A Trader Joe’s fan blog with some NYC attitude. Mostly raves with a few rants.
14 Jun 2022 Leave a comment
in cheese, dairy, fresh, hot sauce, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: cheese, Food, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
Trader Joe’s CHEDDAR CHEESE WITH SCOTCH BONNET PEPPERS AND SWEET RED PEPPERS
The name may lead you to think this cheese is going to be really spicy. It’s not, it’s mildly spicy with sweet red peppers mixed with some scotch bonnet peppers which balance out to “Sweet With Heat” as the label says. I found this cheese to be really tasty. I would buy it again. $8.99/lb
11 Jun 2022 Leave a comment
in baked, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, snacks, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: chocolate, dark, pretzel, product, Products, Rave, review, snack, sweet, sweets, Trader Joes
“Mini Pretzels” with a thick coating of good dark chocolate. Sweet and a little salty. A match made in heaven folks. Love Them! A 12 oz bag is about $3.29. I would buy them again. There is also a milk chocolate version too (no thanks i’ll stick with the dark)
11 Jun 2022 Leave a comment
in All Natural, baked, fish, frozen, General, New, News, pescatarian, Prices, Products, Rave, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: frozen, healthy, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
note: no longer available
(Frozen) Trader Joe’s came up with an interesting creation: CEDAR WRAPPED BBQ SOCKEYE SALMON. The frozen package contains a boneless filet of (wild) Sockeye Salmon, seasoned and wrapped up in a very thin piece of cedar wood which is pretty cool. This is inspired by the traditional Pacific Northwest Native American way of cooking salmon, nailing a side to a cedar plank and cooking them vertically around a fire. Something like this…
Trader Joe’s version is a pretty good deal for $4.99 and worth trying. I made a piece for dinner and found the cooked salmon to be really tasty.
Cooking: Though the package has instructions for 2 ways, in the oven or on an outdoor grill, I didn’t want to heat up my oven and the kitchen on a pretty hot day. So I decided to just grill it on in my cast iron pan on the stove. I didn’t cook this fish from frozen like it says to do either. I defrosted the fish prior to cooking it (just placed the sealed package under running water for 10 minutes which worked ok). Inside the plastic package the salmon is wrapped in a thin piece of cedar and tied. I grilled it with the cedar side / bottom down for about 4-5 minutes (again it was not frozen, if it was they say takes 25 minutes in the oven). When the bottom was done I flipped it and grilled the top side for about 2-3 minutes. You could put in foil as they suggest, which is the French “en papilotte” method of making a moist environment. Sockeye salmon is different than what you may be used to when you think of salmon, meaning the usual Atlantic salmon, typically farmed. Wild Sockeye salmon has a more dense and meaty texture and has very dark red flesh as it is a wild fish. This sockeye salmon cooked up well and tasted nice with TJ’s not too overpowering bbq seasoning. Plus the cedar flavor was subtle and tasty and the fish had a nice moist texture. One piece makes a decent portion for one. The skin on the bottom stuck to the cedar plank and kept it moist. I just served it with just a sprinkle of lemon. It might be quite nice with a little sauce on the side too (some lemon and Greek yogurt with a touch of Zhoug?). The Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend was a good match for this as a side dish. That is a staple for me.
THE NUTRITION LABELS STATES YOU GET A WHOPPING 32 GRAMS OF PROTEIN !
Worth trying. I would buy this again.
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/cedar-wrapped-bbq-sockeye-salmon-fillet-064671
TRADER JOE’S SAYS : “Our Cedar Wrapped Sockeye Salmon is rubbed with seasonings including smoked sea salt and chipotle powder to yield a balanced, smoky, mildly spicy, distinctly cedar-y Fillet. And, in addition to imparting flavor, that cedar wrap also ensures a super moist result—no matter whether you bake it or grill it!”
PS – you know those pictures of bears catching salmon jumping upstream? They are probably these Sockeye Salmon.
10 Jun 2022 4 Comments
in condiments, General, jar, New, News, Prices, Products, recipe, Recipes, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: dill, pickle, pickles, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
NEW ITEM
Trader Joe’s “Seasoning in a Pickle” Dill Pickle Seasoning Blend.
Another of those products Trader Joe’s comes up with that until you tried it, you had no idea you needed, and then having tasted it you realize you now need this to be in your life, always. How do they do that?!
