Trader Joe’s Favorites and How We Use Them

by Katrina August 5, 2020

written by Katrina

Trader Joe's Favorites and How We Use Them - Frozen Falafel

We love Trader Joe’s. I am sharing a few of our favorite items and how we use them.

We shop at Trader Joe’s regularly. I’ve come to love their selection of fresh produce, cheese, frozen foods, and many store-branded items in between. I have many Trader Joe’s favorites. Here are a few of my ideas on how to use them.

When you are short on time, these items can make breakfast, lunch, or dinner as delicious as takeout.

Steel Cut Organic Oats & Organic Chia Seeds

I make a pot of steel-cut oatmeal every few days. It takes about 40 minutes. We store the oatmeal in the refrigerator. It quickly reheats for breakfast. During the school year, this is such a time saver. Simply add chia seeds, fresh fruit, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.

To our oatmeal, I usually add a combination of chia seeds, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, apples, and honey.

Thai Red Curry Sauce & Frozen Organic Brown Rice

I know a bottled sauce can not replace a scratch-made curry, but this one comes close. Trader Joe’s Thai red curry sauce is a gem when you are short on time and want dinner to have complex flavors. This sauce is better than many takeout options I’ve tried.

To make this dish, I recommend roasting root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and gold potatoes. In a large pan sauté garlic, shallots, and delicate vegetables (zucchini, squash, and peppers), add the jar of red Thai curry sauce, a cup of water, and cooked root vegetables. Starch from the potatoes will thicken the sauce. Top with cilantro and serve it with brown rice.

Organic Tofu, Toasted Sesame Oil, and Organic Coconut Aminos

I used to think of tofu as tasteless and a wasted ingredient. Then discovered, tofu can take on lots of flavors. Coconut aminos are a great replacement for soy sauce. It is free of soy, wheat, and gluten and comes from the fermented sap of coconut palms.

Using glass noodles as a base, I stir-fry vegetables and pan sear tofu. In addition to Trader Joe’s sesame oil and coconut aminos, use your favorite stir-fry spices. We love to add fresh ginger and chili paste.

Frozen Fully Cooked Falafel and Organic Tahini

Trader Joe’s sells a dry falafel mix and frozen falafel. I am highlighting the later. They cook in as little as one minute. Frozen falafel is a great shortcut when we want quick Meditteranean style takeout rice bowls.

Better than your favorite fast-casual dining spot. This Trader Joe’s favorite heats in 60 seconds. I usually top this bowl with a tahini sauce. It’s a very simple mix of tahini, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Here I used radishes, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta, hummus, and pickled red onions. The base is Trader Joe’s frozen organic brown rice. You can also use quinoa.

Chèvre with Honey

Trader Joe’s chèvre with honey is made with goat’s milk and comes in a five-ounce package. It’s a delicious snack on crackers with red onion and port marmalade or fig spread. It also works well tossed in pasta or atop a salad. We love my goat cheese and chive biscuit recipe.

Try our flaky goat cheese and chive biscuits recipe.

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