RECIPE – Trader Joe’s SOY CHORIZO AND POTATO (papas con chorizo)

20 Mar 2024 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, cheese, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, hot sauce, Mexican, Pantry, recipe, Recipes, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , ,


Many people wonder how to use Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo, so here’s one idea that I use it for quite frequently. I cook up potatoes and onions and add the Soy Chorizo to it for a very tasty (vegetarian) version of the famous Mexican dish “Papa con Chorizo” (potatoes with chorizo).

Here’s my recipe . We substitute Trader Joe’s soy chorizo for real pork chorizo making this dish vegetarian. Some people may not even know that its vegetarian when they taste it. In fact, though I’m not vegetarian I like this quite a bit as its a bit healthier. I make this dish about every other week as an easy dish which is good to have on hand in the fridge as it can make a few things. This is especially good as a filling for quesadillas, tacos or burritos, it works really well with eggs too mixed into it. You can make up a whole package of the Soy Chorizo to have on hand for the week.

INGREDIENTS

Trader Joe’s SOY CHORIZO

Trader Joe’s TACO SEASONING (optional)

Potatoes (waxy potatoes are best, like Red potatoes, Yukon Gold or similar) 1 pound

Onion (medium – diced)

Fresh garlic (optional, chopped)

(optional – fresh cilantro)

I usually make this for about 2 people/portions. Adjust amounts as needed

RECIPE – Soy Chorizo with Potatoes

Boil about a pound of potatoes cut in half in lightly salted water. Cook for about 12 minutes or so or just until done, meaning when a knife goes in pretty easily.

Drain and rinse them with cold water until they are cool enough to touch. Cut the potatoes up into bite size pieces.

In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, sauté an medium size onion (diced) in about a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes (add a few cloves of fresh chopped garlic too if you like). Toss in the diced potatoes. Let potatoes and onions sauté together on medium heat until the potatoes take a little bit of color which may take about 10 minutes or so, stirring gently every 3 minutes. Sprinkle on some Taco Seasoning (optional) if you like. If you are not using it, just add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Next add your Soy Chorizo. Lower the heat. Gently mix in and combine the Soy Chorizo into the onion and potatoes. How much chorizo to use is up to you. I usually add about 1/2 the tube for about about a pound of potatoes but you can add more or less as you see fit.

Saute the mixture on low heat for about 5 minutes or so and it’s ready. If you like cilantro, sprinkle on a big handle of it, chopped up, which brightens the dish really nicely.

Optional: Eggs work great with this mixture. If you want them at the end just mix in 3 beaten eggs and let the eggs cook slowly until done. Serve immediately with warm tortillas or make quesadillas with this as your stuffing.

PAPAS CON CHORIZO is a tasty mixture which is great for tacos or burittos and my favorite, cheese quesadillas. To make those,use flour tortillas, (or corn if you like) and sprinkle some grated cheese on the tortilla in a lightly oiled pan. Top with the potato mix, fold in half and cook for a few minutes on each side until the cheese is melted. For even cheesier ones, also put a little grated cheese under the tacos and let them get golden brown and a little crusty. These are really my favorite. And if you want to use corn tortillas instead, those will also be great with this filling.

Besides tacos or tortillas, mix this potato mixture into scrambled eggs for a great dish.

Enjoy.

Trader Joe’s All Natural Cooked BONELESS BREASTS OF CHICKEN (Sous Vide?)

03 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, fresh, General, New, News, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,


ALL NATURAL CHICKEN, FULLY COOKED, LIGHTLY SEASONED, BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

Trade Joe’s has a number of cooked chicken items in the refrigerated fresh section. Things you can eat immediately. While some of those are chicken breasts that have been already sliced into pieces, in contrast these are whole cooked boneless chicken breasts, plain and simple, ready to use how ever you like.

“All Natural, Minimally Processed…” Convenient when you want a fast, easy protein and don’t feel like cooking. My verdict? Really good! These boneless breast are super tasty. As they have not been already cut up, they are as juicy as possible and super convenient to have in the fridge. They will last at least a week maybe more. Longer term, just freeze them and leave overnight in the fridge to defrost

Of course you are paying a bit more here for the convenience of having someone prep and cook it for you however the taste and quality is quite high. I even suspect these are cooked Sous Vide!

