vegan

Trader Joe’s Baladi Egyptian Sourdough Pocket Bread (pita)

19 Aug 2025 10 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, Blog, bread, fresh, frozen, hot sauce, New, News, Pantry, Trader Joes, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Arab, Arabic, bread, Cooking, dinner, Egyptian, Food, gluten, healthy, Levant, Middle Eastern, no preservatives, pita, pocket, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegetarian, viral

(Scroll to end for latest update on the status of these which have been MIA for months!)

RAVE

“Perfect for hummus and dips and for sandwiches. Heat and enjoy!” (frozen)

I really love good pita bread. The fresh “pita bread original pockets” at Trader Joe’s have been OK in a pinch but its far from what I would call good pita (not too mention they used to give you 6 and now its just 4! Shrinkflation in action)

This “original pita bread” ($1.59) Trader Joe’s is fairly large, and on the thin side. I’ve always found these quite not sturdy enough to count on to make a pocket in, and hold the food. They kind of tend to fall apart when you fill them with ingredients as you are eating them.

This has changed with this new pocket bread/pita.

With the new Egyptian Baladi sourdough pocket bread Trader Joe’s finally has an excellent and authentic pita which is sturdy enough to split open and make a pocket that will hold ingredients, for say a falafal sandwich. And it’s Delicious. The BALADI SOURDOUGH POCKET BREADS are made by an Egyptian bakery for Trader Joe’s. So the real McCoy. These say “Product of Egypt”. Baked, then frozen, so as close to fresh as possible.

Trader Joe’s says: “We now offer Trader Joe’s Baladi Egyptian Sourdough Pocket Bread in our freezers. Made for us by a supplier in Egypt, these versatile (vegan) Baladi Pocket Breads take only a matter of minutes… to heat… before they’re puffed up, toasty, and ready to eat. Once heated, they have a tasty, slightly tangy Sourdough tinge to their flavor profile, and are ideal for stuffing with your favorite fillings. We’re partial to going with a classic combo of Falafel, chopped cucumbers, and our Garlic Spread-Dip, though they’re equally excellent when stuffed with our Gyros or Shawarma Chicken Thighs, too. And, of course, you can just serve them for dipping in hummus or tahini, as they do in Egypt.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/baladi-egyptian-sourdough-pocket-bread-078015

Here is my honest review of Baladi Pocket Bread. Wow. These are EXCELLENT. A great product. I was so impressed at how good these are and found them these pita breads to be so tasty and satisfying. They were even delicious just eaten simply with butter on them too as bread with our meal. Versatile. Between this new Baladi pocket bread and TJ’s Lavash I am super happy to have these Middle Eastern bread options.

Nice light whole wheat flavor. Natural ingredients. No preservatives. They come frozen in a resealable bag, with 5 breads inside the package and cost just $2.29. What a great deal. They are soft, fluffy inside yet sturdy enough for a pocket, or to use to scoop up any dip like hummus or what have you, pick up foods, hold up to falafal, or use for any sandwich, or even I think used as the base for mini pizza (see below).

Match these with your favorite hummus for sure!

HEATING: I took them out for about 10 minutes, left them out on the counter to defrost a bit (optional). I heated them, trying two ways; in the oven and on top of the stove in a covered pan. About 4-5 minutes. Both methods worked fine. In a pinch you could nuke them from frozen, but I think they will still benefit from a few seconds over the burners turning and flipping for the best texture like they just came out fresh from the oven they were baked in.

Trader Joe’s Introduces Egyptian Baladi Bread to American Shoppers

180 calories per bread. 7g protein

UPDATE 2 – MID OCT 2025 – HURRAY! THESE ARE FINALLY BACK!!

NEW @ Trader Joe’s, ORGANIC SILKEN TOFU

28 Jun 2025 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, healthy, high protein, no preservatives, product, Products, protein, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, silken, soy, soybeans, tofu, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

The softest variety of tofu is not “soft tofu”. Actually that would be the tofu called “silken”, whose texture is even softer. The texture of Silken is almost like a firm pudding, extra silky and velvety texture, with a very delicate and pure soy flavor. Tofu lovers prize it.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-silken-tofu-080590

TJ’s says: “…(Silken Tofu) can be enjoyed hot or cold, mixed into sauces, and even blended into smoothies. From the simple (lightly boiled, topped with Crunchy Chili Onion, and enjoyed by the spoonful) to the slightly more involved (mixed with Turmeric and Nutritional Yeast and fried like scrambled eggs), Trader Joe’s Organic Silken Tofu is a versatile, velvety-textured addition to your culinary toolbox.”

