I mean, you could tear into bags of these pre-made yums from Trader Joe’s and devour them as they are, but why do that when it’s so easy to make ’em even better?
For the record, I love hacking TJ’s products and making them my own. I did it this week to make a delicious veggie meal. I made cauliflower gnocchi with Parmesan and basil, then added it to a salad with crunchy ranch-flavored chickpeas and corn, all using stuff from TJ’s.
It was really easy, too. I started making it right as El Hub took Connor out to play, and it was completely done and plated when they got back 30 minutes later. All we had to do was sit down and eat.
I loved it, El Hub loved it, and the baby loved it, too. She gobbled down every last bite.
If you want to give it a try, you’ll need a few things…
- The Trader Joe’s Organic Mediterranean Style Salad Kit, which you can get in the bagged salad section
- Cauliflower Gnocchi, which is in the frozen foods section
- Also, not pictured here, Trader Joe’s Ranch Seasoned Crispy Chickpeas (you’ll find them by the chips)
- Grated Parmesan
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Corn! (Can’t forget the corn.)
So, all I did was dump the salad mix into the bowl, minus the feta cheese that comes with the kit, since El Hub isn’t a fan. Next, I used a knife to remove the corn kernels from a single cob and cooked it in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil. Then I seasoned that with salt and pepper (canned or frozen corn would also work). Threw that into the bowl with the salad. Then I added a couple handfuls of the Ranch Chickpeas and mixed everything together with the packet of red wine vinaigrette that comes with the salad.
Separately, I cooked the cauliflower gnocchi in a pan, which is what TJ recommends…
It was really very easy! I steamed the gnocchi with water for about 8 minutes, and when the water was gone, I added a pat of butter and about a tablespoon of olive oil.
I let the gnocchi crisp to a golden brown, which took about 5 minutes. Took the pan off the heat, let it cool for a couple minutes, then mixed in Parmesan and chopped basil.
Definitely going to make this one again, and next time I’m going to slice up some TJ’s Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage (has some kick to it), and add that as a side to round it out a little.
Yummy! I hope you give it a try.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF, friend. 🙂
TGIF! Your meal looks delicious and it’s awesome that Connor is so good about eating her veggies. She’s going to grow up to be a healthy eater, thanks to you. 🙂 I sort of went the opposite route last night and grilled burgers and dogs. We did have corn on the cob, though, so there’s that. HAHA!
Well I would’ve LOVED to have gotten down with your grilled dinner! Please tell me that corn had plenty of butter and salt. YUM!
Oh, definitely! That’s my favorite thing about corn on the cob. All the butter and salt! 🙂 I hope you all had a lovely weekend. It seems like we all had some nice weather, which is very welcome. It’s rainy here today with a high in the 50s so it was nice to have the heat and sun for the weekend!
Hi Karen ,
On my way to TJs today w a big long list . Gonna try those gnocchi’s too and the chick peas .
Hubby may find a whole new way to love TJs !
Hi Michele,
Let me know if you find anything good I need to try. Enjoy your shopping!
Thanks for sharing! Im a TJ junkie….they have the best stuff! I just printed this out so I can make it over the weekend. Hope it turns out as good as yours 🙂
Hi Shora,
Oh yay! I hope you like the dish. Please take a pic of yours once you make it so I can see it. 🙂 Are you on Instagram?
I’ll let you know how it turns out. Im not on instagram…I try to stay away from social media.
Please share what the gnocchi taste like. They look like gnocchi … can you pretend they actually are, or should I cook up some cauliflower? Don’t get me wrong, but for every peanut butter powder and lentil pasta, there are zucchini noodles. Again, no problem with zucchini, but it’s not a bowl of pasta. BTW, I love your TJ blogs. We are three blocks from ours, and I always keep your ideas on hand.
Hi Laurie,
I thought the texture and flavor tasted close enough to gnocchi. Didn’t get a strong cauliflower flavor, either… It was pretty neutral! Let me know if you have any other q’s. 🙂
Yum!! I need to give this a try!
He is not a fan of feta cheese? How is that even possible?
I absolutely need to try this!!!
you all need to try this
https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/onion-salt
it’s great
First off that Gnocchi is a total weeknight rockstar in my house. We’re putting it with the Barolo Marinara.
One of my other faves is their Argentinian pink shrimp and the Mexican style street corn from the frozen isle. I marinate the shrimp in a little EVOO, honey, lime juice, garlic, and chipotle powder. You can also use cumin. It takes like 5 minutes to marinate it, put in the fridge for an hour. Skillet the shrimp for like 2 minutes aside, then cover with foil on a plate or bowl. Then make the corn according to directions. Portion it into bowls and place shrimp on top. It’s so easy and comforting but it tastes like you spent hours on it. Bust out some mango salsa and chips and it’s party time.
OH SHIZZ; I forgot to email you my goat cheese recipe!
One log of Silver Oak Goat Cheese from TJ’s (it’s like $4.50)
Kosher/Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (you can use whole corns lightly cracked with a knife too)
2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill or thyme (lemon or pineapple is also great)
4 tsp julienned fresh basil.
Red pepper flakes or a sliced red birds eye chili
EVOO to cover, use your fave! I like the Spanish one from TJ’s for this.
Slice the goat log with waxed dental floss or a cheese wire. Make disks out of it. I like to make them like 1.5 inches. I prefer to make the marinade mixture in a bowl first so the oil is equally seasoned. Put the cheese into a mason jar or a smaller sealable canister (or tupperware). I prefer to put a little oil in, then drop in the cheese on at a time, putting a little oil between each. It works best if the vessel is either very shallow and they are flat or really tall and skinny so they are stacked tightly. That way you don’t have to use a ton of oil. It needs to sit for a few hours before digging in and lasts well in the fridge. It’s never made it more than a few days at my house though.
I’ve made a southwest version with a sliced chipotle pepper that was in adobo, cilantro, fresh oregano, and Italian parsley. It’s perfect for putting on enchiladas or in stuffed chilis or peppers 🙂
You can also make whipped goat cheese with the same log and a few tbsp of cream. Sky’s the limit on flavors. Take a little roast chicken, fish, lamb, or veg to the next level I tell ya!