Inside the package are 4 vacuum sealed pouches containing one perfect looking 4 ounce boneless breasts of chicken like you can see here which even have grill marks on them.

The nutrition label says one breast is 150 calories with a whopping 27 Grams Protein and only 4.5 gr of fat. Healthy no?

Some people look down on boneless chicken breast. They may think of them as dry and flavorless but I promise you the way this is cooked proves otherwise. Perfectly juicy.

The chicken has grill marks. I have a hunch how they make these and its not just grilling. This is just a wild guess but I believe they cook this two ways: First they grill the outside a tiny bit to get those attractive grill marks but then they vacuum seal the breasts and cook them Sous Vide. Naturally don’t take this as Gospel as I am just guessing but you see these kinds of pouches which look exactly like how sous vide food comes. I also say this especially at how perfect the cooks is on these breasts : these are perfectly cooked. Juicy, tender, flavorful. Again sous vide ? If you are in the food game, let us know if you think these are done that way.

I gave one to my neighbor to taste and she just thought they were great and immediately said the next time she would buy them the next time she goes to TJ’s.

“Fully Cooked” – To me this is cooked just perfectly A Point. In French cooking “à point” means “exactly right” or just to the point of being cooked, meaning being “ideally cooked, no more, no less”. To the exact perfect moment of cooking.

These breasts are just cooked just like that. Not overcooked. They are plump and juicy and there is a bit of natural cooking juices in the pouch which you should save! This little bit of juice/stock can go over the chicken.I sliced up a breast and ate it right out of the package (again, “fully cooked”). The cook on this is what you might call “medium rare”. If you’re someone who says they like chicken breast cooked until its “well done” you may not find it done. Trust me it is. Its Perfect and is done like this so you can reheat it as they state. I put the sliced breast meat on top of a salad and it was delicious. Especially with some Magnificsauce on top. The package states you can “Reheat” this by simmering the pouch in water (or microwaving it). They suggest “simmering for 10-12 minutes”. It comes cooked “a point” so honestly I wonder if simmering this for 12 minutes might ruin it by overcooking it. I would simmer for 5 minutes tops ! Maybe if this is actually sous vide, 12 minutes might be OK. But once again it is already fully cooked. Though “just cooked” in the center which is personally the way I make boneless breasts. Your call on this point.

So I found these breasts very good and very tasty. The downside is of course the price is $9.99 for 1 pound of chicken however of course you don’t have to lift a finger to cook or prep it. You are paying for the convenience of having it ready to use, plus lets face it in a nice deli that sells cooked boneless breasts I’m sure would pay that much a pound if not more for cooked boneless breasts of this quality: perfect.

So when you want a perfect breast of chicken all ready this is very convenient.

You can dress the chicken of course with sauce of your choosing. Some ideas? Magnifisauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Garlic Dip, Tzatsiki….

I would buy this again.

IDEA FLASH! Mix with these with mushrooms, fresh or frozen mushroom medley

Trader Joe’s BAINGAN BHARTA (Roasted Eggplant Curry)

25 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, frozen, General, Indian, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, spices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , ,


Roasted Eggplant Curry “Northern Indian dish from Punjab. Bharta means Charred grilled/smoked smashed vegetables”

NEW ITEM: Trader Joe’s recently added one more very good “Authentic Indian Recipe” entrée to the frozen Indian dishes they carry.

Baingan Bharta (a spiced roasted eggplant dish) is dish I’ve had many times in Indian restaurants and one I really enjoy. Trader Joe’s version of Baingan Bharta is quite decent, almost like something you could get at a restaurant, though maybe not quite as smokey. But TRADER JOE’S VERSION does have a bit of the classic smokey taste this dish is well known for, and it is very nicely seasoned with lots of authentic spices and flavor.

This dish, BAINGAN BHARTA, joins two other very good frozen entrée vegetarian dishes Trader Joe’s carries which I’ve reviewed and buy regularly: the excellent PALAK PANEER and CHANNA MASALA. I love having any of these in my freezer. For whenever the mood strike for an easy yet very tasty Indian meal. Just FYI, the ones I mention are the ones that are “entrées” meaning just that dish and they don’t include basmati rice (some dishes do) I make my own Basmati rice. Plus I like that that Trader Joe’s put this dish in an Eco Friendly (reclyable) paper base instead of plastic as some other dishes use.

