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Showing posts with label Trader Joe's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trader Joe's. Show all posts

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Fastest Quesadilla North of the Border


This is a 3 ingredient 5 minute recipe. I packed it in aluminum foil to go the other day and it worked great; it stayed warm and didn't get soggy during the 45 minutes it was packed. Serve with Trader Joe's guacamole. Yum! Crunchy and gooey and very satisfying. Yes, that's a vegetable in there!

Ingredients:
  • 1 package whole wheat tortillas (Trader Joe's brand shown)
  • 1 bag no rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin aka growth hormone) shredded Lite Mexican Blend cheese (Trader Joe's)
  • 1 package Trader Joe's Organic broccoli slaw.

Preparation Per 2 Servings:

  1. Preheat cast iron or other 10" heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat.
  2. When hot, lay one tortilla in pan, sprinkle with shredded cheese to barely cover, sprinkle a layer of broccoli slaw on top and then another layer of shredded cheese. Top with another tortilla and cook until crisp and golden on the bottom.
  3. Slip a large spatula under the quesadilla, place the palm of the free hand on top of the quesadilla to help balance it and keep it together, and flip it over to cook on the other side. Remove when crisp and golden.
  4. Remove from heat and place on cutting board. Allow to cool for at least 30 seconds and then slice into wedges.
  5. Serve with Trader Joe's guacamole or avocados cut in wedges.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Insalata Caprese


You know the weather is warm when you can make this delicious and refreshing dish whose name means Salad from Capri, the island off the coast of Italy that is part of the Province of Naples and is where the dish originated. It's such a simple dish, but don't let it deceive you, it's amazing! And it's worth it to search out Mozzarella di Bufala, real buffalo milk mozzarella cheese, because it has a unique flavor and texture and is true to the dish's origin. I got mine at Trader Joe's and I have to admit it's pricey, but once in a while it's worth the splurge. Otherwise use fresh cow's milk mozzarella. Using really fresh tomatoes and basil along with excellent quality olive oil and a fresh baguette, you've got an amazing meal or great first course. The bread is optional!

Ingredients:
  • Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo's milk mozzarella cheese available at Trader Joe's)
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes
  • 20 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 multigrain baguette
  • coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
  1. Slice the cheese into thin (1/8 inch) slices. slice the tomatoes into thin slices. Slice baguette into 1/4 inch slices or thinner if you plan to toast them. Toast baguette slices (optional) while cleaning the basil.
  2. Arrange toasted baguette slices on a serving plate. Place one slice of tomato on each slice, cover with one slice of cheese and top with 1-2 basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve.
Note: Do not refrigerate your tomatoes. It changes their taste and texture. Make this dish when you are ready to eat it (a la minute).

Friday, May 9, 2008

Ojai Pixie Tangerines



You've heard of endangered species in animals, but they exist in plants too, and many that can be eaten. There is a movement to bring some of these back from the brink of being lost forever, and the Ojai Pixie Tangerine is one of the chosen. They are not widely available, and are only available in the Spring, but they can be found at Trader Joe's! Don't miss these cute, little, sweet and juicy tangerines. They are delicious and low acid, so kids that usually refuse citrus fruits may actually like these. I rinse a few off, start the peeling process and then hand them over to my nine-year-old to finish peeling them for his snack. They stay fresh in the Thermos snack jars. I added a stick of Trader Joe's lowfat organic string cheese to make a more substantial snack. They are great as a dessert too and give you something to talk about!

More about the Ojai Pixie Tangerine
Here's a great site to visit to learn all about the Ojai Pixie. Suffice it to say that they are grown by 20 small family farmers who are members of the Pixie Growers Association in California's Ojai Valley. Despite the challenges they faced as a commercial crop, these families dedicated themselves to growing them anyway. We have them to thank for this delicious Spring fruit treat.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

French Toast


I've been buying a lot more bread lately because whole grain and multi grain options now abound. That leaves me with the question of what to do with leftover bread and I usually solve the problem by making French toast. If you like soaking your bread in the egg and milk mixture rather than giving it a quick dip, make sure you use day old fresh baked bread so it doesn't fall apart.

There are so many variations of French toast so I humbly offer you one. I find that this ratio of milk to eggs (1 egg to 1/4 cup milk) works well if you want to soak the bread. Too much egg to milk makes it harder for the bread to absorb the mixture.

