We are fed up waiting for you to get back the “Uncrystallized Candied Ginger” in stock.
So here’s a recipe* to make your own, people! OK. It may not be quite as good as the TJ’s stuff, but it will be tasty and give you your needed ginger candy fix!
Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and set it in a half sheet pan lined with parchment.
Peel the ginger root and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices using a mandoline.
Place into a 4-quart saucepan with the water and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.
Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar. Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated and begins to recrystallize, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer the ginger immediately to the cooling rack and spread to separate the individual pieces. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Save the sugar that drops beneath the cooling rack and use to top ginger snaps, sprinkled over ice cream or to sweeten coffee.
PS The fresher the ginger (and younger) the better!
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.
Says so right on the front label and all true. This is a very healthy thing for you to eat. And since a can costs just 99 cents, it’s very economical too. Now if you are not familiar with “Refried Beans” there are a few things you should know. One is in Spanish “frijoles refritos” is slightly misleading in that while it literally can be interpreted as “re-fried beans” they are not “fried” twice, they are “cooked twice”, first the beans are boiled, then they are mashed/fried with some kind of fat. Authentic Mexican FRIJOLES REFRITO are either pinto, black, or other beans that have been cooked till very tender, and then mashed till they are a smooth paste. The mixture is cooked with onions and garlic and spices in some oil or fat (traditionally manteca (lard) is used but more ‘modern, healthy’ versions may use olive oil). Manteca does give the beans the best flavor though! Cooked until a thick paste, Refritos generally is eaten with corn tortillas in one form or another, or simply put on the plate as a side. Of course the famous combination of Corn and Beans eaten together create a complex protein that is equal to meat protein, and are eaten in many places all over the world to sustain a population. In Mexico this is very true. This classic combination is both a high quality protein at a relatively low cost compared to meat/chicken/etc, and is a staple eaten daily by MILLIONS of people around the world.
However Trader Joe’s Refried Black Beans are a much simplified version of this classic bean dish. The ingredients list says simply : Black beans, water, sea salt, spice, jalapeños. So actually since there is no fat of any kind listed, in truth these are not really “refritos” at all! You could eat them this way just out of the can, but I find them just so-so that way, I think of them as a time-saver over making my own beans (soaking overnight, etc) and mashing them. Tasting these you may say as I did, “what where’s the jalapeño’s?” Are there really Jalapeño peppers are in this?? They seem non-existant taste wise so I assume the amount is miniscule.
When you open up up the can, be aware this beans don’t look too appetizing till prepared (frankly one could say it looks like dog food) but it will look fine after you heat them up and hopefully gussy them up as I suggest .
Anyway think of this can as a starting point to something. If you invest a mere 5 minutes to improve these* to make them tastier and more authentic, you will be rewarded with something twice as good as the way they taste right out of the can, I promise you. Here’s what I suggest you do with these mashed black beans – Smash or chop up a fat clove of garlic and toss it in a non-stick pan, over medium heat with a nice slug of good Olive Oil (I used TJ’s Spanish EVOO). Add the bean paste from the can (carefully! it may spit in the hot oil) Perhaps add some diced fresh or pickled jalapeños or other chile peppers ‘to taste’. A great thing to add would be one small can of TJ’s Roasted Green Chiles, chopped up. A little diced onion sauteed for 5 minutes in the oil before the beans go in couldn’t hurt and will add much flavor to your FrijolesRefritos. Now add some spices: oregano, cumin if you like it, a dash of red pepper flakes plus a good sprinkling of black pepper. Taste for salt. Cook the the beans, pushing down with a wooden spoon, mixing into the oil and every now and then stirring and making sure they don’t burn as they cook. Use a low flame. Cook the mixture for about 5-10 minutes until the paste softens up, moves freely (If too thick, add a tiny pinch of water) until the Frijoles look smooth and smell wonderful. If you like spicy, a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce would go well added now. There….much improved over just opening this can.
Are you so Lazy that reading the above makes you say all that sounds like way too much work? Wow you are a lazy bum! OK then if you do nothing else, at a minimum when you heat the beans up just add some olive oil and lots of black pepper and some hot sauce to the pan.