So yet another good addition to Trader Joe’s ever growing seasoning blends. I really like this DILL SEASONING BLEND. Basically if you like dill or pickles so will you. It’s loaded with dill and yes, tastes like a dill pickle with bit of pucker, the tang coming from vinegar (powder). So what can you do with this seasoning? For one thing, it’s great with potatoes. I sprinkled quite a bit on some mashed potatoes and it made them taste really special. It will be great with potato salad. Boiled or roasted potatoes. I even tried it on cottage cheese and I liked that too. Eggs? For sure. Salmon? Perfect. Especially good on the new Roasted Salmon Fillet. Dips: mix it with Greek Yogurt or sour cream. Coleslaw for sure! Basically I will be experimenting with this and try it on everything I think it might work with.
Give it a try. $2.49 a jar. I would buy it again.
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/seasoning-in-a-pickle-seasoning-blend-072778
“Made from a mix of alluringly aromatic spices, including garlic and dried dill, plus bright & zippy powdered vinegar, this stupendous Seasoning lends its tangy, salty, and delightfully dilly pickle profile anywhere it’s used. Sprinkle it generously onto roasted veggies or baked potatoes straight out of the oven, shake it over freshly scrambled eggs or Ground Beef Patties just before cooking, or make a dill-licious dip by mixing a few heaping tablespoons into a tub of sour cream or Greek yogurt.”
For those of you into the BUTTERMILK BRINED CHICKEN I have a feeling this will turn it into a way tastier bird.
04 Jun 2022 1 Comment
in All Natural, DIY, New, News, Prices, Products, recipe, Recipes, spices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: budget, dinner, DIY, do it yourself, healthy, homemade, idea, ideas, inflation, Isreali, lunch, mediteranean, middle east, prices, Products, save, SHAWARMA, Trader Joes, Yemini
The other day, I wanted SHAWARMA CHICKEN but I was a bit resentful at the current price of a package of TJ’s Shawarma Chicken. It now costs about $11-12 ($6.50/lb. currently) way up from what it orginally cost. I knew I had some boneless chicken thighs in my freezer, and I have spices of course and Greek yogurt. Why not just do a DIY SHAWARMA style chicken on my own and save some dough!? So I did just that. How did it turn out? Delicious! You can easily do a DIY Shawarma Chicken if you want to save some money, and who doesn’t these days with the constant inflation and sticker shock when you go shopping?
I used Trader Joe’s boneless skinless chicken thighs that I had in my freezer (I defrosted the chicken overnight in the fridge) Or buy fresh boneless skinless thighs; they will easily be about $2 cheaper per pound (if not more) Vs. TJ’s Shawarma Chicken which has crept up in price a few times from the original $3.99/lb to $6.49/lb as of this post.
DIY Shawarma Chicken Recipe: Put chicken in a bowl and add 3 tablespoons of Greek Yogurt. Add a few teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Crush 4 cloves of garlic with a little salt and mix into chicken. Add a few spoons (to taste) of ZHOUG Yemeni spicy green sauce. Mix. Even this very simple version will work fine, however to make this better we should add ground spices with “Middle Eastern” flavors. Here’s some ideas for Trader Joe’s spices you can add :
Trader Joe’s EVERYDAY SEASONING (grinder), Onion Salt, Ground Turmeric, Ground Cumin, TJ’s AJIKA blend, TJ Smoked Spanish Paprika, TJ Zaatar spice blend, Black pepper, PINK SEA SALT. A pinch of cinnamon. A small glug of olive oil. MIX everything well so all the spices are mixed in. Let it marinate in fridge for 2-6 hours or overnight or up to 2-3 days. When ready to cook, just make it as you normally grill TJ’s Shawarma chicken thighs. You can of course also make this instead with CHICKEN BREASTS if you prefer white meat but just be very careful about not overcooking them. I like to cook a sliced onion in the same pan as I grill the chicken.
03 Jun 2022 4 Comments
in All Natural, fresh, General, Pantry, Prices, Products, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, healthy, Middle Eastern, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
Of all the different kinds of hummus Trader Joe’s sells, I wanted to try this one for awhile. When I finally tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. In fact the ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS just became my new favorite of all the hummus I tried. Though this can change weekly!
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/roasted-garlic-hummus-029911
This one just has that little extra something from the roasted garlic which makes this one standout. It’s delicious and has just the right amount of the mellow roasted garlic flavor that blends perfectly with but does not overpower the overall flavor of the hummus. It was $1.99 for years but has gone up to $2.29 (8 oz) Yes, all of TJ’s hummus has gone up, sigh! Try this with TJ’s PITA CHIPS which are go great with hummus or eat the hummus with your favorite chip, crackers, or warm naan or pita bread.
