Product Rave: Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants

YOU MUST BUY THESE.
That's all.

Enjoy!

Product Rave: Trader Joe's Red Curry Simmer Sauce

If you like curry, and you have a Trader Joe's nearby, and you need a quick weeknight meal, you MUST try this sauce!

I cut chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks and sauteed them in a little canola oil until cooked through. I threw in a few handfuls of baby spinach, about a cup of frozen peas, and sauteed a couple minutes longer, added the simmer sauce, and simmered until warm. I served over rice, although you can't tell from the photo.It was absolutely delicious. My only slight complaint was that it was pretty salty. But it's otherwise as good as you'd get at any Thai restaurant.

When Tim tasted it, he looked at me and said, "This is the BEST curry sauce you've ever made!" I told him I didn't actually make it, but I don't think he heard me. He was too busy with his dinner. Then he gave the sauce the best compliment ever: "I think I love this more than tacos."

Enough said.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Product Rave: Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta

My friend H. and I went shopping at Trader Joe's, and we both picked up this pasta. She made it before I did, and recommended serving shrimp on top. So, I blackened some shrimp (toss shelled shrimp in a mixture of flour, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and then pan fry) and served it on the pasta with a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

An extremely fast and tasty meal for a weeknight. If I had some fresh parsley, I would have sprinkled it on top.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: N/A

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts

Inspiration:
Butternut squash, garlic, and onions from our CSA
and
The Kitchn


Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
  
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
• 1 package (16-18oz.) gnocchi (I used Trader Joe's)
  
• 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note from The Kitchn: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

2. Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

3. Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the gnocchi. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

4. Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

5. Add half the gnocchi to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the gnocchi is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

   (Note from The Kitchn: Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

Notes:
I really enjoyed this recipe. I didn't have any short pastas on hand as used in the original recipe, so I used a package of gnocchi from Trader Joe's instead. It was delicious! I used only 1/2 of the squash, however, and saved the remainder of the roasted squash for another recipe.

I love this flavor combination and would like to try some of the following recipes:

• Giada's Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce
• Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Ina's Butternut Squash Risotto
• Williams-Sonoma Butternut Squash, Sage, and Hazlenut Risotto recommended by Erin
  

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Inspiration:
When in Italy, one of my favorite pasta dishes is bucatini all'amatriciana. If you're ever in Rome, head over to La Matriciana near the Vatican for a fantastic meal.

Bucatini is a hollow spaghetti, and for some reason the hole in the middle makes it taste a lot better. :) I had difficulty finding bucatini in the United States, but when I saw it at Trader Joe's, I picked up a few packages for 99 cents each. w00t!

The amatriciana sauce recipe is from Emeril. The tomatoes and onions were from our CSA.


Ingredients:

• 5 ounces raw pancetta, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound canned chopped tomatoes
  
• 1 pound fresh bucatini, cooked until tender
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade basil
• 4 ounces freshly grated pecorino
• red pepper flakes, for garnish
  

Ingredients:

1. In large saute pan, over medium heat, cook pancetta until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

2. Add olive oil to saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add onions to saute pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until wilted, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the wine and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved pancetta back to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 15 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pasta with the tomato sauce, basil, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Notes:
Pancetta is delicious. That's all.
I used two large tomatoes, chopped, in place of the canned tomatoes.


Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10