HEATING: Use Microwave, Oven or Stovetop (even though they don’t say that). I made it on the stove and it worked fine just heating in a pan. You can leave it out on the counter for maybe a 1/2 hr, to defrost slightly then put frozen puck in a non-stick pan and heat it on low heat, covered, till its defrosted and heated thru, stirring every five minutes. It may take 15 minutes like this.

This dish of course goes well with Basmati rice and especially some Naan or other bread to scoop it up. I made a quick Raita with greek yogurt and cucumbers on the side. Naturally a nice chutney will go well too and one can not go wrong with TJ’s excellent Sri Lankan ORGANIC MANGO CHUTNEY

Cook up this entree up with Palak Paneer or a package of Channa Masala and some rice or naan and you have an Indian feast that will easily serve two for about $7-8.

$3.49 for 10 oz. I would buy this again.

Vegetarian (but not vegan)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/baingan-bharta-095249

“Our latest foray into the world of frozen entrées inspired by Indian cuisine combines the mild, slightly sweet flavor and creamy consistency of roasted eggplant with aromatic alliums like onion and garlic, savory seasonings like turmeric and fenugreek leaves, and a nice level of heat, courtesy of fresh green chili peppers. Hearty, flavorful, and satisfying, each bite of Trader Joe’s Baingan Bharta is layered with a pleasantly complex mix of tastes and textures. And though the eating experience may be complex, our take on this iconic Punjabi vegetarian dish (also known in some parts of the world as baigan chokha) is surprisingly simple to prepare: just heat, serve, and enjoy”

You can learn about this dish here which includes a recipe if you are feeling ambitious!

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/baingan-bharta/

Trader Joe’s PALAK PANEER

22 Dec 2023 3 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, frozen, General, Indian, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


RAVE

Here’s my “honest review” of Trader Joe’s “Palak Paneer, Spinach and Paneer Cheese Seasoned with a bit of curry and chili“.

Vegetarian or not, you should try this.

Trader Joe’s PALAK PANEER is excellent. In fact I’d say this is one of my top 5 favorite frozen items Trader Joe’s has… This and at least one other Indian entrée, the equally tasty CHANNA MASALA. Both taste like the real McCoy with authentic Indian flavors. Pretty much comparable to what you might get in an Indian restaurant.

I buy both of these frozen entrées constantly when I am shopoing at Trader Joe’s (update: now along with the also good new eggplant entrée dish Baingan Bharta) I like to always have either or preferably both in our the freezer along with a package of Naan. If we have those in the freezer I know I can have a delicious really easy Indian meal ready quickly that tastes pretty much as if we ordered in from a restaurant, for a lot less!

PALAK PANEER is a surprisingly good vegetarian dish consisting of spinach and the Indian cheese called paneer. Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese that is great to cook with as doesn’t melt. Note this dish has the entree only. It does not include have rice, unlike some other Indian dishes. No problem Just make some basmati rice, which is not hard, people. That takes only 15 minutes. TJ’s Palak Paneer is cooked with a lovely combination of spices and a bit of chili giving it an authentic Indian flavor. It is not very spicy though.

I do however wish one thing. I wish there was more paneer in this (as I love it) There is just enough so that you don’t feel like they cheated you (side note: one reader writes to say they used to give you more paneer ! Argh!)

The dish has a little kick from chile but just a tad. I find the spicy level just right. This is not crazy spicy. Of course this is a personal taste preference. If you want it spicier, just add something (Bomba or Peri-Peri)

We eat this whenever we are in the mood for a real Indian dinner because it just that. Real. Indian. I have seen Indian people buying this at Trader Joe’s along with other dishes. So you know they must be good. The Indian foods Trader Joe’s carries are quite good.

Sometimes alongside this Palak Paneer I also make TJ’s CHANNA MASALA (spiced chickpeas) also quite good. The two make a good combo with rice. If you serve up those two dishes with Naan or Paratha and Basmati rice you have a tasty dinner that almost tastes like you ordered it from a decent Indian restaurant, but for a lot less. Maybe 8 dollars for a feast for two? If I’m not too lazy I will make some raita to go with these (just slice up cucumber and mix with garlic and Greek yogurt to make a cooling Raita to go with the above dishes)

TIP: Though they don’t mention Stovetop as a cooking method I have made this that way. Take the frozen slab out on the package and put it in a pan with a tablespoon of water. Heat on low, covered, stirring every 5 minutes or so for about 15-20 minutes till done.

