Trader Joe’s ORGANIC BAKED TOFU

15 Jan 2019 17 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, General, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes, vegetarian Tags: Asian, chinese, healthy, meatless, meatless mondays, Rave, recipe, tofu, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

RAVE

How about this for a review? Though I am not vegetarian, I buy this all the time. This is a terrific product for anyone. It seems to be one of the more popular products at Trader Joe’s. I often notice shoppers grabbing 2 or 3 packages at a time and sometimes its even sold out. Clearly there is a reason.

TJ’s ORGANIC BAKED TOFU is healthy, tasty and versatile. Its high in protein. It can work as a protein/main that one can use in many ways, so is great for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. BAKED TOFU as the name implies is tofu that’s been marinated then baked, which removes a lot of the water in it and gives it a pleasant, firm, and satisfying, well, “meaty” texture, which is why its great for non-vegetarians and vegetarians alike. Though I’m not vegetarian I buy this all the time because its a great ingredient. This can make a very good substitute for a meat protein like say, chicken? In fact this can be used as the “main” protein in many dishes. This is terrific for use in an Asian Stir Fry dishes (see my Tofu with Broccoli stir fry below for one idea). It can be eaten on its own as the Main. You can eat this just As-Is, cold or room temp, with a nice sauce or dressing such as their Sweet Chili Sauce or Sriracha Ranch Dressing, or Spicy Peanut Dressing…. or make up your own. As you can see from what I did with it, it can still be cooked (see pic below). I sometimes grill it, which I think improves it’s flavor even more. There are two flavors available, TERIYAKI and SRIRACHA. Though I am a big fan of Sriracha sauce I find the Teriyaki version is my preferred of the two versions they have. So if you are trying this for the first time, I suggest trying the Teriyaki version first, then the other. But honestly both flavors are good, do try both at some point and see which of the two you like best. Perhaps you will always buy one of each kind, as I see many people do!

What I did with it here (pictured below) is just cut it into slices and sautéed it in a non-stick pan with some Toasted Sesame Oil for about 5 minutes a side until it was golden brown. I then added Soy Sauce and a little raw Sugar (the two basic elements of Teriyaki sauce) and a good deal of fresh black pepper and cooked that for a few minutes more until the sauce has cooked in and thickened a bit. Basically I wanted some more Teriyaki flavor and some sauce. Fresh Garlic (and fresh ginger) would be great to add too, of course for even more flavor.

If I had added more soy sauce and sugar and cooked it down, that would have made more Teriyaki sauce. I think thats one good way to make it. This can be served with that sauce on the side or spooned over. You can use almost any sauce, prepared ones at Trader Joe’s such as Teriyaki, Dumpling Sauce, SoyYaki, Sriracha, Green Dragon Sauce, or even Sriracha Ranch Dressing. Serve the tofu along with some rice, a vegetable, and salad and you have a great tasty, healthy, fast, easy dinner.

If that’s too much work for you, you can just open the package up and just slice it into cubes and throw it on top of a bed of arugula, Power Greens, spinach leaves, etc., and drizzle your favorite sauce or dressing on top, maybe add some peanuts or cashews and voila – you have a nice Lunch or Dinner in seconds.

Roughly I would say one 7 oz. package serves about 2 people, if you serve with above other stuff. So get another package if you are 4. Some readers report just slicing it up thinly and using in sandwiches, as one might use sliced chicken. As the package says “be creative”. This would be good with the SOBA STIR FRY KIT. You could also use this, or the Sriracha version, as your “main protein” plus veggies with TJ’s very good THAI CURRY SIMMER SAUCE for a Thai curry. In short I find this is great stuff to always keep on hand in the fridge, and I almost always have a package in mine, as it’s already cooked it has a long BEST BY date (about 5-6 weeks) so its not like a meat product. Some more uses: cut into strips, sprinkled with more seasonings (chili powder and garlic powder), stir fried, then added to lots of veggies in an asian stir fry. A 7 oz. package has gone up in price now to $3.69 (current price, May 2019, NYC)

