Chicken Burrito Bowl

First, let me say right off, I have the flu.  It’s not the “throw up” type of flu, it is the fever, exhausted, and every inch of your body ache type of flu (it even hurt to COMB MY HAIR this morning…  Huh?)

Oh, I feel muuuuuch better than I felt yesterday, where I lie in bed ALL DAY and night long, freezing cold (with a fever) even though I was snuggled under the electric blanket.  I now have a super expensive ($117 after insurance???) prescription of TamiFlu to take (geez Louise, that works out to almost $12 per pill – I could buy 2 bottles of wine at Trader Joe’s for every pill I am taking!  Priorities, people…)

Not gonna lie...  I sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office for 45 minutes to get in to see her.  And the whole entire time I was wearing the ridiculous mask UPSIDE DOWN and INSIDE OUT.  And they never told me!  Can't they TELL I feel awful by looking at me??  When I finally got called back the nurse said, "Oh, put the PURPLE side out!  You are gonna suffocate!"  Gee, thanks.

So anyway, I am not feeling dapper.  Also, I am home alone.  David is at rehearsal for “Gogol’s Nose and Other Strange Tales From the City”, a show he is co-directing at George Mason University.  It opens March 29^th and YOU should come see it if you are in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area J.  Here is a link to the university performance calendar so you can check it out:  link to Gogol's Nose!

David has been at rehearsal in the evenings quite a lot lately, which has meant a change in diet for me.  No longer are we doing “team cooking” – me focusing on veggies and him doing starch or meat…  No, now it is things like, I kid you not, a dinner of Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints for me!  Oh yeah, steppin’ it up a notch in the cuisine department. 

So, tonight I pulled a little something out of the freezer that I purchased with the intention of eating for a LUNCH – a Trader Joe’s Chicken Burrito Bowl.  Since David wasn’t here, I ate that whole sucker myself.  And here is what I thought of it:

Here you have it: dinner in a box.  Just add wine!

This is the first time I have had this item.  I was imagining MOE’S (a chain restaurant) when I bought it.  it was super easy to prepare – I microwaved it for 4.5 minutes, stirred it, let it sit a minute, and it was ready to roll.  I topped it off with the last bit of Hatch Valley Salsa I had (which I am kinda sorta addicted to and reviewed here:  Hatch Valley Salsa link  ).  (It is garbage and recycling night, and using the salsa means I can get the jar out of the fridge and recycle it!  But don’t fret, I have my back-up jar in the cupboard!)

My first bite of chicken in this burrito bowl was way too big, it was like the size of 3 bites!  That put me off a bit, but subsequent bites were better sized.  Sadly though, the chicken was really bland.  The black beans, corn, and peppers were much tastier. 

Ahhh, fancy dinner!!

This burrito bowl is listed as one serving, and that seems right if you are hungry.  It would make a good lunch.  It is nothing that is going to knock your socks off – it is NOT like going to Moe’s.  For some reason this Trader Joe’s bowl is just not all that flavorful.  It needs much more spice. 

Reasonably priced and NEW
                                                                                                                                                           

So, while I would rather have a bowl or burrito from Moe’s (which ironically is right next to our usual Trader Joe’s!), this is not a bad substitute.  It’ll do if you wanna just sit on the sofa, eat, and watch CNN.  I might buy one of these again to keep in the freezer for a lunch or solo dinner – it was filling enough anyway. 

Price:  $3.49

Rating: 3.5

Shiitake Mushroom Chicken

I would like to clarify that I believe there is a typo on the packaging of this product.  I think it should be called Shit-Ake Chicken.

Ok, now for the review.  (Can you guess what we thought of it even before reading further??!  :) )

Looks tasty enough on the bag, no?  

I have BUYER’S REMORSE on this one.  Sigh.  It is my own fault, I should have read the bag more clearly before buying it, but I got excited!  It looked really good in the photo!!  And it looked like it would be so easy to prepare!  But if only I had taken time to read the ingredients list I would have seen that not the first ingredient, but the first TWO INGREDIENTS listed are dark meat chicken chunks.  Putting aside my preference for white meat chicken a moment, why did they list it TWICE??  And again, ignoring that if I have my choice I choose white meat chicken, why didn’t they use better QUALITY dark meat chicken in this meal? 

Dark Meat Chicken Chunks - the ingredient so "nice" they listed it twice...

OK, backing up; this is a frozen meal that comes in a bag.  It consists of dark meat chicken, more dark meat chicken, shiitake mushrooms, edamame, and green beans.  I was right about one thing with this product, it is easy to cook and make a meal out of.  But it does not make a TASTY meal, which is something we like…  I followed the instructions and cooked it in a wok and served it over jasmine rice. 

Lots of chicken...  Lots of bad quality chicken...

The two ingredients that made this product taste bad were the bad quality chicken and the very bland, poorly textured green beans.  The very best part of the dinner was the rice (cooked separately and not included in this packaged meal…).  But the best part of this PACKAGE was the edamame and the shitake mushrooms – those bits were good.  But those things can’t carry the weight of the whole meal.  I think something that would jazz it up would be GARLIC.  Give it a bit of flavor.

This does not taste like a dish you would get at a restaurant AT ALL.    Well, I take that back.  It DOES taste like something you would get at a restaurant, but the restaurant would be an all-day Chinese Buffet in Daytona Beach, Florida.  It would be in a pan that had been left out all day on the buffet line, and senior citizens who paid $4.99 for all-you-can-eat “Chinese” would be plopping it on their plate for their 4:00 PM dinner.  THAT is what it tastes like!  (And I do not mean any offense to Seniors, we are AARP members ourselves!)