$3.99 (10 oz)

I would buy this again.

One thing to note though this entree does not include cooked rice; some of TJ’s entrees do have rice and some don’t. You get more entree though so I’d rather make my own Basmati rice and get twice as much of the éntree.

Perfect Basmati Rice

Trader Joe’s MIDDLE EASTERN BEEF KEBABS

01 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, DIY, frozen, General, hot sauce, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, spices, Trader Joes, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,


RAVE

I was pretty impressed with Trader Joe’s frozen “Middle Eastern Style Kebabs, Seasoned Beef Patties”. Kind of a Middle Eastern hamburger with lots of spices. I found these quite tasty and flavorful with lots of nice spices. Now I’ve made these style of kebabs myself in the past, and TJ’s version pretty much tasted like something I might have made. These are good enough I thought to imagine like what you could get in a Middle Eastern joint.

These kebabs are well seasoned with an authentic Middle Eastern style flavor as they have coriander, cumin, allspice, cloves plus other spices. I was even quite sursprised that my wife (some who is really tough on Trader Joe’s prepared foods, turning up her nose on the vast majority of items I ask her to try) like these and said they were tasty. In fact she even asked if I had made them or bought them from TJ’s (hah!)

The ingredients listed are nice and simple, and sound pretty much like what I would use – Ground beef, onions, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley and seasonings (salt, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, allspice, pepper, coriander, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, black pepper).

COOKING: I think they benefit from a little more browning. So I cooked them in a pan on the stove – in spite of them not even listing this as way to make them, trust me you can and for me its the best way, especially as I cooked other things at the same time in the pan. I added sliced onions and a tablespoon of olive oil. Then later I warmed up my flatbread in the same pan. Other ways they list are oven, grill and air fryer too and microwave (however I say don’t just nuke it!)

I just put a little olive oil in a pan and cooked them on medium low until they were hot and nicely browned, which took maybe 7-8 minutes per side. You can also make them in the oven or in an air fryer or on a grill. Microwave? I wouldnt suggest that though the package says so. I think they will be far better getting a bit more browning from actual cooking.

These can be a great lunch or dinner. I served the kebabs on flatbread with veggies and a sauce. Actually I used flour tortillas as my flatbread and those work fine or serve them with Pita or Naan or best perhaps might be TJ’s LAVASH flat bread. I topped them with thinly sliced red onions, tomatoes and parsley. Then put sauce on top. Cucumbers, red or yellow peppers, or some greens all will work great with these kebabs.

SAUCE: I made an easy sauce of Greek yogurt and garlic – or just use use TJ’s Tzaziki sauce which is basically that with a little cucumber added. Or spread your bread with TJ’s yummy garlic spread. A few drops of lemon too will send these skyward.

On the side, I made some a delicious Yemeni rice dish, a recipe I found on YouTube, which I put below if you want to try that. It tastes amazing with these kebabs but even just some Basmati or Jasmine rice will be great as well.

I think these are one of the better frozen foods I’ve found at Trader Joe’s, along with many of the frozen Indian dishes.

I think they were about $6.50 (12 oz) with 6 kebabs in the bag. These would be great to have in the freezer to come up with a quick dinner easily.

I would buy them again.

Want to try your hand at making these style of “kofte kebabs”. Here’s a recipe for a Lebanese beef kofte. You might even use the Organic Ground Beef if you made them yourself.

Lebanese Beef Kebabs with Garlic Cream Sauce

Trader Joe’s THAI CURRY SAUCE

29 Aug 2023 1 Comment

by promacnyc in Asian, can, fresh, General, jar, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, spices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , ,


Want to make a Thai Style Yellow Curry yourself? This makes it quite easy.

TJ’s says: “We’ve honored the modern recipe of a zesty, ginger-forward sauce packed full of onion, garlic, red chilies, and of course garlic! All of this is blended together with creamy coconut milk making for the rich, velvety sauce we all know and love. With this sauce you can make a traditional yellow curry dish in no time! Cook up some meat, poultry, tofu, or veggies until done, stir in our Thai Style Yellow Curry Sauce, simmer until heated through, and serve on a bed of rice.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/thai-style-yellow-curry-sauce-078557

I made curry recently and used the yellow one however there is a Red version of this sauce too. Both are quite decent. Overall I find the yellow one is slightly better myself but maybe you need to try both and settle on your preference.

