Easy Thai Coleslaw with Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

I really have been enjoying using this Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette from Trader Joe's this summer. It has a flavor like a good Thai peanut sauce with just a bit of a kick. I usually don't like things that are really spicy hot and this gives just the tiniest bit of heat without burning your mouth off.


I've been making coleslaw using this dressing. No measure - just add in the amount of ingredients you desire.


Easy Thai Coleslaw

Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
Bag of chopped cabbage for coleslaw
Cilantro, roughly chopped
Sweet baby red peppers, finely sliced in strips (other vegetables could be used)
Sliced scallions
Chopped peanuts or cashews

Combine the chopped cabbage, chopped cilantro, peppers, and scallions. Drizzle with the Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette and toss. Top with the chopped peanuts.


I add grilled chicken strips (also from Trader Joe's) to make this coleslaw into a full meal. It makes a wonderful fresh crunchy meal on a hot day because there is no cooking required! I've also used broccoli slaw with the same recipe with excellent results.

Manchego Stuffed Dates wrapped in Proscuitto

An easy appetizer or snack.

Cut manchego cheese in tiny wedges. Stuff into the dried dates - cut tiny slits in the end of the date if the cheese won't fit (sorry about the blurry picture above).


Cute each slice of prosciutto into quarters - once across and once long way so you have 4 strips. Wrap the date in the prosciutto.


Serve as is, or you can warm it up in an oven or toaster oven for a few minutes until the prosciutto is a bit crispy.

Roasted Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

I've been enjoying making this easy pasta sauce. It's more like a pesto, without the basil. Roast 2 heads of garlic in the oven with some olive oil. When done, pop the cloves out of the skins into a food processor with about 1 1/2 cups sun dried tomatoes (without oil), 3/4 cups parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup olive oil and blitz. (Note, I don't really measure this, I just dump.)

Cook your pasta. This time it was a whole wheat linguini. SAVE about a cup of the pasta water before draining. I always forget to do this, and I recently heard the suggestion to put your measuring cup in/near the strainer so you don't forget.


Toss the sauce with the warm pasta and add the pasta water as needed to get it the consistency that you desire. It will be more chunky than creamy smooth, but it coats the pasta into a nice orange with lovely flavorful bits. I add a few pine nuts and top with a bit more cheese before serving.

Yogurt with Blueberries and Lemon Curd

These has been my favorite healthy-ish treat this summer. I start with a big blob of plain non-fat Greek Yogurt - either Fage or the Trader Joe brand. (Greek yogurt is thick and tangy - yum!) Then I add a big spoonful of lemon curd (also from Trader Joe's), fresh blueberries, and almonds. Tangy, sweet, refreshing, and easy!

Pasta Presto

Here's a quick way to make a fresh tasting pasta sauce.


Start with a 24 ounce can of chopped tomatoes. I like to find some good Italian San Marzano chopped tomatoes - I think the flavor is brighter.


Chop 1/2 an onion. (Add chopped red pepper if you wish.) Saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Then add the canned tomatoes and a clove of chopped garlic. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper, dried Italian herbs, and fennel seeds. Cook for a few minutes more, until warmed.


Add your favorite cooked pasta.


Top with fresh parsley and basil. Sometimes I even add some chopped spinach so I can get in a few more healthy vegetables. Finally, put some shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Sugared Almonds

So tomorrow we are having another salad luncheon at school, and this week I just wasn't going to be home long enough in the evening to bake anything, so I took the wimpy way out and signed up to bring almonds because I knew that I already had a big package of them! But then I thought that it would only take me 10 minutes to make sugared almonds! Thought I'd share the easy directions with you.


Take a heavy pan and toss in 1 cup of slivered almonds and 3/4 cup of white sugar. Put the heat on high.


Watch carefully - in about a minute the sugar will start to melt. Then you need to stir them constantly with a wooden spoon. In about 3 or 4 minutes the sugar will melt to a golden color and will coat the toasted almonds. Remove from the heat.


(Note to self: don't stop at this moment to take pictures - almonds will continue to darken and may burn!)

Immediately spread the almonds on parchment paper that is set on a cookie set.


