Chicken Medallions in Coconut Red Curry (Trader Joe’s)

Thai food is easily my favorite.  It’s a great combination of sweet and savory, and just the mere mention of it makes me giddy.  I usually make stops at a few local restaurants to get my fix, and when I’m feeling rambunctious I’ll grab all of the necessary goods from the store and make some at home.  I was feeling that itch not too long ago, and stopped into Trader Joe’s to feed my need.  I grabbed a few peppers and basil, passing by the fresh section just to have my attention averted.  In the cooler was a new Thai item that was just about to make my life a little easier, and save me a few much needed moments as I had school work to do and life was already pretty hectic.  I plucked the Chicken Medallions in Coconut Red Curry off of the shelf and scurried home to enjoy my new discovery.

Inevitably my craving was about to be curved, and in a much timelier fashion than I had previously thought.  I grabbed the prepared Thai dish out of the bag and read the directions to begin this adventure.  There are two ways to go about re-heating the chicken medallions:  Microwaving the punctured bag or boiling the bag in a large sauce pan.  I went for the latter, as I try to avoid the nuke box at all costs.  This way of preparing the dish adds a few minutes, and if you’re in a time crunch, the microwave will suffice.  With the water at a full boil I placed the bag into the rolling water and reduced the heat so the packaging would simmer in the pot.  After 15 minutes the chicken was heated through and I clipped open the bag, pouring it into a bowl.  I served it with rice and dug in.  The first bite was small sliver of tender chicken covered in the sweet red curry.  I was exceptionally good with the protein melting in my mouth with the delicious sauce coating my palate.  My only knock on it was a lack of spice, but this is something that could be remedied by adding your own.

It’s another successful ethnic dish by Trader Joe’s, a company that really reaches out to find items like this to line their shelves to keep foodies like me coming back in.  These Chicken Medallions in Coconut Red Curry were just right on just about every level.  It’s a great value, and will easily feed 2.  Also, it serves as a great canvas to add your own elements like peppers, cauliflower, or any other vegetables you can imagine.  So, if you have the urge for Thai, but neither the time to make it yourself or funds to dine out, I would suggest making your FORKing way into Trader Joe’s and giving this product a try.

Thanksgiving Is Near Pt. 2

Oh!  Shit!  I have guests coming over for Thanksgiving dinner and I forgot ________.  Yeah, this happens to plenty of folks, and there’s only so much time in the day to prep something magnificent for your upcoming influx of guests.  Don’t worry.  Trader Joe’s has you covered with their fresh sides that will save you all of those precious seconds you’ll need to get everything ready and impress those folks looking to feast.  First up is the Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes that will keep you from having to peel a few sweet potatoes and keep you from going to the oven again to roast these yourself.  They’re a perfectly suitable substitution and with the additions of cranberries and pecans make a delicious side dish to accompany your beautifully roasted turkey.

Next, is just about my favorite dish and I know would be missed at just about any Thanksgiving dinner with my family.  The combination of cheese and potatoes is one of the most simple dishes on the planet and the real nemesis in creating this dish lies in the preparation of those pesky potatoes.  Well, save your wrist and put away that potato peeler, because these Scalloped Potatoes from TJ’s is just what you’ll need to keep those tasty tubers covered in cheese on the table.  I’ll attest that this quick side will easily satisfy anyone who is expecting a good scalloped potato dish to rest on their plate with the other dishes piled on your plate.  I could hardly even disparage the difference between these and the ones I make myself.

To tell you the truth, my family has never been the fancy type to prepare a gratin for Thanksgiving dinner.  However, I’m fully aware that this dish isn’t the type of thing that you can just whip up in a few minutes.  Sure you can save yourself some time by grabbing the greens chopped and seasoned bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese .  But, why deal with all of that when you can buy a perfectly acceptable pre-made Three Greens Gratin from your local neighborhood grocery store and save a little bit of labor on your end.  This dish is very reminiscent of spanakopita with out the pastry dough and with the creamy greens mixing with the crunch of the crusty topping, this may just be a new tradition at my dinner table.