Here’s my honest review.

Trader Joe’s new SILKEN TOFU is an excellent addition to all the varieties of tofu they sell. Surprisingly Trader Joe’s Organic Silken Tofu even got approval from our resident tofu expert, my (Japanese/Korean) wife who I asked to taste it. She kind of surprised me giving Trader Joe’s silken tofu a big thumbs up. She told me it was very goof tofu, and trust me she is as tough as it gets when it comes to tofu, or frankly anything else from Trader Joe’s. She even assumed it was “made in Japan” and told me to check the package carefully to see if it said that. It doesn’, so it must be made here in the U.S. by some very good tofu manufacturer for Trader Joe’s.

Tofu texture is really based on how much water is squeezed out while making it. Silken tofu is the absolutely softest variety of tofu, It is pudding-like, very soft and delicate tasting, tasting of the soy beans used. It’s terrific for using in soups and stews or enjoyed just as is. If you ever had Korean “Soon Dubu” that’s the kind of tofu used in many Korean tofu stews (jigae).

We found this delicious eaten simply. You can just take a piece and put it on a plate and drizzle it with a little soy sauce, Ponzu sauce, and/or a drizzle of chili crisp. Great like this to eat chilled especially on a hot summer day.

The silken tofu can be used in some recipes that call for the soft tofu, for example Korean Soondubu Jigae. You can mix it into scrambled eggs for adding even more protein.

The tofu (16 oz net) comes in two pieces in the box. It’s a little hard to get out without breaking it, so do that carefully. I cut the plastic wrapper and tipped it onto a plate, shaking the box a bit to get it out.

I think one of the halves makes a nice portion for one, so think two nice servings per box unless you are using it as an ingredient. Though TJ’s mentions boiling it, you don’t have to. Tofu is already cooked in the manufacturing process. You can just put this silken tofu on a plate and pour some sauce over it and maybe add some chopped scallions and enjoy it. We love it cold for a summer dish.

I’ve never made a smoothie with it but as Trader Joe’s suggests, that is not a bad idea at all. Good way to get a lot of protein. Based on the Nutrition info one 3 oz serving has 4g Protein, with five servings in the package according to the label. Therefore 15 g protein in total.

TJ’s website lists the price as $2.49/16 Oz. Before I knew that I bought it at one TJ’s I go to where they had the prices as $3.49 (wrong). When I saw the website price I asked the Captain at that store to double check the price and they admitted they wrote it up wrong. They corrected the incorrect price, finally. It’s $2.49

TIP: it’s a bit hard to get out of the plastic package so if you want it in a big piece, do it carefully and gently. I run a knife around the edge to try to loosen it and put it upside down on a plate.

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/silken-tofu

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC SILKEN TOFU $2.49 (16 oz, net wt)

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC HUMMUS review

09 Jan 2025 5 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, bread, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, jar, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: certified organic, Food, healthy, hummus, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegetarian

INGREDIENTS include: Organic fresh steamed chickpeas, organic sesame tahini, organic sunflower and olive oils, sea salt, organic garlic, citric acid and organic cumin.

You are at Trader Joe’s and want hummus. Wow, you will find so many choices to pick from. So which one should you get to start off with?

I would say you can not go wrong with a classic kind, meaning at least for the moment, ignore those where they have added flavors or additions (I’m looking at you tomato/basil hummus, oh crikey… and that dreaded chocolate hummus, don’t even get me started….)

Stick to Basics. Start with a good simple classic hummus. Like this one. This should give you a base line for decent (store bought) hummus. Later perhaps branch out and start exploring the other varieties with things mixed into it. Or add your own additions, as I frequently do*.

With that in mind if you want a very good, classic hummus, I’d say you can’t go wrong with this one. Trader Joe’s ORGANIC HUMMUS.