I usually sauté my protein and vegetables for 5-10 minutes in a little oil, then add this sauce. I rinse the jar out with a few ounces of water to get every drop. Then just let everything simmer for 20-30 minutes.

A trick I’ve learned is I also usually add about a 1/2 can of TJ’s coconut milk. This helps two ways. It gives me more sauce, enough for a big pot of curry, as when I make this I want to get at least two meals. The other way is additional coconut milk will also tame the heat down a bit, as my wife’s preference is for not too spicy.

This sauce has a good Thai flavor profile. They list lemongrass and galangal for example, both which give authentic Thai flavor. This sauce is moderately spicy. It’s not blow your head off spicy. Again if you had more coconut milk that will mellow things more.

An 11 oz jar is $3.49. Now for that price I wish they gave you at least 16 ounces because honestly 11 ounces is barely enough sauce. Ah well.

You will definitely want some Thai Jasmine rice to go with your lovely curry. As far as your Main or Protein, almost anything will work. Chicken (breast or thigh), Fish, Shrimp, Tofu, Hard Boiled Eggs….

Another way to make an easy Thai curry was taught to me by a Thai friend. This is how nist Thais make a fast easy curry at home, but using some good Thai curry paste. You sauté the curry paste a bit in some oil for a few minutes then add your ingredients and then coconut milk. One good brand of Thai curry paste is Mae Ploy. They sell green, red and yellow versions. These pastes are very concentrated. Honestly that tub could last a year.

Thai curries are delicious and worth making. This sauce makes it super easy.

Trader Joe’s TAIWANESE GREEN ONION PANCAKES

15 Aug 2023 2 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, condiments, frozen, General, hot sauce, News, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, snacks, spices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


“Trader Joe’s Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes are like what you might get at a traditional Dim Sum meal…Savory disks of dough fried till they are crispy and flaky… East as a snack or part of a meal…”

VEGAN

Trader Joe’s Taiwanese scallion pancakes are very popular, and for good reason. They’re really tasty, very easy to make, and let’s face it pretty much a bargain at $2.49 for a package with five pancakes. If you’ve never tried these before, trust me, you should.

These can make a tasty and easy appetizer, snack, side dish, lunch or even become a complete meal depending on what you eat with them.

These only need about 6 minutes in a pan to become crispy golden brown and delicious. As these go best with a dipping sauce, I’ve put an easy recipe for an Asian dipping sauce further down. In a pinch even a little soy sauce, ginger and Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar) will work. Or you can use one of Trader Joe’s bottled sauces like the “Gyoza Sauce” or similar.

Inside the package are five frozen pancakes conveniently separated by plastic sheets. These are super easy to make; you just take out a frozen pancake and put in a hot pan with a bit of oil, and let it get golden brown.

We ate these as part of a dinner recently. Along with the pancakes with had fried rice and even added a fried egg on top of it all for some extra protein. The combo was yummy. I made the fried rice however one could easily use Trader Joe’s popular frozen JAPANESE FRIED RICE.

HOW TO COOK TRADER JOE’S GREEN ONION PANCAKES:

STOVE TOP METHOD – Put 1 tsp of cooking oil to a nonstick or cast iron pan heated on Medium. As the oil gets hot, swirl it around the pan. Add a frozen pancake (removing the plastic of course!) After adding the disk to the pan, let it alone for a good minute or two to brown. Let that first side get nice and brown which will take about 3-5 minutes. Check it periodically. Get it nice and golden brown (see photo above). When that first side is golden brown, flip it over with a spatula but don’t press down hard (to keep them flaky). Let the second side brown. This will take less time as it is no longer frozen, perhaps about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it. When the bottom is golden brown, remove pancake, put on a paper towel and keep warm while you get another one going. (TIP – Each disk is about 7 inches in diameter so if you want to make a few at a time you might get 2 pans going (or use a griddle).

When you are ready to serve them, you can cut them up into quarters or eights. Enjoy asap while they are warm and crispy. Dipping sauce (recipe below)

AIR FRYER – I don’t have one however I’ve seen people online say these can be cooked in one.

Please don’t even think of microwaving as an option. They need to get crispy and brown.

