Aha! These were not actually discontinued. Just OUT OF STOCK for more than a year
I thought Trader Joe’s discontinued their useful bag of dried whole GREEN LENTILS.
They vanished for a very long time. Maybe over a year? But yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to see bags of these back on the shelf. Trader Joe’s sold a ton of these green lentils (and also red lentils) during Covid, as people stocked up on things like dried beans.
I love lentils. They are delicious and of course super healthy. Like all legumes they are packed with protein and fiber. One of the best things about I love is that lentils cook fast. They cook far quicker than beans. Unlike most dried legumes or beans, lentils don’t need to be soaked. Second they need only about 16-20 minutes of cooking, not 2 hours, to cook.
They are great for both vegetarians and as well as non-vegetarians like yours truly. One of my favorite ways of making lentils is French Lentil Stew with Sausages. Here’s a pretty simple recipe of this style:
Here’s another recipe I found for an excellent dish: lentils with goat cheese, which can make a nice lunch or dinner. I revised the original recipe I saw from chef Jose Pizarro to make it easier and less complicated to source (ie, finding wild garlic aka ramps is not so easy)
My simpler recipe still tastes wonderful…like some dish you would get at a fancy restaurant.
Now if only TJ’s will bring the Red Lentils back!
Trader Joe’s Whole Dried Green Lentils $1.99 ( 16 oz bag)
LENTILS WITH GOAT CHEESE & HONEY (revised from Chef Jose Pizarro’s dish)
2 cups lentils water or veg stock or chicken stock 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 pkg Honey Chevre goat cheese 1-2 tbsp honey (or hot honey if you like spice!) 1 small handful scallions
Wash lentils, drain, put in pot and cover with plenty of water or stock (if just water season with some salt). Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or just until lentils are tender but still have the tiniest bite (the exact timing will depend on the kind and age of your lentils). We don’t want mushy. Drain the lentils and put in large bowl.
Mix in chopped garlic, add olive oil and vinegar, and season to taste with good sea salt and fresh pepper. Stir gently to combine. Tip the lentil mixture into a serving dish or divide between individual plates. Crumble up the goat cheese in little chunks and put all over the top, drizzle with honey, and scatter on chopped scallions.
(if you are vegan, you could leave out the cheese and still have a decent dish)
Trader Joe’s SAVORY SQUARES Vegan Cheddar Style Crackers made from nuts and seeds. (Gluten-Free)
My neighbor bought these and told me to come try them to review them.
The two of us, neither being vegan nor gluten free, were still quite impressed with these. Both of us were quite surprised at how good these new crackers Trader Joe’s just came out with are. Gluten Free or not. They taste great. Yes “cheesy” without cheese or dairy. The main ingredients are tapioca flour, almond flour, sunflower seed flour, flax seed meal, potato starch, yeast extract and other things.
Made with all these kinds of nuts and seeds and other things they have a very Savory taste and cheesy as well. Both of us who you could say are hard core cheese lovers said like the way they did taste a bit cheesy. These are one of those products that are so good you will like them if you are vegan or non-vegan, gluten free or non gluten free. Thats how good they are.
If you just gave me these and didn’t tell me anything I would just assume they were regular cheese crackers not something that was vegan or gluten free. I would just say these crackers are really good, period. Meaning anyone is going to love these. This is not one of those gluten free products that is a mere shadow of the original its trying to come out like. This is a really terrific cracker that I expect anyone would love. They are so flavorful. Full of “umami”. Really these are the bomb people.
We ate the crackers just by themselves – again, terrific – but as we are definitely not vegan – we are both total Cheese Heads, we said these crackers are great. Now lets put some good cheddar cheese on them and see how they are with cheese!
Yes as good as they are by themselves of course we cheese freaks thought they went great with cheese too. If you do cheese boards these will go well with any kind of cheese, or any other topping for that matter.
But if you are Vegan, or Gluten Free you will love these for being that AND tasting really good!
The only downside of these is they don’t give you a ton in the box and they go fast!!
My wife’s gotten addicted to these. She is buying them every time she goes to Trader Joe’s. She says they’re the best cracker she ever had.