Stuffing is the ultimate staple for this meal.  There’s no Thanksgiving without stuffing and if you seriously forgot to make this dish, or just didn’t have the time, shame on you.  I ended up finding a quick fix for this dilemma with this fresh dish.  It has plenty of flavor and is perfectly prepared for you to look like a champ and toss this onto the dinner table to accompany your turkey dinner.  I prefer my stuffing with a little sausage in the mix, and this dish does just that by adding lean chicken sausage.  I was even craving this Chicken Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing so much, that I took it home and had it for a snack before dinner.  I, also, picked up something to accompany it. and here’s how it went:

As you can see to the left of the screen, there was a new seasonal item sitting among these sides that I just had to pair up with my stuffing.  This Spiced Cranberry Pomegranate Relish caught my eye as the pomegranate would surely add some crunchy texture to the tart relish.  I could already taste this combo in my mouth and the drive home was filled with visions of Thanksgiving dinner.  Luckily, I was about to get a preview.  I would typically, follow the instructions for baking the stuffing as the little bit of crust that would form on the edges would be a nice touch.  However, I was hungry and loaded it into the microwave for about 3minutes.  Once that was done warming up, I plated it and spooned a good amount of this delicious looking relish over on the side.  For those who have never mixed their cranberry sauce into their stuffing, you’re missing out.  The savory, soft cornbread stuffing soaks in the sweet and tart sauce.  The two  taste like they were meant for each other, and the pop of the cranberries and the crunch of the pomegranate add their own unique notes to this symphony of flavors.  I highly suggest picking this relish up to complement your stuffing, as I have never had any better.

Thanksgiving Duck (Bailey’s Range)

It’s November and one of my favorite holidays is on the horizon.  Thanksgiving is a holiday that was built for foodies as we get together with family, load our plates, and veg out together.  My family doesn’t get too creative with the spread and it’s usually just your run of the mill turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.  So, to get my foodie fix, I have to venture out a little and see what type of fare some of the local eateries are offering up around this time of the season.  I was pleased to see, when doing a little burger research, that Bailey’s Range had a TG inspired burger named the Thanksgiving Duck.  Here’s what I thought:

Since the research had already been done, I walked into Range confident on what I was going to order without needing a menu.  However, being a curious guy, I picked up the two sided menu and flipped it over to give it glance.  Realizing that I was quite hungry and a burger alone might not do the trick, I decided on some fried pickles to start with.  This turned out to be one of the best and worst decisions I have ever made in my life.  They make the pickles in house and as the molten hot fried pickles were placed in front of me, you could smell how fresh these were and a waft of dill tickled my nostrils.  They were covered in a thick layer of golden beer batter and made a nice crunch when bitten it to.  They were quite possibly the best fried pickle that I have ever consumed.  The bad part of this decision was now in play.  With my proximity to Range, I knew I was going to find myself back again for the gluttonous dish.

the onions cooked in pumpkin ale were the highlight of this burger

I finished off my pickles just in time for the main event.  My burger choice, Thanksgiving Duck, was presented to me.  A perfectly grilled fresh ground duck patty lay on a golden bun.  It was topped with onions cooked in pumpkin ale and a plum bbq sauce.  LTO lay at the side with another pickle which I was glad to see.  I readied my Thanksgiving inspired burger, leaving the LTO on the side with the idea that this is how Dave Bailey intended me to enjoy his creation, and sampled my first bite.  The first thing that hit my tongue was the pumpkin spice that had been infused into the onions.  It was complemented by the sweet plum bbq sauce and finished with the rich flavor of duck.    I gobbled it up (see what I did there) realizing that this was probably one of my favorite burgers ever.  The flavor lingered in my mouth, making me crave another one.  Ridding myself of this feeling, I sank my teeth into the remaining pickle to cleanse my palate of the delicious duck burger.

Getting that craving yet for Thanksgiving dinner?  Well, you have options, and at Range you can quench that thirst with their aptly named duck burger.  While you’re there, don’t forget about those fried pickles and tell me they aren’t the best.  Don’t want to take my advice?  Well then FORK U and wait until the 22nd to get your TG fix.

Turkey Pot Pie (Trader Joe’s)

Trader Joe’s always has a pretty nice assortment of fresh prepared dishes, saving their consumers a few minutes in the kitchen.  They’re usually well portioned dishes made to serve 2 hungry adults. Although, I like to cook, there are times where I find myself in those moments where I need something quick and easy.  So, I strolled up to the fresh section of TJ’s, ready to dive into a new product.  Answering my desire was a Turkey Pot Pie, and with the upcoming holiday I figured that I would get a head start.

