In preparation for July 4th weekend, we chatted with a true master of the grill, the Barbecue Bachelor.  (If you love to barbecue, check out his blog, devoted exclusively to this topic.)  Below is a summary of things we learned from him about the art of grilling, along with his recipe for Grilled Teriyaki Salmon.


Grilled Teriyaki Salmon
Reprinted with permission from the Barbecue Bachelor

1. Put all ingredients except the fish into a food processor.  Mix until combined.  Pour over the fish and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.  Preheat the grill.


For even more ideas of what to put on the grill this weekend, read our most recent newsletter.  We wish everyone a safe and fun 4th!

        

Its almost the Fourth of July and everyone is making plans this weekend - most involve a barbeque!  For dessert, here is a colorful decorating suggestion for a regular vanilla cake.  On Fourth of July, it's all about the show, so take advantage of a fun presentation using seasonal berries to liven up a plain cake.

The kids and I played around with decorating this star cake (if you have kids, they'll love doing this).  Try the star pattern here or bake a 9 x 13-inch cake instead and create a flag pattern with the red and blue berries.  A fresh whipped cream topping is a nice lighter alternative to heavy buttercream frosting.

You can take your pick of practically any berries for the top.  Berries are in season and Trader Joe's is brimming with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries (both organic and conventionally grown).   If you love blueberries, right now TJ's has the huge 1.5 lb (24 oz) packs of fresh blueberries for $5.99.   Conventionally grown blueberries were found to rank very low in pesticides on the EWG's ranking of foods with pesticides last year.    If you usually buy organic and you can't find organic ones or don't want to spend the extra dollars, these conventionally grown ones may be a good option for you.   I really like studies like this EWG list because they allow you to make educated decisions when choosing foods.  Here is their study this year: EWG Shoppers Guide to Pesticides.

Star Spangled Berry Cake

1 box Vanilla Cake and Baking Mix (or bake your own vanilla cake using your favorite recipe)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
~1 cup blueberries
~1 cup raspberries
~2 cups halved strawberries

1)    Oil/butter 8x8-inch baking pan generously so that the cake will release easily.  Bake cake according to directions. Cool cake completely.
2)    Whip cream until almost stiff.  Add sugar and vanilla. Whip until cream forms peaks when you lift the beater straight up.
3)    Spread whipped cream on cake in a smooth, even layer.
4)    Decorate with berries.

Serves 9

        

Now that summer is officially here, I started thinking more about the flavors of this season.  My own garden is already yielding plenty of zucchini and the first few ripe tomatoes.  When I walk into Trader Joe's, there are large, bushy basil plants lining the produce aisles.  Pick one up.  Each plant is $2.99, and you can plant it in your garden after you pinch off much of the basil.  A sprinkle of chopped fresh basil adds so much flavor to nearly any dish such as pasta, chicken, veggie curry, or this strata.

A strata is similar to a frittata or quiche but less egg-y and with a thick bread layer instead of a thin crust.  It's a nice breakfast or brunch dish.  For a light lunch or dinner, pair with a big, fresh green salad.  The assembly is easy and you can even do it the night before - just stick in the refrigerator overnight and pop it in the oven the next morning while you brew some coffee and relax.

The recipe is very flexible.  The base is a bread layer, typically a French or Italian Loaf, a brioche, or Challah.  Even a few slices of wheat, multigrain, or white bread will do.  I chose Challah which is a sweeter bread, and I thought it contrasted nicely with the tang of goat cheese.   Play around with the other ingredients as well.  Substitute mushrooms and spinach or broccoli florets for the vegetables, use swiss or Parmesan instead of goat cheese, or add slices of your favorite sausage. 

Summer Squash Strata

3 medium zucchini or yellow crookneck squash (I used both), sliced into thin disks
1 Challah loaf (1 lb) cut 1-inch cubes or torn into small chunks
8 oz log of Chevre fresh goat cheese, broken into small chunks (or use TJ's Crumbled Goat Cheese)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1/3 cup Julienned Sundried Tomatoes
2 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1.) Spread the bread cubes in an oiled 9x13-inch baking dish.  Scatter half the goat cheese over the bread.
2.) In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion in 1 Tbsp oil until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
3.) Add the squash and drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil, sauteing for an additional minute. 
4.) Spread vegetables on the bread layer, scattering sundried tomatoes and the remaining goat cheese over the top.
5.) Whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper.  Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the ingredients in the baking dish.  Press down gently just a little, allowing the bread to soak up the mixture.
6.) Let the dish sit 10 minutes while you preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7.) Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes.  You will know when it's done because it will puff up quite a bit.  Remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes (it will deflate back down).  Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

Serves 8

        

I remember ordering Shrimp Scampi at a restaurant many years ago.  While the first few bites were delicious, by the end of the meal the amount of butter in the dish made my stomach turn in agony.  I haven't ordered it off a menu since, but was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it is to make a lighter version at home.

