Trader Joe’s acknowledges what we customers know all too well now: how much more expensive it is to feed your family these days due to price increases and inflation. We consumers need to get the biggest bang for the buck from every dollar we can. Hence I think Trader Joe’s is smart to admit this and “help” us with some ideas and recipes in their
Visit that link for Trader Joe’s recipes. One recipe is for an EASYSPICY CHILI with ground chicken, a can each of tomatoes and beans and their super useful TACO SEASONING mix (which I swear by and only costs .79 cents!) They say this Chicken Chili costs about $9.04 to feed four. I would budget in another $1.60 to buy some Corn Tortillas which will be good with chili. They assume you have rice in your pantry. I have a chili recipe with ground turkey which is similar to theirs. Check that out too. You can just switch the turkey for chicken if you prefer. Currently a pound of ground chicken at the moment is 3.99. Ground meats have no waste and I think makes a decent bang as the main / protein. GROUND TURKEY is about $4.29 for a pound. Want to make a VEGETARIAN CHILI? You can use these recipes, just swap in some organic tofu (drained well and crumbled). The Organic Tofu is still only $1.99! Some people swear if you freeze tofu, it gives a better “meatier” texture
My wife loves this and told me she’s “addicted” to it. I tried it, liked it too. Very refreshing. Mild ACV taste/tingle. Made with organic apple juice and no added sugars. It’s $1.69 for 12 oz and only 35 calories. “Healthy soda”!
Here’s what Trader Joe’s says about the product: “What can’t apple cider vinegar do? Some folks use it in marinades, others use it to pickle produce, some even use it as a cleaning agent. As it happens, you can now add “use it to make a remarkably refreshing soda” to the list, with the introduction of Trader Joe’s Organic Sparkling Ginger + Lemon Apple Cider Vinegar Beverage. This tart and tangy sparkler combines pleasantly pucker-y organic lemon juice and bright, bracing organic ginger with (you guessed it) organic apple cider vinegar to create one curiously cool and crisp drink. Best enjoyed nice and cold, our Organic Sparkling Ginger + Lemon Apple Cider Vinegar Beverage at once offers all the thirst-quenching qualities of a lemonade, the exhilarating bite of spicy ginger, and the playful mix of juicy and tangy that only apple cider vinegar can supply. It makes for an especially delicious anytime drink, though we find that its unique flavor profile makes it especially amenable to pairing with rich or spicy foods.”
My DIY Pulled Jackfruit on Aloha Bun with coleslaw
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit, popular with vegetarians as a “meat substitute”. When cooked it can have the texture of “pulled meat” such as pulled pork or chicken or ropa vieja. It doesn’t have much taste but it easily absorbs flavors and sauces and it’s quite good cooked up with BBQ sauce as “pulled jackfruit”. Trader Joe’s carried a pouch of PULLED JACK FRUIT IN SMOKY BBQ SAUCE in a green foil pouch (see below) but it got discontinued. Alot of people liked it and I did too, despite not being vegetarian. TJ’s does sell this can of JACKFRUIT so you can make the same thing fairly easily yourself, just mixing this can of jackfruit with your favorite BBQ sauce. A can is only $1.99 too!
How does one use Trader Joe’s Green Jackfruit in Brine, you ask? It takes on a “meaty” texture, and, much like tofu, absorbs the flavors of sauces. Our favorite preparation involves cooking jackfruit in barbecue sauce, where it eventually shreds like pulled pork, ready to be piled on a warm Honey Wheat Hamburger Bun and crowned with crunchy cabbage.
UPDATE: This is in stores again.
what it looks in the can; frankly not too appetizing, yet!
after cooking the Jackfruit; Now it looks pretty good!
HOW TO MAKE PULLED JACKFRUIT MINI SLIDER BUNS: After opening the can, dump the liquid out and put the fruit into a colander. Rinse the jackfruit thoroughly and drain it. To get the texture, I just used my fingers and crushed up the jackfruit piece by piece. The seeds you can mash or crush or leave as is. Sauté the jackfruit in a pot in some EVOO (or butter) for about 5 minutes on low heat, stirring it gently. Add your favorite BBQ sauce (1/2 cup per can?) in. I used the SRIRACHA ROASTED GARLIC sauce, a good match. Cover the pan and simmer on very low heat for about 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so and making sure it doesn’t burn. It will be thick when done. Turn off the heat and let it rest for about 10 minutes. When you are ready to assemble the sandwiches, put a scoop of the jackfruit on†o the bottom half of a TJ’s ALOHA BUN (or brioche roll). Top with some coleslaw and the top half of the bun. Enjoy! A bit messy to eat but quite tasty! 1 Can served 2 of us easily with the fixings.