Surveying the packaging, I read that this pot pie was made with white turkey meat (I guess this is a selling point), root vegetables, turkey gravy, and cornbread stuffing.  Just as I had thought, it was pretty much like a chicken pot pie, but the twist is the cornbread stuffing.

Anxious to see how different this made this pie from any other one, I instantly cranked up the oven to 375 and readied the dish for the oven.  After a 20 minute ride in the oven, I took the turkey pot pie out of its plastic oven-safe container and centered it on my dish.  The turkey gravy (which is composed of entirely chicken products?) was a little thin and the peas, carrots, and mushrooms spilled out from under the flaky crust.  I gripped my fork and cut into the crust and gathered a bit of gravy and veggies.  Looking at this first bite I noticed a lack of stuffing and turkey.  This pot pie, ran on the light side as far as those items are concerned, and at $6.99 made this dish not quite the value that I was accustomed to with a Trader Joe’s product.  I made my way through this 2 person dish, as I was incredibly hungry feeling a little less than satisfied with my choice.

It’s rare that I’m disappointed in a TJ’s product.  I had some high expectations for this dish.  On the whole the gravy was more like soup, and the turkey was lacking.  Getting excited about the stuffing turned out to be my greatest mistake.  I have a feeling that this item will probably sell, and I feel bad for the shoppers sure that they’re buying their newest favorite item.  Instead, they’re just getting a big FORK U from their favorite neighborhood grocery store.

Northwest Coffee Roasting (Clayton)

Give it to me straight.  Give it to me black.  This is how I like my coffee, with no added fluff.  If you’re the type that drown your coffee in cream and sugar, you might as well get it at the gas station and save yourself a few bucks.  But, for those of us who actually enjoy the taste of our coffee, and appreciate a locally roasted bean, there’s places like Northwest Coffee Roasting in Clayton.

Just to keep the control group consistant, I take a test drive on coffee by ordering up an Americano.  For those of you who don’t know, an Americano is espresso and hot water.  This ratio is typically 1 shot for small, 2 for a medium, and 4 for a large.  However, Northwest uses a 2, 2, and 4 ratio for their blend.  Their beans are roasted using a full city roast that gives the espresso a mild, smooth, and not too bitter flavor.  I thoroughly enjoyed my Americano, although, a little expensive.  It ran about $.50 more than Americanos at other shops.  Thinking about it, if what their website states is correct and they use 2 shots for a small, this really isn’t too bad.  It just means that for their medium, you pay an extra $.20 for a larger cup and 2oz. more hot water.  This could be to offset the amount of extra fluff their customers might use destroying their coffee in a larger cup.

Now, coffee shops aren’t just about the product they put in your cup.  They are about ambiance.  This is where Northwest is lacking.  Disappointingly, the decor is less than inspired and might as well be a hospital waiting room.  The plain-Jane, monotonous spread of wooden tables, white and surgical ward blue walls aren’t the easiest to sit and stare at, or even the most comfortable place to sit.  They’re not getting a spread in Better Homes and Gardens anytime soon.  Also, the menu is a cookie cutter, plastic spread of even less inspired white plastic pieces that display what they offer.  The saving grace here is the abstract art they were featuring at the moment as I did end up examining every piece in the collection.

So, what if you’re craving a bite to eat as you enjoy your locally crafted coffee brew?  Northwest does offer up some nosh to curb your appetite.  The pastries are a limited stock of muffins and a really nice selection of doughnuts rarely seen at a java joint.  A pretty loaded menu of breakfast sandwiches line their morning selection with my eye resting on one with pretzel bread.  I’ll be coming back for that one.  Lunch has a run-of-a-mill selection of four sandwiches served with chips all at $6.50 which isn’t bad at all.

Great coffee, a drab interior, and a decent selection of edible items pretty much describe the Clayton location of Northwest Coffee Roasters.  It’s not going to be a place you chill for a couple of hours, but come in to enjoy great locally roasted coffee.  It has my vote as one of the best roasters in STL.  Stop by and support your community, and if that’s not your bag, it should FORKIN’ better be.