Trader Joe’s says: “Made with organic wheat and whole wheat flour and sweetened with a touch of organic sugar cane molasses, Trader Joe’s Organic Seeded Bread is soft, chewy, and ever-so-slightly sweet. Loaded with organic sunflower, flax, poppy, and sesame seeds, it’s also as hearty as can be, with a perfectly toothsome, seedy texture. Use it for all of your sandwich-making needs, or toast and slather it with Cultured Butter and your favorite fruit preserves”
It’s just loaded with seeds.
I really like this bread and buy it all the time. It’s one of my favorite sliced breads Trader Joe’s sells. The name says it all: “Organic Seeded Bread” and they are not kidding about “loaded” with seeds. This bread has a lot both on the outside as well as on the inside, which makes this a pretty hearty bread which works great for sandwiches as well as toast.
Wholesome. Whole Grains. Sunflower, flax, poppy, white and black sesame seeds and millet, all organic of course. No dough softeners, preservatives or artificial ingredients. One slice has 6g of Protein.
(Just FYI I keep bread in the freezer, where it will last a month or two. Keep it tightly closed)
This is a “Limited Edition” Trader Joe’s new addition to their cheeses. Trader Joe’s “April 2024 Spotlight Cheese”
A few months ago I saw it and made a note to get it the next day but as luck would have it, the next day I didn’t see it anymore. As they say “Limited Edition”. But after a few months, luckily I saw it appear again yesterday. I grabbed one to try for review. In short, if you are lucky enough to see this cheese in stock, I say Grab One while you can! Its very good!
“Crafted in the style of a Red Leicester, Ivy’s Red is a special edition among Wyke Farm’s variety of Cheddars. It definitely stands out for its burnt-orange color and nutty & fruity notes, which are delivered with a firm texture that is rich, creamy, a bit tangy, and… moreish. All this complexity develops over 12 months of aging, and benefits from the skills of award-winning cheesemakers.”
I loved it and found it delicious. Nutty, tangy, its a slightly crumbly reddish special English cheddar from Somerset, England. Very high quality. The kind of cheese that a high end cheese shop would sell (and probably for a lot more).
I tried it on its own, with a slice of apple and put on my new favorite TJ’s cracker (Savory Square). Just delicious. I can certainly imagine people putting this on a nice cheese board! You can’t go wrong with this.
Yesterday was Memorial Day, and we got an invite to a neighbors for hot dogs, baked beans and the works. It was great. I brought the buns. These brioche buns are similar to TJ’s excellent FRENCH BRIOCHE BREAD. Soft, fluffy, yellow from eggs, they are a bit of an upgrade from the standard hot dog bun.
Made with eggs and butter in the brioche fashion.
We ate these with really good hot dogs (ours were from Shaller & Weber) but Trader Joe’s has good dogs too (organic uncured grass fed…) These buns were just perfect and went great with are grilled franks.
They are even better when lightly toasted so we did that of course. Yummy.
But nobody says they are “just for hot dogs”. You can use these top split buns for things besides hot dogs of course.
“Soft and fluffy these buns are top loading. A new world twist on an old world recipe. Hot dogs? Sure, but why stop there? Perfect for lobster rolls, egg salad, shrimp rolls or shrimp salad, grilled veggies, meatballs and marinara….”
You get the idea. These could be a bit versatile. Now these would be great for lobster roll, which I love. However as lobster is $$$$ you might also come up with a still delicious similar roll for way less using say Argentinian SHRIMP or LANGOSTINO TAILS. Or even TJ’s TEMPURA SHRIMP?
A few days later I used these brioche buns to make what I call A Poor Man’s Lobster Roll — a shrimp roll, basically the same thing just using shrimp. They were yummy!
And yes Trader Joe’s has these same fluffy yello brioche buns in a HAMBURGER BUNS as well!
These make a definite upgrade for either.
$3.49 for 16 oz (8 buns)
I would buy these again.
