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Meatless Monday: Trader Joe’s Gorditas

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The samples strike again at Trader Joe’s! This time we tried the new Trader Joe’s Gorditas. These are, as the box notes, pouches of corn masa filled with beans, cheese and chilies. For the sample they were heated up in the microwave and served on a plate with some salsa.

Trader Joe's Gorditas

YUM! They were really good

They reminded us of one of our favorite foods: Pupusas! These are yummy little disks, resembling a stuffed corn tortilla. Pupusas are originally from El Salvador. We just love them! We have had them stuffed with all kinds of fillings from Chorizo to beans to cheese- or a mixture of everything.

After contemplating returning for a second sample…hehehe.. we bought a package instead and thought YES! these would be a great Meatless Monday type dinner. .

The directions said to heat in a microwave or in a pan on the stove…. Of course I only read that after I stuck two of them on a foil –lined pan and tossed them in the oven!  This was because I wanted some time to make tangy coleslaw to top the Gorditas with. This is how Pupusas are served, a golden cake filled with beans and cheese and topped with a vinegary cabbage salad.

Trader Joe's Gorditas and Slaw

Trader Joe's Gorditas and Slaw

The end result? A lovely, easy dinner with rich tasty Trader Joe’s Gorditas and tangy crunchy coleslaw.

Have you tried Trader Joe’s Gorditas yet? What did you think?

Meatless Monday: Trader Joe’s Meatless Products

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For Meatless Monday this week, we hoped to inspire you with a new product that we spotted the last time we were zipping around our Trader Joe’s store.  These items are ready to use, and can really help you out if you are stuck on a Meatless Monday:

  • Trader Joe’s Chicken-Less/ Pulled Chicken in BBQ sauce
  • Trader Joe’s Chicken –Less/ Stuffed Cutlet
  • Trader Joe’s Beef-Less / Strips
  • Trader Joe’s Chicken –Less/ Strips

Now we will completely admit that we have not tried these products, we just spotted them on a recent visit… but we are planning to try them soon. As we both LOVE bbq, I think the Chicken- less Pulled Chicken in BBQ sauce might be the first to make it on our plates….

Trader Joe's Meatless Monday Ideas

Trader Joe's Meatless Monday Ideas

We were commenting that these products are so flexable there must be a zillion ways that these products could be presented for meals:

  • In Tacos
  • On Salads
  • In a Stir Fry
  • In Fajitas (or at least sautéed with sweet onions, right?)
  • Diced up in soups or stews
  • Served as-is with mashed potatoes and vegetables

OK we could go on and on…

Have you tried these products? What did you think?  Drop us a note here, OR check us out on our FACEBOOK fan page, LivingTrader Joe’s… see you on Facebook!

Meatless Monday: Grilled Bean Burritos

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Here is another easy dinner idea for you Meatless Monday this week- Grilled Bean Burritos! We just love the simple pleasure that is a bean burrito. They use only 3 main ingredients: Refried Beans, cheese and great flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s.  Then you can use your imagination (and any leftovers) and jazz them up.

Trader Joe's Bean Burrito Fixings

Trader Joe's Bean Burrito Fixings

We love to eat them either plain (just beans and cheese) or with additional ingredients such as diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, green chilies or even leftover cooked vegetables.

This week, for this Meatless Monday post, we made the easy, bean and cheese version. But then we grilled the finished product for a minute (in a tiny bit of butter) to crisp up the outside and sorta toast the tortilla- YUM!

What you need:

  • Refried beans (Trader Joe’s has pinto or black- use the one you like best)
  • Cheese
  • Flour Tortiallas
  • Optional ingredients: salsa, sour cream, green chilies, green onions
  • Butter for browning (if you want)

How to:

1. Warm the refried beans in a small pan. Slice or grate cheese. Heat a non-stick skillet and warm up the tortillas for a few minutes for easy rolling.

2. Place a warm tortilla on a clean, dry cutting board and spoon some  hot beans in the middle. Top with grated cheese and fold in sides. Finally fold up the bottom and then fold down the top, making a nice little burrito- package.

3. Add small nob of butter to non-stick skillet and when melted, add the burrito- flap side down. Cook for a few minutes until it is golden and toasty then toast up the second side. YUM!!

A Toasty Grilled Burro

A Toasty Grilled Burro

You can serve these grilled burritos with some spicy vegetables, like the Calabacitas, or with some cool, crunchy coleslaw (that is our favorite way)

We hope you enjoyed this Meatless Monday Menu idea. Let us know what you are cooking on Meatless Monday this week. Leave a comment in the box below

Meatless Monday: Macaroni & Cheese

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We spotted this bright orange box of Trader Joe’s Macaroni & Cheese on the end of an aisle when we were last shopping at Trader Joe’s. We both said something like YUM! “We should get that” in a sorta joking way… but then said why not? It is fast, easy to make, and we hoped (having not tried it before, but trusting in Trader Joe’s) fantastic!

Trader Joe's Macaroni & Cheese

Trader Joe's Macaroni & Cheese

So this week, we are taking a trip back to childhood (or at least early adulthood when we would make Mac & Cheese for a quick dinner) by serving Trader Joe’s Macaroni & Cheese for our Meatless Monday Meal.

How did it go? It was really just delish! I can’t tell you the last time that we ate Macaroni & Cheese. The pasta was firm and the cheese sauce was tasty without being overly salty or somehow “oily” (my big issue with blue box mac & cheese).

We served it up plain with some veggies on the side (sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and some baby carrots.  But as I am sure you know, there are countless ways to jazz up Mac & Cheese, right? Some of our favorites are (meatless and no- so meatless ) : A can of tuna & frozen peas, chopped up bacon, green chilies, green onions, cooked broccoli,  olives, leftover cooked chicken , leftover cooked ham…  just to name a few. I am sure you have your favorite additions  too.

So a great, quick meal for a Meatless Monday Menu  (that might make you think back to the days when you ate Macaroni & Cheese a little more often) try serving Trader Joe’s Macaroni & Cheese.

Meatless Monday: Mac & Cheese

Meatless Monday: Mac & Cheese

Having said that, I was thinking (hey just like in those older days) this product, Trader Joe’s Macaroni & Cheese was so tasty that it would be worth it to have on hand for those quick meals when your original plan fell through for some reason….  Or any busy night when you’re short on time and energy. So pick up a box today to have on hand for the zillion reasons to make it, and the many ways to serve it up.