This is one of those dishes you can truly make in a few minutes.  Toss pasta into boiling water, and by the time the pasta is done, the shrimp scampi will be done and waiting for you.  Simple, elegant, and easy.

It's traditionally made with white wine, vermouth, or other alcohol, but I like to use fresh lemon juice instead.  The lemon cuts some of the garlic and butter (note: I use half butter, half olive oil), giving this twist on the traditional dish a light, fresh flavor.

I spotted Trader Joe's Spinach & Chive linguine in the dried pasta section and decided to pair it with the shrimp.  If you can't find it, though, regular linguine pasta will do just fine.  You could also serve the shrimp over quinoa, couscous, or rice (we love Trader Joe's pre-cooked frozen organic brown rice).

Shrimp Scampi

1 lb uncooked shrimp (thawed if using frozen)
8 oz Spinach & Chive Linguine, or plain linguine pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 3 cubes frozen Crushed Garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add shrimp, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until shrimp is pink and opaque.  Do not overcook.
3. Remove from heat.  Add lemon juice and stir until combined.  Pour shrrimp over cooked & drained pasta and toss lightly.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

        

The frozen yogurt I grew up on in Venezuela is nothing like what's sold here.  I was reminded of this on my recent trip home.  The frozen yogurt there tastes, well, like yogurt.  Tangy and tart, made to taste like yogurt, not imitation ice cream.

When I asked at the local ice cream shop how they make frozen yogurt, he looked at me completely puzzled.  He wanted to know if I meant, how did they make yogurt?  Because all they do is take yogurt, add a tiny sprinkling of sugar, and place in an ice cream churn.

I decided to make a strawberry version with just 3 ingredients: strawberries, yogurt, and sugar.  You'll be pleasantly surprised by the explosive strawberry flavor.  Trader Joe's has frozen strawberries year-round, which would do well in this recipe.  I used TJ's Greek yogurt for extra creaminess, but you could use plain regular yogurt as well.  I may try a version with some fresh basil next time.

An ice cream maker is necessary for this recipe.  If you don't own an ice cream maker, maybe a friendly neighbor would loan you theirs in exchange for a batch of frozen yogurt?  Be sure to try the plain yogurt version too — just omit the strawberries.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

4-5 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
2 cups Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar

1. Freeze ice cream maker bowl overnight.
2. Place strawberries and sugar in a blender.  Puree until mixture is bright red and smooth.  You can pulse and make it chunky if you prefer.
3. Mix in yogurt and stir until well combined.  Place mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.

        

Eggplant Parmesan, also known as Melanzane alla Parmigiana or Eggplant Parmigiana, is a well-loved classic Italian dish originating in Naples.  Eggplant slices are breaded and shallow-fried until creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside.  Then they are covered with sauce, topped with cheese, and baked.  It's a popular way to prepare eggplant and goes well with a big green salad and a bit of crusty bread.
 
The very time-consuming part of a traditional Eggplant Parmesan recipe is the preparation of the eggplant cutlets.  It's hour or more worth of work by the time you get the eggplant slices ready.  First, the peeling and slicing of the eggplant; then the salting of the eggplant to sweat out bitterness, followed by the breading and frying.   The steps are easy, but it simply takes a long time.

Hmmm...but what if there were eggplant cutlets ready to go, already breaded and cooked?   You guessed it...Trader Joe's has frozen eggplant cutlets, boxed in the frozen aisle.  Suddenly the recipe is a snap.  Grab a baking dish, make a layer of the ready-made cutlets, top with sauce and cheese, and pop into the oven.  The prep time is suddenly cut down to a minute or two.

Trader Joe's also has the complete Eggplant Parmesan dish, frozen in trays, but there's something a little more flexible and fresh about layering it yourself.  You can use your favorite marinara, try different cheeses, add a layer of ricotta cheese, add a bag of frozen spinach (thawed), or add fresh herbs to your liking.  Fresh mozzarella, cut into rounds, would be a great substitute for the shredded mozzarella.

Trivia: Did you know that there is some debate about the origins of the name of this dish?  Most people assume that Parmigiana is just a translation of Parmesan (which is actually Parmigiano).  Most culinary historians say that Parmigiana is not a reference to the cheese.  The leading theory seems to be that it derives from the Sicilian word palmigiana, which are the wooden slats in a shutter, referring to how the eggplants are layered in an overlapping pattern.  

Eggplant Parmesan

1 box Eggplant Cutlets
1 25 oz jar marinara (I used Organic Tomato and Basil Marinara)
1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Fresh basil or parsley, optional

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.) In the bottom of an 8x10 or 9x12-inch baking dish, spread one cup of marinara.  Place the frozen eggplant cutlets in the dish in one layer, overlapping as necessary.
3.) Cover the eggplant cutlets in sauce, then sprinkle with the two cheeses. 
4.) Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.   Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Top with fresh herbs before serving.

        

My favorite chicken marinade is also one of the simplest to make.  Lime, saffron, and onion...that's it!  It's a very popular marinade in the Middle East, used for chicken pieces and chicken kabobs.  The flavors are terrific, and the high acidity of this marinade really penetrates the chicken and tenderizes it quickly. 

