Trader Joe’s Amba Mango sauce is a unique and very tasty condiment.
I had vaguely heard of “Amba” as an Israeli condiment for “Sabich” (eggplant sandwich). Amba Sauce is one of those new tasty food products that TJ sells that you may not know what it is at first, nor what you would use it for, but give this wonderfully unique tasting stuff a try. Savory, pungent, tangy, the sauce is made from fermented ripe as well as green mangos simmered with garlic, salt, turmeric and a few other spices, blended into a smooth sauce. Amba is so unique, intruiging and tasty that once once you try it, you will end up dreaming of things you might try it with, “I wonder if this would be good on..(fill in blank).” Thats what I did. I kept putting it on things to see if they would be good with it. Many were!
So what is “Amba Sauce” anyway? From the package: “Amba is a fermented mango sauce traditionally found in Israel India and the Middle East. Use it as a savory sauce on meat and seafood, vegetables and falafel, or even as a unique salad dressing”.
“Amba” means mango in an Indian language, Marathi. Its made of yellow ripe mangos as well as unripe green mangos, pureed till smooth and cooked with many spices and chilis and is fermented. The fermentation I’m sure ratchets up the taste level. It is both sweet, sour, and spicy. The heat comes and hits you later. Much later. This stuff is a very complex flavor bomb of fruity and spicy and many spices. Get the idea? Its great for many things. Just a few ideas: Try it over cooked chicken. Falafel, of course! Salmon. Meats. Salads and bowls. On the side with Indian pakoras, or breads, or basmati rice? Absolutely of course! Mixed with Greek Yogurt*? Yes! I came up with the idea of mixing these two things and it was amazing together as the yogurt calmed down the spice level and melded things.
AMBA SAUCE is carried in the refrigerated section and comes in a convenient squeeze pouch with a plastic top. A 14-ounce re-closable, pourable yellow bag of Trader Joe’s Amba Mango Sauce is $3.29. A bag lasted me quite some time as a little goes a long way, and it can last for a month or two in the fridge. This is a fantastic TJ product well worth the price. Amba is hard to find in the U.S.
Here’s a super easy tasty sauce mix with Amba I came up with; it makes a smooth, creamy yummy sauce, toning down the spice level but still getting some and you can adjust the ratio of amba to yogurt.
*GREEK YOGURT & AMBA SAUCE
Mix about 1/2 cup of plain Greek Yogurt with about a 1/3-1/2 cup of Amba Sauce. Add chopped garlic mashed with a little salt. Fresh ground pepper. Stir to combine and let it sit in the fridge for a bit. For a GREEN SAUCE version of this which I made, just add chopped parsley or arugula or baby kale, chopped very finely. Let flavors meld in fridge for at least a 1/2 hr or more. Serve on fish, chicken, meats, grilled tofu, or over basmati or jasmine rice, or practically anything! Adjust the ratio of amba and yogurt to your exact liking.
I can tell by the stats that a good number of visitors to the site are interested in posts about Tofu.
Therefore I’ve been wanting to write up a post reviewing this tofu that I always buy at Trader Joe’s most anytime I go there, along with a simple basic recipe on how to prepare an easy tofu dish. Interest in tofu is well deserved of course, as tofu is an excellent, high-quality protein that is plant-based and is inexpensive. So what’s not to like?
Even if you, like yours truly, are not vegetarian, tofu is a good thing that you should be eating for so many reasons. Tofu is healthy, good for you, good for the planet, and is versatile and easy to use in many ways. If tofu is not already on your typical “mains” or “proteins” list when you go shopping I would suggest tofu be added to your list. How about Meatless Mondays? Thats a good start! In our house we usually make a Japanese “tofu steak” type recipe once a week or so.
“Trader Joe San’s ORGANIC TOFU” in the pink & white package is a good tofu. Not too soft nor too firm, it takes well to being cooked up as described here. Not for most of us Americans tofu pretty much seems to have “no taste” on its own. However what tofu does quite well is absorb flavors. What flavors should you think about? Obvious ones are all Asian flavorings: Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, cilantro…. You can not go wrong with these flavors cooking tofu. What about texture? I like cooking my tofu till its “golden brown” and develops an outside surface texture with a slight bite to the tooth, which it can get if cooked in certain ways. So one of the ideal ways for me to make it is to grill it until golden brown to improve the texture and then serve it with some kind of sauce.
Here’s a very basic and easy recipe to make grilled or sautéed tofu.
1. Take the tofu out of the package, pour off all the water, and set it over a colander or strainer to drain as much water as possible. Let it sit for about an hour. I sometimes put a few plates for a little weight and pressure.
2. Cut the tofu carefully. First into slices about 1/2 inch thick, then if you want smaller pieces, cut those into half. Heat up a non-stick or cast iron pan till it is good and hot with a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil and add the tofu slices (a little sesame oil added now is great for extra flavor). Let it cook for about 10 minutes at medium heat until the tofu looks golden brown when you check it. Flip the slices over and cook the other side till also golden brown. In the picture below I’ve sprinkled on some fresh ground black pepper too.
