Tuesday's Tasting - Trader Joe's Mini Croissants

Better late than never seems to have become my motto here at One Food Guy, and if you forget to take these tasty mini croissants from Trader Joe's out of the freezer the night before you want to eat them, you'll be having croissants for dinner instead of breakfast. That is of course assuming you want to eat them for breakfast in the first place. In any case, just like the chocolate croissants I reviewed a few weeks ago, these mini croissants from Trader Joe's require 7-9 hours at room temperature to defrost and proof prior to baking. When ready, 15-20 minutes at 350F and you'll have light, delicious, fresh baked croissants. The box of 8 costs $3.99 and is well worth the money. I ate mine sliced in half and filled with a fried egg covered in melted manchego cheese but they are simply delicious all on their own.

When you can't fly to Paris for breakfast, or even make it to that little French bakery on the other side of town, be prepared and keep a box or two of these mini croissants in your freezer. They do take a little forethought since you need to set them out the night before, or in the morning for an evening snack, but trust me, they are worth it. Bon Appétit!

Next time on Tuesday's Tasting, a fantastic flatbread pizza: Trader Joe's Wild Mushroom & Black Truffle Flatbread

The Triumphant Return of Tuesday's Tastings - TJ's Butter Chicken Masala

After several months of dormancy, Tuesday's Tastings makes a triumphant return with my review of Trader Joe's Butter Chicken Masala. When I was at my local Trader Joe's about a month ago, I noticed a few new frozen Indian meals that looked like they had some promise. I took a look at the ingredients of this Butter Chicken Masala and saw fenugreek, an herb commonly used in much of India's native dishes including curry. The inclusion of this herb added some credibility to Trader Joe's claim on the box that this was an "Authentic Indian Recipe"so I thought for a few dollars I would give it a try.

After about 10 minutes in the microwave - 5 minutes on defrost, 4 minutes on high, and 1 minute to cool - I peeled back the cellophane cover and was greeted with a familiar smell, that of slow cooked, tender, spicy chicken masala. The basmati rice lacked much of any fragrance and with my first bite I was greeted with some slightly rubbery grains, but the chicken was very tender, very flavorful, and actually quite good. Like many Indian dishes, the chicken was spicy, but not hot spicy, just spices spicy. It tasted very close to some real butter chicken masalas that I've eaten in India and that's a big compliment to Trader Joe. I did find that when I mixed the chicken and gravy (what Indian's call sauce) with the rice, the whole meal was very good and certainly tasted like an authentic Indian recipe.

If you like Indian food, real Indian food, I recommend you pick up some of this Trader Joe's Butter Chicken Masala the next time you're at the market. Once you've had a taste, come back here and leave a comment; let me know what you think.

Happy eating.

Tuesday's Tasting - Seasoned Mahi Mahi Fillets

Tuesday's Tasting is back in a big way this week. I know I've been busy and slacking on Tuesday's Tastings for the last two weeks, but this week, we're talking frozen fish. Frozen, seasoned Mahi Mahi fillets to be precise. I'm usually a fresh guy, fresh seafood, fresh beef, fresh veggies. Trader Joe's has a large stock of frozen fish, seasoned and unseasoned, so when I saw these in the freezer case I thought I'd give them a try.

The Mahi Mahi is seasoned garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt, black pepper, red chili flakes and olive oil. The packaging suggests baking, grilling or pan sauteed on the stove top. I chose the latter method and sauteed them on the stove top. I served them up for J and I with baked sweet potatoes and steamed asparagus. I liked the way it came out and I'd buy these Mahi Mahi fillets again. The seasoning was right on and the fish cooked up well. Not fishy, not rubbery, not bad. Really good actually. I'm glad I decided to take on the frozen fish category, and I'll be sure to try out some of the other offerings.

One food guy is back. As spring time approaches here in Boston I'll be busy playing outdoors. I'll be looking for healthy options from the freezer case, so stay tuned.

Thursday's Tasting: Rice Bowl with White Chicken, Vegetables & Teriyaki Sauce

Winter is here in New England. Snow, sleet, rain and cold. When the roads are covered in snow, the car is a sheet of ice, and the wind is making it feel like well below zero, it's a good night to stay in. So you can't make it to the supermarket to put together a nice meal, that's okay. Just make sure you have some rice bowls from Trader Joe's in your freezer.

This week, Tuesday's Tasting is a little late, two days late in fact, making this Thursday's Tasting. Winter weather has struck down on New England and I didn't have an opportunity on Tuesday to post my weekly review from Trader Joe's freezer case. This week's tasting, albeit it two days late, is Trader Joe's Rice Bowl with White Chicken, Vegetables & Teriyaki Sauce. The visible vegetables in this bowl are carrots, broccoli, green beens, and red peppers. The chicken is white meat and the teriyaki sauce, well looks and smells like teriyaki sauce.

This bowl is low in fat, high in flavor, and packed with 19g of protein. The wrapper says to microwave on high for four minutes and let it stand for one minute before serving. So I did. Trader Joe has done it again. This rice bowl is packed with flavor. The vegetables still have some bite to them, the white meat chicken is tender and juicy, and the teriyaki sauce tastes like, well, a good teriyaki sauce, the perfect amount to coat all the ingredients in the bowl. Add this to the list of rice bowls that you should stock in your freezer. It's quick and easy, and very tasty.

