Trader Joe's Mac 'n Cheese

My latest comfort food is this frozen Mac 'n Cheese from Trader Joe's. Creamy cheesy yummy in just a few minutes in the microwave!

I like to add in a bit of fresh spinach and a bit of chopped prosciutto.

Great for a cold winter day!

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

I'm not a big fan of squash, but when I saw this soup recipe in the Detroit Free Press last fall, I had to try it. So easy! I tweaked it by adding some extra seasoning and the green onion. It was rich and creamy and easy! I liked that the bits of apple, bacon, and green onion added a bit of texture to the soup.

I used this soup and apple sauce from Trader Joe's.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

1 Granny Smith apple
4 slices of bacon
1 box (32 ounces) creamy butternut soup
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
thyme
chopped green onion

Peel, core, and chop the apple. Chop the bacon into bite size pieces and fry in the soup pot. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel. Pour off the bacon grease but don't wipe out the pot (to leave some of the bacon flavor). Add the soup, apple, and apple sauce to the pot and heat for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (to add a little bite, just a touch, can omit), and thyme. Garnish with the bacon and the chopped green onion.

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!

Trader Joe's Choczillanut Cookie

You may recall a few posts ago that I mentioned that I wanted to go back to stay at the DoubleTree hotel just to eat another of their cookies. I no longer need to do that. Why? Three words - *BEST* *COOKIE* *EVER* !!!

Yes, I found it today at Trader Joe's! You know how I tend to end up buying at least one new thing every time I shop there. I'd never seen these Choczillanut Cookies before and they looked so tempting. I was weak. So I bought a package. And yes, I ate it for lunch!

First off, they are huge - 4 1/2 inches across! And they are the chewy, soft kind. They are filled with dark, white, and milk chocolate chunks and chopped pecans. They taste homemade! Truly, the perfect cookie! I savored each bite (after all, it was my lunch)! About half way through, I thought, all it is missing is being warm, so I stuck it in the microwave for about 10 seconds, and then it was true cookie perfection!

If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, I strongly suggest that you drop everything, hop in your car, drive to Trader Joe's and buy these cookies right now! Seriously! You won't regret it!

Trader Joe Cranberry OrangeBread

I love this Cranberry Orange Bread mix - especially when I have to make something last minute to bring to an event. It tastes like it was made from scratch and no one knows the difference unless you tell them!


I doctored this up a little by adding some nuts and a glaze made of powdered sugar, a tablespoon of softened cream cheese, fresh orange peel, and orange juice (but it really doesn't need it). And this bread was even enjoyed by a little one year old boy - who would have thought it would be a kid pleaser?

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!

Trader Joe Orange Cardamom Star Cookies

The spice cardamom always reminds me of my grandma. She sometimes would make butter cookies with cardamom seeds in them. As a kid, I thought it was such an unusual taste and I could never quite decide if I liked it or not. But now as an adult I love that flavor, so when I saw these "Orange Cardamom Star Cookies" at Trader Joes I had to check them out.


Of course they come in the cutest tin! Who could resist?? I was disappointed that the lid on the tin doesn't fit tight, so if you aren't careful, the lid will come off and they will all fall out on the floor, so beware. And the size of the tin is deceptive, because when you open it you will discover that the plastic bag of cookies fills only the center of the tin!


But do they taste good?? Yes, they taste addictingly good. The kind of buttery good with that slight cardamom aftertaste. They are so tiny that you quickly can eat one, two, four, or fourteen before you know it. So I do recommend them. Just hold on tight to the lid!

Trader Joe Treasure - Grilled Chicken with Tortellini and Sun Dried Tomatoes

One of my favorite products from Trader Joes is this Grilled Chicken Tortellini. Chicken strips, sun dried tomatoes, and tortellini stuffed with cheese coated with a nice olive oil seasoned with Italian herbs. It tastes great heated or even cold! I usually keep a package in the freezer to use when I need a quick meal.

I usually add some Kalamata olives and some shredded cheese. I can get 2, maybe three meals out of a package. Here it is packed up for my lunch. I've also served this for company - I boought a couple packages, added another package of grilled chicken strips from Trader Joes and some extra tomatoes and olives. A classy yummy meal for little effort!

Trader Joe's Cioppino

The other day I was at Trader Joe's looking for something for a quick and easy meal and saw this cioppino seafood stew in the frozen food section. It sounded like a good meal on a damp cool day. It was very easy to prepare - just a few minutes in a saucepan to melt the sauce and then throw in the mixture of frozen shrimp, scallops, fish, and even a few mussels.

I was surprised that the fish didn't get mushy and the flavor was nice. I served it over brown rice and fresh parsley and with some crusty bread. It was a very easy meal to make. BUT it was way too expensive - I think it was over 6 dollars for the package. Supposedly it had 2 servings. You can see my bowl below with about 3/4 of the entire package over rice - it was a very small serving. So even though I liked it, there just wasn't enough value to buy it again. Sorry, Trader Joe!

Trader Joe Treasure - Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels

My new weakness! Peanut butter, a little crunch of pretzel, salty, sweet, covered in milk chocolate. Here, have a bite:

Trader Joe - Oatmeal Cranberry Dunkers

This is my new weakness from Trader Joe's. A nice crisp oatmeal cookie with cranberries. Perfect for dunking in tea or coffee. Or not dunking, just eating plain.