3. When the tofu slices are browned, now is when you either go one or two ways with sauce or flavoring. One way is to add the sauce (ingredients) to the pan and cook in the sauce till they are absorbed mostly. The other way is to remove the golden brown slices of tofu to a serving plate, then make your sauce and pour it over the tofu and around it. Both ways are good and I would suggest trying both methods and see which you prefer (the pouring over keeps the crispy texture of course a bit more). I like both ways and make it both ways depending on my mood.
How to Make a Basic Sauce: Sauté freshly grated ginger and chopped garlic for a few seconds till fragrant in some veg or sesame oil, then add your liquids: 2-3 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce (Trader Joe’s sells this). Maybe some veg or chicken stock too. A teaspoon of Sesame Oil (TJ). Optional: Mushrooms, Oyster Sauce, Sriracha, Fish Sauce, chopped scallions, pinch of sugar or honey, and Cilantro if you like it. If its very liquid you can add a little cornstarch/water slurry to thicken up the sauce.
Lazy options: If you prefer to just buy a sauce for your tofu steak: Try TJ’s SOYAKI or TJ Ginger Soy salad dressing. Sriracha and Soy. Anything flavorful that might go well with it.
A package of this tofu feeds 2 or 3 with other things (rice, sides) and costs around $2. Cheap!
Marinating also is a good technique for flavor. Here’s a good sounding recipe for Baked Tofu.
Just in time for Memorial Day….I got some Trader Joe’s MINI HAMBURGER BUNS.
I love these. If you haven’t seen these before, they are just thing to make mini-hambugers or “sliders”.
Theses buns are very soft, eggy, yummy small buns, coated with sesame seeds on the top. They are the perfect size for making mini-burgers, which I prefer actually. Say 2-3 oz of meat in a mini burger / slider? You can eat one, maybe 2 of them.
These toast up very nicely. If you don’t want them toasted I would at least warm them a bit before serving, maybe 5 minutes in the oven/toaster oven.
They’re not only good for burgers but also for making any kind of small sandwiches of course! Ham and cheese, melted cheese, turkey, peanut butter and jelly… just about anything. Use your imagination. Or you could just serve them as dinner rolls. Anyhow, they’re good. A package of TJ’s Mini Hamburger Buns (8 buns) goes for $1.69. You can’t beat that.
(post archived for posterity) These are soft and quite chewy Middle Eastern style flatbreads. Kind of like a thick flour tortilla. They are great for sandwiches, kebabs, gyros, rolls…
I find these flatbreads are useful for so many things. Naturally they are perfect to serve with Hummus or any kind of dip.
They are convenient to keep on hand in the freezer as they freeze well and can be defrosted pretty quickly just by taking the package out for 1/2 hr. They are best warm so you should heat these before serving them, of course. I throw them right on the gas burner of my stove turning them with tongs quickly and until they get a few more brown spots (but be careful they can get burnt quickly). Or pop them in a toaster oven or oven for a few minutes, or in the microwave.
You can use these as the base crust to make a super easy instant fresh mini pizza, done in a few minutes. Or lots of other flatbread with topping variations. Here’s a easy mini-pizza I wanted to try using these as the base (pic shot before I baked it).
SUPER EASY FLATBREAD PIZZA “no recipe, recipe”
Spread a flatbread with some of your favorite tomato sauce, grated or sliced mozzarella, and anything else you fancy. A drizzle of EVOO can’t hurt. Bake them on a cookie sheet in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Fast, easy and delicious. I can eat 2 no problem.
Other pizza / flatbreads? Spread with a little ZHOUHG and a splash of good olive oil for an herby spicy treat. Olive oil and TJ’s DUKKAH and greek yogurt would be great too. Or Zaa’tar. Everything bagel spice. TJ’s artichoke spread. Sausage. Prosciutto, goat cheese, arugula… you name it, the list is endless, you can dream up all kinds of things to try to make a nice baked flatbread using these. When cooked, just cut them into half or quarters and serve. Guests will flip.
TJ Flatbreads sell for $2.29 and come 6 in a package, sold in the bread section at TJs near tortilla. I usually have a pack in my freezer at all times. Super handy to have on hand.
I’ve previously reviewed the same brand, Bench and Field natural cat treats which are great. This is their dry cat food called “BENCH & FIELD HOLISTIC NATURAL FELINE FORMULA”.
Bench and Field make excellent pet food products. Their tag line is “Health Food for Pets”. Pretty good line, you gotta like that.
The B&F HOLISTIC NATURAL dry cat food is the more expensive of the two brands* of dry cat food Trader Joe’s carries, the other being the dry food sold under TJ’s own brand name, which is also quite good and a bit more economical.* So I buy both brands of food, on and off. Both of the dry cat foods TJ carries are quite good and better than say, large commercial brands like Purina Cat Chow, Meow Mix, and the like.