(Note to self: get the parchment ready before starting to heat the almonds. And another note to self: do not touch the almonds after spreading them, because they remain hot for several minutes. And especially, do not try to eat one of the hot almonds.)


After the almonds have cooled, break them apart and store in an airtight container. These are wonderful sprinkled on top of salads, yogurt, fruit, or desserts.

Quick Thai Green Curry with Chicken

I bought this Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce at Trader Joe's recently and used it to make a quick no measure meal. I stir fried a half package of sugar snap peas and one chopped red pepper for about a minute in a large pan. Then I tossed in some cooked grilled chicken from Trader Joe's and the simmer sauce until warmed.

I topped the curry with some green onions and added a few rice noodles for a bit of crunch. (Peanuts or cashews would also be a good topping.) I served it over brown rice. The sauce is slightly sweet with a slight kick - different, but I liked it! And you can't get much easier!

Balsamic Swiss Chard

I think the first time I ever had Swiss Chard was at Pete's Place a few weeks ago. I really liked tangy dressing that they used to cook it in. When I saw this bag of "Chard of Many Colors" at Trader Joe's a few days ago, I knew I had to experiment!


First of all - look at the rainbow of colors in the package - so pretty!


This is how I cooked it. First I heated a large pan with a little olive oil. I added a bit of chopped onion into it and cooked it for a minute until slightly softened and golden. Then I added in a handful the chard into the pan for a couple minutes, stirring it frequently. Next I sprinkled it generously with balsamic vinegar and a bit of brown sugar - enough to give it a nice tangy slightly sweet glaze. I stirred for a minute or more, until the chard was wilted and then removed from the pan. Finally, I topped it with some toasted pine nuts.


I'm not a big fan of vegetables but I really liked this recipe!

Italian Coleslaw

Here's another quick and easy no measure recipe from our picnic last week. Since I don't like mayonnaise, this is an fast and refreshing way to to make coleslaw.

Italian Coleslaw

bagged coleslaw mix (in salad section, usually has shredded cabbage and carrots)
Italian Dressing (use your favorite - I used one of those little Good Seasons packets that you mix up yourself in a little shaker)
fresh parsley, roughly choppped
green onion, sliced

Combine in a bowl and serve! That's it!

Summer Watermelon Salad

Food and faith - do you trust the people who serve you some new recipe with an unusual ingredient combination?

I make this recipe every summer with the mint that grows in my garden. I first saw it several years ago on one of Nigella Lawson's cooking shows. I thought it looked interesting and found the recipe in her Forever Summer cookbook - it's now on her website, too. I don't measure this one. (If you want exact amounts, check the recipe link above.) I just cut up watermelon in bite sized cubes, then mix with sliced kalamata olives, red onion slices, and feta cheese. I add fresh snipped mint and parsley from my garden, and then top with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

The first time I served this to guests, I recall that food/faith moment - it's hard for anyone to believe that this would taste good. But the mix of the sweet from the watermelon, the salty from the olives and feta, and the fresh taste of the mint is an amazing blend of summer flavors. The perfect refreshing dish for a cookout! Trust me!

No Measure Recipes 1 - Chicken and Spinach Mac and Cheese

So after I wrote the post about the fruit crisp made with leftovers, I realized how much cooking I do with the "no measure" method. Clever Karen decided that there might be some others out there too lazy to measure who might enjoy some ideas of easy things to cook. So here is the first of what may turn out to be a "no measure" series - Chicken and Spinach Mac and Cheese.

The idea for this came from a comment from Melissa back when I was doing Trader Joe's week. She mentioned that she used to buy the White Cheddar Mac and Cheese at Trader Joe's. Now I am not a fan of boxed mac and cheese, but I am a huge fan of White Cheddar Cheezits! So anything white cheddar can't be all bad!

The box stayed tucked in my pantry until a Friday night when I need a quick and comforting meal. I cooked the package according to directions, then tossed in some fresh cracked pepper, Parmesan cheese, grilled chicken strips, and some baby spinach that I had snipped into pieces. In about 10 minutes I had a easy creamy pasta. Not as good as a handful of White Cheddar Cheezits, but probably a better option for supper!