Directions as per TJ’s website
(note I liked it without the water, or just a few tablespoons)
Prepare Pulled Jackfruit: Drain jackfruit and pat dry. Partially shred jackfruit chunks into smaller pieces. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add jackfruit and sauté for five minutes. Add BBQ sauce and water to pan and stir to evenly coat jackfruit. Cover pan and simmer on medium-low heat, 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and pulling jackfruit apart as it becomes tender.
Prepare Tangy Cole Slaw: While jackfruit cooks, in a large bowl, toss cabbage blend with mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Prepare Sandwiches: Place a scoop of pulled jackfruit on the bottom of a bun. Top with diced onions, coleslaw, and bun top. Eat and repeat until satisfied!
Trader Joe’s sells this Simpler Times beer, and they may be one of the most inexpensive beers one can buy, anywhere. This one, “Lager”, is surprisingly decent, especially factoring in the low price. This is a lager and very easy to drink. Crisp and well-balanced and it paired well with food. Its more than fine on its own too. Also surprising is it’s ABV of 6.2% alcohol.
It’s brewed by a “family-owned craft beer brewing company in Wisconsin, which has been brewing beer for 150 years”. We thought it was very refreshing and tasty and a super bargain for the price (1.25/each?) There is also a Simple Times Pilsner which is crisp and light but a bit less flavorful than this Lager but still pretty good. If you are looking for a decent beer which are real bargain these are worth trying.
They sell a 12 pack for $9.99 (meaning a $5 for a six pack)
UPDATE: AUG 2023 – FYI Some folks have reported that TJ’s might have stopped selling this however I did check recently and saw the Simpler Times Lager was still being carried at my local TJ’s (NYC UWS 72St); I only saw the Lager, didnt see any of the Pilsner. These were however placed all the way on the bottom shelf, where they were even a bit hard to see. Price still was $9.99. Less than a buck a beer.
Absolutely great pantry item. For out of a can, this is really tasty. The flavors are good, they have lemon, parsley, cumin, garlic and black pepper and the seasonings have permeated the chickpeas so they are way more tasty than if you just poured on sauce. My only small complaint is they used cheap (soybean) oil instead of olive oil to cut costs. However this is easily fixed with your own EVOO. I poured off most of the sauce and added a glug of good Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which improved it. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice too while you are at it, which will brighten it up so it tastes like you almost made it yourself. This would be great for say a picnic. We ate it as a side dish with some Falafel. Good match. Or add a can on top of salad to add some bean protein. Trader Joe’s describes this as kind of a “deconstructed hummus” as it has many of the same ingredients in it as hummus does. In fact I served it alongside some hummus and even put a bit of this on top of the hummus which is a typical serving style to put a few chickpeas on top.
” Skinless & Boneless ‘Applewood Smoked’ in Extra Virgin Olive Oil “
This canned salmon is a Trader Joe’s top 10!
“Lightly Smoked Salmon” is the square pink can. Find this with canned tuna, sardines and about three other kinds of canned salmon. Its popular so its been Sold Out on occasion.
Now there is nothing wrong with the other cans of salmon. They are fine, pretty much like any canned salmon you’ve tried before.
This one however WAY BETTER, off the charts better. Think “gourmet canned salmon“.
I am crazy about this can of salmon as are many others (see the Comments below) Word has gotten out about this stuff. At times you may see it has sold out (be patient, it does get restocked when they get more).
Now the very first time I saw this can I was both intrigued and even slightly confused by the name… What does “Lightly Smoked Salmon” in a can even mean? The first thing to know about this is basically ignore the name. “Smoked”? No and this has nothing to do with what you or I think of when we see the words “smoked salmon”. What this actually is, is the best, I repeat “The Best” canned salmon you probably ever tasted.
Frankly I think that name choice wasn’t great. A better or more accurate name would have been something like “Chilean Olive Oil Poached Salmon”, or “Gourmet Canned Salmon” as that is exactly what this is.
This tinned salmon makes me think about those imported tins of canned fish made by high quality Portuguese and Spanish producers. Like Ortiz’scanned tuna ($23/lb) and the like, cans and jars of which I see at gourmet grocery vendors like Zabar’s and Fairway. $18 for a jar of canned tuna? Yup. That stuff is not Chicken of the Sea.