Recipe – Chinese Tofu and Broccoli; cut up broccoli into bite size pieces (don’t throw out the stem! Just peel the stem and slice it up thinly) Par-boil the stems first for one minute in salted water. After a minute throw in the rest of the broccoli and cook for another minute or so till bright green. Immediately remove and rinse veg with cold water; put aside. Cut up the tofu into bite size pieces and saute in a wok (or pan) 4-5 minutes till brown then flip and do the other side. While the tofu browns, make the sauce (2 teaspoons soy, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1 inch ginger sliced julienne, 1/2 cup water. Mix in a large rounded tsp of corn starch and stir. After the tofu is all brown remove. Add another tsp oil and stir fry the broccoli till crispy tender. Add the tofu and sauce and cook for about one minute until the sauce is slightly thickened and serve with rice. Optional: top the dish with Lao Gan Ma or TJ’s Chili Crisp.

https://amzn.to/40JQOCI

TJ’s High Protein Organic Super Firm Tofu

07 Jan 2019 7 Comments

by promacnyc in General, organic, Products, Rant, Trader Joes Tags: new, organic, product, Products, rant, tofu, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

Let me begin with saying I really like Trader Joe’s Firm Organic Tofu. I found that it’s pretty good, and priced fairly resonably compared to other stores. That is the tofu I usually buy at Trader Joe’s. Its got a pink label and comes packaged in water. This SUPER FIRM tofu on the other hand called HIGH PROTEIN ORGANIC SUPER FIRM TOFU is not sold package in water the way almost any tofu you have bought comes. This one is just sold wrapped in a plastic wrapper. I gave it a try but I wasn’t crazy about it. I found the texture too tough as a tofu lover, not to mention I am married to an Asian woman (She hated this tofu and made me promise never to buy it again!)

Still other people here have written in, via the Comments section saying they really like this Super Firm tofu. Therefor I think this may be one of those things that you will just have to try for yourself to see if you like it or the regular firm tofu. Some folks apparently really like it. I did not but then as the French say, “A Chacun Son Gout” (To each his own)

To me TJ’s frozen “Mandarin Chicken” is terrible but I know that it’s Trader Joe’s biggest selling product. Go figure.

Trader Joe’s RICE CRACKER MEDLEY snacks

16 Nov 2018 6 Comments

by promacnyc in General, snacks Tags: Food, Products, review, Rice, senbei, snacks, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

These are very tasty, very crunchy cracker type snacks. I would say these are one of my very top Trader Joe’s products. I usually buy a bag whenever I am there.

A favorite snack food in Japan are SENBEI (pronouced Sen-bay).

Senbei are a variety of snacks made from rice which is baked into a crunchy cracker and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors. In Japan there are probably hundreds of kinds. I’ve been to special Senbei shops in Kyoto that are over 150 years old (the shop, not the snacks!)

These “Rice Crackers” that TJ sells are a mixed variety of typical Japanese Senbei snacks. The package says that they are Made in Thailand. If I didn’t see this I would swear these were made in Japan as they are exactly like Japanese Senbei, of which I am really fond of and have tasted plenty!

In the bag are a mixed variety of shapes and sizes as you can see in the photo here. There are both the flat cracker style ones, some short stick type ones, some plain and some coated with “nori” (seaweed). You don’t get more Japanese than these! There are even some of the typical spicy “Wasabi Peas” you probably have tasted, in this Rice Cracker Medley. Every different kind is tasty. My favorite ones are the biggest round crackers, which are a little thick and SUPER crunchy. Trust me, when I say “super crunchy” you may not believe how “crunchy”, crunchy can be until you eat these. I’m talking LOUD, noises going off inside your head, you can barely hear, turn up the tv 10 notches, that crunchy, dig?