INGREDIENTS: Organic fresh steamed chickpeas, water, organic sesame tahini, blend of oils, sea salt, organic garlic, citric acid, organic cumin

I like this hummus. I think it may be one of the best ones they sell. Trader Joe’s organic hummus is a tasty, well balanced, hummus with a deep flavor, one reason being this one has a little more tahini than some others. Tahini or sesame paste is a vital component of hummus, to me, at least. Trader Joe’s does sell some hummus that has NO tahini it it.

You can serve hummus in so many ways. As a dip, along with either warm pita bread, or any bread you love, or crackers. Add some to wraps or sandwiches. Use as a dip for fresh or cooked veggies.

Try mixing a dollop of hummus into your salad dressing. That will give it a nice creamy flavor. Or mix in some Tahini for that matter.

While fine as is, I do like to add a little squeeze of fresh lemon to my tub and mix it in well. Serving it, a drizzle of very good EVOO over the top. Serve with with some warm pita or lavash and a salad. Yes.

Now I’ve been known to make my own hummus, from scratch starting with dried chickpeas but that happens pretty rarely. Maybe I will do that twice a year. However I can zhush up this quite decent store bought one.

*(Organic Hummus to which I added my own addition on top: chickpeas sautéed* *with onions and garlic)*

$2.69 (10 oz tub)

Sauteed Chickpea Recipe

https://www.ramonascuisine.com/easy-sauteed-chickpea-recipe/

Trader Joe’s VEGAN BANANA BREAD with Walnuts

27 May 2024 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, bread, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, spices, Staple, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian Tags: Food, no preservatives, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegetarian

Trader Joe’s Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts is achieved “without the use of dairy or eggs (or, of course, any other animal products).”

This is one of those TJ’s vegan products that appeals to non-vegans (like me) as well. I found this as tasty as other banana breads that aren’t vegan.

“Whenever we introduce a vegan version of an existing product, we always make sure that it will appeal to non-vegans as well-our philosophy being that when it comes to comfort food, you shouldn’t have to compromise. We’re happy to report that Trader Joe’s Vegan Banana Bread passes this test with flying colors, boasting a fabulously sweet banana-walnut flavor and dense, moist texture. Every soft, flavorful bite gives in nicely, without any of the rough or gritty consistency that you can occasionally encounter in certain other ‘alternative” breads.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/vegan-banana-bread-with-walnuts-063483

This make a nice treat.

I would buy it again.

$5.49 (1 lb)

Trader Joe’s SAVORY SQUARES CRACKERS: Vegan Cheddar Cheese, Gluten Free/GF crackers

16 May 2024 1 Comment

by promacnyc in baked, cheese, condiments, DIY, Dried Fruits and Nuts, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: GF, gluten free, product, Products, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan cheddar, vegan cheese, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

RAVE

NEW ITEM

Trader Joe’s SAVORY SQUARES Vegan Cheddar Style Crackers made from nuts and seeds. (Gluten-Free)

My neighbor bought these and told me to come try them to review them.

The two of us, neither being vegan nor gluten free, were still quite impressed with these. Both of us were quite surprised at how good these new crackers Trader Joe’s just came out with are. Gluten Free or not. They taste great. Yes “cheesy” without cheese or dairy. The main ingredients are tapioca flour, almond flour, sunflower seed flour, flax seed meal, potato starch, yeast extract and other things.

Made with all these kinds of nuts and seeds and other things they have a very Savory taste and cheesy as well. Both of us who you could say are hard core cheese lovers said like the way they did taste a bit cheesy. These are one of those products that are so good you will like them if you are vegan or non-vegan, gluten free or non gluten free. Thats how good they are.

If you just gave me these and didn’t tell me anything I would just assume they were regular cheese crackers not something that was vegan or gluten free. I would just say these crackers are really good, period. Meaning anyone is going to love these. This is not one of those gluten free products that is a mere shadow of the original its trying to come out like. This is a really terrific cracker that I expect anyone would love. They are so flavorful. Full of “umami”. Really these are the bomb people.

We ate the crackers just by themselves – again, terrific – but as we are definitely not vegan – we are both total Cheese Heads, we said these crackers are great. Now lets put some good cheddar cheese on them and see how they are with cheese!

Yes as good as they are by themselves of course we cheese freaks thought they went great with cheese too. If you do cheese boards these will go well with any kind of cheese, or any other topping for that matter.

But if you are Vegan, or Gluten Free you will love these for being that AND tasting really good!