The recipe below calls for whole breasts, but I regularly use this very same marinade for chicken kabobs.  If you want to make kabobs, just cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks, marinade, and then push the pieces onto wooden skewers, optionally alternating with other ingredients such as zucchini, onion, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and red bell pepper,  Cook them on the grill or under the broiler.  When using wooden skewers, a good practice is to soak them in water for about 20 minutes before using so that the wood doesn't smoke and burn.   Kabobs would be great with TJ's lavash bread and some basmati rice.

We enjoyed our grilled chicken breasts with our first harvest of zucchini from our summer garden.  They're Cocozelle Zucchini which are a dark, striped heirloom zucchini dating from 19th century Italy.  They really took off in the garden and are taking over quickly!  I have a feeling I'm going to be coming up with some more zucchini recipes this summer...   For this dinner, all I did was sprinkle the zucchini with a little 21 Seasoning Salute from TJ's and toss on the grill .

Lime Grilled Chicken

1 cup fresh lime juice (or any combination of lime and/or lemon juice)
1 tsp ground saffron
1 small yellow onion, very thinly sliced
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
2 Tbsp melted butter or olive oil

1.) Combine lime, saffron, and onion.  Marinate chicken in mixture for 1-3 hours.
2.) Remove breasts from marinade and brush with melted butter to seal in juices.  Dispose of the marinade you used for the chicken.
3.) Cook on the grill for about 5-7 minutes each side or under the broiler in your oven.  Cook until juices run clear when pierced.  Alternatively you can press on the chicken to test for doneness.  The chicken will feel springy (but not soft) when done.

        

Hola from Venezuela!  I'm visiting my childhood town of Cumana, where my parents have been living for 33 years.  Unlike the capital city of Caracas, which is so modernized it could pass for a large city in the USA, Cumana is still rather rural.  Here is a view down the street where we're staying, close to the city center, and the colors are unmistakably Venezuelan.  It's common to paint each house a different bright color, which makes for a very colorful view down otherwise drab streets.

Days start early here, while the heat is still bearable.  School starts at 7 a.m., so by the crack of dawn, the streets are humming with activity.  People huddle around food carts to catch a quick bite on their way to work or school.  The most popular portable breakfast is the empanada, pictured here.  It's fascinating to watch empanadas being made - in a mere 10 seconds or so, nimble hands have flattened the cornmeal dough to paper thin consistency, plopped on filling such as cheese, chicken, beef, or fish, folded it over to make the moon-shaped empanada, and placed the empanada into a cast-iron pan for a quick fry.  We could not stop eating these.  My favorite is the cheese empanada.  The dough is crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and my kids loved taking a bite and pulling the melted cheese into long strings.

At lunchtime, arepas are the meal of choice.  Arepas are the equivalent of sandwiches or hamburgers in the US.  The dough is the same cornmeal dough used for empanadas — made of stone ground maize or corn.  Experienced hands can make arepas in just a few seconds.  In fact, it took me a few tries to catch one being made.  By the time I had focused my camera lens (okay, so maybe next time I should just use the auto-focus!) she had already moved onto the next arepa.  After a few failed attempts, I asked the lady to make one in slow motion for me, which got many chuckles from those standing by.  The arepas are grilled on an open flame, giving them a wonderful smoky flavor and crunchy shell.



Here you can see the arepas being grilled next to a variety of meats and sausages.  Split the arepa open, and fill with any type of filling.  Grilled meats are shown here, but there are countless varieties of arepas.  You can fill with scrambled eggs, chicken salad with avocados, clams, fish, vegetables, ham & cheese, literally just about anything!  In addition to the street arepas I visited, there are restaurants (areperas) that sell arepas only, with over 30 types of arepas on the menu.  A friend in New York tells me there is an arepas bar there.  I'd be delighted if someone opened one near me in San Francisco!



By lunchtime, the sun is so unbearable that the siesta (or nap) is an absolute necessity.  Banks, the post office, and most stores close for the siesta.  Streets that were hustling with activity in the morning, become desolate as everyone turns in for an escape from the heat.  I could get used to this lifestyle!

        

The last year or so, I've noticed the appearance of a lot of gluten-free products on Trader Joe's shelves.  More and more people are going gluten-free these days.  A gluten free diet is typically followed in response to a wheat allergy or Celiac disease (gluten intolerance). 

I was talking to our pediatrician recently and he said that wheat/gluten allergies and sensitivities are very under-diagnosed.  Either the sensitivity is not known or it is misdiagnosed as a general irritable bowel syndrome or as lactose tolerance.   The wheat or gluten allergy causes malabsorption of food and vitamin deficiency.  About 1% of Americans (most commonly people of European descent) suffer from Celiac disease, but many think that the actual numbers are much higher.