FRESH STEAMED CHICKPEAS, WATER, SESAME TAHINI, SUNFLOWER OIL, GARLIC OIL, ROASTED GARLIC, SEA SALT, CITRIC ACID, CUMIN, GUAR GUM
NEED SOME SERVING IDEAS….?
01 Jun 2022 Leave a comment
in All Natural, cheese, dairy, General, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: board, cheese, cheese freak, delicious, Food, product, raw milk cheese, recommended, review, Trader Joes
TERRIFIC NEW TRADER JOE’S ITEM!
BLUEBERRY FIELDS is a really good, new cheese on offer from Trader Joe’s. I was pretty impressed when I first tasted this. First off while BLUEBERRY FIELDS may have a cute name I call this is a “serious” cheese. Not a “cheese with fruit” like the goat cheese logs coated with blueberries or cranberries (and don’t get me wrong I do like those fruit coated goat cheeses on occasion). BLUEBERRY FIELDS cheese is nothing like those cheeses . Here there is only the barest hint of a blueberry taste.
BLUEBERRY FIELDS is a very tasty cow’s milk semi-hard cheese made with “raw milk” (you don’t see to many raw milk cheeses here in the US). It has only a barest subtle hints of “blueberry” from the edible rind which has been washed with some kind of blueberry essence. I’d say a millimeter of the rind has been imbued with the blue coating which is not sweet and matches perfectly with the flavor profile of the cheese. The rind is very much part of the cheese (just in case you are one of those people who always cuts off rinds from cheese, like my wife). You want to eat this rind. Tasting notes: Tastes like a high end Euro farm cheese. It’s excellent with a subtle nuttiness with a complex “Euro” taste to it. I believe it’s produced right here in the good old USA. My wife told me, “I don’t even taste blueberry”. Yes, its very subtle but its there. I think this would be scarfed up on a cheese board served to guests. This is delicious on a cracker, bread, and especially with apples, grapes or other fruits. This is well worth trying especially if you are a cheese freak like yours truly. An 8 oz piece sells for $4.99. I would buy it again.
26 May 2022 26 Comments
in All Natural, can, fish, General, New, News, Pantry, pescatarian, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, seafood, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: #tinnedfish, canned, diet, fish, Food, gluten free, healthy, high protein, lunch, no preservatives, pecatarian, prepared, prepper, Products, Rave, review, salmon, seafood, smoked, tin, tinned, Trader Joes
“Trader Joe’s farm raised Lightly Smoked Salmon, Skinless & Boneless Applewood Smoked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil”
(Note: This product is popular, and seems to have a tendency to get Sold Out; If you can’t find it, ask the front desk if they have any idea when it is expected. It always seems to come back eventually when they get new supplies, however be aware sometime it’s not available for quite some time, a month or even more.
Personally I would call this a Trader Joe’s top 10 item. When I can find it! As mentioned, this OFTEN GETS SOLD OUT – it is very popular among fans of #tinnedfish. The kind of fans I have seen buy 8-10 cans at one time (come on – be fair! and leave some for the rest of us.)
Trader Joe’s Farm Raised Lightly Smoked Salmon in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a skinless, boneless, applewood-smoked canned fish product from Chile priced at roughly $3.69 per 5-ounce tin. Reviewers note it offers a soft, buttery texture. It has lots of protein in one can: 21 grams of protein per serving.
“Lightly Smoked Salmon” comes in a square pink. Sold with about three other kinds of canned salmon (round cans) that Trader Joe’s carries like “Wild Alaskan” salmon. There is nothing wrong with the other cans of salmon they have. They are fine, pretty much similar to any canned salmon you’ve had. This canned salmon however is better: think “gourmet canned salmon“.
I adore this. Apparently along with many other Trader Joe’s fans of it (read some of the Comments below) and for good reason. It’s good salmon that happens to come in a can – maybe the best can of salmon you ever had. Once they try it, most people seem to fall in love with this.
Now the very first time I saw this can I was both intrigued and maybe even confused by the name of this: “Lightly Smoked”? Just know this has nothing to do with what you or I think of when we see “smoked salmon”. A more accurate name would have been something like “Chilean Olive Oil Poached Salmon” as that is exactly what this is.
“The Best” can of salmon you probably ever had. Gourmet level.