The only downside of these is they don’t give you a ton in the box and they go fast!!

My wife’s gotten addicted to these. She is buying them every time she goes to Trader Joe’s. She says they’re the best cracker she ever had.

$3.99 box (5 oz)

Trader Joe’s says this:

“The cheese cracker is a time-honored treat, a classic savory snack for kids and adults alike. However, it’s not always an option, dietarily speaking, as most tend to be made with gluten and dairy ingredients. That’s where Trader Joe’s Savory Squares come in. Made with a mix of nut and seed flours, these superbly snackable Squares achieve an unmistakably Cheddar-y cheesiness and satisfyingly crispy crunch, all without the use of any gluten or animal-based ingredients.

Excellent for everything from simple, everyday snacking to scooping up your favorite creamy dip, these Savory Squares are ideal for bringing along on road trips, toting to board game nights, or packing into school lunches. They can be enjoyed totally on their own, as a standalone snack, or mixed in with other savory treats”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/savory-squares-077338

Trader Joe’s THAI PEANUT SATAY SAUCE

21 Feb 2024 2 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, condiments, DIY, General, jar, New, News, Pantry, pescatarian, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, seafood, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian Tags: Coconut, Food, healthy, no preservatives, peanut, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegetarian

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

Trader Joe’s TAIWANESE GREEN ONION PANCAKES

15 Aug 2023 9 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: Asian, chinese, Dim Sum, dinner, easy, frozen, How To Cook, ideas, lunch, noodles, recipe, snack, taiwan, taiwanese, vegan

“Trader Joe’s Green Onion Pancakes are like what you might get at a traditional Dim Sum meal…quickly fried, these savory disks become crispy and flaky. Eat as a snack or part of a meal. Try using them in place of a naan or a tortilla to wrap meat or vegetables” (from the package)

Trader Joe’s Taiwanese Green Onion (Scallions) Pancakes are a very popular Trader Joe’s product… and for good reason. These are quite tasty, easy to make and pretty inexpensive. Made simply and eaten As-Is these can be quite tasty. But these Scallion Pancakes are also easy to “hack” and turn into something more.

Just add an addition or two and you can make them into something a bit better and more substantial. For instance, the easiest hack could be as simple as “put an egg on it”. Just add a egg, fried or scrambled on top.

(Here is what my pancake looked like after cooking. Golden brown and delicious!)

VEGAN – PRODUCT OF TAIWAN

Honestly if you’ve never tried these before, run over to Trader Joe’s right now and get some. That is if you can find them! These sometimes get SOLD OUT, because as mentioned they’re quite a popular item, and at $2.49 for a package of 5 pancakes, let’s face it, these are one of the more affordable frozen items at Trader Joe’s. Basically just fried dough with some green onions but yummy.

TJ’s Scallion Pancakes make a pretty quick, pretty easy appetizer, snack, side dish, lunch. With some tweaking, they can become the platform of a complete dish, depending on how you serve them and what you eat with them.

How easy are Trader Joe’s Scallion Pancakes to make? All you have to do is take a frozen pancake and put it in a pan with a little oil. Let it cook for a 4-5 minutes until browned. Turn it over. Cook another few minutes.

Sound easy enough?

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

In Chinese, these pancakes are called Cong You Bing (蔥油餅) which are savory pancakes made from a wheat dough, oil (or better still lard!), green onions and salt. Often sold from street vendors. Cheap and very popular. I’ve eaten these made fresh in front of me from Chinese street vendors or stalls in Flushing, Queens.

Naturally one can’t quite compare TJ’s pancakes to one handmade in front of you. However, these are still tasty, not to mention very convenient for whenever the mood strikes.

I do have one complaint about Trader Joe’s “green onion pancakes”. These don’t have nearly enough green onions. Not by a long shot. There should be a ton and these only have a small handful.

Best Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing) in Shanghai

Authentic Chinese / Taiwanese scallion pancakes are made with a ton of scallions, and these Trader Joe’s pancakes skimp on the green onions. Probably to keep them cheap. However this is easy to fix and correct. Just add some chopped scallions when you serve them.

Ideally I suggest whenever you are going to make these be sure to also get a package of scallions ($1.29) too so you can scatter a handful of chopped scallions over your pancakes, and/or put them in your sauce. Personally I love fresh cilantro with these as well as well as extra scallions.