Right about now you're probably wondering if there is anything I don't like. I've reviewed many offerings from Trader Joe's freezer and really haven't had anything bad to say about any of them. At least I haven't told you NOT to buy any of them yet. Have no fear, I'll keep you honest with a review next week that will prove that not everything in Trader Joe's freezer is great. Curious what it is? Check back next Tuesday for my review of ... You didn't really think I'd tell you, did you?

I'm just one food guy, thanks for reading!

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Organic Jasmine Rice

This weeks tasting is a simple one. Trader Joe's Organic Jasmine Rice and it does indeed come out of the freezer case. The box contains three 10oz. packages, good for about two servings, or one big serving if you have a huge appetite like me.

The rice pouch is ready in exactly four minutes - three minutes on high in the microwave and one minute of rest. Be careful when you open the pouch, the rice will be hot and the steam escaping from the pouch will burn your hands if you aren't careful. The rice itself cooks up perfect, honestly! I can't tell you the last time that I actually made rice on the stove top, in a pot! This jasmine rice has a delicious nutty flavor, as you would expect from a good jasmine rice, and has perfect bite.

Trader Joe also has an Organic Brown Rice in the freezer case. My wife prefers the brown rice, but I prefer the aromatic, nuttiness of this Organic Jasmine Rice from Trader Joe's.

Go out to your local Trader Joe's and pick yourself up a box or three for the freezer. You'll be glad you did when you save yourself thirty minutes at dinner time.

As always, thanks for reading.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Maryland Style Crab Cakes

If I told you that Trader Joe's sold a package of two Maryland Style Crab Cakes for only $2.99 would you believe me? Would you believe me if I told you that they are actually really good?

This week's Tuesday Tasting is, you guessed it, Trader Joe's Maryland Style Crab Cakes. Each $2.99 package contains two 3 oz. crab cakes. Each cake contains a blend of blue, jonah, and snow crab meat as well as mayonnaise, cornbread, green onion, parsley, Worcestershire, dijon mustard, and some other stuff.

The package recommends thawing the crab cakes for one hour at room temperature or for 24 hours in the refrigerator then cooking them in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. I'm telling you, don't bother thawing the crab cakes first, they will be very difficult to handle when soft. I placed two frozen crab cakes in a hot skillet with a couple tablespoons of canola oil and cooked them for a few minutes on each side.

The crab cakes browned up nicely and really are very good. I served mine on a toasted whole wheat British muffin, Trader Joe's version of an English muffin, with some Bookbinder's horseradish mustard and a side salad of field greens dressed lightly with an aged balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. These Maryland Style Crab Cakes from Trader Joe's would be really good at twice the price but at $2.99 a package, they are one of the best values in the freezer case. I suggest you pick some up and try them yourself then check back with me and let me know how you like them. Thanks for reading, see you next week for Tuesday's Tasting.

Allergy warning: Crab cakes are made in a facility that processes milk, peanuts, and tree nuts.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls (discontinued)

It's no secret that I'm an adventurous eater and always willing to try something new. Like the ostrich burger I ate at Crazy Burger in Rhode Island, or some of the items I order off of a sushi menu. In any case, I'm always willing to try something new if someone recommends it. After all, if it's for sale, someone think it's good, right?

This Tuesday's Tasting is an item that I learned of while waiting for a table at the restaurant Carmen in Boston's North End. I was sitting at the bar with my wife and we struck up a conversation with this nice woman sitting next us. We were looking at the menu together and as we salivated over what sounded like a delicious lamb dish, this woman suggested two items from Trader Joe's freezer case that we must try. The first is Trader Joe's Seasoned Frenched Rack of Lamb and the second, Vegetarian Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls. Tonight I'll be tasting Trader Ming's Vegetarian Spinach & Tofu Egg Rolls.

The instructions on the package suggest 25-30 minutes at 400°, which I suppose may be appropriate in a conventional oven, but in my toaster oven that is much too long. I bake these between 375° and 400° in my toaster for about 18-20 minutes, flipping them 10 minutes in and keeping a close eye on them for the last few minutes. In a previous post I explained how my toaster oven seems to run a little hot and I always need to keep a close eye on things that I place in there when it's on bake. These egg rolls need that attention even more as they can burn quickly if you're not watching. The ooey gooey insides, which taste so good, can sometimes ooze out of the seams as well if you don't tend to them. The wrapper bakes up crisp and the inside is a delicious blend of spinach and fat-free soy cheese, not tofu like the name suggests. Although by definition tofu is soybean curd, and the first ingredient in the soy cheese is soybean curd, the name is still slightly misleading.

Once removed from the oven, these egg rolls will be EXTREMELY hot! I strongly suggest cutting them in half on a bias and waiting a few minutes before eating. From oven to mouth is sure to result in a seriously burned roof so please be careful.