These types of Chinese scallion pancakes are simple yet delicious. I’ve eaten these made in front of me from Chinese street vendors or stalls in Flushing. I also had them in restaurants. Naturally one can’t quite compare these store bought scallion pancakes to handmade ones, however these are still quite tasty, not to mention so convenient to have on hand in the freezer.

I do have one complaint with these Trader Joe’s pancakes…. they don’t have nearly enough green onions to be called Green Onion Pancakes.

An authentic Chinese / Taiwanese scallion pancake will have a ton of scallions. I suggest you get a package of fresh scallions when you buy these. Chop up a a big handful and toss them on top when you serve. And you can also put scallions in your sauce.

Now just As-Is these are fine – However one can add things, on top too. Say for example, a fried egg on top. You can fold a pancake like a taco with the egg and eat it like that (in a paper towel) which is a very typical way one might get these served on the street somewhere in China or Taiwan.

Feel free to use these as a base and add toppings of whatever you like. How about some cooked seasoned beef or ground pork, grilled chicken. Or shrimp? Or grilled tofu. Grilled portobello mushrooms. You can even put cheese on them for a cheesy Chinese pancake. Be as inventive as you like with these. One more idea – eat with TJ’s Middle Eastern Beef Kebabs for a Silk Road combination! They match well.

As mentioned before these need more scallions so toss on a big handful and I love chopped cilantro too with these.

Typically these pancakes are usually served with a dipping sauce. You can easily make an Asian dipping sauce (see below for a simple basic recipe). Any sauce can work say even TJ’s “Soyaki” or Gyoza Sauce or the like. TJ’s Chili Onion Crunch, of course too is a great too. My favorite real deal addition for these pancakes is some chili crisp aka Lao Gan Ma, to which I have a serious addiction (If you don’t have any Asian markets here’s a link to it on Amazon : Lao Gan Ma )

BASIC ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE:

  • 2 tbl TJ’s Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar (if you don’t have it you can use rice vinegar or even balsamic)
  • 1 lg crushed clove garlic
  • 1 tsp brown sugar or honey
  • Optional – Fresh grated ginger. A drizzle of Sesame Oil (if you like spicy mix in some Chili Crisp or Lao Gan Ma)
  • You can add chopped green onions to the sauce as well.

Checking the Nutrition label 1 pancake contains 330 calories.

Ingredients : Wheat flour, water, scallions, coconut oil, baking powder, baking soda.

I would buy this again. Need some ideas to use these as a starting point for something ….? Check out these ideas…..

@teachertastes

Scallion Pancake Breakfast -Scallion Pancake -3 Eggs -Mozzarella or Gruyere Cheese -Avocado -Salt -Chili Onion Crunch #traderjoes

♬ original sound – teachertastes

One last thing: Trader Joe’s has other frozen pancakes: KOREAN SCALLION PANCAKES PA-JEON. These are maybe even better though a bit different. The Korean ones have lots of scallions plus other vegetables that go into a batter. The PAJEON cost a bit more but are terrific and may even be easier to find in stock. I think the Taiwanese scallion pancakes seem to have gotten so popular they get sold out kind of fast as some people buy 5 or more packages (you know who you are, so please leave some for the rest of us!)

UPDATE-1 (Winter 2023) – Haven’t seen them for months. Sold Out / Out of Stock at two different TJ’s I go to. Beginning to wonder if these are too popular for their own good?!

UPDATE-2 (Mar 2024) – FINALLY! Seeing these back in stores! Yeah! Hopefully you find them.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes (葱油饼)

https://www.seriouseats.com/extra-flaky-scallion-pancakes-recipe

PS – I’ve actually made Scallion Pancakes from scratch a few times. Sure, it’s a bit of work but frankly these are not very hard to make yourself. Of course they are even better, so think about making them. All you need is flour, scallions and oil. Check out these recipes and think about giving it a try one day!

Trader Joe’s HEIRLOOM CHICKEN

19 Apr 2023 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, fresh, General, New, News, Prices, Products, Rave, Trader Joes, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,


Trader Joe’s HEIRLOOM GROUND CHICKEN – “All Natural, Pasture Raised, Slow Growth, Air Chilled, No Added Hormones, No Antibiotics”

What is Trader Joe’s HEIRLOOM CHICKEN you ask? Well here’s what Trader Joe’s says: “Trader Joe’s All Natural Heirloom Chicken is a very special chicken. First, it comes from a recognized breed with a genetic line that traces back multiple generations. And unlike so many other chickens raised very quickly on processed meal and antibiotics, these Heirloom Chickens are slow-growth, pasture-raised birds. This means they are allowed to mature at a natural rate and forage for food in a natural environment. They also have never been given antibiotics.”

