Trader Joes Shakshuka Review

trader joes shakshuka review

This Shakshuka Starter Kit from freezer section of Trader Joes was surprising easy and delicious. The tomato and pepper sauce comes frozen and I was able to easily remove the packaging and reheat it on low in the pan. I set aside the sauce on a dish when it was hot and used the same pan to fry up two eggs in oil. I kept the lid on the pan until the whites were cooked and the insides were still runny, then added the eggs over the sauce and garnished with some chopped parsley, ground pepper and a side of toast.

For a semi-frozen meal, I was pretty impressed with the flavor and it took very little effort. It made a big portion too. You could easily share the sauce between two people and fry up four eggs. While I normally try to make recipes from scratch, especially for the blog, semi-homemade meals are a huge help when meal planning. Please let me know if you enjoy this post and I will post some more meal hacks.

Massaman Beef and Potato Curry

Massaman-potato-beef-curry

This massaman beef and potato curry was really easy to make and will save you time and money on delivery when you are craving Thai food. I had to omit or substitute a few ingredients since we are trying to limit our trips to the grocery store during lockdown. Despite that, I was really happy with the flavors of the curry sauce even though I was missing tamarind paste. Instead, I substituted one tsp of fresh lime zest and squeezed a small amount of fresh lime juice over the dish before serving. I also didn’t have peanuts in my pantry so I just omitted it altogether.

Finally, the beef at the grocery store was slim pickings so I went with precut stir fry beef, which I found tough but tasty. In the future, when all this craziness dies down, I would like to try this recipe with stew meat or boneless short ribs that will be better cooked on low for a long time on the stove or in the instant pot. Since I used my instant pot for jasmine rice, I opted for the stove for the curry. The used Maesri Thai Massaman Curry from Amazon and would definitely repurchase.

To make this recipe more paleo friendly, you could serve this over spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice. Also, palmini noodles would turn this into a delicious paleo curry noodle dish.

Massaman Beef and Potato Curry
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb stir fry beef
  • 1 cup of beef stock
  • 1 can of coconut milk unsweetened
  • 1 large red potato peeled & chopped
  • 1 can of massaman curry paste (4 oz)
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp freshly grated lime zest
  • a pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Simmer all ingredients in a large pot until potato is cooked through. Cut small cubes of potato for shorter cooking time.
  2. Serve over rice with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Everything Bagel Avocado Toast

avocado-toast

I love avocado toast and I love everything bagels so Everything Bagel Avocado Toast is to me the best of both worlds. It’s an easy vegan breakfast that still feels luxurious and tastes delicious. Before discovering this spice blend, I used to sprinkle my toast with ground cumin, sea salt and lemon juice. I recommend you still add a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice to make your avocado taste extra delicious. The acid cuts through the fat and the salt is a necessary flavor enhancer.

Everything Bagel Avocado Toast
 
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Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tsp Everything but the Bagel Seasoning
  • 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
  • a pinch of sea salt or to taste
Instructions
  1. Dice and mash avocado in a bowl and add sea salt to taste. Usually just a pinch.
  2. Spread mashed avocado over bread slices.
  3. Sprinkle Everything but the Bagel Seasoning over toasts. Feel free to use more or less to taste.
  4. Add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the toast and serve.
Notes
(optional) Put toasts in the oven to brown them before adding avocado.