Eat your FrijolesRefritos with tortillas, tostadas…. Use as fillings in burritos. Add salsa, cheese, tomato, greens. Refritos are also great served as a side with a sprinkle of cheese, maybe some mexican style rice, and possibly some Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo.
If you’ve never had these before, try them, or their cousin Trader Joe’s Pinto Refried Beans with Salsa. Those are also quite good. They are very tasty when jazzed up a little, so filling, healthy and economical it’s not even funny. Your heart and cholesterol will thank you, especially since you made them with olive oil and not lard (thought authentic manteca does taste best, sorry!) For a dollar you can easily always keep a few cans of these in the pantry.
Here’s a Pizza I made for dinner last night. For the base, I used Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough, in the refrigerated section. The bag of fresh dough sells for the super price of just 99 cents (for 1 lb). Thats correct, 99 cents folks. Whole Foods has pizza dough too- however they sell it (frozen) for almost double or triple TJ’s price.
Trader Joe’s has three varieties of Pizza Dough – Regular dough, Herb and Whole Wheat. I amost always buy the “regular” (ie, “white”) dough. Why? Well I have tried the herb dough but found it a bit bitter and off tasting. You would be better off adding your own fresh garlic and fresh or dried herbs. As far as the Whole Wheat dough, while noble in thought as “healthier pizza” in reality I found it came out with a too tough crust compared to the regular dough. You can try them all over time and see what you think.
I find a package of dough makes a very nice sized pizza for two people with leftovers (maybe). The 1 lb bag of dough could easily feed three. It might feed four with some side dish and/or a big salad. As pizza dough is after all “bread dough” of course one can use this to make a loaf of bread or some breadsticks (see below). This is a good idea too. So this is one of those TJ items I ALMOST NEVER LEAVE THE STORE WITHOUT. If you Freeze it, you have this handy stuff on hand whenever you want. It can defrost overnight or in a pinch you can leave it out in the morning to defrost by dinner time.
HOME-MADE PIZZA
Ingredients:
This time, believe it or not I did not use tomato sauce though I usually do. Today I was a bit unorthodox and did use some fresh tomatoes. Plus a ton of other vegetables: zucchini, mushrooms + peppers (I cooked both before with oil and garlic), more fresh garlic, olive oil, Mozzarela, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, hot pepper flakes, more fresh tiny red peppers I had on hand, plus anchovy paste… oh yeah and a simple homemade pork sausage with peppers and garlic (which I browned up first) and crumbled on top. It was “almost” a vegetarian pizza, and you could easily make it that way. Maybe use some TJ Soy Chorizo, perhaps for the sausage component…Or not.
(READY FOR BAKING)
Method: Its will take a little practice but this is do-able. Take the Pizza Dough out of the fridge for at least a 1/2 hour to 1 hr beforehand! It needs to not be super cold to work it. Turn the dough out of the bag on to some flour. Flour your work surface and gently stretch out your dough to your pan. I used a non-stick half sheet pan. Put some olive oil in the pan first and spread it with your fingers. Put some more on top of the dough. I stretched the dough to fit the whole pan and used my fingers to build up the edges. Then add your sauce and toppings and cheese.
I dabbed some anchovy paste all around the body of the pizza, and gently smushed it in with my fingers with a good dollop of Olive Oil (TJ’s Spanish EVO). I cut my zucchini into paper thin slices and laid them out all over in neat rows, laid tomatoes sliced thin all over, added my cooked mushrooms and peppers I made the night before, laid out the Mozz (shredded) all over, hit it with red pepper, sliced garlic, Italian seasoning, a little arugula, and more olive oil which I brushed on the edges with my fingers. Some more tomato on top which got “roasted”, some more fresh red peppers, a pinch of salt, plus lots of black pepper.
Baked it at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes (The TJ dough package says bake 9 minutes, thats sounds crazy short unless you have a very very hot pizza oven) In the style of my idol, Dom DeMarco (of Brooklyn’s DiFara’s Pizza) I tossed on some grated cheese (Parmesan or Grana Padano as Dom uses) AFTER it comes out of the oven. This gives your pizza some extra zing for sure.
