus iron (60% of the DVI for Iron).

Trader Joe’s HIGH FIBER CEREAL has 9 grams of dietary fiber per serving (2/3 cup). That is about 33% or 1/3 of the recommended daily amount of fiber.

So on the fiber front it delivers. It is not exciting but fine. Especially as you are probably not eating just this by itself. You are adding things…. milk or a milk type beverage. Yogurt? Fresh fruit, like perhaps some sliced banana, maybe berries, apples or other fresh fruits or maybe some dried fruits. Yogurt or Kefir… so this is just one part of your breakfast bowl. That’s what I do. That stuff will make it taste fine.

My wife bought this high fiber cereal as she felt she needs more fiber in her diet, though I think we eat pretty well in the fiber department. Still she says has trouble staying “regular”. She says this stuff helps with that!

Also in the plus column is it’s low in calories, very low in fat, is low in sodium, has zero cholesterol, PLUS this cereal is low in Added Sugars, compared to almost any other cereal Trader Joe’s sells. So really compared to many others, this is a “healthy choice” in the Trader Joe’s cereal department. Maybe the healthiest cereal they sell?

It kind of resembles thin little crunchy bits of brown stuff, clearly extruded, and I assume baked. I am not very familiar with Nabisco’s FIBER ONE cereal but its a little similar. I think the shape of that cereal is thicker that this.

Taste wise? Well I doubt anyone would say “this is the best cereal I ever had”. The best I could say is I didn’t think it tastes it’s OK. Not bad. Fairly neutral in flavor, it is nice and crunchy. A bit naturally sweet. It taste healthy. Generally I myself use it like a topping, and put it on top of my breakfast mixture of chia seeds, fruit, yogurt and sometimes kefir. I sometimes add a little bit of granola on top to improve it. But again, if you want an easy way to add some extra fiber in your diet, this cereal is certainly an easy way to add some to your breakfast in the morning, which will be good for you!

(You can compare to FIBER ONE)

Personally I have always liked the classic GRAPE NUTS cereal also pretty high fiber, and prefer it to this, however my wife prefers TJ’s High Fiber cereal over Grape Nuts. She has brought this home quite a few times now, so she really likes it, and says it helps keep her regular! 😉

High Fiber Cereal $2.99 (14.5 oz)