Compared to the TJ brand dry cat food, I would say Bench & Field scores a bit higher from a standpoint of ingredients listed, which if you look at the label all seem to be good, “honest”, healthy stuff (for instance, no “chicken by-products” which even Purina Pro Plan has). The label says 32% protein which comes from a variety of meats and grains: chicken, brown rice, anchovy, sardines, egg, oatmeal. Also has a bunch of fruits and veggies, plus other good stuff if you look closely at the listed ingredients like kelp, quinoa and a lot of probiotics too! Yes – “Health Food For Pets”.
I cut and pasted this info from B&Fs website (and no i don’t work for them, just reviewing a decent product)
HOLISTIC NATURAL FELINE FORMULA NUTRITION & INGREDIENTS
For cats of all ages and the owners who love them, Holistic Natural ™ Feline Formula is the right choice. Fortified with vitamins and minerals, and made with a bounty of wholesome, healthful ingredients including:
Nature’s Greens and Grains including oatmeal, flaxseed, organic quinoa and dehydrated kelp.
Made with fruits and veggies including carrots, sweet potatoes, cranberries, apples, peas, papaya, blueberries and more.
Omega 6 / Omega 3 Fatty Acids and flaxseed help maintain skin and coat.
3 Primary Antioxidants: Vitamins A, E and Beta-Carotene.
TJ’s sells 3 lb bags of this Natural Dry Cat Food for $7 (which works out to about $2.30/lb) (UPDATE; TJ’s dry cat food was discontinued!) The other dry food they carry, again quite good, is Trader Joe’s brand “Premium Dry Cat Food” chicken and rice formula. The packaging went from a green paper bag to a plastic pink bag now, and the price which was $5 for a 4 lb. bag went up to $6 (so about $1.50/lb). This is also a good quality cat food, I buy this too, so if you want to save a bit of money the TJ brand is definitely an option (compare the labels of the two bags) Certainly the 4 lb “TJ” bag, lasts a bit longer of course. My two furry friends love both bags of the dry food TJ sells, TJ’s and B&F.
When I feed my cats I mix wet food with dry food and add a spoon of water and mix it up. Most vets say dry food alone is not ideal for cats. So mix it up, with some wet with the dry food. Some cats don’t like to drink water or don’t drink enough water daily. If you have non-water drinkers, you can even get them to drink water mixed in with the wet food and then they’ll probably lap up the smelly water (sneaky huh?) Tuna water works really well in our cat household.
DIY HOMEMADE CAT FOOD RECIPE: BTW, I make my own wet cat food for my cats and if you are a DIY type, you can too. Really its not that hard. Here’s a simple cat food recipe to try out. Boil 3 or 4 chicken legs with plenty of water to cover for an hour and a half or so to make a nutritious bone broth. Simmer until the chicken basically is falling off the bone. Bones and cartilage have tons of collagen. Throw in a handful of brown rice (and/or steel cut oats) and a few organic carrots, maybe a small potato, maybe some frozen peas. Cook all till soft, another hour on simmer with the cover on. Remove the chicken and bones with tongs. Let it cool a bit and take all the meat off the bones, keep the cartilage too (you will chop that). I use my fingers to debone everything, messy but effective. Chop all the chicken stuff up with a large knife including the cartilage and skin. Throw the chopped chicken back into the pot. Cook another half hour then mash everything up with a potato masher till it looks like well, cat food. Throw in an egg and mix in and cover it for five minutes. The egg will cook from the residual heat, if it doesn’t put on a small fire for 3 minutes. Let it cool for an hour or two. Package it. I save my yogurt tubs with lids for storing this. Use within a week or so or freeze the rest.
If your cats reject this food, it may not have the strong cat food smell they are used to, so in that case you can put a can of their favorite wet food (or skipjack tuna) and mix it into the DIY food. Always give cats some commercially made food (dry or wet) which contains needed nutrients such as Taurine which is vital for cats. If your cats still reject the food, put some canned cat food or a little tuna on top of this until they get used to your DIY wet food. Good luck!
Update – * since this was written TJ discontinued the dry food they sold under TJ brand. B&F Holistic is now the only dry cat food they carry. (Winter 2020-present)
Here are my two feline friends: Kuro (black) and Aspen (Siamese)
Kefir, is a cultured milk product, one that’s been produced for centuries by many cultures.
You might think of it as drinkable yogurt, however while similar to yogurt, kefir is unique. It has lots more cultures and probiotics than yogurt. It is loaded with probiotics, or healthy bacteria,. Therefore its seen as a beneficial food for health and digestion, especially for your Gut Health, which is a huge topic of research of late.
KEFIR has been quite the rage in the natural health community for some time.
On a practical food level you may find Kefir is just ideal to make your Smoothies with. I usually have it mixed with chia seeds and fruit and cereal in the morning, yes with a little yogurt added as well.
The origins of Kefir are believed to have come from the Caucasus, the mountainous regions dividing Europe and Asia where kefir has been produced for hundreds if not thousands, of years, like other fermented dairy products such as yogurt or cheese.