OUT OF THE OVEN
Also like Master DeMarco, I was liberal with the Olive Oil especially on the pan for this squarish rendition, as I wanted that crust to get really crispy and brown -which it did thanks to that oil. After it was ready, I hit it with more fresh arugula on top (was tempted to use lemon juice like Paulie Gee too but didn’t…next time. Lemon juice on pizza? Trust me, with the arugula, its fantastic. Paulie Gee has some real pizza chops).
Result: Due to all the veggies honestly I felt the center was too thin and came out too wet with all too many veggies I had loaded it with. If I did it over, next time I would not stretch out the dough quite as much and leave it much thicker all over to hold up to the veggies. The zucchini and fresh tomato produce a lot of moisture. In the center it was too moist. However other than the center the pizza came out perfectly. The outside edge crust (aka cornicone) was really crunchy and good, especially for something made in a regular home oven. Would it be better with a pizza stone? Maybe, I just don’t have one, nor do I have a Pizza Peel so would be a bit hard to get in the oven, without using the sheet pan I felt. I’m a very adaptable cook. Taste-wise? EXCELLENT. I got a high five from my Mrs, who deemed it one of the best pizzas I’ve made. First time I used the anchovy paste, which added a wonderful undernote of flavor. And the homemade sausage was fantastic on top. So basically I made the “sauce” right on the pizza in the oven. It does look tasty, no? I hope this picture inspires you to make a pizza at home; Its easy and delicious.
Oh and I tested out making a few breadsticks with a bit of the extra TJ’s dough. They were good! Try doing some of those too with this dough. You could of course even make a fresh baked bread with it too. I am now buying at least 2 packages of TJ’s Pizza Dough, and throwing one in the freezer to have on hand at all times. I do make my own dough on occasion but it requires some thinking ahead.
Now I know this isn’t exactly a “recipe” but to me, Pizza is a basic idea, that is improvised depending on your mood, ingredients, etc. So for the most basic “recipe” buy this dough, stretch it out on to a half sheet pan, add some homemade or good jarred marinara or tomato sauce, some mozzarella, olive oil, fresh garlic, etc. (add preferred toppings here). Bake it in a HOT oven. Check it at 15-20 minutes and make sure its brown and bubbly. Cook for another 5-10 minutes if not. When done, take it out and toss on some (fresh I hope) grated Parmesan or other hard Italian cheese. Remove from pan to a surface you can cut on and slice it up. Once you do this, you may never go back to “ordering in pizza”.
UPDATE! SUMMER 2019 – out of stock all year, this product has finally is back in stores !
(Updated, Nov 2019) This product is in stores!
RAVE
These can easily be on any Trader Joe’s Top 10 List.
Easily best “first try” of a TJ product in a while, I was quite impressed with the quality of these frozen green beans. These are are extremely high quality French Haricots Verts (“green beans”). They are “IMPORTED FROM FRANCE”. These Haricot Verts are the real McCoy and a super bargain.
French “Haricot Verts” are better and higher quality bean than our usual standard green beans. Haricots Verts are a skinnier French green bean variety, thinner and more tender than our regular US green beans.. These are the expensive-ass skinny green beans you get next to that $35 entree you ordered when you go to an expensive restaurant. When I see fresh HARICOTS VERTS, imported from France, at a top green grocer like Fairway for example, which does carry them, they are always quite expensive, something like $8-10 per lb? As opposed to $2/lb for our “normal” fresh green beans. I always think ‘who can afford to buy these 12 bucks a pound green beans?! They must have money to burn.’ Well now thanks to Trader Joe’s great buying skills, all of us non-Rockefeller normal folks can afford to buy these wonderful French green beans, just they’ve come flash frozen.
TJ’s sells a package of the frozen HARICOT VERTS in a 24 oz bag. (1.5 lbs) for $1.99! Do the math, thats comes out to about $1.50/lb so thats about the same price or LESS, than I might buy regular fresh green beans (a price check followup in April 2012 show this is still the same price!)