That sounds pretty good, right? While they don’t say “free range” they say “pasture raised” which sounds the same? After reading about TJ’s Heirloom Chicken I wanted to try some. I got the ground heirloom chicken to test out and in short I thought it was quite good. Obviously an “heirloom chicken” is going to cost more than TJ’s regular chicken as this is a “super premium” chicken, and to me it actually seems like it Whole Foods item. Though if it was at Whole Foods I can only imagine it would cost more (maybe $10-12lb)? Trader Joe’s sells the Heirloom Ground Chicken for $6.99/lb. By comparison TJ’s regular ground chicken, something I have been getting for years and like very much as well, is $3.99/lb (now 4.49). One difference I noticed between the two is that the texture of this Heirloom Ground Chicken seems to be better, not quite as finely ground as the regular ground chicken (and this one seems to be less wet?) So this seemed to brown a bit faster. It’s 90% lean with 10% fat.

To cook the ground chicken, I added seasonings and mixed in quite a bit of chopped scallions. I shaped the mixture into patties, sprinkled them generously with the terrific AJIKA blend which is great on chicken and also helps browning. I sautéed them in olive oil for about 4 minutes on both sides until golden brown. I served these burgers/kebabs on warm pita doing kind of a Middle Eastern chicken burger thing. I sauced them with some TJ’s Garlic Dip and some Green Dragon. These chicken kebabs were really tasty; we really enjoyed them. One could of course make something similar and shape them into meatballs or long cylinder kebabs. What I didn’t do, but might in future is compare the two kinds of ground chicken TJ’s sells side by side, cook them up the same to compare. Meanwhile I’ll say yes this “premium” chicken is quite good. I would buy it again. Trader Joe’s also sells boneless breasts of this Heirloom Chicken for the same price as the ground chicken, while whole chickens are $3.99 / lb. (Again, cheaper I think than it would be at Whole Foods?) So you can either try a whole bird (roasted) or the boneless breasts, or this.

There’s more you can read about ALL NATURAL HEIRLOOM CHICKEN on the TJ website (Whole chickens are $3.99/lb)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/all-natural-heirloom-whole-chicken-067607

Middle Eastern Kebab Burgers served on a warm pita. (before adding some sauce) Yum.

Asian spiced chicken patties (Ginger, garlic, scallion, cilantro, soy, chili oil)

Trader Joe’s CHICKEN MEATBALLS

16 Feb 2023 2 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, Products, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Trader Joe’s CHICKEN MEATBALLS “Seasoned, Fully Cooked, Gluten Free”

INGREDIENTS: All Natural Chicken, Sea Salt, Oregano, Basil, Vinegar Powder, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Parsley

They’re a fairly new product from Trader Joe’s which when I first saw them, certainly looked interesting enough to try out and review. Fresh, not frozen meatballs in the refrigerated section which are vacumn packed. These are “seasoned, fully cooked chicken meatballs” made from “all natural, minimally processed chicken”. They’re Gluten Free as they are just meat with no binder (more on this later). Vacuum packed and can stay at least a week or more in the fridge (or freeze for longer).

These make a super easy Protein and are very convenient to have in the fridge. They can make an easy dinner, fast. Ingredients are simply chicken plus seasonings. I find them pretty tasty if just the tiniest bit rubbery (unfairly compared to my own homemade meatballs). I think they would be even better if they had a little bit of binder (bread crumbs eggs, veggies or the like). If you’ve ever made meatballs you know they will come out best with some binder in them. There I would be careful not too cook these too much – as they are already cooked. However I do suggest you be sure to brown them. Browning them until they get golden brown did improve the taste. Therefore I would suggest dont just nuke these, brown them up on top of the stove in a nonstick or seasoned pan. I use the “Stove Top” method mentioned on the package, browning with butter and/or olive oil. I sometime cut them in half, or quartered or sliced up as that increases the surface area for browning. If you want them whole that’s fine too just turn them to get all sides brown before serving. When they are golden brown, turn off the heat, toss a tablespoon of water or stock, or lemon juice in and cover the pan immediately to let them steam a bit which will soften them. A sprinkle of lemon juice perked them up nicely. Before cooking them I like to sprnkle them with either Smoked Paprika or AJIKA blend which helps browning even more, plus adds nice flavors. These will be good with some sauce of your choosing… Sriracha Mayo or Garlic Dip mixed with lemon juice… Or even just some ketchup and/or mayo….Magnifique Sauce. Your favorite BBQ sauce. Sweet Chili sauce… Basically any sauce you like will work and improve these.