The best part is the pretty white chocolate zigzaged over the top. Mmmmm. (Please, don't ask how long that big container lasted - I had to hurry and take a picture before they were all gone.)

Trader Joe Treasure - Coconut Macaroons

These are the best - moist and chewy and loaded with coconut. So easy to pop in your mouth! They are an addicting treat!

Trader Joe Treasures Week - Day Six - Cantare Olive Tapenade

This fresh tapenade is a yummy mix of green and black olives with feta cheese and olive oil. I've used it on pasta and sandwiches. But I especially like to combine it with the Seeded Harvest Boule artisan bread:


I brush the bread on the bottom with a bit of olive oil and slather the top with tapenade. Sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and stick in the toaster oven for a couple minutes. Voila! - easy tapinade bruschetta, perfect for a quick snack or a light lunch! Or a great appetizer for when you have company!


Well, that's my last entry for Trader Joe Treasures week (Somehow I missed posting on Thursday, oh well, but I gave you two treasures for today!) I'll do it again sometime - I know at least one person told me they enjoyed it, and I have plenty of other products to share!

Trader Joe Treasures Week - Day Five - Fage Greek Yogurt

This is a product you can find at other stores, not just Trader Joes. And it is a bit more expensive than a regular yogurt. But this Greek yogurt is wonderful - thick and tangy. It just tastes rich, even the nonfat version. I like it with a little honey and some sliced apples. Or with a dab of jam, some strawberries, and almonds. It makes a nice little dessert that is fairly healthy. So it is another one of those must-purchase items at Trader Joes that I always have in the refrigerator.

Trader Joe Treasures Week - Day Four - Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Another Trader Joe's product that I always have on hand is their 12 ounce package of Parmesan Cheese. A bit to sprinkle in a salad, on a pasta, in risotto, on bruschetta - I use it every where. Convenient and a good price.

Below is lunch for this week which combines Days 2, 3, and 4 - a nice salad with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, a sprinkle of parmesan, and some organic strawberries. The only way it could get easier would be if someone else would make it for me!

Trader Joe Treasures Week - Day Three - Just the Leaves Lettuce

lettuce
I love the convenience of bagged salad lettuce, but I hate the fact that it goes brown so fast and that it has so many lettuce "ribs" that end up in the bottom of the bag and usually get tossed out. So I prefer to buy this bagged lettuce from TJs. I purchase both the leaf and the romaine lettuce. The leaves are separated and cleaned and in a zip lock package. I can pull out a few leaves and tear them up for a salad and remove the "ribs" which I don't like. The lettuce stays fresh for about a week in the bag if kept tightly sealed.

Trader Joe Treasures Week - Day Two - Grilled Chicken Strips

I buy these grilled chicken strips almost every week, and I always keep an extra package in the freezer. I use them in everything - salads, pastas, sandwiches, pizzas. Tasty and a huge timesaver. I like both the plain style and they also have a teryaki version which is delicious. In fact, I used them in my Grown Up Mac 'n Cheese recipe, well as this Pear Pecan salad.

Trader Joe Treasures Week - Day One - Limeade

This week I decided it would be fun to do a feature where every day I share one of the products from Trader Joes that I always have either on my shelf, pantry, or refrigerator. (You may have noticed I am kind of a Trader Joe junkie - I love shopping there and have come to depend on many of their products.) So here goes with my favorite TJ beverage:


Today it hit 70 degrees. So I am thinking of summer, and my favorite summer drink is Trader Joe's limeade. It is just the perfect blend of tart and sweet - so delicious when poured into a glass full of ice. And I am drinking an icy glass of limeade right now as I blog. The only bad thing is when it sometimes is out of stock! They didn't have any over the weekend when I went shopping, and I had just opened my last jar! So next time I see it available I plan to buy several jars to restock my stash.

Slurp.

Mediterranean Lemon Pepper Papparadelle

My friend Sally clued me in to the wonders of Trader Joe Papparadelle. And now it comes in Lemon Pepper! I got the idea for this recipe from one of the Trader Joe flyers and twisted it by adding some of my favorite ingredients. It is quick and easy and you really can throw in whatever things you have available in the house. When I brought this in for lunch last week, everyone in the teacher's lounge was drooling, so I am posting the recipe here.

Mediterranean Lemon Pepper Papparadelle

1 package Lemon Pepper Papparadelle
2 cans Genova Tuna in Olive Oil

Prepare the papparadelle according to the package. Toss in a large bowl with 2 cans of tuna with the oil - do not drain. Then toss in a variety of Mediterranean style vegetables and toppings. I like to use:

fresh or sun dried tomatoes
red peppers
kalamata or green olives
feta cheese (I used the reduced fat feta from Trader Joes, where else?)
fresh baby spinach
pine nuts

Add an extra drizzle of olive oil if needed, and salt and fresh cracked pepper if you desire.

Greek Corn Bread

Trader Joes has a marvelous corn bread mix which makes a crusty sweet corn bread. I make the mix according to directions on the package, but I put it in a larger 9 x 13 pan. I top it with thin slices of tomato and red onion, kalamata olives, and either feta or goat cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes. As the corn bread starts to get golden, I remove it from the oven and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Return to the oven and finish baking for another 5 minutes. The corn bread should be a deep golden brown - if under baked it will fall apart. Let it cool slightly before cutting - the bread will be a bit crumbly, but oh so good.