TRADER JOES: ” Generally speaking, hot dogs have a reputation for containing questionable ingredients. Trader Joe’s Organic Uncured Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs, however, have an incredibly attractive & simple list of ingredients, the very first of which is USDA certified Organic Beef that comes from Grass Fed cows. You’ll also find sea salt and celery powder in the ingredients. These serve not so much as flavoring, but to effectively “cure” our Uncured Dogs, allowing us to leave out unwanted preservatives, such as nitrates & nitrites. What else goes into our Organic Uncured Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs? The rest of the ingredients are all organic seasonings, like garlic purée, minced onion, paprika, and red pepper flakes. No fillers. No kidding. “
Aha! These were not actually discontinued. Just OUT OF STOCK for more than a year
I thought Trader Joe’s discontinued their useful bag of dried whole GREEN LENTILS.
They vanished for a very long time. Maybe over a year? But yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to see bags of these back on the shelf. Trader Joe’s sold a ton of these green lentils (and also red lentils) during Covid, as people stocked up on things like dried beans.
I love lentils. They are delicious and of course super healthy. Like all legumes they are packed with protein and fiber. One of the best things about I love is that lentils cook fast. They cook far quicker than beans. Unlike most dried legumes or beans, lentils don’t need to be soaked. Second they need only about 16-20 minutes of cooking, not 2 hours, to cook.
They are great for both vegetarians and as well as non-vegetarians like yours truly. One of my favorite ways of making lentils is French Lentil Stew with Sausages. Here’s a pretty simple recipe of this style:
Here’s another recipe I found for an excellent dish: lentils with goat cheese, which can make a nice lunch or dinner. I revised the original recipe I saw from chef Jose Pizarro to make it easier and less complicated to source (ie, finding wild garlic aka ramps is not so easy)
My simpler recipe still tastes wonderful…like some dish you would get at a fancy restaurant.
Now if only TJ’s will bring the Red Lentils back!
Trader Joe’s Whole Dried Green Lentils $1.99 ( 16 oz bag)
LENTILS WITH GOAT CHEESE & HONEY (revised from Chef Jose Pizarro’s dish)
2 cups lentils water or veg stock or chicken stock 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 pkg Honey Chevre goat cheese 1-2 tbsp honey (or hot honey if you like spice!) 1 small handful scallions
Wash lentils, drain, put in pot and cover with plenty of water or stock (if just water season with some salt). Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or just until lentils are tender but still have the tiniest bite (the exact timing will depend on the kind and age of your lentils). We don’t want mushy. Drain the lentils and put in large bowl.
Mix in chopped garlic, add olive oil and vinegar, and season to taste with good sea salt and fresh pepper. Stir gently to combine. Tip the lentil mixture into a serving dish or divide between individual plates. Crumble up the goat cheese in little chunks and put all over the top, drizzle with honey, and scatter on chopped scallions.
(if you are vegan, you could leave out the cheese and still have a decent dish)
“In recent years, tinned fish has undergone what can only be described as a full-on reputational renaissance— and if you ask us, it’s about time! We’re doing our part to promote this resurgence in piscine appreciation with the introduction of Trader Joe’s Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil. They’re wild-caught for us off the coast of Tunisia, then their fillets are split down the middle and lightly grilled before being stacked and packed in olive oil. Out of the tin, each gloriously grill-marked Sardine is firm and meaty in texture, with a savory and delicately smoky flavor, ideal for enjoying as a protein for a quick meal, as part of an hors d’oeuvre spread, or as a hearty, anytime snack.”
If you are sardine fan, you should try these new Trader Joe’s sardines.
They’re good.
Considering how canned sardines and tinned fish in general have caught on especially on TikTok the last year or two — enough to create fears of shortages — happily for us aficionados of canned fish (raises hand), Trader Joe’s recently came out with yet another variety of sardines, to stock along with their other sardines such as the really good one called “lightly smoked sardines”, a favorite of mine. That one is just one of their many sardine offerings I really like and have given a big thumbs up. I think with this new “grilled sardines” can, TJ’s may be selling four different cans of sardines ?