As you can see when one opens this can, you see an appetizing piece ofskinless, boneless salmon. It was cooked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The label says this is a “Product of Chile”. I’ve since learned that Chile, after Norway, is the world’s second largest producer of farmed salmon. Overall the quality appears high.The salmon has had all the skin and bones removed (some canned salmon has both). The fish was cooked in olive oil. Think “olive oil poached salmon”.
That golden orange-y liquid is a decent Chilean EVOO mixed with the salmon’s juices. Its delicious. The salmon is moist and flaky. It’s got both a wonderful texture and flavor. I would guess the olive oil is from Chile. Sure this is farmed Atlantic salmon (not wild) but its is Top Quality fish. About the word “smoked”, well “Applewood smoke” is listed among the Ingredients but honestly I don’t really taste any smoke flavor. Maybe it is so subtle in the background. It doesn’t matter. This stuff is really really good.
I opened a can the first time to review it. I found it so tasty I could not stop tasting it. I kept saying to myself “let me just just try one more bite” and suddenly I noticed the can was empty.
This can of fish makes a super easy almost instant lunch, dinner or healthy snack. Its got a whopping 21 grams of Protein.
That Golden Oil the fish is swimming in? I implore you to not dump it out. If you do that you will be making a mistake. That sauce is delicious. Its a built in sauce, a golden elixir that matches the salmon perfectly. It’s extra virgin olive oil mixed with the cooking juices now colored orange from the salmon, and its yummy, and just oozing with UMAMI.
I suggest you spoon the golden oil over the fish with perhaps a squeeze of lemon when you serve it. Ah, perfection. You could equally spoon some of this golden oil on top say the salmon a top salad greens, or boiled potatoes, or a rice bowl or what have you.
Basically this is a piece of poached salmon in a can. You can simply put it on a plate and you are done. Or on top of a salad or greens or a protein bowl…. Mashed up into an avocado with a little mayo and lemon. Voila, you have a delicious healthy meal with almost no effort. This salmon is wonderful as-is right out of the can. Try it on toast, or a toasted bagel, or on crackers. I found this is a perfect match with TJ’s great Norwegian CRISPBREAD for a Scandinavian style open faced sandwich.
This salmon is especially perfect for summertime heat or whenever you don’t feel like cooking. Mix a bit of mayo and lemon juice into this for lovely perfect salmon salad. The other night I didn’t feel like cooking. I found I had a nice ripe avocado I needed to use, so I just mixed a can of this salmon with a little mayo, lemon juice and some Peri-Peri sauce and spooned that into an avocado.
Avocado Stuffed with Salmon
I ate this lovely avocado stuffed with salmon for dinner. It took me minutes to make and was so yummy.
RECIPE IDEA – Japanese Salmon Rice Bowl: I make this all the time. Put some fresh cooked rice in a bowl (if you have it, short grain) Now top it with this salmon, which you flaked up. Drizzle some of the Golden Oil over things. Sprinkle on a TJ’s Furikake seaweed seasoning and chopped scallions. Mix gently. YUM. Dinner! Optional: a sprinkle of Soy Sauce and a sprinkle of Toasted Sesame Oil. Maybe slices of avocado and cucumbers?
Seaweed Hand Rolls with Salmon and Cucumber
One serving contains 190 calories and a whopping 21 grams of protein. The 5 oz can has about 3.6 oz of drained salmon. It’s $3.69. Product of Chile. Great pantry item. I would gladly buy it again.
Can one put this away in your larder for a year or two to improve with age like the do in Spain? (canned fish improves with age like wine*) *Spain and Portugal have some bodegas which specialize in tinned fish and seafood which they keep for a year or two or three… Believe it or not the cans of fish improve with age like wine. Here’s a video of the late great Tony Bourdain visiting one of the most famous of these bodegas in Spain, eating cans of seafood and loving every bite…. EL ESPINALER
You should probably add sardines to your diet if you aren’t eating them already. Wait, before you click away in disgust please hear me out. If you think eating a little sardine is something yucky, you may want to read about all the benefits they have.
Sardines are not just good for you, they are one of the healthiest fish you can eat. Not only are they are loaded with protein (21 grams in one can), they are a terrific source of calcium (the regular ones, not the skinless ones). Women especially need to get lots of calcium.
Sardines also provide heart-healthy omega-3s that may help with reducing inflammation, improving cognition and more. Sardines have the lowest levels of mercury of any fish. All sardines are WILD caught, they are not farmed and they are plentiful in the oceans. Sardines are a sustainable fish. And they are cheap, they are maybe the least costly fish you can buy.
