Posts

Trader Joe’s Cheese Pizza Dip

/in , /by

This was the sample last week at our Trader Joe’s in Kansas City.

IMG_1644

I wanted to share it with you because even thought it is a bit different, I found myself thinking about it a few times. This is basically a warm dip that you can serve in the crock pot with little bread sticks- or at least that is what they did at Trader Joe’s.

It tastes just like a slice of cheese pizza!

IMG_1643

 

I was brainstorming how I might use this (it makes a LOT of dip) are a few ideas like a fun addition to a super bowl party as a hot dip (love those on these cold days) but I found myself thinking … what else could we do with this tasty dip ….hmmmm

So here is a short list of ideas that I thought up:

  • Pour over steamed veggies
  • Pour over hot baked potatoes
  • Use as a pizza sauce on any kind of flat bread (a tortilla, english muffin, Nan etc..)
  • Use as a hot dip for cold veggies (carrots & celery)

I am sure that there are plenty more fabulous  ideas out there- Please share yours in  the comments section at the bottom of the page.

So without further ado…here is the recipe:

Trader Joe’s Cheese Pizza Dip

2 wedges of Trader Joe’s Fontina Cheese (shredded up)

1 Pint Half & Half

1 jar of Trader Joe’s Fat Free Pizza Sauce

1 Tub (8oz) Fresh shaved Parmesan /Asiago/ Romano cheese blend

In a crock pot, combine over medium heat (or start with high and then switch to low after everything is melted) the Fontana cheese and Half & Half until blended.

Next, add the pizza sauce and the tub of the Fresh Shaved Parmesan cheese and stir together until it is all combined.

Reduce heat to LOW to serve.

Use Trader Joe’s Italian Bread sticks for dipping (that is what they used at the store) OR use what ever makes sense to you… get creative….

So YES I will be making this for my next party … I only hope I can last until the Superbowl!

 

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Made Easy

/in , , /by

Are you searching for some ideas to make an Easy Vegetarian Thanksgiving this year? Recently we were thinking about different ideas to make our meal a bit more  Vegan and Vegetarian -diet friendly this year.

Think about it… so much of Thanksgiving is about all these crazy-good side dishes and so many of them are vegetable based ~ including many yummy desserts, right.. 🙂

Some ideas to consider for an Easy  Vegetarian Thanksgiving:

  • mashed potatoes
  • baked sweet potatoes
  • Brussels sprouts roasted with nuts and cranberries
  • roasted turnips and parsnips (my family’s favorite)
  • rolls and butter
  • cranberry sauce

butternut squash, carrots, acorn squash…. the list could go on and on….

One easy idea is to just substitute Trader Joe’s Hearty Vegetable Stock for Chicken stock in many recipes… that would be a great and flavorful addition to mashed potatoes, soup or stuffing.

To keep is super easy check out the fresh and frozen sections of the store. Trader Joe’s has some delicious  side dishes that would be perfect for a vegetarian Thanksgiving…  Here I am thinking of the 4 cheese au gratin potatoes, or their new one that is a creamy potato and spinach combo (had a sample of that one last week- yummmooo).

Recently at Trader Joe’s we we talking (and sampling coffee and ginger biscotti pieces- YUM) and the friendly Trader Joe’s employees were talking about…. Tofurkey!

Once an item of legend… now the Tofurkey has arrived and is on the shelf at Trader Joe’s stores ~ At least the one that we shop at in Kansas City.  No one who was working  that day had ever tried this unusual item… but they noted that a LOT of customers were purchasing the faux birds.

So I thought I would mention this  just in case it might round out your Vegetarian Thanksgiving table.

Do you enjoy Tofurkey? What are you serving for your Easy Vegetarian Thanksgiving??

Share in the comments below or on Facebook …. have a GREAT DAY!

Meatless Monday: Grilled Veggie Parmesan Sandwich!

/2 Comments/in , /by

This Meatless Monday I have a tasty sandwich idea for you to try. Grilled Veggie Parmesan Sandwich. Yes I know already you are thinking… WHAT?? But this sandwich is super easy and tasty, and a bit messy too.

I first made these sandwiches at a restaurant I worked at right out of culinary school. We would grill halved zucchini (and eggplants slices sometimes) and then slice them into thin slices. We would then arrange the vegetables on a pie plate in a circle – about the size of our bread – top with a few spoonfuls of Marinara sauce (or your favorite spaghetti sauce) and heat. When it was all warm, add a slice of your favorite cheese- we used Provolone and heat until melted.

Now, carefully slip that whole arrangement onto a piece of toasted whole wheat bread.

Delish!

We used to serve these with a second “top” of bread, but when I make them at home, they are so messy that we are better off to serve them open-faced on a plate and cut up with knife and fork.

Now that we have discovered the Trader Joe’s Marinated Grilled Eggplant & Zuchinni (Misto alla Griglia) we can make them much more often.  Sometimes we sprinkle the hot veggies and sauce with some Parmesan cheese just before adding the sliced provolone. But sometimes we forget that too!

grilled veggies

We hope you love these quirky/ messy sandwiches as much as we do! Sorry there is no photo…we ah forgot and just started eating! OOPS!

How to Make Raw Almond Milk With the Vitamix

/in , /by

Are you interested in learning How to make Raw Almond Milk at home quickly and easily? Then keep reading to learn just how simple this whole process can take. Almond milk is a healthy and tasty substitute for dairy milk that you can make quickly and easily at home with the Vitamix. The Vitamix makes creamy and delicious almond milk in less than 5 minutes.  We normally enjoy our almond milk on our morning oatmeal or cold cereal.  But it can be used in baking or even making French toast. Try it anyplace that you enjoy dairy milk.

Click HERE to Get FREE shipping on your Vitamix

We also like the flexibility of making our Almond milk at home. This way we can make the amount that we need, we can avoid any unwanted preservatives, and, as we are shopping at Trader Joe’s, enjoy a high quality end product.

But I am sure that I don’t have to sell you on all the benefits of enjoying raw almond milk.

Let’s get started making Raw Almond Milk quickly and easily at home.

What You Need:

  • ¼ to ½  Cup Trader Joe’s Raw Almonds
  • 2 Cups  Water

Optional Ingredients: Vanilla, honey or Agave syrup

How To:

1. Pour  2 cups of water into the Vitamix blender. Add the amount of raw almonds that you wish to use. We like to use ½ cup of raw almonds to 2 cups of water. This makes thick, rich almond milk.  Experiment here and see  what you like the best.

2. Start the Vitamix on low and quickly increase to high speed. Let the almonds and water process until you can’t hear any “chunks” of almonds anymore and the container just starts to get warm. This is where we stop, so that we don’t wind up cooking the almonds.

3. Pour into a glass jar and it is ready to use. We like the almond milk cold, so we try to make sure that we make the almond milk the day before we need it.

Variations:

We like to add a drop or two of vanilla to the almond milk. You can also add a bit of Trader Joe’s honey or Agave syrup if you like.

Here is a short video of me making raw almond milk in the Vitamix (check out my crazy hair… can anyone say “haircut time Kris”?? :

So now that you know How to Make Raw Almond Milk at home quickly and easily.  We hope you get a chance to enjoy some soon.

Have you checked out the Vitamix yet? 

This super blender might be just what you need to reach your health goals.

Click HERE to Get FREE shipping on your Vitamix