I really liked this new one. In this newest version, wild caught Tunisian sardines have been filleted, de-boned and then grilled. You can see a few grill marks in my photo, above. The sardines are packed in olive oil and have a slight smoky flavor. They are yummy. I find them very tasty and think these are good quality, especially for the price of two dollars a can. Compare that with some famous Spanish brands like ORTIZ (AMAZON) which are more like $6/can
I think if you’ve wanted to try sardines but haven’t yet, perhaps these new grilled sardines might be a good place to start if you’ve wanted to explore what this #tinnedfish and #cannedsardines craze/fuss is all about but maybe are one of those who are a little turned off by the way some canned sardines look?
When you open this can up instead of seeing little fishies, all you will see are non-threatening fillets of sardines with attractive grill marks. So perhaps this is a good sardine “starter” if you have been the least bit squeamish about eating sardines (don’t be! they are so good, plus so good for you) Me, I’ve been loving all kinds of canned sardines for years and years, long before they became cool.
These fillets are boneless but not skinless (TJ’s has some that are both). Though sardines with bones actually have more calcium so are really good for all of us – women especially of course. There’s a tiny bit less less fish in this can then some other ones for example TJ’s “lightly smoked” can of sardines (here 77 grams vs 85 grams in those) but its not a big difference.
Ingredients: sardines, olive oil, salt, natural flavor. PRODUCT OF TUNISIA
A can contains 15 grams of protein (the lightly smoked sardines have even more, 21 grams of protein)
TIP: the other day i experimented and instead of anchovies, I put a tablespoon of these into a tomato based pasta sauce for my classic pan fried potato GNOCHHI. It really worked almost as if I used anchovies, and gave the dish that same kind of UMAMI flavor.
These make a great snack, appetizer, or lunch
Trader Joe’s Recipe for easy dish of these grilled sardines on a bed of the Grecian eggplant -sounds good.
Being able to pick a few leaves of basil whenever you want some is a pleasure. The smell you get from fresh basil is amazing, say ripped up on top of your plate of pasta. Yum. So once or twice a year if I see it, I buy a new pot of ORGANIC BASIL at Trader Joe’s. They sell the big pots for $3.99, a pretty good deal. You can get a smaller pot of herbs for even less ($2.49)
There are lots of plants in the container, at least a dozen if not more. So sure you can just take this pot home, put it on a sunny window sill and pick off some leaves when you want them. But the reality is if you leave it as it is, the plants will last maybe a few months.
You need to re-pot it, if you want it to thrive. I’ve learned the hard way that the trick with these herb containers you buy at the supermarket is, if you want them to really flourish, you have to take them out and re-pot them. You heard me. You need to get your hands in some dirt!
Why bother? Well basil grows quite easily and pretty fast. Each one of those little plants will grow and grow and each one sends out lots of roots. If you just just leave all of those plants together in the orginal pot they will get way too crowded, and the roots will kind of strangle each other. Become “root bound”. Maybe after two or three months the plants will start to look worse and worse as they all fight each other to survive in that limited space. Therefore with these, the best thing to do is when you get the plant home is take it out of the pot. Break them up (gently) and replant them in a number of pots. I save old pots for this to re-use.
You gently separate the roots, very carefully with your fingers and get one or two or three plants max in a bunch and re-pot them. To really see How To just search YouTube where you will find lots of instructional videos on How To re-pot a basil plant. Of course you will need a few pots and dirt to do this but its worth the effort as the plants will live a lot longer. And you will get lots more basil as a result. A dollar store is good place to find soil and pots cheap.
I wish as well as this Italian basil that Trader Joe’s also carried THAI BASIL too. Never see that there. But they do have other herbs like rosemary, oregano, mint….
This is one of those rare Gluten Free products where the GF version is just as good, if not better, than the original one made with whole wheat.
I really like Trader Joe’s regular “Seeds and Whole Grain CRISPBREAD” which I reviewed before. Though I am not Gluten Free, I saw these and wanted to try the GF version of the terrific Norwegian crispbreads Trader Joe’s has. The ingredients are similar, mostly seeds, however the regular version has wheat in it.