$3.99 box (5 oz)
Trader Joe’s says this:
“The cheese cracker is a time-honored treat, a classic savory snack for kids and adults alike. However, it’s not always an option, dietarily speaking, as most tend to be made with gluten and dairy ingredients. That’s where Trader Joe’s Savory Squares come in. Made with a mix of nut and seed flours, these superbly snackable Squares achieve an unmistakably Cheddar-y cheesiness and satisfyingly crispy crunch, all without the use of any gluten or animal-based ingredients.
Excellent for everything from simple, everyday snacking to scooping up your favorite creamy dip, these Savory Squares are ideal for bringing along on road trips, toting to board game nights, or packing into school lunches. They can be enjoyed totally on their own, as a standalone snack, or mixed in with other savory treats”
Saw these today at my local Trader Joe’s. These long peppers caught my eye and looked really good, though I didn’t get to try them yet. They say these are sweet, not hot, some gourmet variety for a long pepper. Most peppers I see shaped like this have been of the hot variety but not this one.
One idea for these is they would be perfect for stuffing and I found the growers website and they have a number of recipes for stuffed peppers which look and sound pretty pretty good.
I would expect these are one offs so if you want too try them and you see them, probably buy asap while they are in stock, which I expect is Limited.
“In recent years, tinned fish has undergone what can only be described as a full-on reputational renaissance— and if you ask us, it’s about time! We’re doing our part to promote this resurgence in piscine appreciation with the introduction of Trader Joe’s Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil. They’re wild-caught for us off the coast of Tunisia, then their fillets are split down the middle and lightly grilled before being stacked and packed in olive oil. Out of the tin, each gloriously grill-marked Sardine is firm and meaty in texture, with a savory and delicately smoky flavor, ideal for enjoying as a protein for a quick meal, as part of an hors d’oeuvre spread, or as a hearty, anytime snack.”
If you are sardine fan, you should try these new Trader Joe’s sardines.
They’re good.
Considering how canned sardines and tinned fish in general have caught on especially on TikTok the last year or two — enough to create fears of shortages — happily for us aficionados of canned fish (raises hand), Trader Joe’s recently came out with yet another variety of sardines, to stock along with their other sardines such as the really good one called “lightly smoked sardines”, a favorite of mine. That one is just one of their many sardine offerings I really like and have given a big thumbs up. I think with this new “grilled sardines” can, TJ’s may be selling four different cans of sardines ?
I really liked this new one. In this newest version, wild caught Tunisian sardines have been filleted, de-boned and then grilled. You can see a few grill marks in my photo, above. The sardines are packed in olive oil and have a slight smoky flavor. They are yummy. I find them very tasty and think these are good quality, especially for the price of two dollars a can. Compare that with some famous Spanish brands like ORTIZ (AMAZON) which are more like $6/can
I think if you’ve wanted to try sardines but haven’t yet, perhaps these new grilled sardines might be a good place to start if you’ve wanted to explore what this #tinnedfish and #cannedsardines craze/fuss is all about but maybe are one of those who are a little turned off by the way some canned sardines look?
When you open this can up instead of seeing little fishies, all you will see are non-threatening fillets of sardines with attractive grill marks. So perhaps this is a good sardine “starter” if you have been the least bit squeamish about eating sardines (don’t be! they are so good, plus so good for you) Me, I’ve been loving all kinds of canned sardines for years and years, long before they became cool.
These fillets are boneless but not skinless (TJ’s has some that are both). Though sardines with bones actually have more calcium so are really good for all of us – women especially of course. There’s a tiny bit less less fish in this can then some other ones for example TJ’s “lightly smoked” can of sardines (here 77 grams vs 85 grams in those) but its not a big difference.
Ingredients: sardines, olive oil, salt, natural flavor. PRODUCT OF TUNISIA
A can contains 15 grams of protein (the lightly smoked sardines have even more, 21 grams of protein)
TIP: the other day i experimented and instead of anchovies, I put a tablespoon of these into a tomato based pasta sauce for my classic pan fried potato GNOCHHI. It really worked almost as if I used anchovies, and gave the dish that same kind of UMAMI flavor.