These rice crackers have a great deal of “umami“, the “5th flavor” that Japanese covet, and which every chef in America is currently interested in. These crackers go great with beer, they match well with cheese, or you can just eat them on their own. To me, they’re so good, I classify these as a “dangerous” TJ product – meaning a bag in my house can go really FAST between myself and my wife (who’s Japanese, aha!). I could almost eat a whole bag (but I don’t). If you try these you will probably also love them, and want to buy them every time you visit TJ’s. A bag costs $2.29, not a bad deal.

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC SUGAR

05 Jun 2018 6 Comments

by promacnyc in General, organic, Products, Rave, Trader Joes Tags: Food, natural, organic, product, Products, Rave, Sugar, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

“Trader Joe’s Organic Cane Sugar contains only one ingredient: pure, natural, organic evaporated cane juice…”

…Grown in plantations in Paraguay, the sugar cane is cut by hand…. and delivered to a facility where the cane juice is extracted and evaporated into pure sugar crystals. The evaporation process produces perfect sugar crystals, rich in flavor and molasses.”

EXACTLY. Keep It Natural! The less you do (process) to food products, generally the better it is. For this sugar, the result is a high quality sugar with sugar crystals that have a distinct flavor and slight crunch to the tooth (crystals of this sugar are bigger than refined white “regular” Domino sugar). Its very similar to some sugar I usually look for in Hispanic grocery stores called AZUCAR MORENO (Blond Sugar) which is a “special” sugar that I find especially delicious in coffee. Its kind of hard for me to find Azucar Moreno consistently and this TJ product is almost an exact match for just a tiny bit more per bag, so its a good find for me.

What does this taste like? Very good. It has a very subtle taste of brown sugar but it’s lighter in flavor and color than say “light brown sugar” – which is actually regular refined “white sugar” that has had molasses added back to it. It is molasses, a by product of sugar refinery that has the taste we think of as “brown sugar”.

TJ’s ORGANIC SUGAR has more flavor than regular (white) sugar, but its not as “strong” as brown sugar. It will add just a bit more flavor but not overpower the ingredient it is added to. I think this is especially excellent in coffee, and I also like it sprinkled on plain yogurt, or oatmeal. On yogurt, I like the way it crunches a little bit when you bite it, it doesnt melt immediately, as the grains are bigger than regular white sugar.

A 2 lb. bag of ORGANIC SUGAR costs $3.49, ($1.75/lb) So compared to regular white sugar like Domino I would not call this cheap (Domino or other regular sugar usually costs about 50-60 cents a pound…?) So I personally don’t use this to replace all the regular sugar I use. I still use regular sugar in some things, but I use this stuff in my coffee for example, on my yogurt in the morning, my tea… on cinnamon toast….really whenever I want to taste a premium sugar. So you can use this perhaps as an “affordable luxury” where a little bit kind of goes a long way.

PS – Trader Joe’s does sells molasses, the leftover product that is what is normally extracted in the sugar making process. It has a very strong flavor, and is frequently used in baking. A little molasses also goes a long way. It’s delicious, especially used in baking. They also carry TURBINADO sugar. A bit darker than this one (has more molasses in it) and that is also really excellent!

UPDATE: When I bought this recently the back of the bag no longer says its “Grown on sugar farms in Paraguay”. It says something more generic. the bag had “PRODUCT OF ARGENTINA” electronically printed on it. This sugar compared to my last bag was noticeably a lighter shade in color than the previous bag I had. So it’s a bit different now.

TJ’s ORGANIC VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

26 Jun 2012 1 Comment

by promacnyc in General, New, Products, Rave, Trader Joes Tags: beauty, Coconut, Coconut oil, Cooking, Cooking oil, healthy, Rave, review, Saturated fat, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetables, vegetarian

So I’ve been hearing about Coconut Oil, once considered highly unhealthy, being re-evaluated from a health standpoint.