The simple way to enjoy these is to just make them as directed and eat with some kind of a dipping sauce. I’ve put an easy recipe for a basic Asian sauce further down. But in a pinch even just mixing up a little soy sauce, garlic, ginger and Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar) can work. Or even easier, use some Asian Trader Joe’s sauce you like such as the: “Gyoza Sauce”, “Sweet Chili Sauce”, “Chili Crisp” and a little soy sauce.

Recently my wife and I ate these for dinner (picture above). We added a fried egg for extra protein. Along with the pancakes we ate fried rice. That combo is great. I happened to have fried rice which I had made the night before. You could use a frozen Trader Joe’s versions, for example their popular JAPANESE FRIED RICE.

HOW TO MAKE TRADER JOE’S GREEN ONION PANCAKES:

STOVE TOP METHOD – (Cook right from frozen) Pour 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a nonstick or cast iron pan, set to medium heat. After a 30 seconds of heating, swirl the oil, then add a pancake to the pan (be careful, it can spatter). Try to resist the urge to touch or move it for a good minute or so, after which you can check the bottom gently using a spatula to lift it to see the underside. You want to let it get all nice and Golden Brown. (see my first picture). You can rotate a pancake to get even browning.

The first side might take about 3-5 minutes (from frozen). Cook till it looks “*golden brown and delicious”. When your first side is done just flip it over carefully., to let the other side cook.

Don’t press hard with the spatula to keep them flaky. Keep an eye on it. The second side which will take less time to cook as its no longer frozen. When the second side is done (two minutes?) and looks golden brown, remove it and put on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Keep pancakes warm (cover with towel, or put in oven on Low or Warm)

If making more than one, now get the next one cooking. (TIP – Each disk is about 7 inches in diameter so if you want to make a few at a time, you might to use 2 pans or a griddle.

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

AIR FRYER – I’ve seen people online say these can be cooked in one.

Microwave? No way, they need to get crispy and browned! Thats not an option with these.

Now while these are perfectly fine just naked and “As-Is”, as mentioned, you can add things. For example, as I mentioned you can top them with a fried or scrambled egg. You can fold the pancake like a taco with the egg in the middle and eat it like that (in a paper towel) which is actually a typical way one might get these served on the street in China or Taiwan. So instead of Naan or a Tortilla use these.

*Pancakes topped with sautéed shitake mushrooms and seasoned ground pork*

You can be as inventive with these as you like. For example, use these as a base and add toppings.

Cooked seasoned ground beef, pork , chicken, mushrooms or tofu? Maybe left over rotisserie chicken pulled into shreds? Perhaps some grilled shrimp. Or grilled tofu. Grilled portobello mushrooms. You can even put cheese on them for a cheesy Chinese pancake.

Here’s one easy HACK / combo I came up with: SILK ROAD PANCAKE WITH KEBABS. These pancakes matched well with TJ’s Middle Eastern Beef Kebabs for a “Silk Road” combination which is perfect with these. Add a cooked kebab to a pancake,, then eat folded up like a tortilla. Add your favorite sauce (garlic spread, greek yogurt, chili oil…)

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 store bought sauce you like can work too. Say TJ’s “Soyaki” or Gyoza Sauce or Sweet Chili 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 the original chili crisp, 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 clove garlic, crushed
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)
Add chopped scallions.

Checking the Nutrition label 1 pancake contains 330 calories.

Trader Joe’s GREEN ONION PANCAKES, $2.49 (five pancakes) I would buy this again.

Need some ideas to use these as a starting point for something ….? Check out these ideas…..

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@teachertastes
Scallion Pancake Breakfast -Scallion Pancake -3 Eggs -Mozzarella or Gruyere Cheese -Avocado -Salt -Chili Onion Crunch #traderjoes
♬ original sound – teachertastes

Of course Trader Joe’s has other frozen pancakes: KOREAN SCALLION PANCAKES PA-JEON.

Those may be even better but are different. Korean PaJeon have lots of scallions and vegetables. So they 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.

PS – Believe it or not I’ve actually made these 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 (links) and think about giving it a try one day!

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

https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-scallion-pancakes

One pancake has 330 calories. Not “lo cal” but very tasty!

