For one night, curb those holiday shopping plans for a post-Thanksgiving bash. No turkeys required for this menu inspired by a popular specialty grocery store.
Nothing is nicer than receiving an invitation to a Thanksgiving weekend party, especially if you spent hours preparing and hosting the holiday dinner. Let’s not even think about the cleanup.
I thought I would eschew my usual what-do-I-do-with-the-leftovers? column and give you recipes from newly published cookbooks that use Trader Joe’s ingredients. Whip up these easy dishes and take them to a party or just enjoy them at home.
I have been a regular customer at the Trader Joe’s near my home since its 2003 opening. Andrea Lynn wrote the “I Love Trader Joe’s College Cookbook: 150 Cheap-and-Easy Gourmet Recipes” and Cherie Mercer Twohy penned the “I Love Trader Joe’s Around the World Cookbook: More Than 150 International Recipes Using Foods from the World’s Greatest Grocery Store.” It must be noted that the authors wrote their books without the endorsement or cooperation of Trader Joe’s. Like me, they simply love shopping at this unique grocery store.
If you have a college-age son, daughter, relative or friend who is clueless in the kitchen, the “I Love Trader Joe’s College Cookbook” is an easy and painless introduction on the basics of cooking. The subtitle is “Delicious Dishes You Can’t Eff Up.”
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon of Canola oil
1/2 of a 14.5-ounce container Trader Joe’s mirepoix
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 8-ounce package of Trader Joe’s black beluga lentils
1/4 cup of Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Sauce
1 tablespoon of curry powder
Juice of half of a lemon
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium until simmering. Add the mirepoix and sauté until the vegetables are slightly softened, for about five minutes.
Add the broth, lentils, curry sauce, curry powder and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Let the soup simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Serves two.
Note from Phyllis: Mirepoix is a mixture of tiny diced onion, celery and carrots. The first time I saw a container of mirepoix in Trader Joe’s I was with my friend, chef Jean-Marie LaCroix. I looked at him and burst out laughing.
“This is the ultimate in laziness,” I said.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cubes of frozen garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 pound of uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 0.75-ounce package of fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges
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1. Joe said... on Nov 24, 2011 at 03:35PM
“not a day ago i downloaded the College cookbook from the library to my Nook ereader. i am amazed at how many meals can be built around Trader Joe's prepared food items. Unfortunately i was looking for complete microwaveable meal preparations.”