Makes 4-6 servings, or 6 loaf slices

Ingredients:
  • leftover or day old multi grain bread that's not too dense (baguette or loaf)
  • 4 eggs or two eggs and 6 tablespoons liquid egg whites
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • Trader Joe's grade B maple syrup
  • 1 bag Trader Joe's frozen blueberries or strawberries (double if you like a lot of fruit)
  • Confectioner's sugar
Preparation:
  1. Place frozen fruit in a small saucepan over medium heat and cover. Stir occasionally to defrost while making French toast. Remove from heat when defrosted. If you overcook the fruit, it will turn to mush.
  2. Slice bread about 1/2 inch thick and set aside. Preheat griddle or cast iron skillet over medium.
  3. Beat together egg, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Soak slices of bread in mixture until saturated. Do not over soak or they will crumble.
  4. Spray griddle or skillet with cooking spray and add prepared slices of bread. Cook until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 10 min. Serve with syrup, fruit and a dusting of confectioner's sugar.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Feeding the Whole Family


Feeding the Whole Family is a cookbook by Cynthia Lair that provides simple vegetarian recipes for families who want to eat a meal prepared with fresh, whole foods. I just love her Red Bean & Quinoa Chili recipe. What's quinoa you ask? I've been eating this ancient Incan grain, pronounced Keen-Wah, for many years because it's easy to cook, has a light texture and nutty taste, is an easy substitute for rice, and has the unique benefits of being a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids. And it's high in iron and low carb to boot. It's a SuperGrain so eat up! Cook it in the rice cooker or on the stove top just like rice.

Cynthia Lair's Red Bean and Quinoa Chili (adapted)

The cinnamon in this dish gives it a natural sweetness that I love. Buy her cookbook and you won't be sorry.
Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours, 30 minutes if beans are pre-cooked.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
  • 1 large green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (I like Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn)
  • 1-2 cups organic tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water

Optional garnish
A few tablespoons of grated cheese

Preparation:
  1. Drain soaking water off beans. Place beans in a large pot with cumin and water; bring to boil. Simmer over low heat, covered, until tender (50-60 minutes) or pressure-cook using 2 cups water (45 minutes). If you want to buy canned beans, use 3 cups' worth and rinse before using.
  2. Heat oil in skilled on medium heat. Add onion, salt, garlic, pepper, and spices; saute for 5-10 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add cooked beant to other ingredients; simmer another 10 minutes. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of grated cheese if desired.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Soup for Lunar New Year


Dumpling soup is traditionally served on Lunar New Year in many Asian countries. It’s such an easy soup to make that I make it whenever it’s cold and I want a quick and yummy soup. Trader Joe’s Thai dumplings are particularly flavorful so I do not recommend substituting another type of dumpling unless you are ready to add much more seasoning to the soup.

Serves 4-6 people a dinner-sized portion

Ingredients:

  • 2 containers Trader Joe’s Free Range Chicken Broth
  • 2 bags Trader Joe’s Thai shrimp or vegetable dumplings (I like using one of each)
  • 1 bag Trader Joe’s organic spinach
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed (optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced (optional)
  • Trader Joe’s low-sodium soy sauce
  • Trader Joe’s toasted Asian sesame oil

Preparation:

  1. Empty broth into 4 quart pot, cover and bring to a boil.
  2. Add dumplings all at once, cover and return to a boil. Remove lid and lower heat to medium to gently boil dumplings. Do not vigorously boil or they will fall apart. Cook 7-8 minutes only.
  3. When dumplings are cooked, add bag of spinach, stir and cook about 1 minute just until spinach is wilted.
  4. Ladle dumpling soup into bowls and top with a heaping teaspoon of scallion or combine the scallion, sesame seeds and garlic in a small bowl and pass around as a topping. Pass around small bowls of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil for each person to season their bowls as desired.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

10 Minute Broccoli & Cheddar Soup


This simple and yummy vegetable soup can be made in 10 minutes. No kidding! Cook the broccoli in the store bought broth, puree it, add some yogurt and spices and top with good cheddar cheese. I urge you to get a hand-held immersion blender if you don't already have one because pureeing soup in the blender is absolutely dangerous, messy and now unnecessary thanks to these kitchen gadgets. I love my Braun. Amazon's got them on sale for about $30 so don't be cheap; be safe and quick. Oh yes, the kids absolutely love to use it. I let them stand on a chair next to the stove and puree while I keep one hand on them and the other on the blender with them. They actually squabble over who gets to use it!

This is not the super creamy, fat laden broccoli cheddar soup you get at most restaurants. It’s a much lighter and quicker version that uses bread as a thickener instead of roux (butter and flour). It uses low fat dairy instead of cream so your family’s hearts will thank you. If it seems strange to add yogurt to soup, take comfort knowing that the Turks have been eating yogurt-based soups for thousands of years. Indians use yogurt extensively in their cuisine and this combination of broccoli with garlic and cumin is common in western India.