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC BLUEBERRY PRESERVES

01 Jun 2023 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, jar, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, Staple, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, jam, jelly, no preservatives, organic, preserves, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

I really liked this blueberry preserve Trader Joe’s has come out with, which uses wild organic blueberries from “the Canadian Boreal Forest“. It has an intense and delicious flavor of wild blueberries which are much smaller than cultivated ones. It’s very tasty though I found it a bit on the sweet side, borderline overly sweet, so what I like to do with jams I find too sweet is tame down the sweetness with some lemon juice. I added the juice of about a 1/4 of a fresh lemon into the jar and mixed it in. That did the trick for me, cutting down the sweetness with some more acid and adding a very nice subtle lemon undertone. It made it even better and really improved the whole thing. So my recommendation is buy a lemon with this jam (if you didn’t have one already in the fridge).

TIP: after adding the lemon juice I add a little piece of the lemon rind and throw that it in to the jam for even more flavor from the rind’s oil. Just push it to the bottom.

The Organic Wild Blueberry Preserve is $4.49 for a 17.5 oz jar. Not cheap but then it is Certified Organic and taste-wise I would say this stuff is certainly a Gourmet Level jam. Probably elsewhere (say Whole Paycheck?) a similar one would probably go for more like six or seven dollars. Try this on just about anything but I really think it would be heavenly on a slice of TJ’s Sliced Brioche bread, toasted with butter, spread with the blueberry preserves. Ditto on an English Muffin, toasted Crumpet or on your pancakes….

Trader Joe’s says: “Our supplier takes wild, organic blueberries, harvested from the Canadian Boreal Forest, and simmers them with organic cane sugar to complement their pleasantly tart and rich blueberry flavor.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-blueberry-preserves-075999

I would buy this again.

Trader Joe’s DOLMAS stuffed grape leaves

14 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, can, General, jar, Trader Joes, vegetarian Tags: Food, gluten free, healthy, mediteranean, middle east, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegan

These cans of “stuffed vine leaves” (grape leaves!) are a very good pantry item to have on hand as they can make a super fast and easy appetizer, lunch or dinner. Trader Joe’s calls these “vine leaves stuffed with rice”. The vines in question are grape vines so just to be clear these are grape leaves stuffed with rice. These little packages of stuffed leaves wrapped around the rice are called “dolmas” or “dolmades” which are a classic dish eaten all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Grape leaves are filled with a stuffing of rice and onions (sometimes lamb as well). The stuffed leaves are slowly simmered till they are plump and almost bursting. They are delicious. Dolmas are a perfect example of thrifty grape farmers figuring out how to use everything. They take the grape leaves – a waste product – and pickle them to make them tender. They use the leaves in recipes throughout the year. The first time I ate Dolmas were in a Greek restaurant near Boston University. I liked the stuffed grape leaves so much I even learned how to make them myself. The best way to cook them is in chicken stock with lots of olive oil and lemon slices. However Trader Joe’s VINE LEAVES are Vegan using only rice and onions and water. The Ingredients lists: cooked rice, water, grape leaves, soybean oil*, onions, dill, spearmint and black pepper. Obviously they use (tasteless) soybean oil which is cheaper than olive oil to save costs. Therefore you must pour good extra virgin Olive Oil over these, ditto squeeze on fresh lemon juice to make these taste like something. If you have fresh mint, dill or parsley these herbs will also gin them up flavor wise. They can make a very easy appetizer and/or serve them as part of a “Mezze” plate. A 10 oz can of TJ’s Dolmas are $2.99. They are a “Product of Bulgaria. There are other good canned items at Trader Joe’s too, like Giant Beans in tomato sauce. These are great items to have in the pantry.

If you’re curious how to make these I put a link with a recipe below. If you actually make these, I recommend cooking the dolmades in chicken broth if possible though you can use water or veg. broth. I had to learn to be gentle rolling up the leaves lest you rip them.

Greek Dolmades recipe (Stuffed Vine/ Grape Leaves Dolmathes)

Trader Joe’s “Thai WHEAT NOODLES”

11 Dec 2022 10 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: gluten, Lo Mein, no preservatives, noodles, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegan

I was glad to see Trader Joe’s came out with packs of vacuum packed “fresh” noodles that you can keep in the pantry, these so called THAI WHEAT NOODLES. Heat and serve. 3 packages noodles.