This tinned salmon makes me think about those imported tins of canned fish made by high quality Portuguese and Spanish producers. Like Ortiz’s canned 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 of skinless, boneless salmon. Looks gourmet. It was cooked (poached) 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. All skin and bones have been removed (most normal canned salmon has both). It is swimming in a golden orange liquid. This is decent Chilean extra virgin olive oil, mixed with the salmon’s own liquid juices. This juice is very delicious. DO NOT DUMP IT !
The salmon is moist and buttery and flaky, with both a wonderful flavor and wonderful soft texture. Yes, this is farmed Atlantic salmon (not wild) but its top Quality.
“Applewood smoke” is listed among the Ingredients but honestly I don’t really taste 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 eating it. I kept saying to myself “just one more bite”. Then I noticed the can was nearly 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 – do not dump it out. You would be making a mistake as this juice/sauce is delicious. A golden elixir that matches the salmon perfectly. It’s EVOO mixed with cooking juices, colored orange from the salmon, and its yummy, just oozing with UMAMI. Sprinkle some fresh lemon juice with it and it will be even better. I suggest when you serve it, spoon the golden oil over the fish with a squeeze of lemon. Perfection. You could equally spoon some of this golden oil on say this salmon atop 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.
I ate this lovely avocado stuffed with salmon for dinner. It took me minutes to make and was so yummy.
RECIPE – Japanese Salmon Rice Bowl: I make this all the time. Put some fresh cooked rice in a bowl (if you have it, short grain rice is best but anything is fine) Now top with this drained salmon, flaked up. Drizzle on some of the precious salmon juice Golden Oil over. Lemon? Rice vinegar? 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?
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, just like wine. Search for 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
https://amzn.to/4fVHDdh King Oscar salmon 10 pack, about $5 each (Amazon)
You might see people grabbing 6 or more cans of this salmon at a time – I have. Which is why you or I may not find even one can left. Please be fair. Leave some for others.
18 May 2022 4 Comments
in All Natural, condiments, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, hot dog, Mustard, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, summer, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
Trader Joe’s DILL PICKLE MUSTARD
To me, this was one of those Trader Joe’s products which once you try, you say to yourself, “This is something I didn’t even know I needed but now that I know how good this is, I want this in the fridge from now on”.
When I saw this in the NEW PRODUCTS section. Like so many Trader Joe items, you are curious if it’s any good. Well guess what, TJ’s DILL PICKLE MUSTARD is really good. It tastes exactly what the name says it is, mustard with dill pickles. It’s a good classic American yellow mustard with dill pickles in it and a lot of dill flavor. Hitting two good tastes combinations at the same time. If you like dill pickles you will probably love this as much as I did.
I put it on a hot dog and it was so good with this mustard. What if I put this on a cheese sandwich? What about on a melted cheese sandwich? I can even see mixing a little bit of this into mashed potatoes too…?
$1.99 (9 oz bottle) I would buy this again.
17 May 2022 4 Comments
in baked, bread, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, New Products, product, Products, Rave, review, rye bread, Trader Joes, vegetarian
I just checked out a new product at Trader Joe’s, their sliced Marble Rye bread.
Now as a native New Yawk’r – and a member of the tribe – I grew up eating rye bread so I know what a really good rye bread should taste like. So I can’t lie and tell you this TJ’s rye bread ranks with the best NYC Jewish bakery rye bread, however this Trader Joe Marble Rye is a very decent rye bread. Opening the bag, you do get that slightly sour & wonderful Eastern European smell of that rye bread has. This is not at all like crummy tasteless supermarket commercial rye bread (think “Levy’s” – ugh!). This is a decent if not stellar rye way better than that supermarket crap with zero taste and texture. Here is the most important thing to know about TJ’s Marble Rye Bread – it is especially good when it is TOASTED and that’s the way you should eat it. Toasting this bread really improves this bread and makes it show it’s potential. Toasted up and spread with some good butter, this rye bread is delicious. I always eat it toasted, and strongly suggest you do as well, even if just a little bit. Toasting it improves it 100%. I hope that point is clear. It will make a lovely sandwich or even a great grilled cheese! This marble rye bread is $3.49 for a 20 oz loaf. A bakery rye bread here in NYC is really expensive now, likely $6-7 a loaf – so this is a decent deal for a more than decent rye bread that you don’t have to go to a bakery to get. I would buy this again. If you like rye, check out TJ’s version. It’s adds a nice Euro variety to TJ’s breads on offer.
Recent Comments