Glutens are found in wheat, barley, and rye and so many foods contain these flours.  Even soy sauce!  So what do you do if you can't eat regular bread, pasta, crackers, etc?  Well, many people believe that we all eat too much of that stuff anyway... but there are plenty of gluten-free substitutes!  Some of the gluten-free alternatives at Trader Joe's include:

1.) Gluten-free breads made from brown rice flour. The bread is very dense and a bit small in cross-section, but not bad in taste.
2.) Brown rice pastas in a variety of shapes.   The brown rice pasta is absolutely terrific!  The texture is great, unlike pastas made with quinoa and/or amaranth which just seem to fall apart.  There is even a boxed mac-n-cheese made from rice pasta.
3.) Tortillas made from brown rice (although most regular corn tortillas are also gluten-free)
4.) A selection of frozen breakfast foods such as frozen wheat-free waffles and frozen wheat-free pancakes
5.) Baking mixes such as gluten-free pancake/waffle mix and gluten-free brownie mix, all made from alternative flours.  The brownie mix is pretty good too - it has a slight grout-like texture, but taste-wise it passes. 
6.) TJ's also has a tasty granola that is gluten-free.  It comes in three flavors:  Cranberry Maple Nut, Tropical Forest, and Loaded Fruit & Nut.  My kids love these granolas, and I didn't even notice that they were gluten-free till I read the package more carefully.
7.) Of course, if you're gluten-free, beer is off the menu.  So what ice-cold alternative can you serve?  There is such a thing as gluten-free beer but I haven't spotted any at TJ's.  What they do have at TJ's is hard cider, which is naturally gluten-free.  The line of hard cider at TJ's is called Newton's Folly.  A little bit of googling seemed to indicate that Newton's Folly is private-label Woodchuck brand. 

There are plenty of foods that are normally gluten free, but these are some of the alternatives I spotted for foods that normally contain gluten.

I also have to give a non-TJ thumbs up to two lines: Pamela's and Bob's Red Mill gluten free products.  For those that are concerned about the contamination levels, both these lines do the ELISA Gluten Assay testing protocol to test for glutens (TJ's packaging does not indicate that they do this).   At a few recent parties, including my daughter's birthday party, there were quite a few gluten-intolerant guests so I decided to test a few of the Pamela's and Bob's mixes.  Both Pamela's and Bob's mixes were excellent.  Their cake mixes were delicious with moist and fluffy texture,  and I have to say that their brownie mix edged out TJ's (sorry TJ, you know I love you but I have to be honest).  Of course, price-wise, the Trader Joe's brownie mix is less than half the price at $2.99.  I'll still buy it!

Have any gluten-free favorites?  Let me know!  And if you'd like to correct/clarify anything I said regarding wheat/gluten sensitivity, please do so below! 

        

It was my turn to host our neighborhood book club.  Every month, the ladies in my neighborhood get together to laugh, chat, eat, and oh yeah, discuss the book we read that month.  Our book club dinners are always a lot of fun, full of good food, good wine, and good conversation.  This month's book club selection was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, a poignant and moving book which we all loved.  If you haven't read it, I recommend picking it up!  (Read any good books yourself lately?  Let me know!)

For dinner that night, I made a dish called Chicken Osaka, some brown rice, Spicy Asian Slaw, and Peanutty Sesame Noodles (from the cookbook).  For dessert, I wanted something rich and satisfying yet easy to make.  This fudge is ridiculously easy; 3 ingredients and about as many minutes to prepare.  If you've been wondering what to do with the cans of organic condensed milk at TJ's, here's your recipe!  Every time I've served it, I've been asked how to make it.  At book club, I served pieces of the fudge with big fresh strawberries. 

In general, a hint of coffee or espresso really enhances and intensifies the taste of chocolate.  I recently tried this recipe for Espresso Brownies and loved the flavor.  Give this recipe a try as well - the glaze is super-easy and transforms the brownie into a fancy dessert.  If you can't find espresso powder, just use instant coffee (that's what I did and it turned out great!)

Chocolate Coffee Fudge

1 14-oz can Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp instant coffee (or espresso powder)
1/2 Tbsp water
1 12-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.) Heat the condensed milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. 
2.) Dissolve the instant coffee in the water (it will be thick) and stir into the condensed milk. (You can also just toss the instant coffee into the condensed milk but it won't dissolve completely. I tried this the first time and actually liked the effect of tiny bursts of coffee flavor throughout the fudge).
3.) Add the chocolate chips, lower the heat, and stir until melted and smooth (don't scorch it!).
4.) Pour into an oiled 8x8-inch pan.  Chill in fridge until set (about 2 hours).

Tip:  When cutting the fudge, a plastic knife is easiest. If using a regular knife, wipe it clean in between making cuts.  Then use a spatula to lift out the pieces.  You can also line the pan with wax paper for easier removal of fudge.

