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 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.