Here is a one way I’ve served them. Cut into halves, browned up and put on top of a bed of lentils that I had made a few days before. Another way was in a Wrap on a flour tortilla.

Grilled Chicken Meatballs on a bed of lentils
Sliced and grilled, then served on warm flour tortilla with avocado and Magnifique Sauce. Added lettuce then wrapped up.

These can easily become dinner along with some sides, say rice or potatoes, or pasta and a veggie. I think these might match well with any one of TJ’s simmer sauces (Thai or Indian). You could brown them, add sauce, simmer a few minutes and serve. Maybe toss in some frozen green beans or peas in the sauce as well? Serve on top of rice or noodles or pasta. Or just with pita or Naan? What about making these Italian style? Brown and add your favorite jar of tomato sauce. Toss them with pasta and you have an easy dinner. Or maybe brown them, slice up, and put them into a pita with some lettuce and some sauce? Or just serve them sliced up on top of a salad? So you might find these a handy thing to have in your fridge. TJ’s Chicken Meatballs are $3.99 for 12 oz. with about 16 meatballs in the package. Figure maybe 4 per person/portion? 4 meatballs have 16 gr of protein with 150 calories!

Now on the other hand with just a little effort you can make your own chicken meatballs! No really, it’s pretty easy. While these are very convenient of course, your own homemade ones will be way better.

RECIPE – HOMEMADE CHICKEN MEATBALLS: Take a package of Trader Joe’s fresh ground chicken ($3.99 $4.49 a pound). Put meat in a bowl. Mix in one egg, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs or Panko… Salt Pepper (Optional seasonings) even better with some chopped scallions, parsley, cilantro, garlic. Add a tablespoon of AJIJKA spice or Smoked Paprika. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Put in fridge for 1/2 hr to firm up. Form (using wet hands) into small meatballs. Flatten them for patties (more surface area to brown). Put into a nonstick pan with butter and/or olive oil. Sprinkle on Smoked Paprika. Cook 4 minutes per side, turning till browned. Deglaze pan with 1 tbl water, lemon juice, add butter and pour pan sauce over chicken.

(my Homemade grilled Asian style chicken patties with grilled rice)

Oh and if you want to “upgrade” the ground chicken you can now get TJ’s PASTURE RAISED HEIRLOOM GROUND CHICKEN (reviewed)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/all-natural-pasture-raised-heirloom-ground-chicken-075613

Trader Joe’s PEANUT & CRISPY NOODLE SALAD KIT

23 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in Asian, condiments, fresh, Products, Rant, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian Tags: , , , , , , , ,


“CRISPY NOODLE SALAD KIT: The crispy part of the kit includes a package of tiny fried rice “CRISPY NOODLES”. The problem? After you put on dressing? These become “Not Crispy” Noodle bits.

Pros: The Asian style Peanut Dressing they give you is tasty. It’s a bit similar to TJ’s Organic Sesame Dressing (so you could make something like this yourself using that dressing)

Cons: Cabbage as the first ingredient in the salad. I thought it was cut way too big so the salad is a bit tough and too chewy. The softer Romaine lettuce, not cabbage, should have been the first ingredient IMO, plus this cabbage should be sliced thinner. However the main problem with this whole idea for a “Crispy Noodle salad kit” is obvious. The moment you mix in those “crispy noodles” (which are tiny, see pic) with the dressing and mix it all in, the “crispy noodles” become not crispy, of course. Maybe if they used some larger kind of crispy noodles, maybe like the kind you get in a Chinese restaurant? For me, these little fried rice noodles are a Fail. We both though this salad just wasn’t good. I won’t buy it again. Its goes for $3.99. You want crispy? What might work is add some lightly crushed PLANTAIN CHIPS to this. Or croutons.

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