        

I haven't had a BLT in years, and I'm not sure why.  It's such a delicious combo!  I decided to dial up the flavors by using herb focaccia bread, and a splash of balsamic vinegar to add some tang and sweetness.  Earlier this year, my husband and I went biking in the hills of Sonoma, and we stopped at a wonderful market with absolutely delicious gourmet sandwiches. I think the secret was their generous use of balsamic vinegar, so I decided to try it on a BLT.  What a party of flavors!  You have to try it.  If you're nervous about trying balsamic vinegar on a sandwich, then try adding a little mustard.  I really think it adds a nice dimension to the traditional BLT, which uses just mayonnaise.  And if you're using regular sandwich bread, try adding some slices of basil for some fresh herbal aroma.

Since this sandwich has such few ingredients, try to use the best you can find.  Fresh ripe tomatoes are a must.  Good bacon is essential too.  Trader Joe's has many varieties of bacon, and they're all uncured.  Why uncured?  It means they're free of nitrates or nitrites.  I used their turkey bacon, which is 97% fat free.  In fact, I even dry-toasted my bread in the same pan I used to cook the bacon (which only took a few minutes, by the way), that's how little grease was left in the pan.  They also sell fully cooked bacon for those that can't be bothered to cook bacon, and there's vegetarian imitation bacon in the freezer case.  Finally, I used red and green oak lettuce, but any lettuce would be good.

Wikipedia says the BLT is the 2nd most popular sandwich in the U.S.  And that got me wondering, just out of curiosity, what's the 1st most popular sandwich?  I couldn't find the answer, but I'm guessing it could be the hamburger or the trusty peanut butter & jelly.  If you know the answer, please let me know!

Turkey BLT Sandwich

For each sandwich:
1 piece Herb Focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally, or 2 slices bread of your choice
3 slices turkey bacon, or bacon of your choice
Lettuce leaves
3-4 slices tomato
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1. Cook bacon according to package instructions.  Toast bread, if desired.
2. Spread vinegar on one of the slices of bread. Then spread mayonnaise on both slices.
3. Assemble sandwich by layering the bacon, lettuce, and tomato between the bread slices.

        

I was at Trader Joe's the other day and noticed someone filling up her grocery cart with a dozen cans of Marinated Bean Salad.  Since I hadn't tried them yet, I stopped to ask her if they were really that good, and she cheerfully said that these beans were a staple in her pantry.  She often eats an entire can in one sitting!  She was doubling up because she planned to take them on a car camping trip with several other families.  Instant meal!

Beans are a terrific food to incorporate into your regular diet because they help lower cholesterol, decrease heart attack risk, and regulates blood sugars.  They're also full of vitamins and minerals, and low in calories.  So stock up on those beans!

Trader Joe's Marinated Bean salad is in essence the Three Bean Salad that is a classic summer picnic food, minus the canned green beans that are normally in this dish.  I decided to make a Fouir Bean Salad by adding fresh steamed green beans, since I don't really care for mushy canned green beans.  I used the dressing that came in the can with the marinated beans (and added some fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley to perk up the flavor), but you could make your own dressing with equal parts vinegar, oil, and sugar.  (The sugar is absolutely necessary.)

Four Bean Salad
1 can Marinated Bean Salad, including the juices/dressing
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small cucumber, sliced (optional)
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced or diced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Steam the green beans for 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender.  Frozen green beans are also a good option.  Optional step: to preserve the bright green color, "shock" the green beans after cooking, by placing them in ice-cold water.
2. Stir all ingredients in a bowl.  Place in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight, to allow the green beans and cucumbers to soak up the dressing.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

        

If you're like us, you probably love that TJ's carries Tom's of Maine products.  I'm a huge fan of their products, especially the natural deodorant which works amazingly well (cause you'd tell me if it didn't, right?) (right??)

Our nice friends at Tom's of Maine are generously sponsoring a wonderful giveaway of their natural care products, just for us!  The giveaway includes over a dozen products including toothpaste, toothpaste squeezer, soap, deodorant, floss, and mouthwash.  It all comes with a cute canvas tote, a Tom's of Maine cap, and a coloring book — yes, we know how much you love to color!

Entering is easy:  We're doing a random drawing straight from our mailing list (sign up at the bottom of our home page) and our Facebook fans.  If you belong to both, you've just doubled your chances. 


The giveaway entry deadline is midnight PST May 31st and is open to US residents. Good luck!

        

My kids, ages 5 and 6, love to help make breakfast.  Today we took some basics out of the fridge and decided on a breakfast muffin sandwich with egg, cheese, and Canadian bacon.  My kids are unaware of the McSandwich I was knocking off since they've never been to the golden arches.  My own recollection of it is a little fuzzy since my last time there may have been in my hazy teen or college years.  As you might guess, I'm not a big fan of fast food (just fast recipes).  In any case, in the time it takes to hit the drive-through for a breakfast sandwich, you can make a much healthier version yourself at home. 

This basic version is just a suggestion.  Switch it up next time with some ready-made guacamole, salsa, and Mexican cheese.  For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with a a veggie burger or soy sausage patty (both available in the frozen aisle at TJ's).  Add baby spinach or avocado slices.  As tomato season comes up on us, slice up some fragrant ripe tomatoes on a plain egg sandwich and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  If you're feeling adventurous, try some of Eric Gower's flavored salts such as Matcha salt.

