Savory Profiteroles w/ Spinach and Artichoke (Trader Joe’s)

I used to have this little thing, back when my palate was still raw.  I would go out in search of the best spinach artichoke tip.  I was a huge fan of it and really thought there was no better appetizer than this savory dish.  So, every time we would visit a new restaurant, if it was on the menu, we would order it up.  During that period, I had the dip in just about every variation imaginable.  Some were made with goat cheese, topped with bread crumbs, served in bread bowls, heavy on spinach, loaded with artichokes, served with tortilla chips, and the list goes on.  I really thought that I had discovered just about every version available, and my desire for the appetizer had burned out. However, on my last trip to Trader Joe’s, that flame was rekindled as a new spinach artichoke product and I locked eyes.  Here’s how our renewed relationship worked out

Spinach Artichoke Profiteroles.  I scratched my head, amused with the creativity and clever usage of the wording.  It’s nothing new to take pastry and make it savory, but try calling these little appetizers ‘Spinach Artichoke Cream Puffs’ and you’ll probably have a bit of an issue getting consumers to bite.  Anxious to resume this romance, I read the directions on the box and allowed the profiteroles to thaw for 20 minutes while the oven preheated.  I lovingly placed each puff on the baking sheet aware that it was about to get real hot.  They were ready, and I gently slid them into the oven.  After about 15 minutes they were finished and it was now my turn to be satisfied.  I gave them a few minutes to cool off and popped one in my mouth.  It was incredibly nostalgic as the cream cheese, spinach, and artichokes caressed my palate, finishing off with the light, fluffy texture of the pastry.  This was a new trick that this appetizer had learned during our long separation, and I was very much a fan.

With my love of spinach artichoke dip renewed, I can say without a doubt that I will be crawling back to this appetizer soon.  It’s a great way to impress guests and might be the perfect dish for that upcoming Super Bowl party.  You just may have the misfortune of a testosterone filled room becoming an orgy as they’ll receiving foodgasms from a long lost lover.  FORK it.  It’s well worth the risk.

Sesame Lo Mein (ALDI)

Cheap, quick, and healthy.  That’s how many of us like our lunch.  I’m rushing around all of the time and it’s nice to know that I have a little help.  So, I’ll reach into the frozen aisle every now and then to stock up something that I know will satisfy my midday hunger.  I’m a little bit of a health nut, and natural ingredients, low calorie, and nutrient rich dishes are a little sparse in this section of the store.  If I’m lucky enough to find a healthy dish, it usually carries a pretty hefty price tag.  Luckily, this search began at ALDI, and while skimming the frozen section, I spotted a new line of healthy whole wheat vegetarian dishes around 300 calories for under $2.  I was sold.  Here’s what I thought:

They go by the label Simply Nature, with an all natural claim to their products.  This isn’t unbelievable considering ALDI’s heritage and commitment to no artificial colors or flavorings that goes back to the European way of thinking.  It was a little perplexing how inexpensive this Sesame Lo Mein dish was.  Let’s face it, once you put ‘whole wheat’ and ‘all natural’ on a box, that’ll hike the price up a little.  However, this quick frozen fix was reasonably priced and even rivaled that of the high calorie, artificial everything, sodium packed meals stocked in the freezer of your mainstream market places.  It was a little too good to be true.  I was intrigued, and I couldn’t wait to see if this product would reflect the price tag and taste as cheap as it cost.

I studied the packaging.  It was pretty straight up, and there weren’t any ingredients lining the label that I couldn’t pronounce.  It was indeed vegetarian, however, it does contain honey, ruling out its vegan status.  The sodium content was a little high, but nothing to be alarmed about.  I’ve seen frozen dishes that are much worse and the 690 mg aren’t anything a few glasses of water won’t remedy.  It’s a pretty small portion size, with 8 grams of protein and fiber to help hold you over.  Perfect for a light lunch.

After a thorough investigation, it was time for this frozen dish to reanimate in the microwave.  Removed from the box, bowl and all were placed in the nuke for 3 minutes, given a shake, and cooked for another 30 seconds.  Steam poured out every small vent in the plastic, and I gave it the suggested minute to cool as opening this early would have resulted in some minor burns.  I carefully removed the plastic and the sweet smell of pineapple was the first to greet my senses.  Ginger, soy, sesame, and garlic followed, and I was really starting to gain an appetite.  So far, it passed the smell test and there are very few things that smell delicious and taste disgusting.  This was no anomaly, and the first bite of whole wheat noodles with steamed veggies and chunks of pineapple covered in a sweet sesame sauce was quite good.  Very impressive for a meal under $2.

Not bad, ALDI.  They managed to create something cheap that doesn’t taste cheap and isn’t filled with crap.  I felt satisfied, and with the small price tag, content in the fact that I saved a few bucks for lunch. Also, I’m really FORKing happy I bought the Southwestern Fresca dish as well.  I’ll be sticking my fork into that one very soon.