Coconut Oil has been getting a fair amount of buzz this past year. I had read an interesting piece in the NY Times by Melissa Clark about cooking with it.

I saw this jar of Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil in the NEW PRODUCTS shelf at my Trader Joe’s. I thought, I should see what all this fuss is about and made a mental note to pick up a bottle and try it. Now Coconut Oil is a really interesting product in that it has uses both ‘Culinary’ and ‘Health & Beauty’ ! So you can put this into many categories. So I jokingly say, you can eat it and you can put it all over your skin. Or use it as Cooking Oil but also use it as a Hair Dressing. It really is good for all these things, in fact, it has so many uses!

When I opened the bottle and sniffed it, it was just an intense smell of well, coconut. I mean you smell it and your mind instantly thinks ‘Tropical Beach’. At least mine did. Its just got a lovely aroma.

I heard it was great in cooking especially good for sautéing vegetables, as Melissa Clark wrote about. So I peeled and sliced up some Carrots (TJ Organic Carrots) and tossed them in a pan with about a tablespoon of the Coconut Oil. Again, an amazing smell wafted through the kitchen. Tossed in the sliced carrots and let them sauté for about 10 minutes or so. After the carrots were slightly browned I tasted one. It had a wonderful under-note of (yes) Coconut. The sauteed carrots tasted delicious, and I could imagine many vegetables benefitting from being cooked in coconut oil. Melissa Clark mentions roasted sweet potatoes – that sounds great – and she has a number of interesting recipes listed in her piece, which you can try.

Coconut Oil when it’s kept at a cool temperature appears white and in a solid state. If it warms up it, will become clear and liquid.

Additionally of course this is good for other things, like putting on your hair too. And it is wonderful to rub on dry skin as a moisurizer. I even read its a natural antiperspirant (you put a drop or two under your arms).

What a useful product. The question may be Where to keep the jar?! In the Bathroom or the Kitchen?!!

A jar costs $5.99 for 16 ounces. Check it out. I’m just beginning to experiment with using it. I put it on my hair, it helps keep my curly hair, curly and moisturized – it does make your hair soft and smell wonderful too.

UPDATE: (Spring 2019) They lowered the price. It’s now $4.99 !

*The Coconut Oil Cure All* (tinyoranges.com)
Coconut Oil (runworkeatsleep.wordpress.com)
Why Moms Should Use Coconut Oil (ecochildsplay.com)
In The Following Paragraphs We’re Going To Be Checking Out The Lots Of Benefits Of Coconut Oil (ajbelljournalism.com)
Nicole Hughes posted a blog post (bloggymoms.com)
Definition: Coconut Oil (bellasugar.com)

Trader Joe’s FIG BUTTER

22 Mar 2012 4 Comments

by promacnyc in Blog, General, New, Products, Rave, Trader Joes Tags: Butter, Ficus, Fig Butter, Food, Fruit, Fruit butter, jam, no preservatives, Peanut butter, preserves, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

RAVE

So I read about this product in a “Fearless Flyer” and then I saw it the next day on the shelf and thought I should buy it and report on it. When I got home I confess I instantly opened it up, and dug a spoon into the jar to taste it. First reaction, was OMG, this is some fantastically good stuff!

Trader Joe’s FIG BUTTER is an extremely tasty figgy jam. Well actually this is a true fruit butter, meaning fruit that has been cooked down till its super concentrated. And no, there’s no “butter” in it all all, its a kind of old-fashioned reference, when canning fruit was common.

TJ Fig Butter contains just five pure all natural ingredients: figs, water, sugar, lemon juice, and pectin.

The taste is like very yummy, very ripe figs, but deeper and more complex than eating a fresh fig. After reading the Fig Butter post in the Fearless Flyer, I learned there are three different kinds of figs used to make it and surely this is one of the reasons the flavor profile is so complex.

