Posts

Vitamix: Tropical Smoothie Today

/1 Comment/in /by

Are you ready to expand your smoothie -making skills?  Are you ready to start experimenting with new and more exotic flavors? Then get ready today to try a  Vitamix Tropical Smoothie!

Click HERE to Get FREE shipping on your Vitamix

As you know we have been making, sipping and just plain enjoying all the wonderful smoothies that we are making in the Vitamix this summer. Some of our more successful smoothies (and the ones that we have shared here) include:

Each smoothie, even though they are very different flavors, all have one thing in common- they are cool and smooth and “creamy” thanks to the power of the Vitamix.

Trader Joe's Tropical Smoothie

Trader Joe's Tropical Smoothie

Well today we got a bit creative, thanks to an impromptu run to Trader Joe’s.  Our Tucson store is practically overflowing with rip wonderful summer fruits, almost irresistible really!

But when we zipped by the cantaloupes, we knew we were taking one home with us.  Once the fruit was in the cart, another item jumped out as we shopped: Trader Joe’s Light Coconut milk.

It was an A-HA moment for us in the store.

Once we were back, we diced up the fruit and added it to the blender along with Mango cubes, coconut milk, ice and water.  A little shot of Trader Joe’s Agave syrup at the end just balanced the sweet fruit with the more savory coconut milk.

Icy… Cool….Just the perfect afternoon pick- me -up! (next time we will think about the rum before we get back home)

What you need:

  • 1 Cup diced cantaloupe
  • 1/2 Cup Frozen Mango Cubes
  • 1/2 Cup Trader Joe’s coconut Milk
  • 1/2 Cup water
  • 4 Ice Cubes
  • Agave Syrup or Honey if you like

How to:

1. Combine all Tropical Smoothie ingredients in the Vitamix and blend until just smooth (about 30 seconds)

2. Taste and add Agave Syrup or honey if you like.

Finished Smoothies

Finished Smoothies

This Vitamix Tropical Smoothie was just perfect for a HOT Arizona afternoon. But like I said earlier…. We were wishing that perhaps some Rum was around to…you know…. test it out….. for the blog readers only…. (yeah, right!)

Have you checked out the Vita-Mix yet?  This super blender might be just what you need.

Click HERE to Get FREE shipping on your Vitamix

Meatless Monday: Macaroni & Cheese

/1 Comment/in , /by

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.

Meatless Monday: Go Italian This Week

/1 Comment/in , , , /by

This Meatless Monday we found a great new-to -us product at Trader Joe’s and thought it would be just fantastic for an Easy, Yummy  Meatless Monday Main dish, with a little Italian flair.  The product? Trader Joe’s Misto Alla Griglia Marinated Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini (ready to go in the freezer section of the store).

When we were planning this meal, we remembered that we had a half- used jar of spaghetti sauce as well as a tub of Parmesan cheese so we thought we would construct a mock- Eggplant Parmesan dish of sorts. The best part? we only used 3 ingredients for this dish!!!

Meatless Monday This Week

Meatless Monday This Week

First, we thawed the package overnight in the refrigerator, (but there are also microwave thawing directions printed on the label). Next we layered the grilled eggplant and zucchini in the dish and with the pasta sauce. (We placed half of the grilled veggies in the bottom of a 8×8 baking dish and then spread a thick layer of sauce over the top. Then the second layer of vegetables was placed on top of the sauce.) We then added a final layer of sauce to finish the dish.

The First Layers

The First Layers

Ready For The Oven

Ready For The Oven

We baked the dish at 350 for 15 minutes in the over, covered with a piece of foil. We then took it out and sprinkled the dish with parmesan cheese, and placed it back in the oven for another 15 minutes.  That was it!

Meatless Monday- Ready to Serve

Meatless Monday- Ready to Serve

We served this rich sauce Meatless Monday entrée with a green salad. But I also wanted to mention that garlic bread might be a nice addition to this meal.

Meatless Monday Dinner

Meatless Monday Dinner

This Meatless Monday Meal was so easy to put together and it smelled just WONDERFUL as it baked. We were really impressed with the Trader Joe’s Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini product as well. The vegetables were all the same thickness, and had nice grill marks but the best part was that they were not overcooked (or super soft from the freezer). They cut very easily but were not all “mush” when we served up our dinner.

How is Meatless Monday going for you? What exciting new dishes are you serving up?

Calabacitas Trader Joe’s Style

/in , /by
Trader Joe's Style Calabacitas

Trader Joe's Style Calabacitas

This recipe is #5 in a series of easy recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

This is a tasty and easy to make squash side dish. Calabaza means squash in Spanish, and calabacita means little squash or little one (at least I think…). And this dish is simply loaded with little squashes.  While this makes a nice veggie dish for Cinco de Mayo, these Calabacitas would also be a great way to enjoy all those, you know,  larger squash that appear in your garden in August…

Besides just eating them up on a plate, another great way to enjoy calabacitas is in a burrito. Many of the restaurants here in Tucson will add a scoop of calabacitas to a bean or beef burrito. We have even eaten an egg burrito with calabacitas (and cheese of course).

Again, we are giving you rounded figures for this recipe. You will need to eyeball the amounts you add to the pan to make enough for you meal.

What you need:

  • Summer Squash (zucchini and/or yellow squash) 4 medium or 6 small, sliced
  • Sweet onions, sliced or diced (about ½ a medium onion)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • ½ cup Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn
  • Olive oil, Salt and Pepper

How to:

1. Heat oil in large sauté pan, and add onions, garlic and squash.

2. Stir frequently until the squash is nice and soft, 10 or so minutes.

3. Add frozen corn and cook until hot.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve- Yum

Variations:

  • Season with a spoonful of Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning
  • Add diced green chilies
  • Sprinkle with grated cheese just before serving.

We make calabacitas frequently, and we hope that you enjoy them and make them often for yourself.