They are all very hearty and very crunchy and are great as a cracker or as the base for an open faced Scandinavian style sandwich. Super with a spread or some cheese or even just butter. Or by itself it you like.
The GF version is also terrific. I can eat gluten so I don’t have to get the Gluten Free version but this is so good I would still buy it. Its excellent, really tasty. A little similar in taste and texture to the original one, but this GF version of course does not contain the whole wheat the regular version has, so no gluten here.
This version is made from sunflower seeds, oats, sesame seeds, flax seeds, rice bran and a few other ingredients. Healthy. Made in Norway. I love these style of breads and this gluten free one is also really good. The Gluten Free crispbread cost a bit more than the other ones. These go for $4.29, as compared to the regular Seeds and Grains Crispbread ($2.99).
“Combing the rich flavors of dark chocolate with the resounding crunch of resounding crunch of roasted almonds and pretzel pieces, then finishing with a sprinkle of sea salt. This is a satisfying snackable bark, one that is well worth every bite”
(thats old price)
“The Bark you’ll find within each bag starts as a thin(ish) slab of rich Dark Chocolate, studded with crunchy roasted Almond & Pretzel pieces. Our supplier then sprinkles said slab with Sea Salt, breaks it into snackable pieces, and packages it up for your enjoyment. The end result? A sweet, chocolatey treat that’s well worth every bite.”
OK, enough of Trader Joe’s advertising and what they think. What did I think? Well here’s my review: If you were intrigued by how good that sounded, all I can say, is this is as good as it sounds.
I really liked this. The chocolate bark is a little bit thick and slightly crunchy, a mix of sweet and a tiny bit savory (sea salt). I think they use a decent chocolate, mixed with pieces of roasted almonds and bits of pretzels mixed into the bark that all in all, makes for a very satisfying snack or treat. Very yummy.
I would buy it again.
$3.99 a bag (10 oz).
PS – they recently came out with a variation of this chocolate bark, with quinoa and raspberries. Will try that too!
UPDATE: MY TRADER JOE’S HAS A SIGN NOW THAT SAYS: “ASK AN EMPLOYEE FOR KIMBAP. LIMIT OF TWO PER CUSTOMER” – ergo try asking for if if you don’t see it on the shelves*
For months I’ve wanted to try this (relatively) new product Trader Joe’s introduced, ever since I first heard about it. But I could never find it in stock!! This went on for maybe six months. I never saw it in stock. Well it seems this is one of those Trader Joe’s products that blew up and went VIRAL due to social media.
“Trader Joe’s sold out of kimbap, its latest viral offering, thanks to TikTok”
In fact, I read that Trader Joe’s started to put up signs to limit any customer to buying just 2 packages.*
I could never buy it! But finally saw it yesterday and I literally I grabbed it. A day or two later, when I went back I actually saw some on the shelves so they had it so hopefully they’ve increased supply.
I’m not Korean. My wife is. So I have eaten a good amount of the real McCoy – freshly made KIMBAP (also called gimbap). I love it, just like I love all kinds of sushi or any Rice and Seaweed combination which is a match made in heaven.
A few years back my wife had a “secret little place” – a small window storefront in NYC’s Koreatown / 32nd Street area. At the time she worked nearby there. She would bring home kimbap from that little shop from time to time. I’ve since learned the kimpab shop is called “EM-O”. The kimbap from there is fantastic. If you ever have a chance to go there I suggest trying one from there (though they used to be about $7 each and now I understand they are about $11)! If you taste one from there (or a restaurant) you will have a basis for comparison for this stuff from TJ’s. No, this is not close BUT ….
Trader Joe’s came out with (frozen) kimbap, that is Made in Korea. Apparntly Costco also sells a similar item too.