These are a typical Asian style wheat noodle, something similar to Japanese “Udon”

These can be used for any kind of Asian noodle dish. So why “Thai”? I would say these are just as much Chinese or Japanese as Thai however these noodles say Product of Thailand hence the name.

They’re about $2.50 for a 3 pack (21 oz) package. The noodles are pre-cooked, ready to use.

Each bag contains about 7 ounces of noodles. Frankly the amount seems just a tiny bit skimpy to me to make one portion. I wish these had even one more ounce, that is 8 ounces instead of 7, as that would make a more decent portion per person. I found one bag will just make a meal for one as a finished noodle dish, if you factor in other added ingredients. So I definitely suggest you “beef it up” and add things, like veggies, a protein, or what have you. Or add these to a soup.

*My finished noodle dish with chicken, cucumber and scallions plus sauce*

An example of one dish I made with these noodles is shown (see picture above). I had a some cooked chicken breast in the fridge which I used plus scallions and cucumbers. I basically used the recipe they have on the box for “Sesame Scallion Noodles” and added things to it. This dish turned out tasty.

Note that these noodles are already cooked so you don’t want to cook them too much more, or they might get mushy.

TIP: Opening the vacuum package you will find the noodles are clumped up together into an almost impenetrable brick that is not easy to break up! You will see I’m not kidding. To get them loosened up, I really had to work at them using chopsticks and tongs when I added the liquid sauce ingredients, as they state. But it was not easy.

TIP: HOW TO LOOSEN THESE – So the next time I made them I experimented using hot/near boiling water to loosen them up which really helps. Use very hot or near boiled water, and pour it over the noodles in a bowl. Let sit for a minute. I used my chopsticks/tongs and later fingers to get them as unstuck as possible, bit by bit. When the noodles were separated I rinsed them in cold water and drained them. Doing this worked better to prep them before adding them to the dish. One reader just says they use their fingers to pry them apart but some very hot water helps. Just be gentle so you don’t break them up into little pieces.

I placed the loosened drained noodles into a bowl and gave them just a drizzle of oil, and mixed it in as this will keep them from sticking together. Then do your other ingredients as they are ready to use (say in a stir fry). You can of course also use these noodles in any soup or perhaps a stir fried dish.

Some ideas for toppings would be some grilled chicken, beef or pork (Cha Siu?), grilled shrimp, or even just a fried egg on top with some Gojujang or other sauce. I would say these wheat noodles are basically a bit similar to “Udon” (though not as good quality as them) – so you could use them in Japanese cooking, to make a “YAKIUDON“. I did a kind of YAKI UDON with these and it worked OK. The box’s recipe for “SESAME SCALLION NOODLES” worked fairly well too when I made it.

TIP: The recipe for Sesame Scallion Noodles on the box is for one pack. So you will need to double the recipe (or more) if you are making two packs of noodles, or you will not have enough sauce. The recipe on the box is actually a good basic recipe that you can modify easily. I added a heaping tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter to it, to make it a bit more “Thai”. I also used a little Bomba hot pepper to make it spicy. Or use some Chili Crunch.

These noodles are handy and not bad at about a buck a portion, even if they don’t match up to the fresh noodles like this (not vacuum packed) you can find at many Asian grocery stores. One more thing I just thought of, you could say add these to Trader Joe’s GINGER MISO soup and come up with a noodle version of that (but do add more ginger).

I hope TJ’s keeps these around so check them out so they see they are selling. (update; these seem quite popular)

I would buy these again.

VEGAN

Here’s TJ’s info on them.

“Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles, a three-pack of ready-to-use noodle packets that’s as simple to eat as heat, serve, and enjoy. They’re made for us from scratch, by a supplier in Thailand, who cooks them to soft, chewy perfection, then vacuum- seals them to keep them preserved at room temperature until the very moment you need them for a soup, curry, or stir-fry” – Trader Joe’s

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/thai-wheat-noodles-062742

Nice Chinese recipe from Xaoying’s Kitchen with cabbage and noodles which you might get some ideas from. Turn on CC Subtitles for English subtitles. Note she is using uncooked noodles. These are pre-cooked so heat for less time (60 seconds?) and then rinse and season as she does.