Sweet Potato Tots (Trader Joe’s)

Potato tots have recently become a food trend, and to be honest, I really don’t know why.  What’s so cool about potato hash formed into a cylinder and deep fried.  I guess to the masses, just about everything.  It’s started to trend so much, that a few years ago I began seeing tots on menus and on some of the most respected foodie programs tossed into recipes.  So, it didn’t really surprise me too much when I spotted a bag of sweet potato tots in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s.  I’ve had these before from other places, but I decided to take them home and see if there was anything that set these apart from the other sweet potato tots that I’ve had before.  Here’s how it went:

 

The first thing I noticed was the size of the bag.  It was kinda small.  16 oz. of sweet potato pellets filled the bag and made up 5 servings for $2.49.  It wasn’t an absolute bargain as I have seen similar amounts in other grocery stores at about the same price for the same amount.  But, this is Trader Joe’s and there’s no artificial colors or preservatives in these guys and that’s a plus.  Just to make sure that this was the case, I flipped the bag over and read through the list of ingredients.  It was a little disappointing to see the long list towards the bottom describing things in an alien language.  I was really hoping that the list was going to be a 5 ingredient list without some of these “natural” food compounds.

After a thorough investigation, It was time to taste.  The oven was set to 400 and the tots were placed on a pan sprayed with olive oil.  I slid the pan full of sweet potato tots into the oven and they baked for 15 minutes before undergoing a turn and another 15.  They were still a little soft for my taste and I allowed them to bake for another 5 minutes.  Finally, they were nice and crisp on the outside and soft inside.  I took a bite and they were pretty much what I had expected with plenty of healthy sweet potato taste.  They could have used a little dusting of cinnamon and salt with a nice Sriracha aioli to dip them in.  For those of you who are casserole enthusiasts, these would go great in one of those.  I’m still doing a bit of research to find out exactly how I would go about making it, and I’ll post the FORKing recipe when I’m good and ready.

Dark Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Hearts (ALDI)

Some people love the jolly Christmas that blares overhead at your local grocery store, and there are those that loathe it.  I fall into the category of the latter.  I can’t get out of a place fast enough, gathering all of my groceries as fast as I can in an attempt to escape the noise pollution that this seasonal barrage of jingles will surely bring.  However, as much as I hate to admit it, this strategy works, and when presented with these monotonous songs, I find myself craving the one concoction that’s synonymous with the season.  Gingerbread.  Deliciously spiced gingerbread anything, and there is one place every year I find something new and exciting from this line that brings me into ALDI to grab off of their shelves.  This year, it was their Dark Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Hearts that I whisked away and dragged home to add a little holiday spirit to my diet.  Here’s what I thought of them:

As per the usual, ALDI presented me with a low cost option and these sweet, heart-shaped treats were a steal at $1.99.  This was my first go at these guys, and I really didn’t know what to expect.  Would they be hard or soft.  One thing I was sure of, was that they were bound to be delicious either way, and the part that excited me the most about these cookies, was that apricot filling that would be mixing with the rich dark chocolate and the spiced gingerbread.  I tore into the bag, and grabbed the first one.  I sank my teeth in, revealing an incredibly fluffy cookie filled with small amount of apricot filling.  The ratios were just about perfect, and the tangy preserves gave an nice balance to the bitter chocolate and the spicy gingerbread as they danced around on my palate.  I reached in the bag, pulling out a few more and laid them on a plate setting the rest aside so I wouldn’t devour the whole bag in one sitting.  They were FORKing addictive, and quickly became one of my new holiday favorites.

These little hearts will surely make their way into yours.  Not only will your friends love the texture and flavor, but you’ll leave them impressed by their cute shape.  They’re great to bring over to a holiday party, or just to have around to entertain guests during the holiday season.  No Christmas party would be complete without these Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Hearts.  So, get into ALDI and throw these delicious cookies in your cart.  At that tiny price tag, why the FORK not?

Chicken Valencia (Trader Joe’s)

It’s a good day for me and other countless drones who wonder into Trader Joe’s on their lunch breaks, looking for something to quickly consume in our 30 minute allotted time, when there is something new on the shelves for us to try.  We have run through the assortment of quick meals and are starting to get tired of getting the same shit everyday.  It was an easy choice for me when TJ’s made Chicken Valencia part of their stock of frozen quick meals, and I instantly scooped it up and headed to the registers ready to get this back to an edible stage in the microwave at work. Here’s how it went:   

It’s rare to see Spanish dishes such as these stuck in a frozen section of a grocery store, however I’ve come to expect it from Trader Joe’s.  I’ve, also, come to expect that these quick fixes will be  rather delicious, and leave me craving it again.  So, as I prepped this for its time in the microwave, that familiar feeling entered my stomach and it started to growl.  The nuke time on this meal is a little on the lengthy side which angered my belly and I anxiously awaited the 7 minutes to tick away. The buzzer went off, and my dish was prepared.  I removed the plastic and scalding hot steam escaped out of every orifice.  I plated the dish, let it cool, and took a bite.  This Valencia style chicken did not disappoint.  The chicken was covered in a delicious mix of spices that was highlighted by paprika that tickled the tongue.  Then, there is the seasoned rice with the pop of peas and the salty kick of green olives covered in a red pepper sauce, bringing it all together.  The only thing I was left wanting, was more.  With a nice chunk of bread, this would have been the perfect meal.  Why was I so FORKing dense not to think of that?