These are those same wonderful thin, french haricots verts, all prepped and ready to use, which have been flash frozen. Dark, nice green color. Blanched for a few seconds prior to being flash frozen. Certainly easy to use: they are all prepped (tip and tailed) which you would spend time doing with fresh beans. This is a big time saver as prepping beans is the one thing I don’t like about when I buy fresh green beans, they take a bit of work to tip and tail a pound of beans. These come trimmed and cut into bite size lengths, ready to use. Handy. To cook, throw them in boiling salted water.
Or you can also just toss the beans into a hot sauté pan with some butter and oil (and garlic?) Cook either way for only 1-2 mins till just tender. Don’t overcook these! You can easily ruin them. With a bit of minced garlic and butter you have a nice French side dish of haricots verts, ready in minutes. Salads? Yes! I threw them into a salad after boiling them for about 45-60 seconds, dumping them in a colander and running cold water to cool them, and they were really good tossed with some good Virgin Olive Oil and White Balsamic vinegar…Delicious. Toss in some diced hard boiled eggs, and parsley, and you have a nice “salade composé”. I also use these a lot by just adding them to any dish I’m making, generally breaking them in half first as I add them to stews, soups, etc…..
To sell at this price, I can only imagine these are one of those items TJ’s makes a huge deal with the farmer or vendors. TJ’s purchases in such huge quantities directly from the vendor and they say pays in cash for the next crop and thats how TJ’s makes deals so they can sell products at such bargains (case in point is Olive Oil, right? They buy HUGE massive quantities from vendors all over the world)
Anyway TJ’s FRENCH GREEN BEANS (Haricots Verts) are my new favorite vegetable, and are now on my “always these have on hand” Trader Joe’s List. I now always buy a package to have in my freezer at all times. Right next to TJ’s Frozen Peas and Frozen Edamame, also all staples in my house. These are very versatile things to have on hand at all times. Try them, you won’t be sorry.
(If you make this remember the recipe assumes using fresh haricots verts so adjust the cooking time down)
Have you tried this product? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
NOTE: THIS WAS M.I.A FOR SOME TIME AS NOTED BY MANY READERS. I INQUIRED ABOUT IT WITH THE CAPTAIN AT MY LOCAL TJ (NYC) WHO TOLD ME THE PRODUCT WAS NOT DISCONTINUED, THEY RAN OUT OF IT, AND HADNT BEEN AVAILABLE FROM THE SUPPLIER. HE TOLD ME THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE NEXT HARVEST AND SHIPMENT TO COME IT. IT SHOULD AGAIN BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE (2019) – As of July 2019, I still don’t see it
AUGUST 2019 – I think I found it again finally!! Package looks different (white bag instead of clear) and instead of “Trader Joe’s” label says “DU JARDIN” but seems to be the Haricot Verts “extra fine green beans” “Product of France”…. so this must be it?…Except now bag is 16 oz instead of 24 oz and its $1.99. So price went up. Of course.
UPDATE2 (SEPT 2019) This product (original package) is back in the stores!
Heres a fairly easy recipe for a Moroccan-style Couscous. Trader Joe’s sells their packaged brand of a whole-wheat “instant” couscous which is quite good, and could not be easier to make. The term “couscous” refers both to the dry, uncooked semolina pellets, and to the ready-to-eat dish of light, fluffy cooked grains topped by the marga. The marga is the vegetable laden stew portion of a “couscous”. Chickpeas are one of the main ingredients in the marga. If I can, I generally start with dried chickpeas which like most beans need to be soaked overnight, and then cooked for an hour or two. In a pinch, canned chickpeas can be used too, and Trader Joe’s sells both regular canned as well as organic canned chickpeas (garbanzos). Chickpeas are a legume which are very healthy, and very high in protein, high in fiber, and to me, mighty tasty, probably my favorite of all beans or legumes. Of course they are the major component in hummus, which TJ’s sells tons of too. BTW I have a feeling if you used Trader Joe’s Indian “Spiced Chickpeas” which come in a foil pouch they might work great in this dish and give you a good deal of lovely spices that would work perfectly with this dish. Try it, experiment!
