This week a friend asked for a list of quick Trader Joe’s balanced meals with fresh or pre-packed components. (Hi, Jana!) She specified chicken, fish, and pork. I thought you might find these useful as well! (Yes, the picture has nothing to do with healthy dinners. But pick up one of these Trader Joe’s Corn Cookie mixes before they are gone!)
Chicken Ideas:
- TJ’s Schwarma Chicken Thighs; frozen jasmine rice packet, arugula salad with part kit.
- Marinate chicken thighs or tenders in half a bottle of their Honey Aleppo Sauce, roast the marinated chicken thighs ON zucchini slices in the same container. Serve with a frozen jasmine rice packet. Other things to marinate chicken: their gyoza sauce. Their Carolina gold bbq sauce.
- I’m an “adult”: Chicken Drumellas, steamed broccoli, baked Alexia French fries. Dip in sriracha barbecue sauce.
Fish:
- Argentinian frozen shrimp, cooked in their organic vodka sauce on the stovetop. Crumble on feta. Serve over rice or just as is. You can also use eggs as a cheat“shakshuka” this way.
- Bake their BBQ Salmon on Cedar-y thing. Served over “sushi rice”: frozen rice packet, doctored with a little rice vinegar and sugar. With chopped cucumber, and if you feel fancy, some pickled ginger.
- Take any of their frozen fish, slather in their garlic spread, and bake. Or you can do half-half with mustard. I just got the new Bronzino filets and plan on doing this.
Pork:
- Marinate Pork Tenderloin (I’ve been loving that honey Aleppo.) Then bake in the oven. While that’s happening, take one of the boxes of cubed pancetta, crisp up in the pan, add a bag of the shredded Brussels sprouts. Cook until soft. You probably want a spoonful of some sort of vinegar to balance it out, or a bunch of lemon. Note: I marinate everything in a ziplock!
Trader Joe’s Quick Chili: sauté ground meat of your choice, a bunch of cumin and salt, a container of chopped onions, a jar of salsa (I like either their hatch chili or pepita) a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Simmer for thirty minutes while you finish up something else. Top with unexpected cheddar or pepper jack.
Hit me up if you have similar requests, and I’ll help you out.
These are great, Sam!
Additional pork idea from your local TJ’s crew member: Pork Carnitas! It comes fully cooked, so you can dice it into any dish and just crisp it up/heat it through. I love it in a pot simmered with frozen organic cauliflower rice and Cuban style black beans (or just with the beans and frozen organic Jasmine rice if you don’t limit carbs…it’s so much better!). Pair with plantain crisps for salt/texture. My favorite lazy dinner.
I love their meatloaf too. Heat it up and serve with microwaved steamed broccoli. Sometimes I make a sauce with the garlic spread and butter. Or garlic spread and vinegar.
I defrost cod filets and bake them with a smear of the garlic spread and pesto.