So lots of benefits. But not only are sardines healthy to eat, they are DELICIOUS. Europeans love them, and eat lots of sardines. While this may not be the case here in the U.S, you should change that by adding them to your diet if you don’t already.
Trader Joe’s sells at least three varieties of canned sardines. My favorite ones are the SMOKED SARDINES IN OLIVE OIL (purple can). One can gives you a whopping 21 grams of protein. Plus Calcium and Omega’3. I probably eat a can for lunch at least once a week.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Take out the sardines from the can and put them in a dish. Mash them up with a fork. Squeeze one the juice of a quarter lemon, then add a large teaspoon of mayonnaise with a grind of fresh black pepper. Add a touch of hot sauce if you like. Mix well and spread this on some freshly toasted bread, or on your favorite crackers. This would be great on the Scandinavian kind.
Trader Joe’s has a few kinds of sardines. I would grab the purple can with the ones in “smoke flavor”. But if you can’t bear the ones with skin (which by the way contain the most calcium due to the soft edible bones) then get the skinless boneless ones (grey can). They could be a good starting point for the squeamish however when you mash them up, you won’t see anything. I do recommend the tasty smoked ones (purple can) as the best, tastiest ones that Trader Joe’s sells. You can even saute potatoes in the left over oil in the can which will make a delicious potato dish.
Country of origin: Portugal (purple can), Canada (blue), Morocco (grey)
Every year this post becomes the most popular post around Thanksgiving, ENJOY~
FRESH VS. CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE
To me the greatest sin one can make for Thanksgiving is not making the cranberry sauce from scratch and just opening up a can.
There is simply no comparison to MAKING YOUR OWN CRANBERRY SAUCE fresh, and no reason not to. It’s literally the EASIEST thing in the world to make. If you do it this year, I promise you everyone will say how wonderful the cranberry sauce is. Seriously it could not be easier to make. Recipe follows….
If you’ve never made your own cranberry sauce and are used to opening a can of that jiggly jelly stuff (ugh!) you owe it to your family to make it this year. The “work” involved may take you about 1 minute, plus maybe 15 minutes just letting it do its own thing cooking. TIP: Make it at least an hour ahead of eating so it can be served at room temp (hint, even better do it one or two days before to get it out of the way). It will set up beautifully in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge an hour or so before eating.
EASY “RECIPE” : Open bag. Dump berries in a pot. Add one cup water* and one cup of sugar. Bring to a boil. Basically that’s it. When it boils, just lower the heat down to a simmer and let it alone until the cranberries “pop” in about 15 to 20 minutes. When the berries have popped, they’re done so just turn off the fire. DONE! Let it cool for 30 minutes or so. As it cools it will thicken up (cranberry skin contains a great deal of pectin, a natural thickener).
If this easy recipe seems “too easy” for you and you want to get a tiny bit fancier and more creative, here are things you try… * Instead of water, you can use orange juice. A bit fancier? Grate in a little orange zest. Even more creative? This year I added a tiny bit of cayenne pepper and a pinch of fennel seeds and some lime juice. Ginger can be nice in a cranberry sauce.
Once you try this you will be shocked at how easy it is to make and how infinitely better this fresh sauce is over the canned stuff. At the time of this writing a 12 oz. bag cost $1.99, a decent price. (UPDATE: 2018, a bag was $3.49 at TJ’s) Update 2: 2022, a bag was back down to now $2.29. UPDATE 2023: Organic ones are $3 a bag so buy those!
You can even buy an extra bag of berries and throw it as is in the freezer where it can keep for a few months if you want it outside of just Thanksgiving. It goes great with grilled chicken breasts.
Once you make your own, you will realize how easy it was to make and and like me, will never buy the sauce in a can again, or even TJ’s pre-made stuff.
Now go, and sin no more…
#DIY #CranberrySauce
RECIPE VARIATION: Indian Cranberry Chutney. In a saute pan, melt a tablespoon butter, and add some chopped garlic, a quarter chopped onion and saute stirring for 3 minutes. Add a teaspoon of TJ’s curry powder (or more to taste) and cook one minute. Add the zest of one orange and its juice with 1/4 cup of water and 1/4-1/2 cup of brown sugar or Palm Sugar (or more or less to taste). Add the package of cranberries and simmer 25-30 minutes stirring frequently. If you want heat add a few dashes of Cayenne or your favorite Hot Sauce (PeriPeri, Green Dragon.…) to taste.
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