If you want perfectly round eggs, you'll have to get yourself some egg rings.  I think my method below gets pretty close and there are no egg rings to clean afterward.  If you want the edges of the egg crispy and browned, use butter to cook the egg.

Egg Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

1 large egg
1 whole wheat English muffin
1 slice sharp cheddar cheese (available in pre-sliced packs)
1 slice Canadian style bacon (or use soy sausage)
Salt and pepper to taste

1.)  Lightly spray or oil a skillet (TJ's sells spray Canola oil) over medium-high heat.  Toast the muffin face down until heated through.  Set the open halves on your plate and place the cheese on one half.  It will start to melt from the heat.
2.) Over high heat, break the egg and slowly release it onto the pan so that it doesn't spread too quickly.   Allow the white to set up a bit (a minute or less), sprinkling on a bit of salt and pepper if desired.  Then lower the heat to medium, toss in a tablespoon of water, and cover the pan tightly with a lid so that the top of the eggs can cook before the bottom starts to overcook.  Allow the egg to cook 30 seconds or more, monitoring carefully to get the yolk how you like it.  My preference is a soft but slightly runny yolk.  Don't overcook the yolk into a hard little ball!  Stack the egg on top of the cheese.
3.) Lastly, heat the Canadian bacon (which is already fully cooked) on each side and add to the stack, topping off with the other half of the muffin. 

Makes one sandwich and very little cleanup

        

Cobbler is one of my favorite desserts.  I can assemble it ahead of time and keep it wrapped in the fridge.  Then when guests arrive for dinner, I pop it in the oven. The cobbler fills the house with delicious aromas as it cooks while we're having dinner, and voila, a warm gooey treat is ready just in time for dessert.  This is a version of Ellie Krieger's cobber, and I'm saving a few steps by using Trader Joe's multigrain pancake mix.

I like making this cobbler for friends who don't have much of a sweet tooth.  It's relatively healthy as far as desserts go, not too sweet, so I tend to eat big bowls of this cobbler, unlike powerfully sweet desserts that I can only eat a couple of bites of before handing my plate to my sugar-craving husband. 

You can make this cobbler year-round with frozen berries, and I certainly do, but you can also use fresh berries if you have them.  We are almost into blackberry-picking season here in San Francisco, so we will soon be biking into the hills to pick wild blackberries.  Last year, it was a real struggle to keep up with how quickly our kids ate the berries.  I hope we have enough leftover to make a cobbler!

Berry Fruity Cobbler

Filling:
2 (16-oz) bags frozen mixed berries, or 8 cups fresh berries
1/4 cup flour or whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp fresh orange zest, optional

Crust topping:
1 cup Multigrain Pancake & Baking Mix
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar, divided
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk (you can make your own by mixing 1 tsp vinegar into milk)
3 Tbsp canola oil or grapeseed oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly grease or spray an 8"x10" baking pan.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the filling.  Toss lightly until berries are coated.  Pour into the baking dish.
3. Combine pancake mix, 3 Tbsp sugar, and salt.  Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut butter into the pancake mixture until the mixture resembles small pebbles.  You can also use your hands if you work quickly; you don't want the butter to get soft and mushy.
4. Pour in buttermilk and oil.  Stir until just mixed.  Do not over-mix or you'll end up with a tough crust.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls on top of the berry filling.  Go for a rustic look - just drop the dough in mounds to cover the filling evenly.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until crust is golden.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

        

        

Wednesday's blog got me thinking about vegetarian recipes.  I nostalgically pulled out my 1992 edition of the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  Nowadays, vegetarianism is pretty mainstream with an amazing selection of cookbooks and incredible restaurants.  Back in the early 90's, there were not quite as many choices and the Moosewood Cookbook was, to many, the vegetarian cookbook.  It has sold millions over the last 3 decades and contains many recipes that became vegetarian classics.  Ironically, Mollie Katzen is no longer vegetarian, go figure, but she remains a pretty iconic figure in the vegetarian world.

One of the recipes that caught my eye was her Mushroom Moussaka.  I hadn't made it for ever, but I remembered it as a hearty meal that will even satisfy meat-lovers.  I started off thinking of a slightly more streamlined/quicker version and ended up taking it down a different path. 

The only part of this recipe that requires some fussing is the eggplant preparation.   The best way to prepare eggplant for a casserole like this is to slice it, salt it, let it sweat out its bitter juices, and then roast it.  It's not hard, it's just a couple of extra steps.   Aside from that, the recipe is pretty simple and low effort. 

Besides speeding up the prep time and streamlining the ingredients, I decided to ditch the classic bechamel sauce that goes on top.  After assembling all those healthy ingredients, I didn't really want to top it all off with a sauce made of fat and flour.  Not only that, but it requires about 1/2 hour of whisking over the stove top.  Nope, that wouldn't do.  I decided to capture the flavors of the bechamel sauce by making a sauce out of yogurt, nutmeg, and Parmesan.  I was very happy with it!