CONTAINS : MISSION FIGS, CALIMYRNA FIGS, CONADRIA FIGS

For breakfast I made a piece of TJ Tuscan Pane toast with some TJ crunchy Peanut Butter and put this FIG BUTTER on it. What a heavenly combination! Try it!

In fact the main problem with this fig butter is its too good, I bought it yesterday and between my wife and myself, the jar seems to be half gone already. Next, I will have to sample the other fruit butters TJ sells. Mango, Pumpkin, Lemon, etc… An 11 oz jar of TJ’s fruit butters costs $2.29

CLASSY TIP: Next time you have company over and do a cheese plate, put a small dish of this Fig Butter out with the cheeses (like Brie, Unexpected Cheddar and some hard cheeses. Your guests will rave over the way this goes with the cheese. A few drops of fresh lemon juice mixed in with the jam and it will be even better.

…Working with Maine-based culinary craftsmen, focused on old-fashioned, farmstand goodness and flavor, we created Trader Joe’s Fig Butter. It starts with a medley of fresh, ripe figs: Mission figs for their extreme sweetness, Calimyrna figs for their distinctive nutty flavor and Conadria figs for their nutty-sweet balance. The whole figs are dried, ground and then crushed before being slow-cooked, in small batches, with sugar, lemon and pectin. It’s a simple recipe using only the finest, freshest ingredients, and no preservatives or artificial colors. The result is full fig flavor concentrated in a smooth, spreadable butter.

In some markets a great deal of butter is retailed from tubs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

FROM TJ FEARLESS FLYER – BAGEL WITH CREAM CHEESE AND FIG BUTTER

Overhead view of toasted bagel with cream cheese, topped with fig butter, diced apricot, crushed walnuts, and honey

Fig Butter Cream Cheese Bagel

Trader Joe’s Fig Butter is a favorite ingredient among recipe testers and tasters alike in our test kitchen, and it’s easy to see why: it shines in sweet and savory applications, packs a punch of flavor in a compact jar, and it’s just downright delicious. Elevate the standard bagel & cream cheese with a healthy dollop of said Fig Butter, followed by chopped walnuts, dried apricots and a generous drizzle of honey.

Serves: 2 – 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 TJ’s Plain Bagels, sliced in half
1 package TJ’s Cream Cheese, quartered and softened
TJ’s Fig Butter
Handful TJ’s Dried Apricots, diced
Handful TJ’s Walnut Baking Pieces
Your favorite TJ’s Honey

DIRECTIONS

Remove lid from fig butter. Microwave on half power for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until warm. Set aside. Toast bagels per your preference. Top each half with cream cheese, spreading to cover bagel. Drizzle with warm fig butter. Top with diced apricot and walnuts, followed by a generous drizzle of honey. Enjoy immediately.

World’s Best Raisin Bran Cereal!

15 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in Blog, General, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes Tags: breakfast, cereal, Food, Golden Raisins, healthy, Products, Raisin, Raisin Bran, Rave, recipe, T. J.'s, Trader Joes, vegan

My morning brainstorm in the shower thinking about what to eat for breakfast. In a Euraka Moment, thinks I, “Why not “make” my own raisin bran? No, not with just regular TJ’s raisins but with the Golden Raisins I just bought yesterday.” The Golden Raisins. Plus TJ’s Bran Flakes (which is bar none best bran flakes made)?

YES – you heard that right

“Golden Raisin Bran”

And I did it. And it was…. MIGHTY, MIGHTY FINE!

Try it for yourself! Why has no one though of this before? Am I a genius or what?

Recipe: Put some Bran Flakes in bowl. Add a small handful of the Golden Raisins.

Milk. A little sugar. Yogurt topping? Nice.

Done.

Eat up.

OMG, right?

You must, must must try these two TJ’s items together

Then tell me if the combination is not the best damn cereal you’ve ever had.