While Kefir is similar to yogurt in some respects, it has lots more healthy bacteria cultures than yogurt has and many more varieties. The label on Trader Joe’s bottle lists : “12 Live Active Cultures”. Compare that to Yogurt, which usually list around 3 or 4 kinds of cultures. I recognized about the first three “L” ones listed on the label (L. stands for Lactobacillus) for example “L. Acididopholus” however there are many more I don’t know such as “L. Plantarum”
Of course this means a lot more probiotics are going into your gut and digestive tract. Kefir is also supposed to be better tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant (can anyone verify their experience with this ? Please send in a COMMENT if you have some experience/knowledge about this).
In a blender, add 1 cup Kefir of your choosing, 1 cup of ice, one banana (fresh or frozen), a 1/2 cup of some fresh or frozen berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds and/or flax seeds and a maybe a drizzle of honey. Blend for a minute or two until the mix is smooth. Makes 2 1/2 cups +
I wanted to try TJ’s Kefir for awhile. So I first tried Trader Joe’s Mango flavor to start with. I liked the taste a lot. I found it really good. I mean the drink quite tasty with a nice mango flavor. I have heard that the Plain Kefir is naturally very tart and sour. TJ’s Mango version is sweetened with natural cane sugar and mango. Its not very sweet, nor is it very tart. Just right. You still get some a little tanginess. The Mango whole milk kefir drink was thick, almost smoothie thick (update: it’s no longer thick; its been changed since they first introduced it!)
Trader Joe’s also sells another flavor, Strawberry* flavor , a lower fat version made with skim milk and that is also good.
Plain Kefir – I haven’t tried the Plain yet thinking it might be too tart for me. If you didn’t grow up drinking plain Kefir, I am told it might take some getting used to as it is quite tart. In addition there is one made from GOAT MILK
Kefir is great poured on fruit. I pour a bit of the kefir over my morning bowl of oatmeal or cereal. I also mix this with soaked chia seeds and top it with granola and fruit. Also its good for OVERNIGHT OATS.
Kefir is both super healthy and tasty. If you like yogurt, you will like this and its something well worth trying. Even your kids might like the Mango and Strawberry kefir.
The Mango flavor of kefir is made with whole milk, the strawberry one is made with skim milk so a few less calories.
Trader Joe’s also sells Plain Kefir (unsweetened) if you are inclined to try it “au natural” (very tart I hear) as well as the aforementioned one made from Goat Milk! Baaaah.
Trader Joe’s KEFIR, 32 oz bottle, $2.99. $3.49
Is KEFIR worth buying? Definitely!
Your gut biome may thank you.
Kefir will improve gut health and probably help with constipation if that’s a problem from all the healthy gut bacteria in it. Mixing a 1/2 glass kefir with chia seeds or flax seeds might be a great morning routine to keep everything running smoothly! All I know is my system runs like clockwork every morning, through frankly I think my morning coffee also has something to do with that.
TIP: If you never tried Kefir perhaps I would suggest that you don’t drink a big 12 oz glass the first time you try it. Try maybe 2-4 ounces, till your body gets used to all that extra probiotic bacteria, lest it work its magic too well (if you know what I mean).
The Strawberry* Kefir is made with LOW FAT milk. The MANGO version is made with WHOLE MILK. Whole milk meaning 4% while low fat milk is 1 or 2%. So the Strawberry flavor has lower calories…. but you don’t drink that much of it, so it’s not a huge difference really.
Nutrition (per 1 cup): (MANGO Whole Milk Kefir) = 180 Cal. & 4.5 g of sat. fat VS160 Cal. and 1.5 g sat. fat for STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir which interestingly also seems to have 1 more gram of Protein per cup serving? Plain Kefir= 100 cals (1 cup) So if you want to save a few calories get the STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir or PLAIN Low Fat Kefir (though the Mango is very tasty!) Honestly, I can’t see anyone drinking it a whole cup at a time straight though of any variety, this is a small glass thing (6 oz?) or mix with some ice and a dash of water….
THANK YOU TO THE READER WHO LET US KNOW, “LIFEWAY” MAKES TRADER JOE’S KEFIR (Lifeway brand is sold at health stores) I have no doubt TJ’s is cheaper.
(update fall 2019: Trader Joe’s KEFIR used to be very thick. I mean really really thick. It changed. Its no longer as thick as when I first reviewed it. They changed it. Other readers have wrote in to say the the same thing. My gut feeling (hah!) tells me perhaps some people complained about it being too thick? I have found product changes at TJ’s again and again from when a product first came out to later on so I surmise TJ’s sometimes makes changes based on customer feedback….?
Actually one of the best things about Trader Joe’s CORN TORTILLAS is what’s NOT in them. True, authentic corn tortillas, like these, contain only three ingredients. Which makes these tortillas already better than most corn tortillas you may find in a supermarket. This package lists three ingredients: “white corn, water, lime” (and by the way “lime” in this case refers not to the citrus fruit but to rather a natural chemical called Calcium hydroxide (Spanish, cal) which is essential to breaking down dried corn kernels and releasing proteins. This chemical process is known as Nixtalmization (pronounced Neesh – ta – mal, a word from the Aztec Nahuatl language).