Vegetarian Mushroom Moussaka

3 large eggplants, unpeeled and sliced into thin 1/4-inch rounds.
2 trimmed leeks which are available bagged at TJ's, chopped (makes about 3 cups chopped).
1 10-oz bag sliced Crimini mushrooms
1 24-oz jar Rustico Southern Italian Sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 packed cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan

For the sauce:
1 cup yogurt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan

1.) Salt the eggplant slices, making sure both sides are lightly covered, and place in a colander.  Let them sit for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30.
2.) Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute the leeks for 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Add the sauce and cinnamon.  Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat.  Stir in the parsley and Parmesan.
3.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry.  Brush the slices with olive oil and then spread the slices on two baking sheets.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes until the slices look softened.
4.) Reduce the oven to 375 degrees.  Oil an 8x12 or 9x13-inch baking dish.  Place two layers of eggplant slices in the bottom and then add the mushroom sauce on top.  Cover with the remaining eggplant slices (another two layers). 
5.) In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, nutmeg, and Parmesan.  Pour this over the top of the casserole and spread evenly over the top.
6.) Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

        

I'm a little late on this week's entries, mostly because I'm still recovering from this weekend's LA Times Festival of Books.  If you're not familiar with it, the LATFoB is pretty much the country's biggest public book fair and the place to go to meet and hear your favorite authors.  We had a booth there for the very first time, and it was a really great experience, both thrilling and exhausting.  It was pretty amazing to meet so many people at our booth and so flattering and satisfying to have fans tell us how much they like the cookbook.  The day was full of surprises, especially running into people I knew.  Even our San Francisco-based book designer Mehdi totally surprised me by showing up unexpectedly at our booth on Sunday. 

A highlight of Saturday was meeting Wil Wheaton who stopped by our booth to say hello.  Wil wrote a nice review of our book a few months ago for LA Weekly.  Our friends were SO very impressed.  Keep in mind that both Wona and I were not only engineering students at MIT but that we spent years at high tech startups...our techy, nerdy community of friends adores Wil Wheaton.  Just to put it in perspective: When we got a half-page feature in the Wall Street Journal, they were like, "oh.  Wall Street Journal.  good."  ... But when we told them that Wil Wheaton liked our cookbook, they said, "THE Wil Wheaton ??!!!?? CRUSHER! AWESOME!" We received total geek cred for that. 
Anyway, I felt like an idiot because I didn't recognize him immediately at LATFoB, but well...I lived in LA for years and couldn't spot a celebrity even once.  I have to say that Wil seemed like such a great guy via his writing, and he was exactly that way in person. A very nice guy.  He mentioned that it was tough to find good, easy vegetarian recipes.  Having been a vegetarian myself for years, I agree.   So let's cook something up.

These two recipes are ones that I used to love making as a light dinner and still do.  I made them both tonight and the kids loved them. 

Stir-Fried Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

When I was in grad school, my housemate Tom would make a dish very similar to this one.  Tom was a reallly good cook and the only male grad student I've ever known who had a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine.  The ingredients in this dish seem really simple but somehow they come together with such great toasty flavor and a lot of that has to do with the light stir frying of the pasta.  It's a really fabulous dish. 

1 bag (16 oz) fusilli pasta
1 jar Julienne Sliced Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/2 cup packed finely chopped Italian parsley
2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan

1.) In a large pot, boil the pasta in salted water according to instructions on bag.  Drain completely.
2.) Drain the jar of sundried tomatoes and reserve the drained oil (it will be nearly 1/2 cup's worth!).   In the same large pot as before, heat 4 Tbsp of this oil over high heat.  Add the pasta and stir with a spatula or spoon.  Stir fry the pasta this way for a couple minutes, stirring to keep the pasta moving around.  Don't worry if some of the pasta starch sticks to the bottom and browns/toasts.
3.) Remove the pasta from the heat and add sun dried tomatoes, parsley, pine nuts, and Parmesan.  Toss together and serve.

Note:  Don't fret about the pot being hard to clean.  Any pasta starch stuck to the bottom of the pan will wash right out after 5-10 minutes of soaking.  Really, I promise.
Use the remaining reserved oil to saute veggies or add to another dish.

Serves 4

Spinach Pesto Pasta Salad

Yesterday we were at Trader Joe's and my kids saw these little individual prepackaged pasta salads that the demo chef was sampling out.  They tried it and asked if we could get it.  I took a quick look and promised them an exact knock-off when we got home.  I admit I took it down a slightly different path, but my son gave it a happy thumbs up and said it tasted just as good as he remembered.

1 bag (16 oz) fusilli pasta (I used Brown Rice Pasta for this one)
1 7-oz container of refrigerated Genova Pesto
1/2 bag of baby spinach (3 oz)
1 16-oz container heirloom cherry tomato mix
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 container Ciliegine (fresh mozzarella balls), drained

1.) In a large pot, boil the pasta in salted water according to instructions on bag.  Drain completely.
2.) In a large bowl, add the pasta and the pesto.  Stir to distribute the pesto throughout the pasta.  Add the spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts, and mozzarella balls.  Stir gently to combine.

