peanut | Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

New item: THAI PEANUT SATAY SAUCE

Ingredients include; Coconut milk, coconut sugar, peanuts, red curry paste, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, tamarind, coriander, cumin….

Trader Joe’s THAI PEANUT SATAY SAUCE is a new addition to their line of Thai and Asian sauces and condiments. (Jan 2024)

TJ has this to say: “Made for us by a supplier in Thailand, our Peanut Satay Sauce starts with a base of rich coconut milk, peanuts, and aromatic red curry paste, to which our supplier adds a mix of savory seasonings including lemongrass, shallot, garlic, galangal, and tamarind paste. In addition to making a delicious dipping sauce for grilled, skewered proteins of all kinds (we’re especially fond of it with shrimp, pork loin, or tofu), it also makes a fantastic condiment for burgers and lettuce wraps, and a superb sauce for serving over Thai Wheat Noodles. And for an effortless and flavorful salad dressing, simply add a bit of Rice Vinegar to a few spoonfuls of Satay Sauce in a bowl, mix, and enjoy.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/thai-peanut-satay-sauce-077247

I got a jar to taste and review recently. My initial take is it’s pretty good. Thai food can be very bold with flavors. For my taste buds while this Satay Sauce is kind of tasty, I just wish it had more “oomph”. That is way bolder with flavors so that it really tasted “Thai”. Personally I wanted more more of everything (more peanuts, more galangal, and way more red curry paste)

Its OK but just way too much on the tame side, and Thai food is not tame in the least. I’m pretty sure a Thai baby could handle this and I don’t mean just in the heat level. So while I wish it was a little bolder never the less this new sauce is kind of tasty — IT CAN BE IMPROVED.

So I I say it has potential. If you fix it up a bit, adding a thing or two. Certainly a squeeze of lime juice for a little more sourness. It’s not spicy, so if you like spicy, just add a bit of your favorite spicy condiment. For instance Peri-Peri or Bomba to jazz it up. Want it more peanut-y? I sure do. I mixed in a few spoons of crunchy peanut butter and it got way better. Crushed garlic too.

But even if you just use as-is, this can be OK in a pinch (if you are not Thai). Satay usually means grilled items so you can use this for grilled proteins or the like. Say with chicken, shrimp, fish, pork, beef or grilled tofu for that matter. You can marinate them in some sauce for say 30 minutes, then grill it. You can also brush some sauce on at the end of grilling for a nice glaze. It can burn so be careful.

The Satay Sauce can be used in a number of ways. At it’s simplest you could just use it on the side or spoon some on top. Say with grilled chicken, meat, fish, shrimp or tofu. Here I served the satay sauce with a grilled chicken breast, and it works great with chicken. Or anything for that matter.

Salad Dressing – “For an effortless and flavorful salad dressing, simply add a bit of Rice Vinegar to a few spoonfuls of Satay Sauce in a bowl, mix, and enjoy.” – Trader Joe’s.

Is THAI SATAY sauce good for noodles? Very much so! This sauce will definitely be good with say your Thai Wheat Noodles or Squiggly Noodles dishes. Add a bit of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice too and maybe some chopped cilantro. And again, I would mix in a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter.

Thai Peanut Noodles: Mix the sauce into your cooked noodles. Add a nice amount and also a a little soy sauce, some lime juice, and if like spicy maybe some Sriracha, Bomba, or Peri-Peri. Mix in a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter. I would add vegetables of ones choosing: maybe shredded cooked carrots, peppers, and green onions. Cilantro too if you like it. If you have some crushed peanuts on top that will help.

So I think one could come up with something tasty using this sauce, especially if you experiment a bit with it. Adding some stuff.

It’s $2.29 for an 8 oz jar.

I would buy it again (I just wish it were more authentically Thai)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/recipes/peanutty-satay-sauce

VEGAN

Trader Joe’s SALSA DE CACAHUATE

“A Southern Mexican inspired salsa made with guajillo chiles and peanuts”

“A peanut based salsa with a unique mix of creaminess, nuttiness and peppery heat. Versatile. Enhances food from burritos to shrimp.”

(summer 2022) New Product – SALSA DE CACAHUATE. I found this to be just terrific, pretty much a “wow” new Trader Joe’s product.

This is bit of an unusual and atypical (regional) salsa (for us at least in the US) which originates from Southern Mexico. It’s a peanut-based salsa. Cacahuate is “peanut” in Spanish, based on the Nahuatl word (you pronounce it : kaka-wa-te). I found this new salsa to be really, really good. It’s unusual compared to more typical tomato based salsa’s at Trader Joe’s due to fact it’s peanut based and creamy. The salsa has a huge depth of flavor. It’s definitely got a kick (med. hot spicy!) and its thick and creamy. Be sure to stir it. This salsa was really tasty on some tortilla chips. It was also delicious with some spinach and cheese quesadillas I made. But it is not “just for Mexican food”. This can be great with lots of things. This can be a great sauce or ingredient for many kinds of foods as Trader Joe’s suggests. For one thing, great with chicken. It is fabulous on chicken, say grilled chicken breasts or thighs. Pork too, it was delicious on some TJ’s CARNITAS cooked into “slices of pork loin”. I also like the idea of trying it with shrimp as TJ’s suggests. It would even be great with TOFU. I will experiment with this, and you should too. It’s excellent! Definitely worth trying. Trader Joe’s indicates this is a summer / seasonal item so if this sounds interesting I would not wait too long to grab a jar to try out (or two). $2.99 for a 12 oz jar.

“If you’ve ever sampled the cuisine of southern Mexico, you’ve likely come across a version of salsa de cacahuate, a savory, often spicy, peanut-based sauce that’s used on a remarkably wide range of dishes, from street tacos to roast chicken to grilled shrimp, and more. Etymologically derived from a Nahuatl word for peanut, salsa de cacahuate has a unique mix of creaminess, nuttiness, and peppery heat that makes it an uncommonly versatile condiment—just the kind of sauce that cries out to be put on everything.

In tribute to this southern Mexican staple, we’re proudly offering Trader Joe’s Salsa de Cacahuate for the summer. And just like the namesake sauce that inspired it, this rich and flavorful jarred Salsa is almost endlessly versatile. Aside from enjoying as a dip with your favorite tortilla chip, you can use it to enhance everything from burritos to burgers to breakfast fare. It adds an extraordinary depth of flavor when served over salmon, steak, or stuffed peppers, and brings out the best of a sizzling plate of fajitas. For a true treat, try spooning it generously over a plate of sliced pork loin.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/salsa-de-cacahuate-073992