These days it’s not easy to find corn tortillas with only 3 ingredients. Check the label on most brands of tortillas at your local supermarket. You’ll see there about ten ingredients listed, as most commercial tortilla manufacturers have switched in the last few years to adding preservative chemicals and other ingredients that extend shelf life and make tortillas feel softer when you buy them. So besides CORN, WATER, LIME…. you will see things like: “contains 2% or less of: cellulose gum, guar gum, amylase and propionic acid, benzoic acid and phosphoric acid (to maintain freshness).”
Versus, Trader Joe’s Corn Tortillas: WHITE CORN, WATER, LIME
Ya dig? Its pretty clear why I (and you too probably) will prefer Trader Joe’s tortillas, which are – All Natural ! Now as they don’t have those extra preservatives of course TJs Corn Tortillas won’t stay as soft and fresh as long as the ones with preservatives. So plan to use these TJ tortillas within about a week or two. I keep them tightly wrapped and DOUBLE BAGGED in still another plastic bag in the fridge with a zip lock. Unfortunately corn tortillas don’t freeze well at all, they get mealy defrosted, but these are right cheap and there aren’t that many in a package (12 tortillas). These go for $1.50 for the bag. Now Whole Foods sells an artisanal tortilla which are good but crazy expensive at $5+ a bag. I have tried this brand, VISTA HERMOSA tortillas. They are very good but the price is kind of outrageous. Read about them here as they have lots of good info about Tortilla making in general, if you’re interested in this!
The reality is tortillas in Mexico are so far better tasting that anything we can buy (at least on the East Coast, I can’t speak for West Coast) it ain’t funny. In any Mexican town you can buy a kilo of “artisanal” tortillas made from nixtamalized freshly ground corn, mixed and baked on the spot probably no more than an hour before made from ancient varieties of corn that have a hundred times the flavor of what we have here in the States. And they cost around $1 for a kilo. They have to. The government keeps the price low for the masses. Tortillas are the staple of life there for millions. Corn and beans together make high quality protein.
TJ’s also sells a Corn & Wheat (mixed) tortilla. They are softer and are not bad. I sometimes buy those too but I find these 100% Corn tortilla have much more flavor. The corn & wheat ones last longer and are softer. I do use both on occasion but these corn tortillas not only possess more flavor, they get pleasantly chewy when cooked,
IMPORTANT TIP: Corn Tortillas need to be served as HOT as possible and eaten ASAP. To heat, I put a tortilla right on the gas burner of my stove and flip them over and over for about 30 seconds. I try to get a few “burnt spots” as I like the way they taste. But don’t over do it. You can also put them under a hot broiler instead for a few minutes until you see them puff up with a few cooked spots, but again they can burn easily so keep an eye on them. Or nuke them in the microwave for 20 seconds. Keep your tortillas warm in a covered basket or bowl with lots of tea clothes/dish towels, etc. Or if you eat them often you might get a real tortilla warmer (Amazon has tons for sale: https://amzn.to/2M3YX3u)
For tacos, you can also heat them as above. Or heat with a small amount of oil in a pan till slightly crispy. Remove and fill and eat immediately. Or make Quesadillas with some cheese and other fillings, like shredded chicken or soy chorizo and arugula. I love these, they’re to die for: crispy, chewy, oozy-gooey cheesy deliciousness!
RECIPE – QUESADILLAS
Ingredients
– Corn Tortillas (are best, but you can use flour or corn/wheat tortillas if you wish. I feel all corn tortillas give a better taste and crispy chewy texture)
– Cheese (Monterey Jack with Peppers is ideal, or use any cheddar, Jack or even Mozzarella for ooey-gooeyness)
OPTIONAL EXTRA STUFF: add a bit of something like shredded chicken, steak, ham, soy chorizo, crumbled baked tofu and/or arugula, spinach….
For the topping: Arugula, Chopped Tomatoes, Salsa, Sour Cream/Crema, Greek Yogurt, Bomba Hot Sauce, Zhoug….. VEGGIES on top: Sliced radishes, lettuce, cabbage….
Put about a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick or cast iron pan large enough to hold at least 2 tortillas; top one 1/2 of tortillas with grated cheese; (option) top this with some extra ingredient (as per above) Cook for a minute just until you can fold the tortillas over into a half moon without it breaking (will soften as it cooks). Cook until bottom side is just a little browned and crispy and cheese is melted; press down gently, flip and cook the other side, till slight golden. If you don’t want to fold, just put another tortilla on top of the first one and flip over carefully. The cheese is the glue! Plate and top with something… guacamole, sour cream/creama, greek yogurt, salsa, hot sauce or Sriracha (optional) and some more fresh arugula, or cilantro, or eat plain!
THE REST OF THIS POST IS AN ANTHROPOLOGY FOOD HISTORY LESSON IF YOU ARE INTERESTED: Corn Tortillas are one of the most important Historical Foods on Earth dating back over over a thousand years or more. If you want to learn about the history of Tortillas, Masa and “Nixtamalization” (processing corn with lime) you can learn more with the links below.