Moroccan Couscous
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, sliced
3-4 stalks celery, sliced thick
3-6 big carrots, sliced thick
Chickpeas, dried or canned (use either 1/2 lb. dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked 1.5 hrs -or-
1 can Trader Joe’s Chick Peas (garbanzos) rinsed, drained
1-2 med. potatoes, diced
1-2 turnips, or daikon, peeled, cubed
2 zucchini or yellow squash, sliced thick (add during last 10 mins to not overcook)
1 lg (28oz) can tomatoes with basil
Stock (chicken or vegetable, fill empty 28oz can)
Cilantro, chopped
Parsley, chopped
Asstd Morocan spices (tumeric, cumin, coriander, ras el hanout, red pepper, pepper), or you can use Curry Powder, which has most of these. About 1tbs; Salt, Pepper
(optional) Raisins
Saute garlic and onion in olive oil, for 3-5 minutes. Add the vegetables and saute for five minutes, stiring occasionally. Add the tomatoes (break up with fingers), the liquid (stock), and the chick peas. Add the spices and salt. Simmer the “marga” for 30-40 mins on low-med heat. Taste for seasonings. When done, add a handful raisins (even some dried cranberries). Garnish with cilantro.
Couscous: prepare according to directions. Fluff. To plate, put down a bed of couscous and create a “hole” in the center. Add the stew to the center. Serve with Harissa, or hot sauce, or Sriracha
ADDITIONS: Serve with your protein of choice (roast chicken, lamb, or merguez sausage, or shrimp or fish) A Mixed Grill makes a “couscous royale”. Keeping it Vegetarian is fine too of course (You could try SOY CHORIZO and see if that is good in this)
If you want to know a lot more, here is some detailed background about authentic couscous.
Couscous also makes a good side dish or a subsitute for rice or another grain. Its great in salad, room temperature or cold, so excellent for summertime (and as you only need to boil water and turn off the pot, does not heat up a kitchen.
I keep a box of CousCous in my pantry at all times. One of the handiest things you can have.
Made this for dinner the other night. I had some very interesting looking corn I had gotten, check out the color: Purple! I’m not sure I ever saw this before (no, it wasnt from Trader Joe’s, I got it at uptown Fairway) This omnivore decided to go vegetarian that night and make dinner featuring the corn with Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo. I even went whole hog and made fresh, homemade Tortillas de harina (flour), something I’ve been working on, trying to get better and better at. I watched a lot of videos on YouTube for tips.
To go with the tacos, I made a quick Salsa in five minutes, and let it blend for a 1/2 hour. When all was ready the Tacos got topped off with the salsa, some shredded cheese (Jalapeño Monterey Jack from Zabar’s) and some Arugula (TJ’s Wild Arugula).
How did it taste? Great. The roasted corn was excellent with the TJ Soy Chorizo, which really adds a lot of mexican flavors and spices, and the potato in the filling makes it taste hearty. Topped off with some salsa and jack cheese this was a damn tasty taco, vegetarian or otherwise.
Isn’t this pretty wild looking? No photoshopping here; this is the color!
I got my little assembly line to roll out the flour tortillas; Did about 6 for two people. Below, cooking on the griddle. If the griddle or pan is hot, they do not take long. About 1-2 mins on the first side and less than 1 min on the second side. Keep them warm in a cloth covered basket while you finish cooking all of them.
Dinner is served.
RECIPE: Vegatarian Tacos made with Roasted Corn, Soy Chorizo, and potato with Homemade Flour Tortillas
Taco Filling
2 ears, fresh corn, taken off the cob
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 “tube” of Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo (ie, about 3 oz?)
1 med. potato, diced
1 med. onion, diced
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Carefully take the corn off the cob using a sharp knife. Get it all and be sure to scrape the cob with back of your knife to get the good healthy germ. Heat a skillet with 1 tbs of olive or veg. oil. Toss in the corn, minced garlic, 1/2 the diced onion.