Note: If you want to boost the protein level, you can use quinoa pasta which is available at grocers like Whole Foods.  The texture of quinoa pasta can be iffy depending on the brand, but it's a great source of a complete protein.

Serves 4

(Tune in on Friday...I'm mulling over a meatless but meaty Moussaka recipe...)

        

It's always fun getting recipes from fellow Trader Joe's fans.  Last week, we announced the winners of our March "Spice Up Your Health" spice contest.  To see the winning recipes, click here.  We recently heard from another fan who suggested an easy way to make Coconut Cake.  Christy N. wrote that she takes Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake & Baking Mix and substitutes 1 cup coconut milk for 1 cup milk, and adds 1/3 cup toasted flaked coconut.  She then frosts with a classic buttercream frosting, again using coconut milk instead of milk.

Well, I loved the idea and was inspired to try a version of the Venezuelan classic dessert, Bien Me Sabe de Coco.  (The translation for Bien Me Sabe is "tastes good to me".)  It was one of my favorite desserts growing up.  In Venezuela, it is served very cold, straight out of the fridge, I'm guessing because the weather is so hot and humid in the coastal tropical areas, where I lived.

I will confess that this version doesn't exactly mimic the original. The cake here is much more dense than the sponge cake used for Bien Me Sabe, so the pudding didn't soak into the cake, but was more like a cream filling.  Nonetheless, my family really enjoyed this dessert.  I even went out and got young coconuts from a local market, pictured in the back, and the kids had a hoot drinking coconut juice right out of the coconut shell.  We sure had our fill of coconut this week!

Coconut Cream Cake

For the cake:
1 box Vanilla Cake & Baking Mix
1 cup coconut milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the coconut cream filling:
Approx 1.5 cans coconut milk (buy 2 cans total: 1 cup for the cake, remaining coconut milk for the pudding filling)
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

For the frosting:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar
Coconut flakes, optional

1. Bake cake according to package instructions, using coconut milk instead of milk.  Let cake cool for at least 10 minutes (a hot cake will break more easily), and then remove cake from pan.  This cake tends to stick to the pan, so loosen carefully.  Let cake cool completely, and then slice in half horizontally.
2. To make coconut pudding, place sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.  Add a few spoonfuls of coconut milk and stir until well mixed.  This allows the cornstarch to dissolve, thus avoiding lumps.  Add the remaining coconut milk, about a can and a half.  Place over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.
3. Take a few spoonfuls of the hot pudding and stir into the egg yolks.  This tempers the egg yolks and slowly warms them up, so that they don't cook too quickly.  Pour the egg mixture into the hot pudding mixture, and return to heat, stirring constantly.  Cook just a minute longer.  Allow the pudding to cool slightly.
4. To assemble cake, place cake bottom back into the pan you used to bake the cake.  Pour pudding on top and spread evenly.  Place the other half on top.  Store in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Whip heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form.  Frost cake, and sprinkle liberally with coconut flakes.

Serves 9

        

Sushi is a favorite in our household, so when I saw the Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna at Trader Joe's, I had to try it.  I decided to sear it lightly, the way they do in fancy restaurants.  This is one of those meals that looks ultra fancy and impressive, but it's really a snap to make.  You could marinade the ahi for even more flavor, but I hadn't planned ahead, so a crust of Lemon Pepper grinds did the trick for me.  (Lemon Pepper is in the spice section - it is a terrific blend of black peppercorns, sea salt, onion, lemon, and garlic.  Best of all, it comes in its own grinder bottle for convenient freshly ground flavor.)

Now what to serve it on?  A baby salad mix tossed in vinaigrette would be a nice choice.  I wanted something heartier, so I chose Lemon Pappardelle pasta.  If you haven't tried this pasta from Trader Joe's, pick one up today.  I loooove the fresh lemony flavor - far fresher than you'd expect from dried pasta.  And it's a great accompaniment to this fancy tuna.  I haven't made it through the other pappardelle variations, but based on how much I love the Lemon Papperdelle, I plan to try all the others as well.

Seared Ahi Tuna on Lemon Pappardelle

2 Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna steaks (6-8 ounces each)
1 pkg Lemon Pepper Pappardelle pasta
1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper grinds
2 tsp + 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp chopped parsley or basil

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium to high heat.
3. Coat all sides of the tuna steaks with lemon pepper seasoning.  When pan is hot, sear both sides of the tuna steaks for 1-2 minutes per side.  Photo above shows steaks seared for 2 minutes per side; cook less if you prefer them more rare.
4. Remove tuna from pan and slice into 1/4-inch sices.
5. Mix remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil with lemon juice and salt to make a quick dressing.  Toss the drained pasta in the dressing.
6. Serve tuna slices over pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serves ~3.