Nixtamalization is a food science/process discovered and used by the Ancient Peoples of Meso-America as long as 2-5,000 years ago. In many kitchens in Mexico today you can find the exact same utensil, called a Metate, many found intact in Mayan tombs, used the same way now they were by the Maya and Aztec peoples. This is a modern one.
PS – Sometimes I make tortillas from scratch with Masa Harina. Maseca is another common brand of Corn Masa easy to find in many supermarkets. Bob’s Red Mill is an organic, gourmet (pricey) kind but gives good results.
Making tortillas from Masa isn’t terribly hard but takes a little time. But the results are amazing, you can’t get fresher better tasting tortillas than hot off the comal (grill). Homemade of course tastes better than anything pre-packaged. Here’s a link to a video of a guy explaining how to make them if you want to try.
And if you really want to see the real thing, the whole process of making Masa (dough) from soaked cooked corn kernels to a finished Tortilla, watch this video. The “metate” (stone grinder) she is using is the exact same design used today as those found in ancient Mayan tombs. I bet her tortilla’s taste out of this world. Any tortilla you might buy made on a street corner by some lady by hand in Mexico City, Oaxaca, or anywhere in Mexico is going to blow any we buy in the U.S out of the water.
Trader Joe’s ZHOUG SAUCE is a very delicious, traditional Yemeni green hot sauce. It is taking the internet by storm. Warning, when it says “very spicy” here, Trader Joe’s is not kidding. It is SPICY! But it is delicious, not just “spicy”, it’s so flavorful if you try this, you may fall in love with it too, as I have. This sauce is a must have for me in the fridge always. For me, this is a Top 10 Trader Joe’s product.
Trader Joe’s ZHOUG (sometimes written ZHUG) is a thick green, herbal sauce originating from Yemen, made from cilantro, jalapenos and chile flakes, wonderfully seasoned with garlic, cumin and cardamon. It’s popular in the middle east. TJ’s ZHOUG is simply one of the the most bloody wonderfully unique condiments you may ever taste. I’ve tried it on just about everything you can think of…chicken, tofu, eggs, fritattas, pasta, fish…. you name it. It makes almost any food better. You can’t go wrong with this on just about anything you put it on, it will make you smack your lips, yum. I suspect it would be good on shoe leather. You can use just a little bit and get a lot of flavor, and you will probably use this in small amounts, just a few dashes as its so spicy. A little goes a long way. Also you can “tame” it easily by mixing it with some yogurt, or mayo. Frankly this was even a bit too spicy even for me, kind of a rare statement. So unless you are a total chile-head, capsaicin obsessed, death-head sauce freak, you might want to “tame” this sauce a tiny bit, as I tried and did easily. I just added some olive oil and lemon juice to cut down the heat ever so slightly by dilution. It was still excellent this way. I have also use it mixed into Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt) with great success. In fact, Yogurt and Zhoug are an excellent combo and make a wonderful, easy creamy variation. Adjust the ratio of yogurt to zhoug till its perfect for your personal taste. I actually like the Zhoug tamed a wee bit. As is out of the container just a few small dollops is enough to make your mouth on fire. Again if you’re a chile-head you will love that, so pour it on. How long does it last in the fridge? I’ve found it lasts for quite some time, maybe a month. I also have found if I cover it with olive oil, the oil will help it last even longer, maybe up to 2 months.
You will find TJ’s ZHOUG SAUCE in the refrigerated section in an 8 oz container which is $2.99. Frankly this is a steal (but don’t tell TJ’s lest they raise the price) update: They did raise it a bit!
Seriously you should try this. IMHO this is a Top-10.
“Zhoug likely originated in Yemen, and is now popular throughout the Middle East. It’s a cilantro-based sauce/condiment that’s been likened to “Middle Eastern pesto,” but we think that description shortchanges the originality of this spicy, fragrant, fabulously flavorful culinary creation. It’s a sauce that’s taking the internet by storm – from food blogs to social media feeds, Zhoug is having its moment in the digital sun. This really is the ideal time to introduce Zhoug to our stores.
Trader Joe’s Zhoug Sauce comes to us from a California vendor well-versed in the art and science of Middle Eastern foods. Here, they’ve put together a very straightforward collection of ingredients – cilantro, canola oil, jalapeño peppers, chile flakes, garlic, cardamom, sea salt, and cumin seeds – to create a sauce/dip/spread/ condiment that bursts with vibrant flavor and color. We call it “very spicy” on our label, and some will find it “very spicy.” Those more into spicy foods may find it only moderately spicy. Everyone who tries it will be impressed by how the flavor of every ingredient comes through, even as the flavors blend beautifully into the finished product.”
This looked like an interesting idea when I saw it. Despite some trepidation if it could possibly be any good I decided to give it a go.
So what’s “gyro” anyway? Its the Greek version of a certain style of cooking and a street food found in many cultures and parts of the world.