These make a great snack, appetizer, or lunch
Trader Joe’s Recipe for easy dish of these grilled sardines on a bed of the Grecian eggplant -sounds good.
COCONUT CHICKPEA CURRY – “a creamy recipe with tumeric and aromatic spices” (PRODUCT OF INDIA)
I saw this in the NEW ITEMS shelf yesterday and tossed a pouch in my cart as I’ve found some of “Trader Joe’s Indian Fare” dishes pouches decent. Not to mention super convenient. For example the yellow tadka dal (which I’ve since learned to make on my own watching some YouTube videos).
This new one is COCONUT CHICKPEA CURRY with coconut milk as the first ingredient, followed by chickpeas.
Here is what TJ’s has to say about the product on their website:
“Made with a relatively simple recipe that includes coconut milk, chickpeas, chopped veggies, and spices like turmeric, cinnamon oil, and dried curry leaves, this heat-and-eat Curry achieves a remarkably complex, yet beautifully balanced mix of flavor, texture, and aroma—and all after a single minute in the microwave, or a few minutes submerged in boiling water.”
The Indian Fare pouches are easy to make and convenient to keep in your pantry. These are a bit faster even than frozen Indian meals perhaps by a few minutes – so not a huge difference. Be sure to try some of TJ’s frozen Indian items, many of which are VERY GOOD. See… Palak Paneer, Channa Masala, etc
MY REVIEW: You can microwave this or cook it on the stove. I did the latter. The Coconut Chick Pea curry was pretty good. Its mild from a simple, coconut milk sauce. This will be good with say Naan and Basmati rice. The dish is simple not complex, but fairly tasty with chick peas, some carrots, some onions in a coconut milk curry. However compared to say that other chickpea dish, I didn’t find this one as tasty as TJ’s excellent Channa Masala sold in the Frozen section. That dish is tastier, more complex. It tastes almost like it came from a restaurant. It is just tiny bit more expensive (50 cents) than this, but worth it. The Channa Masala is a 9. This is a 5.
However if you prefer your tastes for Indian dishes run toward mild and simple than perhaps this Coconut Chickpea curry may be to your liking. If you can, try both and decide which you prefer. My choice of the two is the frozen Channa Masala, which I adore.
$2.49 (10 oz pouch)
I believe this is VEGAN as it doesn’t list butter or ghee ?
Another of the Indian Fare Trader Joe’s stuff in a pouch, Madras Lentils
This is one of those rare Gluten Free products where the GF version is just as good, if not better, than the original one made with whole wheat.
I really like Trader Joe’s regular “Seeds and Whole Grain CRISPBREAD” which I reviewed before. Though I am not Gluten Free, I saw these and wanted to try the GF version of the terrific Norwegian crispbreads Trader Joe’s has. The ingredients are similar, mostly seeds, however the regular version has wheat in it.
They are all very hearty and very crunchy and are great as a cracker or as the base for an open faced Scandinavian style sandwich. Super with a spread or some cheese or even just butter. Or by itself it you like.
The GF version is also terrific. I can eat gluten so I don’t have to get the Gluten Free version but this is so good I would still buy it. Its excellent, really tasty. A little similar in taste and texture to the original one, but this GF version of course does not contain the whole wheat the regular version has, so no gluten here.
This version is made from sunflower seeds, oats, sesame seeds, flax seeds, rice bran and a few other ingredients. Healthy. Made in Norway. I love these style of breads and this gluten free one is also really good. The Gluten Free crispbread cost a bit more than the other ones. These go for $4.29, as compared to the regular Seeds and Grains Crispbread ($2.99).
This is a single estate EVOO from of all places…Australia! I think I did a little double take when I saw the sign above saying “Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil”. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard an Aussie olive oil before, so I had to give it a try. And you know what? It’s good. Very good. Definately “fruity and smooth”.
Trader Joe’s has this to say about it….
“Made with Early Harvest olives grown on a single estate, which are then cold pressed to preserve even more flavor, this extra special EVOO can be used in all the same kitchen contexts you’d employ for an everyday olive oil, like sautéeing or roasting. To take full advantage of its smooth and fruity profile, and nutty, delicately tannic finish, however, we find it truly excels when enjoyed as a base for a salad dressing, or when dunked with hunks of crusty bread.”