“Known in Korea as gimbap, from gim for “seaweed” and bap for “cooked rice,” kimbap is similar to—but decidedly distinct from—a mega-sized maki sushi roll. Whereas maki is typically made with vinegar-seasoned rice and focuses on one filling (like a single variety of vegetable or fish), kimbap is made with sesame oil-seasoned rice, and can contain all kinds of combinations of savory fillings. Trader Joe’s Kimbap, for example, takes a veggie-forward approach. Our supplier, a kimbap expert in the Republic of Korea, arranges an assortment of sauteed greens, crunchy root vegetables, and crisp pickles around a base of braised tofu, wraps it all in a layer of rice and seaweed, then slices it into two-or-three-bite-sized rounds.”
My wife who is skeptical about all Trader Joe’s items was naturally quite skeptical that this frozen kimbap could be any good. Interestingly we both had the same reaction. “This stuff is better than I thought it was going to be”. So a qualified thumbs up. Sure its not like a freshly made kimbap from a special place that mades them.
However it was better than we thought. Its actually tasty. I don’t know if TJ’s Kimbap would impress most Koreans who grew up on their Mom’s kimbap but, as clearly the popularity of this has indicated, this might do in a pinch to satisfy your cravings. Especially I think if you do one of the things they suggest on the package. Grill the slices for a few minutes in a little bit of sesame oil. We had it both ways and liked the grilled ones better than non-grilled so I think that a little grilling will improve it and is worth your trying. Naturally the big difference between the freshly made stuff that you might get in a restaurant or made by your Korean grandma is just that, it was made fresh a few minutes ago. So like Sushi, of course that fresh handmade rice roll will be ideal eaten right then as the rice will be soft and slightly warm while the outer wrapping of seaweed will still have a nice crispy texture and crunch as you bite into it. Which this doesn’t of course. Naturally the process of freezing it and and then defrosting/microwaving it gives you a little mushy texture in both the rice and seaweed wrapping.
However even having said all this, Trader Joe’s Kimbap is still kind of tasty. Again we thought it would be terrible and we both said “this is better than I expected” (and again one of us is Korean/Japanese).
Koreans make many varieties of kimbap; it can contain lots of things, for example some are made with beef bulgogi however this Trader Joe’s one is a vegetarian version made with braised tofu and vegetables which include a few things like Burdock Root a crunchy root vegetable.
INormally kimpab is eaten at room temp. The package says to microwave it from frozen and not to defrost it, so I did as suggested letting it sit afterwards in the package for a minute. The rice came out just a tiny bit mushy and I thought next time I may try a 15 seconds less microwave time. One day I might just try defrosting this and see what that does in spite of what they say.
You can eat it right away as is. However they suggest on the package to pan fry it a bit with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Let the slices grill on low for about 5 minutes per side. You can give it a little more flavor sprinkling toasted sesame seeds or FURIKAKE on it. Maybe make a little GOCHUGANG sauce to drizzle on our serve on the side to. I think this would match well with other food items (grilled chicken, shrimp, beef) or maybe even TJ’s vegetarian beefless BULGOLGI
One user on Quora, recommended putting a spoon of spicy tuna on each piece which should like a great idea.
$3.99 per package. I would buy it again. If I can find it that is!!!
MADE IN KOREA
If you are interested in HOW TO MAKE KIMBAP and maybe someday want to try it DIY; here’s a link I found:
Trying this for the first time, left me impressed. It is quite good. A very tasty English cheese. Here I find the addition of the onion/chives enhance the cheese, they don’t overpower it.
This is the kind of cheese you might find at an English pub. A semi soft cheese. Neither hard nor soft, its a bit softer than regular cheddar. Speaking of which this is fairly different than regular Cheddar cheese; as a “Gloucester cheese” is its own thing.
I first tasted it on its own, then on some plain crackers and found the flavor really lovely in both cases. Just very tasty. I think this would be great on a cheese plate or cheese board.
Equally nice is the way this cheese melted, which was very easily, as its not very hard to begin with. So this will be great to melt on things and cook with. I put it on a taco and it melted easily and was delicious especially when I let it get little brown. It would be great of course mixed into scrambled eggs. Would this make a great Welsh Rarebit? I think yes, so I intend to try that sometime.
This cheese is going for $10.99/lb, my hunk coming out to about $5. It is an Imported premium cheese, so that is not bad.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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