Shwarma, Gyro, Doner Kebab and Tacos Al Pastor are pretty much the same thing: meat, sometimes lamb, sometimes beef, sometimes chicken that is seasoned quite a bit, then placed and layered onto a rotating spit, that is cooked upright as it rotates (get it, gyro?) Oh, and by the way, the way to say Gyro with its Greek name would sound like “Yeero”.
The Gyro chef slices off meat getting the nicely browned outside layer onto bread or a curved metal thing as you can see in the picture below. The slices of goodness are then usually arranged in some type of bread … Pita, Pide or other Arab bread or a in Mexico a tortilla, with veggies (tomatoes, lettuce, cukes) and a sauce of some type (tzaziki, tahina, salsa…)
Turkish, Greek, or Lebanese in origin? Mexico’s dish called Tacos Al Pastor originated from Lebanese who had emigrated to Mexico City, and had opened restaurants, made a type of food that was from their homeland and adapted that dish to a Mexican palate (and they used pork!). Its is hugely popular in Mexico, and delicious. Traditionally there is a pineapple roasting at the very top which is sliced off onto your Taco Al Pastor
Making one of these towers of meat is complicated. The link below shows all the many steps involved to make a real “GYRO” just in case you wondered or have never seen one of these types of restaurants with a huge rotating “trompo” (spit) in the window.
Above: here’s a gyro cook slicing off some meat to make a Gyro… This looks pretty amazing, right?
Now look below at whats actually in the Trader Joe Gyro Slices package! Ugh! Cooking it only improved these slightly. And it shrunk a good deal, as lots of fat came out.
Read the ingredient list : Beef, Water, Breadcrumbs… Bread crumbs is the third ingredient listed. Its a binder to hold some ground stuff mixed together which is then pressed into a form, cut into slices, and packaged. Already you can kind of get this is an attempt to make something in a factory setting that’s not at all similar to the real thing – which as you know is just meat with spices layered onto a spit and cooked vertically.
I had a Doner Kebab in Vienna and it was fantastic. I had Tacos Al Pastor in Mexico City, ditto. I’ve had this in many Greek places in NYC and its great. They slice it in front of you and hold the bread to catch the juices as they run off. Yum!
This TJ stuff is not even close. Instead, I would get the good MIDDLE EASTERN BEEF KEBABS, and slice those up
If you look at what the stuff actually looks like, when you open the package up, you will probably be a bit surprised at how unappealing it looks. . Its a bad idea to begin with. I made it as they suggest on the package, I put the cooked slices onto a pita with some tzatziski sauce with lettuce, onions and tomatoes and it tasted just OK if you ignored the main ingredient – the “gyro slices”. It would not fool anybody. It was OK as far as the the pita, sauce, veggies… but the main ingredient was quite lacking in taste and texture, especially if you ever had a real Gyro Sandwich from a Greek joint.
(update: I still give this a Rave but I do have a Rant about the continuous price increases since I originally wrote this post. (from $4.49/lb-> to currently 6.99)
I don’t know about you but it’s pretty rare for me to buy pre-marinated meats. Generally I will just make my own and marinate it myself.
Still when I first saw Trader Joe’s “Shawarma Chicken Thighs” I was intrigued enough to buy it, because I happen to LOVE Shawarma. In NYC we have quite a few Mediterranean style restos that sell it.
So I gave this a try and in short, not only did I like TJ’s Shawarma Chicken way more than I expected to, I liked it so much that since that first time, I’ve bought it over and over again. So if you don’t want to read this whole piece and just want to know if this is worth buying, the answer is a Yes. But if you want to know more, read on dear reader (including how to make a marinade so you can do these on your own for way less…. )
SHAWARMA CHICKEN THIGHS are flavorful having been deeply imbued from many “Shawarma spices” they use which include: “Onion, garlic, sea salt, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, turmeric, annato, parsley, lemon, vinegar, rosemary…”. This ready-to- cook chicken is convenient. Pretty much toss it into a pan. In less than 20 minutes you can have a tasty dinner ready with the addition of a few sides (Naan, maybe some rice/grains, veggies). The unopened package can easily stay a week or so in the fridge. They say way longer but personally I find TJ’s “good until” dates are way too generous. Naturally you can freeze it for longer than a week or two, and if you do, I suggest a slow 24hr defrost in the fridge.
Cut the bag open (carefully!) You’ll immediately smell the wonderful “Middle Eastern Shawarma” style spices (Be aware the Turmeric and Anatto in the marinade are natural dyes and can stain things easily, even a cutting board. If so use diluted bleach later to clean up).
If there is any fat on the chicken, it will melt during cooking and it keeps the meat moist so I say don’t trim it off. I do make a few shallow slashes in the thickest parts of the thighs to help even out cooking with the thinnest part. Optional: blot the chicken with a paper towel to dry them a bit before adding to the pan. TIP: I actually sprinkle on more spices (Smoked Spanish Paprika, Ajika, another sprinkle of ground cumin, etc) as more dry spices on the surface will make it brown better).