Cook on high heat till corn browns a little bit; five to ten mins. Remove from pan and set aside
Add diced potatoes, another tsp. oil, lower heat, cover the pan and cook 10 mins, turning occasionally; Cook, stirring occasionally another 5-8 mins till evenly golden brown; Add the Soy Chorizo. Add the roasted corn in and stir gently to combine all. Taste for seasonings,turn off heat, keep warm.
Quick Salsa
(Easy but you can also just buy your favorite TJ salsa)
1 ripe tomato, diced
clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
fresh or pickled green chili, or a can or TJ’ Roasted Hatch Chilis (
Mix all above, add little salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, pinch cayenne
Flour Tortillas
This would be a little complicated to document in full. The easiest way is to learn the way I did, via YouTube. Heres one video that should show you how to ‘roll your own’ . Personally I use oil not shortening and much less than the amount in the many recipes to cut down on the fat, and find it still works pretty well. I did as you see use TJ flour (and baking soda! and Olive Oil!) Not too mention the Soy Chorizo =Trader Joe recipe!
Now of course if you don’t feel like doing all the “work” you could accomplish something close by picking up at TJ’s, tortillas (flour or corn, the Chili Lime ones would be good!) and salsa, and use the soy chorizo on its own (or with thier frozen corn?) and whip a similar dinner together in no time.
You will see this bread on many a “Trader Joe’s Top 10” and “best products” lists, and rightly so. I think its one of the best breads they sell, among the best packaged bread I’ve had, period.
TUSCAN PANE is a good, country style bread. Pretty sure this is a slow rise sourdough; its usually full of air holes. Its has a very nice chewy texture and a good crust, of course which is better heated. In fact it gets 10x better toasted or grilled. Tuscan Pane makes unbelievably good toast, and many a morning this bread toasted is what I crave at breakfast. Top the toast with butter, jam, cream cheese, cheese, veggies or just about anything and you have a little slice of toast heaven. One of my faves would be with cream cheese and tomato. Or brie with jam, warmed till the brie is a bit melty.
A large 27 oz. loaf of Tuscan Pane original “white” was until recently $2.29. It has gone up to $2.49 (All wheat products are up) The Whole Wheat version goes for $2.69. Flavorwise I think I prefer the original “white” one to the whole wheat one but the whole wheat is still good too if you prefer that. I usually always prefer to buy whole wheat breads, but this one, not really. Since first trying this, this is yet another TJ product I’ve been become totally hooked on. I must have Tuscan Pane on hand at all times now. I keep it in the freezer; it keeps well frozen at least a week or two.
This bread can be the base of many easy sandwich, snacks and other recipes (croutons? yes!) I make quick and easy Bruschettas using this all the time. Here’s a fast, simple recipe:
BRUSCHETTA
-TJ’s Tuscan Pane
-Fresh garlic, ripe tomato, olive oil
Grill or toast a few slices of bread. When golden brown, immediately rub a cut clove of garlic on the bread. Take a slice of ripe tomato and ’smush’ it into your toast. If you want to be neat, you can dice your tomato and top it (but rubbed in is authentic Italian or Basque Pa Amb Tomaquet style) Drizzle on a nice splash of olive oil, sprinkle with some fresh black pepper and sea salt. A little herbage (basil) on top can’t hurt, but if you don’t have, thats fine. If you want something heartier, add some sliced or grated parmesan or other cheese or perhaps some prosciutto. Done. YUM!
Trader Joe’s “Buttermilk Pancake and All Purpose Baking Mix” is really quite a good pancake mix. In fact, this may be be one of the best pancake mixes you can buy. Plus it costs only TWO DOLLARS!!!
What makes the Trader Joe’s mix better is it simple. It’s not highly processed. It does not say “100% complete” unlike many other mixes. Those are the ones which say “just add water”.
Where with Trader Joe’s mix – besides water – you will have to add one something : Eggs.
Yes people you heard me right, you will have to crack open and add an actual egg when you are mixing up this batter.
Take a deep breath. Have you recovered from the shock? If so please let me explain this is actually a good thing. The fact that you add have to add a real egg is the reasonthis mix is better.
