I’m a food is fuel person in the AM but in the evenings I want a little bit more from my meal haha.
3 Likes
I am also going to see if TJ’s has anything interesting when we go there tonight. For spices and seasonings.
4 Likes
If you’re making a TJ’s run I recommend stocking up on canned lentils! It mixes it up from chick peas/black beans that are more readily available from other retailers and saves soooo much prep time compared to cooking from dry.
In general their canned beans are way cheaper than I can get elsewhere here, but maybe it’s comparable to Aldi.
The low sodium diced tomatoes are great to have on hand too, if they’re not already on your list.
4 Likes
I can’t ever get lentils cooked right so this could be a solution!
3 Likes
I make most of my beans from scratch, but I love the TJs canned lentils because they are cooked perfectly!
3 Likes
TJs has both canned lentils and refrigerated pre cooked lentils, both are great!!
3 Likes
I think Trader Joe’s spices are way better quality than Aldi’s if there’s anything basic there you can get at not Penzey’s prices to save the special stuff for Penzeys. I’ve also stopped buying spices at Aldi even though I generally love it.
I get the greek chickpeas at TJs too and make a farro/chickpea/cucumber/olive/feta salad for easy but tasty veg lunches.
It’s probably too hot right now, but this recipe is really good and tasty, courtesy of @Sunflower Skillet Chickpea Parmesan Recipe
5 Likes
I shop almost exclusively at TJs due to proximity and here are some of the sauces and seasonings I like (full disclosure that they may have high sodium)
Crunchy Chili Onion (this is soooooooo yummy)
Chunky Garlic and Jalapeno Sauce (med-hot)
Frozen garlic cubes and frozen ginger cubes
Ponzu Sauce
Basalmic Glaze
Dill pickle mustard
Spices: ranch seasoning blend, mushroom umami blend, citrus garlic blend
ETA I looooove the TJs taziki sauce! Grab a can of chickpeas, some cilantro, kalamata olives and either pita bread or couscous+greens and turn it into easy pita pockets or any easy Mediterranean bowl.
6 Likes
Seconding everything I have tried (crunchy chili onion, mushroom umami, ranch, balsamic glaze, frozen ginger/garlic), and adding everything else to my next list haha.
The vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto is also super tasty! It’s in the refrigerated section probably near the tzatziki.
I personally prefer the canned lentils to the refrigerated ones, which always seem to clump funny for me.
2 Likes
Omg I am so hungry reading this.
2 Likes
This is literally my favorite food right now. To me it is not a “salad.” Lately I learned how to make tzatziki and this is the bomb with that. But in your situation maybe you should just buy the tzatziki; I’m sure price-wise the ingredients are not that much cheaper.
4 Likes
They didn’t have the canned lentils and they were out of tzatziki but I got the Greek chickpeas, some feta, some pita bread, some tikka masala sauce, and some spinach dip to dip veggies into. Also 2 yummy bagged salads.
8 Likes
In fact, when I tried to make some a few weeks ago it was MORE expensive and not as tasty. Possibly less additives?
6 Likes
I did a poke inspired bowl - jasmine rice, cucumber slices, avocado, grated carrot, defrosted preshelled edamame and a soy-maple-ginger-acid sauce (was out of rice vinegar and subbed something).
Sauteed veggies with an insane amount of garlic, tossed with feta and pasta
Potato and egg salad.
3 Likes
I have a bag of edamame in the freezer and no idea what to do with it. This sounds tasty.
4 Likes
I think maybe @noodle is the inspo for this one? But I’m trying this tonight!
7 Likes
Penzey’s has really good sales, though. I try to time my shopping with some giveaway bonus and I feel like it’s a good deal. There’s nothing a giant bottle of Mural of Flavor can’t fix.
Last nights lasagna roll ups were well received and those are easy to freeze.
I make a batch of “refried beans” in the crockpot every other week and we eat them as burritos and nacho salad until they’re gone.
4 Likes
Update: it’s good!
BUT it would have benefited from paprika. There was no paprika at the store today. 
Both the regular and the smoked was fully sold out.
I subbed in extra cayenne and pepper flakes and it’s fine! But smoked paprika is basically earth’s perfect spice and it was sadder for it.
10 Likes
I can’t be bothered to heat things up in this weather so cowboy caviar is this week’s dinner (black beans, pinto beans, white beans, corn, tomato, lime, cilantro, salt, pepper, and tortilla chips). I feel like it was a post somewhere on OMD that planted the seed but I can’t remember where.
I will be cooking a tofu stir fry for lunches because I have some CSA zucchini and cabbage I need to use. We didn’t get a delivery this week because it was a holiday, and it’s nice to finally be fully caught up.
8 Likes
Made this last night with a bunch of lazy modifications: Peanut Noodles With Spicy Tofu Recipe
I used half cashew butter and half peanut butter because that’s what I had but it was a great substitution.
I followed the recipe for the pasta sauce (other than cashew butter) but skipped the tofu half of the receipt entirely and just added a heaping scoop of the TJs onion chili crisp + some green onions to cubed cold tofu and plopped it on top of the sauce pasta. It was delicious and just as yummy cold the next day.
5 Likes