My kids joke about this soup because I called it Emerald Soup for months to hide the fact that it had broccoli in it. Kids who won’t eat a vegetable off a plate somehow find vegetable soups palatable and even yummy!

Yield: 4 large servings or 8 appetizer-sized servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups Trader Joe’s organic low sodium vegetable or chicken stock (1 container)
  • 1-12 oz. bag Trader Joe’s organic broccoli florets or about 8 cups broccoli florets. You can also use cauliflower florets.
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin seed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1 slice Trader Joe’s whole wheat bread, ripped into 4 pieces
  • 2 cups Trader Joe’s low-fat or fat-free organic yogurt
  • a few drops of hot pepper sauce, like Sriracha (optional)
  • fresh ground pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup Trader Joe’s shredded aged cheddar cheese (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Heat stock in a medium saucepan until boiling. Add broccoli, garlic, cumin and salt, cover and lower to a simmer. Cook 6 minutes or until just tender. Don’t overcook or it won’t be a beautiful green color!
  2. Add bread and puree in the saucepan using an immersion blender (preferred). Or remove from heat and transfer in batches to a blender to puree.
  3. Return to saucepan (if using blender), add yogurt and puree or whisk to combine. Reheat and serve. (Yogurt curdles when boiled unless there’s some flour in the mixture!) Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste and serve hot.
  4. Top with some shredded aged cheddar cheese and serve with bread.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Curried Chicken Salad

This is a rich and hearty yet low-fat and healthy chicken salad recipe that is delicious served not only in pita pockets, but also rolled up in a tortilla or between two slices of good bread. You can also skip the bread and simply serve it on a bed of Boston or Bibb lettuce (both are varieties of butterhead lettuce), watercress or mache. If you’re not up to poaching the chicken, buy Trader’s Joe’s prepared chicken strips, cut into cubes and continue with step #4 below.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Breasts (2 breasts)
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 4 whole black peppercorns
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
  • 1 bay leaf (or curry leaf)

For the Dressing:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise, low-fat yogurt or Nayonnaise (tofu-based mayo)
  • 3 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Apple Cranberry Chutney (in the spring and summer use mango chutney)
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon hot curry powder or 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
  • ½ cup Trader Joe’s Unsalted Dry Toasted Sliced Almonds (optional)

For the Sandwiches:

  • 1 package Trader Joe’s whole wheat pitas
  • 1 package Trader Joe’s Bibb or Boston lettuce, cleaned and dried

Preparation:

  1. In a 4 quart saucepan, bring water, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt to a boil.
  2. Trim any fat from chicken and add to pot, returning it to a boil and then lowering it to a simmer. Cook partially covered for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
  3. Turn off heat. Remove chicken from cooking liquid and place on cutting board to cool. Cool cooking liquid.
  4. Make dressing by mixing mayonnaise or yogurt with chutney, vinegar, curry powder and salt.
  5. Once chicken has cooled, using a sharp knife, cut into ¼ inch cubes. Toss chicken with dressing, taste, and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, curry powder or chutney to suit your taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  6. Strain stock and save for making soup. Freeze after it’s cooled in the fridge if not using in the next day or two.
  7. To prepare sandwiches, cut a small sliver off the end of the pita pocket to make an opening. Lay a few leaves of lettuce inside, scoop in some chicken salad, and then pat on some toasted almond slices. Voila! If using traditional sliced bread, you may want to save a small amount of dressing and spread it on the sides of the bread, then dip each side (halve or quarter the sandwich) in the sliced almonds. This makes a beautiful presentation.
Both kids and adults enjoy the classic combination of hot and sweet.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Bean & Cheese Nachos


This warm and meltingly delicious snack has been a family favorite for years. It's crunchy, chewy, salty and spicy, which makes if very satisfying. My kids love this snack so much that they help me make it. If your kids like salsa, guess what, it's a vegetable! The beans are a great source of protein and fiber. If they ask for more than the 5-7 chip serving size, give them a piece of fruit!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag Trader Joe's baked whole grain tortilla chips
  • 1 jar Trader Joe's fat-free spicy black bean dip
  • 1 bag Trader Joe's shredded low fat cheddar cheese, or a blend of cheeses
  • 1 jar Trader Joe's mild or medium salsa (optional)
  • 1 container Trader Joe's low-fat sour cream and/or guacamole (optional)
Preparation:
  1. Scoop a small amount of bean dip up onto each tortilla chip (5-7 per child) either by dipping the chip into the jar or using a spoon so the chip won't break.
  2. Place all chips with bean dip in a single layer on a microwave safe plate.
  3. Spoon some salsa on top of each tortilla (if using), then sprinkle lightly with cheese.
  4. Microwave 10-15 seconds or until just melted.
  5. Optional: serve with low-fat sour cream and guacamole.
Buen provecho!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Quick, Delicious and Kid Friendly Bean Burritos