Think about it. Your pancakes will not have powdered dehydrated eggs in them! Powdered egg is what the “100% complete mixes” have. Your pancakes will have fresh eggs. They will practically be home made. They will basically taste almost like they were made from scratch
Now if that adding an egg sounds like “way too much work” lets face it, you are way too lazy. Seriously, having to add a real fresh egg is why Trader Joe’s mix tastes better than other mixes where you just add water. Obviously those dry mixes have dehydrated egg powder in them.
I promise you it will be worth the tiny bit of extra effort and expense to add a real egg. You will get a batch of wonderful pancakes. Fresh eggs will give the pancakes you make using this batter almost a completely homemade taste. They will look yellow like “real pancakes” not from some dye but from the real egg yolks.
Q: Is This Mix Easy?
Here’s the recipe on the package for “Old Fashioned Pancakes”:
1 3/4 Cups Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 Cup Water
1 Egg
Put ingredients into a bowl and stir till combined
(Makes 11-12 pancakes)
I think that sounds pretty easy, right?
TIP: Do not overmix to keep them tender.
Another tip? So you want less. Maybe 4? I just make a batch following the recipe. Any extra batter, I just put in a jar and keep in the fridge where it will last 3 days or so. Freeze it if you won’t use it in a few days.
ADDDING YOUR OWN TOUCHES
If you wanted to, you could even add your own touches. Say mixing in some milk (or buttermilk for that matter). Or yogurt or kefir for some (or even all) of the water listed in the recipe.
Sometimes for example I might add add milk (in a 50/50 ratio, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk).
The milk will make a richer pancake. One reader here says he adds in real buttermilk, which could be great extra flavor I would think. Or you can add some Almond or Soy milk if you prefer.
This is of course is optional. Just following the box’s directions exactly adding just water plus an egg or two makes decent fluffy pancakes, about as good as you can get at IHOP or any diner.
OPTIONS: On occasion I might add other things to the mix. For example, adding Cornmeal: which makes you some nice “Corn pancakes”. I also add a tiny bit of oil or butter for those. These Corn Cake pancakes are quite good! You just compensate for the extra dry stuff with a little extra wet stuff (water or milk or buttermilk, etc). Keep the ratio so they are the same density.
Other substitutions for varieties sake: Adding Regular or Quick Rolled Oats will yield OATCAKES. Add some Wheat Germ will give you get a extra nutty flavor and healthiness! Bananas? Jamaican Pancakes. Raisins? Nuts? Blueberries (TJ FROZEN BLUEBERRIES) Frozen strawberries? You get the picture. You can improvise with this mix to make a variety of pancakes easily from it.
Its also a “versatile base”….it says “Pancake And All Purpose Baking Mix” and on the back of the box they give some recipes for other things you could make using it such as Waffles, Drop Biscuits, Scones, even Focaccia (by adding yeast). I haven’t tried using it yet for these, but I should. I must try making some scones someday. I love them.
The box says “No Preservatives“. We like that right? Price-wise its pretty reasonable, $1.99 for 2 lbs of mix which is not bad compared to big brands like formerly Aunt Jemima’s, which by the way also has “trans-fats”!
Bottom line: This mix makes excellent pancakes and is worth trying instead of the supermarket brands you might normally get. Get some of this to keep in your pantry. Maybe next Sunday make some yummy pancakes for the family. They will rave about them and say you’re the Number One Pancake Maker!
TOP WITH BUTTER, SYRUP, FRUIT, JAM…. or what ever you like best on your pancakes!
1932 advertisement for Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix from Quaker Oats Company. Out of the magazine Good Housekeeping. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
UPDATE 1 – Since writing the original post, I’ve learned my blood pressure was a wee bit higher than it should be, so I am now reading product labels carefully for Sodium, trying to be careful about my daily salt intake. Upon examining the NUTRITION INFO on the box I found this mix has a pretty high Sodium content! (UPDATE: this is an older outdated version; They reduced the Sodium)
NUTRITION FACTS Serving size 1/2 cup mix Calories 220 Total Fat 3 g Saturated Fat 0 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 900 mg Total Carbohydrate 42 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Protein 7 g Vitamin A 0 IU Calcium 40 mg Iron 1.44 mg
UPDATE 2 – SINCE I ORIGINALLY REVIEWED THIS, THEY REDUCED SODIUM TO 520 mg (it was 900 mg) So Sodium now about 1/2 of the previous version!