TJ’s Refried Black Beans “With Jalapeños”

16 Aug 2011 10 Comments

by promacnyc in Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes Tags: healthy, homemade, Mexican, no preservatives, olive oil, Products, Rave, recipe, review, Trader Joes, vegan, vegan gluten free, vegetables, vegetarian

“High in Fiber and a Good Source of Iron”

Says so right on the front label and all true. This is a very healthy thing for you to eat. And since a can costs just 99 cents, it’s very economical too. Now if you are not familiar with “Refried Beans” there are a few things you should know. One is in Spanish “frijoles refritos” is slightly misleading in that while it literally can be interpreted as “re-fried beans” they are not “fried” twice, they are “cooked twice”, first the beans are boiled, then they are mashed/fried with some kind of fat. Authentic Mexican FRIJOLES REFRITO are either pinto, black, or other beans that have been cooked till very tender, and then mashed till they are a smooth paste. The mixture is cooked with onions and garlic and spices in some oil or fat (traditionally manteca (lard) is used but more ‘modern, healthy’ versions may use olive oil). Manteca does give the beans the best flavor though! Cooked until a thick paste, Refritos generally is eaten with corn tortillas in one form or another, or simply put on the plate as a side. Of course the famous combination of Corn and Beans eaten together create a complex protein that is equal to meat protein, and are eaten in many places all over the world to sustain a population. In Mexico this is very true. This classic combination is both a high quality protein at a relatively low cost compared to meat/chicken/etc, and is a staple eaten daily by MILLIONS of people around the world.

However Trader Joe’s Refried Black Beans are a much simplified version of this classic bean dish. The ingredients list says simply : Black beans, water, sea salt, spice, jalapeños. So actually since there is no fat of any kind listed, in truth these are not really “refritos” at all! You could eat them this way just out of the can, but I find them just so-so that way, I think of them as a time-saver over making my own beans (soaking overnight, etc) and mashing them. Tasting these you may say as I did, “what where’s the jalapeño’s?” Are there really Jalapeño peppers are in this?? They seem non-existant taste wise so I assume the amount is miniscule.

When you open up up the can, be aware this beans don’t look too appetizing till prepared (frankly one could say it looks like dog food) but it will look fine after you heat them up and hopefully gussy them up as I suggest .

Anyway think of this can as a starting point to something. If you invest a mere 5 minutes to improve these* to make them tastier and more authentic, you will be rewarded with something twice as good as the way they taste right out of the can, I promise you. Here’s what I suggest you do with these mashed black beans – Smash or chop up a fat clove of garlic and toss it in a non-stick pan, over medium heat with a nice slug of good Olive Oil (I used TJ’s Spanish EVOO). Add the bean paste from the can (carefully! it may spit in the hot oil) Perhaps add some diced fresh or pickled jalapeños or other chile peppers ‘to taste’. A great thing to add would be one small can of TJ’s Roasted Green Chiles, chopped up. A little diced onion sauteed for 5 minutes in the oil before the beans go in couldn’t hurt and will add much flavor to your Frijoles Refritos. Now add some spices: oregano, cumin if you like it, a dash of red pepper flakes plus a good sprinkling of black pepper. Taste for salt. Cook the the beans, pushing down with a wooden spoon, mixing into the oil and every now and then stirring and making sure they don’t burn as they cook. Use a low flame. Cook the mixture for about 5-10 minutes until the paste softens up, moves freely (If too thick, add a tiny pinch of water) until the Frijoles look smooth and smell wonderful. If you like spicy, a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce would go well added now. There….much improved over just opening this can.

Are you so Lazy that reading the above makes you say all that sounds like way too much work? Wow you are a lazy bum! OK then if you do nothing else, at a minimum when you heat the beans up just add some olive oil and lots of black pepper and some hot sauce to the pan.

Eat your Frijoles Refritos with tortillas, tostadas…. Use as fillings in burritos. Add salsa, cheese, tomato, greens. Refritos are also great served as a side with a sprinkle of cheese, maybe some mexican style rice, and possibly some Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo.