It's cold and everyone wants something hot and satisfying for dinner, but you're also busy ferrying kids to activities, talking on the phone with sick friends, and wondering in the back of your mind how you'll possibly make it to the dryer before the clothes get wrinkled. So, here's a quick and easy dinner that the kids can help make. They can learn a little Spanish while they're at it; burrito means "little donkey", but this recipe is strictly vegetarian! Authentic Mexican burritos are flour tortillas that are grilled or steamed and then filled with refried beans, rice, or meat.

Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag Trader Joe's whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 can Trader Joe's refried black or pinto beans
  • 1 bag Trader Joe's frozen tri color pepper strips (substitute shredded Romaine)
  • 1 jar Trader Joe's mild to medium salsa, depending upon your taste
  • 1 container Trader Joe's 0% Greek yogurt – this tastes and looks like sour cream!
  • 1 bag shredded Trader Joe's Mexican blend cheese
  • 1 package Trader Joe's prepared guacamole
  1. Gently heat refried beans in saucepan over medium heat until hot.
  2. Stir fry pepper strips until cooked through and no juice is left (otherwise burritos will be runny).
  3. Place salsa, yogurt and cheese in individual bowls on table.
  4. Microwave 1 tortilla per person for 30 seconds, uncovered.
  5. Place one tortilla on each plate, spoon some beans onto first 1/3 of tortilla and top with peppers, salsa, cheese, and yogurt to taste. Roll tortilla and bring in sides to form a burrito. Eat with your hands. Serve guacamole on the side. Enjoy.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Delicious (Almost) Homemade Pizza


Yes, I do love Trader Joe's. I served this pizza to guests with kids and everyone went nuts. They even liked it better than the pizza on the grill I make in the summer. You can make it with three ingredients, but it really shines if you add a few more. This recipe packs the goodness of whole grains, no rBST cheese, and cooked tomatoes, a great source of lycopene. Most importantly, it tastes great. I served it with an arugula salad topped with shaved Parmigano Reggiano and dressed it with Balsamic vinaigrette (all from TJ's too).

Ingredients: (double to make two pies if serving more than 4)
  • 1 Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough
  • 1 bottle Trader Joe's fat free Pizza Sauce
  • 1 bag Trader Joe's shredded Quattro Formaggio (blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina & Mild Provolone)
  • dried oregano (optional)
  • good olive oil (optional)
Preparation:
  1. Place dough on counter to warm up 20 minutes before cooking.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone or heavy duty baking sheet large enough to fit a 12 inch pizza in oven. You will be placing the prepared pizza on the hot stone or baking sheet to get the crust to set.
  3. Liberally flour work surface, preferably a wooden or metal pizza peel.
  4. Turn dough out onto work surface by turning bag inside out and begin to flatten and widen it with your fingertips or a rolling pin, making sure to not let it stick to the work surface. Flip dough over to get flour on both sides. When you can't get it to stretch anymore using your fingertips or a rolling pin, pick it up and use the tops of your hands to rotate and stretch it, just like you see the pizza chefs doing in pizzerias. Your goal is to make a 12 inch pie.
  5. Make sure peel is liberally floured under prepared dough, top with sauce leaving 1/4 inch crust, top with cheese, sprinkle with a pinch or two of dried oregano and drizzle with olive oil.
  6. Transfer dough to hot pizza stone or baking sheet. This is where technique is important and you may want to ask for an assistant. If you have not liberally floured the peel it will stick like mad. Gently transfer dough using short jerky movements. Don't worry if it's not a perfect transfer.
  7. Cook for 7 minutes or more, depending on your oven. You want the cheese to bubble and start to color around the edges.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute or two, otherwise the cheese will run. Cut into slices using a pizza wheel and serve. Leave it on the stone or baking sheet to keep it hot.
Enjoy!

Chicken Mole

One of the things I like most about Trader Joe's is their authentic sauces from around the world. Their red mole sauce (which is mole rojo in Spanish) is decadent and tastes like authentic Mexican mole. I have made mole from scratch and it is quite a production, so this product is a huge time saver.