Now you could make your own “pancake mix” a la Alton Brown’s recipe (link below) and keep it, ready to use, in a cupboard, fridge, or freezer. Then just add oil or butter and buttermilk and eggs, to the dry mix (and forego seperating the eggs) Of course this will cost far less than TJ’s or any other commercial mix and you can control the salt / sodium. But TJ’s stuff is easier, let’s face it.
Noodles: I love them all. Any kind, any shape. Pasta, Spaghetti, Lasagna, Udon, Soba, LoMein and its cousin Ramen. One of my favorite kinds are fresh rice noodles (Ho Fun, Chow Fun) sold freshly made in large soft blocks. I have my favorite “Rice Noodle Lady” in Chinatown who sells from a open storefront on Grand Street and Bowery that I always buy from whenever I am in that area. She sells packages of rice noodles and other things. My favorite kind have dried shrimp and scallion mixed in. Most things she sells a $1; theres usually a line of people waiting to buy from her.
Fresh rice noodles are amazing but dried Rice Noodles are good too. They come in all shapes and sizes. These “Rice Sticks” or as Trader Joe’s says, “Thai Style Pasta” are a medium wide, flat rice noodle which is versatile, and can be used in a variety of ways for almost any Asian style dish, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese… Simply boiled, boiled then stir fried, added to soups, stews, etc. They have a nice chewy texture (don’t overcook them). The package says Made in Thailand. Ingredients: Rice Flour, water (so good for Gluten free diets).
Here is what I did with them, improvising a dish on the fly in just 10 minutes using some fish filets I had on hand and what I had in the fridge. It has some Thai and Vietnamese flavors.
RICE STICKS WITH SAUTEED THAI FISH & VEGETABLES
3 pieces of fish (I used Tilapia); Rub filets with some Thai red curry paste and salt; Marinate 20 mins.
3 sticks Celery, sliced
1 medium Onion, sliced
3 Dried Shitake Mushrooms, soaked in 1/2 cup boiling water for 30 minutes, sliced (save liquid!)
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/4” slice Ginger, chopped
(variation: use shrimp instead)
2/3 package Trader Joe’s Rice Sticks
Sauce:
Thai Fish Sauce (Nam Pla), 3 tbs
Juice of one lemon or lime
Sugar, 1 tsp
Soy Sauce, 1 tbs
Water, 2 tbs
Red Pepper flakes, to taste
Dash of Sesame Oil
Mix ingredients for sauce. Bring pot of water with a little salt to boil. Sauté fish in 1 tsp of oil in a non stick pan. Flip fish after 2 mins to other side. Remove and keep warm. Add 1 tsp oil, and sauté the onions, celery, ginger and garlic about 5 mins. Add sliced mushrooms and their soaking water.
Meanwhile, throw the Rice Stick noodles into boiling water. Cook for 6-8 minutes (taste for doneness, do not overcook).
Add the fish to the stir fried vegetables. Cook 5 mins more on low heat to blend flavors. Drain noodles, plate and top the noodles with the fish and vegetables mixture; Serve with sauce on side to drizzle on liberally. Serves 2.
Bonus Recipe (simple!)
ASIAN SAUTEED RICE STICKS (SIDEDISH)
Cook Rick Sticks according to directions (but only till al dente) Drain. Toss in a non-stick saute pan with a small amount of veg. oil. To rice sticks, add 1 tsp soy sauce, dash of oyster sauce, red pepper flakes to taste, and a drizzle of dark sesame oil; Toss this through, cook gently only 1-2 mins. Plate and top the noodles with 2 chopped scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a squeeze of little lemon juice or drizzle of rice wine vinegar. If you have cilantro (and like it) great too!
Enjoy!
UPDATE: I don’t see this in the store! Oh no!
UPDATE2: Yup confirmed by TJ’s: DISCONTINUED!!!!!!!
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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