This is one of my favorite Italian-style entrees from Trader Joe’s. The most pleasant and unexpected thing about this entrée is that the sauce isn’t a cooked tomato sauce. Instead it’s mostly halved cherry tomatoes, chunks of zucchini and red pepper, and basil. The result is a fresher taste and firmer texture than most frozen […]
Trader Joe’s Hearty Minestrone Soup (vegan)
There are now 7 fresh soup selections at my Trader Joe’s. These are usually on the top shelf above the grab-and-go salads. Two have meat, but 3 (carrot coconut curry, pea, and vegetable with quinoa and kale) are labeled vegan. The remaining two (lentil and minestrone) appear to be vegan based on the ingredient list. […]
Trader Joe’s Cheese & Cranberry Fillo Bites
I’m not opposed to a sweet appetizer, but it needs to have something that distinguishes it from a dessert item. In the case of these fillo bites either the cheese needs to be tangy or the cranberries tart. Unfortunately, neither is the case. The camembert cheese is very mild and the cranberry sauce is slightly […]
Harvest Blend Herbal Tea (vegan)
This is a spicy tea blend that smells and tastes primarily of cinnamon and ginger. It’s a great hot tea for a cold day. Surprisingly, it’s also amazing as iced tea. The flavor is strong enough that it doesn’t taste watery even with lots of ice and the spiciness is oddly refreshing on a hot […]
Trader Joe’s Persimmon Salad
The main ingredients in this salad are butter lettuce, kale, goat cheese and persimmons with a pomegranate dressing. I am not a huge persimmon fan, but this salad still worked for me. Trader Joe’s wisely used firm persimmons, but cut them very fine. This results in nice color, crunch and a subtle persimmon flavor that […]
Trader Joe’s French Onion Soup
My son put this in our shopping cart and I handed it back to him, because I assumed it was made with beef broth. He pointed out the vegetarian symbol and sure enough this is made with vegetable broth. The instructions warn that if you microwave the soup, the cheese and croutons will mix into […]
Trader Joe’s Julienned Root Vegetables (vegan)
This is a confusing and disappointing item. The name sounds like a vegetable side dish, but the photo and description seem like fries. However, these definitely don’t cook up like fries. The beets and carrots are just too dense and wet and many of the pieces are very short – about 1 inch long. Plus, […]
Rice Pilaf with Roasted Vegetables (vegan)
This is a seasonal item that will probably be around through Christmas. Convenient, colorful and tasty. Wild rice gives the dish a nice texture. Nicely seasoned. Usually I need to add salt, pepper and some olive oil to boost flavor, but this works as-is. Add some chopped pecans and dried cranberries to create a festive […]
Quinoa Duo with Vegetable Melange (vegan)
This quinoa dish is super easy to cook and quite tasty and satisfying. Colorful vegetable pieces make this an attractive side dish. Add a can of garbanzo beans for a complete meal. Drizzle with a little olive oil and add salt & pepper to taste. What’s your favorite frozen grain dish from Trader Joe’s? Location: […]
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ravioli
One of my favorite restaurant dishes is butternut squash ravioli. I hoped to create something close with Trader Joe’s Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli. I made the mistake of tasting an uncooked ravioli and it was gummy and overly sweet. However, both these issues were addressed with cooking and I was quite pleased with the end […]