For about twenty minutes in the toaster oven, these Vegetarian Spinach & Tofu Egg Rolls are a great lazy Sunday mid-afternoon snack or precursor to a meal that takes some time to prepare. They are crunchy, chewy, gooey and delicious and I always have a package in my freezer.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Thai Style Massaman Chicken

This week's tasting is another rice bowl, Trader Joe's Thai Style Massaman Chicken. Massaman is a coconut milk-based curry, as most Thai style curries are, and is mild on the heat scale. Indian curries on the other hand rate very high on the heat scale.

In the premiere Tuesday's Tasting on November 14, I wrote about being able to read all the ingredients on the list. I've noticed on most of these frozen bowls that I can read all the ingredients. Most also claim to be free of preservatives and artificial flavors. Although it does not state that it's all natural, is that not the same thing? Enough semantics, let's see how it tastes.

This Massaman Chicken rice bowl from Trader Joe's contains lots of juicy, tender pieces of chicken, large pieces of bamboo shoots and noticeable pieces of diced red peppers. The rice, as with previous bowls I've tasted, is perfect. The sauce quite tasty too, with a good balance of familiar curry flavors, coconut and just the slightest amount of heat from a some cayenne (listed in the ingredients list.) Don't worry if you don't like spicy food, the heat level is very mild. My mom, whose taste buds combust with the slightest bit of heat, would probably like this.

Another tasting, another tasty dinner. Trader Joe you are my freezer case hero.

Now go to Trader Joe's and buy something you've never tried. Don't be afraid, Joe knows his stuff!

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Shrimp Thai Red Curry Rice Bowl

I think that I'd be friends with the people Trader Joe has tasting food in his test kitchen. Seriously, this is my fourth week tasting items from Trader Joe's freezer case, and this is the fourth week that I'll put my stamp of approval on what I've eaten. Trader Joe's food tasters, I raise my glass to you. On to tonight's tasting.

Tonight's tasting features Trader Joe's Shrimp Thai Red Curry Rice Bowl. After five minute of cook time and two minutes of rest, this rice bowl was ready to eat.

The first few bites were a little light on flavor, but as I dug deeper and mixed everything up, the flavors really came together. There is a decent amount of heat from the red curry paste, and like most Thai curries, the coconut milk really balanced everything out. The shrimp were tender and the veggies still had good crunch despite being previously frozen. Even the rice was perfectly cooked, light and fluffy. While this rice bowl did not have bold flavors like the lemon grass chicken I tasted a few weeks ago, it was still very good. I'll definitely stock more of these in my freezer for nights I don't feel like cooking.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Tequila Lime Jalapeño Breaded Shrimp (discontinued)

If there is one thing Trader Joe's does right, it's frozen shrimp. I've been a fan of their uncooked frozen shrimp for sometime, cooking them up for pestos, salads, and stir fries. Tonight's tasting is another TJ's frozen shrimp offering, but one of the prepared kind, Trader Joe's Tequila Lime Jalapeño Breaded Shrimp. Fifteen minutes in the toaster oven at 375° and these hardly-little guys were ready to eat.

I could hardly wait for these to finish baking, constantly opening the door to the toaster oven. Looking, smelling, shaking the pan, making sure they don't burn; my toaster oven seems to run hot and I've never checked to see if the temperature gauge is accurate. Each shrimp weighs in at about an ounce with the coating and has been butterflied. Keeping in mind that the breading adds weight, I'd say these guys fall into the large size category, that is about 21-30 raw shrimp per pound. Looking at the breading, it's uniform and smells well-seasoned, even in its frozen state. There is also a noticeable amount of green jalapeño pieces which got me excited.

After fifteen long minutes, the timer went off. The shrimp cooked up great, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and delicious! They were well seasoned just as I hoped, but lacking in anticipated heat from the jalapeño pieces. Still, they tasted great. I plated them with some of the Trader Joe's mango chutney previously used with TJ's Coconut Curry Chicken Stix. The chutney was a perfect pairing with the shrimp as well. Another tasting complete, another item that is sure to become a regular in my freezer. Will I ever find something in Trader Joe's freezer case that I don't like? Stay tuned for next week's Tuesday's Tasting.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Coconut Curry Chicken Stix

Thai Joe says these are "tantalizingly tasty, exotic, crispy & crunchy spring-roll wrappers filled with curry-infused chicken..." I agree. Tonight's tasting is Thai Joe's Coconut Curry Chicken Stix, courtesy of Trader Joe's freezer case. Ten minutes in the toaster oven at 450° and you'll be enjoying these coconut curry chicken spring rolls, and I do mean enjoying. Even though I baked them, the wrappers still came out a little greasy, don't worry though, a dip in some sauce and you'll never notice. Thai Joe alternatively suggests that you fry them, allowing you to enjoy them seven minutes sooner.

When I bought these last weekend, the Trader Joe's demo kitchen happened to be serving them with a mango chutney, so I bought some and did the same. These coconut curry chicken spring rolls are very good, although the flavors are slightly dominated by the lemon grass. Tightly wound, crispy wrappers, filled with chicken, cabbage, lemon grass, coconut and curry paste. A perfect party food or snack while waiting for dinner to be ready. I'll definitely stock these in my freezer again, and I suggest
you do the same.