If you’ve never had these before, try them, or their cousin Trader Joe’s Pinto Refried Beans with Salsa. Those are also quite good. They are very tasty when jazzed up a little, so filling, healthy and economical it’s not even funny. Your heart and cholesterol will thank you, especially since you made them with olive oil and not lard (thought authentic manteca does taste best, sorry!) For a dollar you can easily always keep a few cans of these in the pantry.

RAVE.

VEGAN FRIENDLY

TJ’s FRENCH GREEN BEANS (Haricots Verts)

01 Jun 2011 21 Comments

by promacnyc in General, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, Trader Joes, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Balsamic vinegar, Boiled egg, Cook, France, French, French cuisine, frozen, Green bean, healthy, Home, imported, olive oil, recipe, Salad, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

UPDATE! SUMMER 2019 – out of stock all year, this product has finally is back in stores !

(Updated, Nov 2019) This product is in stores!

RAVE

These can easily be on any Trader Joe’s Top 10 List.

Easily best “first try” of a TJ product in a while, I was quite impressed with the quality of these frozen green beans. These are are extremely high quality French Haricots Verts (“green beans”). They are “IMPORTED FROM FRANCE”. These Haricot Verts are the real McCoy and a super bargain.

French “Haricot Verts” are better and higher quality bean than our usual standard green beans. Haricots Verts are a skinnier French green bean variety, thinner and more tender than our regular US green beans.. These are the expensive-ass skinny green beans you get next to that $35 entree you ordered when you go to an expensive restaurant. When I see fresh HARICOTS VERTS, imported from France, at a top green grocer like Fairway for example, which does carry them, they are always quite expensive, something like $8-10 per lb? As opposed to $2/lb for our “normal” fresh green beans. I always think ‘who can afford to buy these 12 bucks a pound green beans?! They must have money to burn.’ Well now thanks to Trader Joe’s great buying skills, all of us non-Rockefeller normal folks can afford to buy these wonderful French green beans, just they’ve come flash frozen.

TJ’s sells a package of the frozen HARICOT VERTS in a 24 oz bag. (1.5 lbs) for $1.99! Do the math, thats comes out to about $1.50/lb so thats about the same price or LESS, than I might buy regular fresh green beans (a price check followup in April 2012 show this is still the same price!)

These are those same wonderful thin, french haricots verts, all prepped and ready to use, which have been flash frozen. Dark, nice green color. Blanched for a few seconds prior to being flash frozen. Certainly easy to use: they are all prepped (tip and tailed) which you would spend time doing with fresh beans. This is a big time saver as prepping beans is the one thing I don’t like about when I buy fresh green beans, they take a bit of work to tip and tail a pound of beans. These come trimmed and cut into bite size lengths, ready to use. Handy. To cook, throw them in boiling salted water.

Or you can also just toss the beans into a hot sauté pan with some butter and oil (and garlic?) Cook either way for only 1-2 mins till just tender. Don’t overcook these! You can easily ruin them. With a bit of minced garlic and butter you have a nice French side dish of haricots verts, ready in minutes. Salads? Yes! I threw them into a salad after boiling them for about 45-60 seconds, dumping them in a colander and running cold water to cool them, and they were really good tossed with some good Virgin Olive Oil and White Balsamic vinegar…Delicious. Toss in some diced hard boiled eggs, and parsley, and you have a nice “salade composé”. I also use these a lot by just adding them to any dish I’m making, generally breaking them in half first as I add them to stews, soups, etc…..

haricots verts cocoCategory:Green beans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To sell at this price, I can only imagine these are one of those items TJ’s makes a huge deal with the farmer or vendors. TJ’s purchases in such huge quantities directly from the vendor and they say pays in cash for the next crop and thats how TJ’s makes deals so they can sell products at such bargains (case in point is Olive Oil, right? They buy HUGE massive quantities from vendors all over the world)

Anyway TJ’s FRENCH GREEN BEANS (Haricots Verts) are my new favorite vegetable, and are now on my “always these have on hand” Trader Joe’s List. I now always buy a package to have in my freezer at all times. Right next to TJ’s Frozen Peas and Frozen Edamame, also all staples in my house. These are very versatile things to have on hand at all times. Try them, you won’t be sorry.