I love mochi generally – specially I mean the soft confections one can find in an Asian bakery or grocery store. Those a pillowy, soft very chewy sweet confections made from sweet sticky rice and that have something on the inside, for example sweet red bean paste. Trader Joe’s sells something frozen which are mochi with ice cream on the inside, frozen. They are really good.
But this new item is a small bite size treat which is a little like that but different. These have a thin layer of something like mochi and an interior of “boba” like tapioca in the center. They are each wrapped individually.
“You can think of this candy version as a deconstructed bubble beverage, where the center of each piece is precisely that pearl (aka tapioca ball) that usually lives at the bottom of your Boba cup. Each individual, caramelized- brown-sugar flavored pearl is surrounded by a creamy coating, then given a classic Japanese rice-wrapper treatment.”
If these sound good, give them a try and see what you think.
I found them OK but didn’t love it. My wife at first thought the were just OK however she kept eating them. Lo and behold she decided she liked them after all (she finished the bag).
When I saw this new Small Lot coffee I first did what I always do, try to smell it. One can usually get an idea of it’s smell by giving the bag a gentle squeeze near the round airvalve. I gave this one a whiff and thought it smelled good. Promising.
When I tasted the brewed coffee though, while I liked it a bit, there was something about it I just didn’t like. Frankly one reason being I am currently entranced (love) by another TJ’s coffee at present and have been since I first tasted it. Their excellent Organic BOLIVIAN BLEND. That may be one of the best coffees I think I ever have gotten there.
This new Small Lot coffee is from Ethopia, so African. African coffee are are unique and different than Latin coffees.
They are frequently referred to as being “wine-y” and having a bit more pronounced profile with a bright acidity it them. I have tasted and really liked many African coffees. Let’s face it when it comes to coffee – Ethiopia is The Source. The Beginning. Historically thought of as the locus, the Origin of Coffee, period. Coffee and coffee culture to is said to have begun there many centuries ago. Ethiopia and Coffee are linked in a way perhaps like no other place in the world.
If you like African coffee you might like this; It does has a typical “winey” profile which many African coffees exhibit and some people really like. I do sometimes but I didn’t love this coffee. I will give it a few more chances to win me over. But again one reason is at the moment my taste buds are really tuned in to “my new coffee” that Bolivian Blend coffee.
If you’ve never had an African coffee, you might want to taste this and see what you think for yourself. However I would first recommend another African coffee there. Trader Joe’s other Ethopian coffee, the Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian Blend Coffee…. which has gotten many good reviews from a number of sites and one that I do like a lot.
Or try the “best of both worlds” – a coffee which is a blend of African & Latin coffee (Afro-Latin Blend BUUNNI Azmari coffee) That one is another excellent coffee at Trader Joe’s and one that is on my top coffee list there.
“Combing the rich flavors of dark chocolate with the resounding crunch of resounding crunch of roasted almonds and pretzel pieces, then finishing with a sprinkle of sea salt. This is a satisfying snackable bark, one that is well worth every bite”
(thats old price)
“The Bark you’ll find within each bag starts as a thin(ish) slab of rich Dark Chocolate, studded with crunchy roasted Almond & Pretzel pieces. Our supplier then sprinkles said slab with Sea Salt, breaks it into snackable pieces, and packages it up for your enjoyment. The end result? A sweet, chocolatey treat that’s well worth every bite.”
OK, enough of Trader Joe’s advertising and what they think. What did I think? Well here’s my review: If you were intrigued by how good that sounded, all I can say, is this is as good as it sounds.
I really liked this. The chocolate bark is a little bit thick and slightly crunchy, a mix of sweet and a tiny bit savory (sea salt). I think they use a decent chocolate, mixed with pieces of roasted almonds and bits of pretzels mixed into the bark that all in all, makes for a very satisfying snack or treat. Very yummy.
I would buy it again.
$3.99 a bag (10 oz).
PS – they recently came out with a variation of this chocolate bark, with quinoa and raspberries. Will try that too!
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