Chicken cooked halfway, with added onion and garlic
Cooked, sliced up and put back in the pan (with some arugula)
COOKING: I grill in a cast iron or non-stick pan. I add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil (or better still, an oil/butter mix; the butter adds flavor and browns up well). Grill the the first side on medium heat for about 7-8 mins on the first side until deeply seared and browned. Turn and cook about another 6-7 minutes. Your kitchen will smell great cooking these from all those nice Middle Eastern spices. TIP: I let the thighs cook without touching or moving them until they get a good sear on them (see picture) Totally optional but adding sliced onion and garlic about half way during cooking will make for great additions (and possibly green/red/yellow peppers).
If you can grill these on a real grill with wood or charcoal of course and they would probably taste even better. Baking in the oven may work too for 20 minutes on high heat (450). You could even bake this as a Sheet Pan Supper with veggies for an easy one-pan dinner. Some people do these in an Air Fryer.
This marinade is not spicy so if you want a little heat just add something like Bomba or Zhoug goes especially well with these, with a bit brushed on at the very end and/or served on the side after cooking. Cooking veggies in the same pan on the side (onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes…) is good.
Pan grilling is my my preferred method as it browns great this way and seals in juices. The good thing about chicken thighs is they are way harder to overcook than breasts which as you know can dry out pretty easily (side note, I have a pretty foolproof method for cooking juicy boneless chicken breasts if you want to check that out here): (juicy chicken breasts).
Shawarma chicken, served on TJ’s Garlic Naan with Tzaziki, and veggies. Super yummy!!
When the thighs are done cooking, i would let them rest a few minutes before slicing (resting meat keeps in juices). Slice them however you like. One guy I saw online recommended cutting it into “french fries” size pieces. I put the sliced chicken back in the pan with the cutting board juices and mix it in with the grilled onions or veggies. Chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or arugula, is nice for some green color.
SHAWARMA SANDWICH ASSEMBLY – warm your naan or pita or tortilla. Place the sliced chicken down the center, top with sauce (TJ’s TZAZIKI sauce is perfect). Add a few veggies. To eat, you fold gently and eat it taco style. Or use knife and fork if you are fancy. Now no one says you must make it into a shawarma sandwich; you can just put the chicken on top of a salad or rice or noodles or what ever you wish.
As mentioned I find these go great with TJs’ “ZHOUG” spicy sauce which matches perfectly for a spicy Yemeni flavor. To tame the Zhoug you can mix Greek Yogurt and some Zhoug together 50/50 to make it less spicy. You can serve the chicken many ways but a great way of course is as SHAWARMA wrap with Naan or other flatbread. Use flatbread, warm pita or TANDOORI NAAN (it’s perfect for this) or even TJ HABANERO LIME TORTILLAS as a wrap …. add chopped veggies (tomato, cukes, shredded lettuce, scallion, parsley…) Top with sauce, a tahini or yogurt garlic sauce (TJ’s tzaziki sauce is perfect). These are messy to eat but oh so good. Your family will love them. Basmati Rice on the side, or as a bed, would be a great match with this.
Another Shawarma meal: this a DIY version from scratch on whole wheat pita bread with sauce and veggies
Shopping list : Shawarma Chicken, Tzatziki, Naan or Pita, onion, garlic, veggies…..
The second dish I made with these chicken thighs was to use them for Chicken Tacos / Fajitas. Despite the cultural melange (middle east/mexico) the chicken works great for Tacos or Fajitas. Sidenote: Of course you knew that Lebanese immigrants to Mexico had a big part in Mexican food culture and even created the famed Tacos Al Pastor! Green Dragon hot sauce with it’s tomatillo and cilantro flavor went really well and was perfectly Mexican on our chicken shawarma tacos.
(note: the price has gone up a few times since I wrote this!): TJ’s SHAWARMA CHICKEN THIGHS is $4.49 a pound* (currently 6.99) The 1.5 lb package I bought was just over $6 and I got two meals out of it, with sides, so more than if you just bought plain chicken but not a bad deal. (Sidenote: same package now costs $11!) The marinated chicken is great for cooking in other dishes. I made an Arroz Con Pollo kind of dish with the chicken thighs and it came out terrific! (brown the meat with onions, throw in rice, cover with chicken broth, cook 18 minutes…)
TJ’s SHAWARMA CHICKEN THIGHS are a good product and worth trying and these are a TJ hit. If you want to save money, naturally you could buy chicken thighs and add your own blend of “middle eastern style” spices for a marinade and let it marinate a few days in the fridge (see tips below how to make this yourself for less)
DIY SHAWARMA – IT’S CERTAINLY POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS YOURSELF FOR LESS . Buy boneless skinless thighs. Marinate in with yogurt and shawarma spices (from 2 hours to up to 3 days in the fridge) “Middle Eastern spices” – Ground cumin, fresh and/or dried garlic, ginger, onion salt, turmeric, black pepper, Ajika, Zhoug, Hatch Flakes... Trust me, your own DIY marinated Shwarma style chicken will be really good and cost about 1/2 of the premade one!
Trader Joe’s Amba Mango sauce is a unique and very tasty condiment.
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Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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