I created a complete TJ's dinner using the mole sauce, chicken breasts, brown rice and green beans (their #1 selling product I'm told). Even my four-year-old like the chicken and he usually skips the protein unless it's vegetarian. Let me know how you like it. Here are the recipes:

Ingredients:
  • 1 bottle TJ's red mole sauce
  • 1 package TJ's boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4)
  • 1 bag TJ's brown basmati or Jasmine rice (or buy the premade pouch of brown rice)
  • 1 bag TJ's frozen French green beans
  • 1 bag TJ's toasted sliced almonds (optional)
  • good olive oil (my favorite is TJ's Extra Virgin California Estate Olive Oil)
Preparation:
  1. Prepare brown rice on stove or rice cooker (see my November post on using rice cookers). Use 1 part rice to 2 parts water. This will take 45 minutes. Rice cookers can hold the cooked rice warm indefinitely (huge convenience).
  2. When rice is done, prepare mole according to bottle directions. Heat in a medium saucepan with a lid that will fit sauce and chicken.
  3. Cut chicken breasts into large chunks, maybe 5-6 pieces per breast.
  4. Poach chicken in mole sauce by placing in saucepan, covering and keeping heat low so that there is only a tiny movement in the sauce. Do not boil or you will overcook the chicken and murder the sauce.
  5. Cook green beans by putting in a saucepan with a cover and adding a few tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and use tongs to flip beans as they defrost to ensure more rapid and consistent cooking. These are delicate beans and they cook quickly once defrosted. Do not overcook or they will be tasteless, lose their color and shred. Remove a bean every minute or two and taste it so you can catch them at their best.
  6. Cook until chicken is firm to the touch, about 7-10 minutes. When in doubt, take out a piece and cut into it to make sure it's done.
  7. Drain beans, place in serving bowl and dress with almond slivers, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  8. Serve chicken with sauce in a bowl; serve rice separately.
Que aprovechen! (Bon appetit in Spanish).

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Oh My, It's Pumpkin Pie Time Again


Looking for a way to make baking pumpkin pie with my two boys a little easier, I decided to try Trader Joe's frozen pie crusts. They're really frozen pie dough already rolled out - no pie tin. This is not your supermarket's pie crust! No, no, no. This is the real deal. It is not lowfat but there's no hydrogenated oil and no HFCS - they use real butter and sugar. I do wish it were made with whole wheat flour though.

The dough defrosts in an hour on the counter. All you do is unfold it, lay it in a 10" pie pan, tidy up the excess crust and crimp. Fill with prepared pumpkin pie filling (I use the Libby's recipe but substitute Trader Joe's organic pumpkin for Libby's, dark brown sugar for white sugar and add 1/4 tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg.) Here's a link to the original recipe. http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18470

So everything went well until my four-year-old decided to taste the ground ginger. He took it pretty well although I nearly ripped the sleeve of his sweater while trying to pry it out of his mouth. He'd bitten onto the closest thing he could to relieve his scorching tongue and wouldn't let go! A cup of water later, we were on to the next problem.

So, I'm sure I'm not the only one who discovers, a bit too late, that they're brown sugar has fossilized. I decided to chop the solid, dried out mass it into smaller pieces with a chef's knife, dump it into a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel. I microwaved it for 30 seconds and voila, it was just like new. I couldn't believe it. It was gorgeous.

So we were able to finish preparing our pies, baked them off, and the boys shared a ramekin of leftover filling for dessert. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Quesadillas on the Fly


It's cold outstide and everyone wants something warm and filling for lunch before venturing outdoors. How about a quesadilla? It's nothing more than a tortilla filled with cheese and vegetables. Here's how I make my very simple and fast yet yummy and healthy quesadillas. The kids love them.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package whole wheat tortillas (Trader Joe's brand shown)

  • 1 bag no rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin aka growth hormone) shredded Lite Mexican Blend cheese (Trader Joe's)

  • 1 package fresh bell peppers, red yellow and orange (Trader Joe's or supermarket). Or Trader Joe's prepared broccoli slaw if you're too rushed to slice the peppers.

Preparation:

  1. Wash and slice peppers into thin strips.

  2. Preheat cast iron skillet over medium heat or broiler over low.

  3. Using one tortilla per person, lay tortillas on cutting board and fill half with cheese, then layer on pepper strips. Fold empty half onto filled half and place directly in skillet or under broiler on a sheet pan lined with foil.

  4. Heat until crispy and golden, then flip using a spatula to heat and crisp the other side.
  5. Remove from heat and place on cutting board. Allow to cool for at least 30 seconds and then slice into wedges.

  6. Serve with guacamole (Trader Joe's is excellent and can be frozen) or avocado wedges, tomato salsa, and sour cream (Breakstone's lowfat tastes great).

Enjoy!