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Meatless Monday: Masala Potatoes and Peas

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This week we wanted to include a favorite new dish that we make: Masala Potatoes and Peas. We mix up coconut milk with potatoes, peas (or spinach) and some Indian spices and WOW yummy and delish! We made this quite a lot last winter, and now that the weather is getting cooler in some areas around the country (but apparently NOT Tucson) we wanted to post it for a different kind of Meatless Monday meal.

We serve this with brown rice (to soak up all the sauce) and also want to let you know that it is just fantastic the next day if you want to take it for lunch (or eat the leftovers again for dinner… we do that sometimes).

Masala Potatoes and Peas

What you need:

  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (Trader Joe’s usually sells the tiny ones- that is what we use)
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 can Trader Joe’s coconut milk
  • 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced fine (use the Microplane for best results)
  • 1-2 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced fine (use the Microplane for best results)
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ bag frozen sweet peas, or 1 6oz bag fresh spinach
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper

How to:

1. Wash (and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes if using large ones) and steam until just tender.

2. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in large pan over medium heat. When hot add onions and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until soft and a golden brown color.

3. Add the garlic, ginger and dry spices and continue to cook 1 more minute. Add coconut milk and potatoes stirring gently to combine all the ingredients. Bring back to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Add the peas or fresh spinach and cook 2 more minutes until everything is warm.

Variations:

The original recipe called for adding a bunch of other items that you might like such as 1 jalapeno pepper (add with the ginger and garlic) or the juice of 1 lime and ¼ cup chopped cilantro (add at the end just before serving).

We just love the creamy-rich taste of coconut milk and this sorta “soupy” meal is very nice on a cool night. If you have more time on the weekends, this would be a great meal to make on Saturday and serve later on during the week.

What did you make this week for Meatless Monday? Share you details in the comments below

Trader Joe’s Pretzel Slims

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Do you love to nibble on pretzels? We sure do, and this product, Trader Joe’s Pretzel Slims are a fun yet flat way to enjoy your pretzels.   Trader Joe’s Pretzel Slims have everything you love about pretzels –rich buttery flavor, salty exterior and the crunch! YUM! But they also have an added benefit…. They are flat!

Trader Joe's Pretzel Slims

Trader Joe's Pretzel Slims

How is this an advantage you ask?….. Well, think of all the dipping you can now, easily do! I have problems when I try and use a pretzel in onion dip or any of those cream cheese based dips. The dip seems to make a large blob on the end of my pretzel stick and then half way to my mouth, the blob seems to fly off, and land in my hand (if I was thinking about it) or on my shoe or shirt (usually the location, as I forget to guard myself from flying dip!).

These slims, with their flat shape, are fun (and soo tasty) and you get to actually eat your dip at the party instead of wear it, or leave to change your shirt.

So when you are planning any holiday gatherings this year, I highly recommend you place these crunchy salty Pretzel Slims next to your dip… and watch them disappear!

Just to be clear…. you can eat these pretzel slims by the handful just by themselves… they have a wonderful flavor and fantastic crunch…. sorry I have to go get another handful right now……

Have you tried these Trader Joe’s Pretzel Slims? What did you think?

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter At Trader Joe’s

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I never thought I would be writing a post about butter…. But here I am! Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter is just fantastic! This butter has a wonderful “rich” taste that now that I have tried it, I feel that regular butter has sorta lost….

Now, we have been buying Trader Joe’s regular butter for years. We don’t use butter all that much when we cook, but we will have it on toast or sometimes a dab on steamed veggies. It also takes us forever to use up a whole pound of butter. I usually freeze most of the butter to keep it fresh until we get to it.

Well, it was time…. We needed to buy butter again. I was sorta checking out all the offerings of butter at our Tucson Trader Joe’s …. It was a quiet morning with few other shoppers….And I saw that they sell imported butter.

Imported Irish Butter

Imported Irish Butter

Now long ago, in the mist of time, when I was in culinary school…. I remember discussing imported butter vs regular butter and the differences. Imported butter did not have as much water added to it, and there was something about the cows… but I forget that now….Maybe they only ate grass or they had a massage daily… there was something…..Anyway we gave this little (only ½ a pound!) Irish butter a try.

WOW are we glad we did!

We cut the butter up into 4 pieces and froze 3 and stuck one in our designated butter dish (OK plastic storage container). When we finally had some toast, I was impressed that this butter was actually soft-ish right from the refrigerator! That has not been my experience with regular butter. Also the flavor seems to be richer or more buttery (is that even a word?).

Anyway we did notice a big difference in this butter and would recommend that you try it for a time when you will actually taste the butter on something (perhaps not in a muffin recipe- but I do wonder what kind of a yummy butter sauce this stuff would make….hmmmmm)

Have you tried this butter? What did you think of it??

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?