RECIPE: Haricots Verts With Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

(If you make this remember the recipe assumes using fresh haricots verts so adjust the cooking time down)

Have you tried this product? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

NOTE: THIS WAS M.I.A FOR SOME TIME AS NOTED BY MANY READERS. I INQUIRED ABOUT IT WITH THE CAPTAIN AT MY LOCAL TJ (NYC) WHO TOLD ME THE PRODUCT WAS NOT DISCONTINUED, THEY RAN OUT OF IT, AND HADNT BEEN AVAILABLE FROM THE SUPPLIER. HE TOLD ME THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE NEXT HARVEST AND SHIPMENT TO COME IT. IT SHOULD AGAIN BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE (2019) – As of July 2019, I still don’t see it

AUGUST 2019 – I think I found it again finally!! Package looks different (white bag instead of clear) and instead of “Trader Joe’s” label says “DU JARDIN” but seems to be the Haricot Verts “extra fine green beans” “Product of France”…. so this must be it?…Except now bag is 16 oz instead of 24 oz and its $1.99. So price went up. Of course.

UPDATE2 (SEPT 2019) This product (original package) is back in the stores!

TJ’s TUSCAN PANE Sliced Bread

13 May 2011 23 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, bread, General, Prices, Products, Rave, Recipes, Trader Joes, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: bread, bruschetta, Food, fresh, garlic, healthy, increases, olive oil, product, Products, Rave, recipe, review, tomato, Trader Joes, vegan

RAVE:

You will see this bread on many a “Trader Joe’s Top 10” and “best products” lists, and rightly so. I think its one of the best breads they sell, among the best packaged bread I’ve had, period.

TUSCAN PANE is a good, country style bread. Pretty sure this is a slow rise sourdough; its usually full of air holes. Its has a very nice chewy texture and a good crust, of course which is better heated. In fact it gets 10x better toasted or grilled. Tuscan Pane makes unbelievably good toast, and many a morning this bread toasted is what I crave at breakfast. Top the toast with butter, jam, cream cheese, cheese, veggies or just about anything and you have a little slice of toast heaven. One of my faves would be with cream cheese and tomato. Or brie with jam, warmed till the brie is a bit melty.

A large 27 oz. loaf of Tuscan Pane original “white” was until recently $2.29. It has gone up to $2.49 (All wheat products are up) The Whole Wheat version goes for $2.69. Flavorwise I think I prefer the original “white” one to the whole wheat one but the whole wheat is still good too if you prefer that. I usually always prefer to buy whole wheat breads, but this one, not really. Since first trying this, this is yet another TJ product I’ve been become totally hooked on. I must have Tuscan Pane on hand at all times now. I keep it in the freezer; it keeps well frozen at least a week or two.

This bread can be the base of many easy sandwich, snacks and other recipes (croutons? yes!) I make quick and easy Bruschettas using this all the time. Here’s a fast, simple recipe:

BRUSCHETTA

-TJ’s Tuscan Pane

-Fresh garlic, ripe tomato, olive oil

Grill or toast a few slices of bread. When golden brown, immediately rub a cut clove of garlic on the bread. Take a slice of ripe tomato and ’smush’ it into your toast. If you want to be neat, you can dice your tomato and top it (but rubbed in is authentic Italian or Basque Pa Amb Tomaquet style) Drizzle on a nice splash of olive oil, sprinkle with some fresh black pepper and sea salt. A little herbage (basil) on top can’t hurt, but if you don’t have, thats fine. If you want something heartier, add some sliced or grated parmesan or other cheese or perhaps some prosciutto. Done. YUM!