Orrrr, it might also be found in a junior high school cafeteria. 

I couldn’t finish my serving.  I ended up eating more rice and heating up some Trader Joe’s edamame (which I love) to finish out my dinner.  As for the Shitake Mushroom Chicken dish, I give it a 2.0. 

David's take on Shiitake Mushroom Chicken BEFORE eating it...

Here is what David thought: “I agree, this is not as delightful as one might have liked.  In general, I do not have a problem with dark meat chicken, but this one...  The beans in this dish taste like canned green beans.  It would be much improved by the addition of green peppers, onions, maybe carrots…  For me the best part about this is the SAUCE.  So instead of getting this again I should just learn how to make a sauce like this – it is nice and savory but slightly sweet so it is a tasty sauce.  I would give this a 2.75.”

And David AFTER eating it...
Even DAVID didn't want second helpings, and David alllllways wants a second helping!

We won’t be buying this one again.  In fact, instead of putting the leftovers in a Fupperware (fake Tupperware) container we threw them out, which never happens at our house.  David will (hopefully) be figuring out how to make the sauce included with this package and we will put it with tastier stuff! 

Price – $4.99

Rating – 2.5

Suzy Soup

Recently some friends invited us over for dinner.  It was great fun!!!  They made a delicious dinner (dessert to be reviewed at a later date) AND shared a recipe for a soup that they make using all Trader Joe’s ingredients!

Well, of course we had to try that out!!!  So we collected ingredients and set out to make what I have decided should be called SUZY SOUP.  Yes, I know that Suzy and Rob, the friends who had us over for dinner, like to call it Tortilla Soup, but they are wrong.  In our house it will henceforth be known as SUZY SOUP.

Wanna make it?  It is, as Suzy told me, “Easy peasy lemon squeezy!”.   Here is how to make it:

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained (reviewed here)
1 can corn, drained (reviewed here)
1 box chicken broth (reviewed here)
1 jar Trader Joe’s Double Roasted Salsa (this was our first time having this product!)
Chicken (boneless, skinless) – sautéed

Combine all ingredients listed above in a pot to heat (after sautéing the chicken)

Can't you almost SMELL it cooking???

Now here is the fun part!

Fill little bowls with:

grated jack cheese
cilantro
sliced avocados
sour cream (or Suzy says you can use plain yogurt but we were too scared to try that)
tortilla chips (we used our favorite Blue Corn Chips (reviewed here)
chopped onion (we got crazy and added this!)
chopped tomato (again, Suzy didn’t tell us to have this, but it made the soup amazing!)

Then let everyone fill their bowl with Suzy Soup and top with whatever toppings from the little bowls they would like!!  (Of course, at our house, we each put in EVERYTHING!)

We were so excited to EAT Suzy Soup that I forgot to take a photo until my bowl was nearly empty... 

SERIOUSLY good soup.  Perfect for cold winter nights.  Super easy to make yet somehow looks fancy!

The only downside I can think of is that when you are done with dinner you not only have SOUP BOWLS to wash, you have lots of tiny bowls that were filled with toppings to clean, too.  But that is a small price to pay for such a delicious meal.  David reports that one other downside is that it is so tasty, that SOME PEOPLE (editor’s note – there was a bit of guilt in his voice when he reported this…) might eat TOO MUCH and then go to bed with a very full belly and have a hard time sleeping… 

I CAUGHT HIM eating a second (or third??) helping!!

The recipe made more than the 2 of us could eat but it was GREAT as leftovers.  I can’t really list a PRICE here, because it depends on what topping ingredients you buy.  But it is not expensive to make.

Rating - 5

Day 350 - Wine Country Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

A few days ago a review reader commented and said that this WINE COUNTRY CHICKEN SALAD was one of her very favorite products at Trader Joe’s and said that I needed to review it.  So off we went to the Alexandria, Virginia Trader Joe's to pick some up!  (Note:  I am not always that fast at picking up on product suggestions, but chicken salad sounded so good when it was mentioned…)

You suggest it, I go buy it, eat it, and review it!  Yes m'aam/sir!  

Before I write the review, I must share a quote my dad likes to say.  None of us really understand why he says it or even what it really means, but for some reason it is a traditional quote of his.  Here goes (cover your ears/eyes if you are easily offended):  “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit.”

Yup.  That’s my dad.

My dad and I when I recently visited him in Omaha.

As for as this chicken salad from TJ’s goes, it turns out it was a great reader recommendation!  We both liked it.  Ingredients listed include:  chicken, mayonnaise, dried cranberries, pecans, yogurt, pineapple juice, honey, celery, and more.  When I looked at the salad I thought the cranberries were RAISINS (before reading the ingredients). 

Nice little plastic tub of yummy.

David says, “This is good.  This is a nice salad.  It has large chunks of white meat chicken which are nicely balanced with the cranberries and pecans.  There is enough celery to give it crunch.  There are little black bits in it, too, maybe poppy seeds?  And it is all tied together with a nice, loose liquid-y dressing of some kind.  If it were me I would have gone with a more mayonnaise-y type thing.  But this is definitely nice.  It is somewhat sweet.  I would give it a 4.25.”

As for me, I typically like my chicken salad “bland” – i.e. without raisins, grapes, and other “fancy crap” in it.  Normally I say just give me chicken, mayo (with no foo foo stuff in it) and let me have at it.  Someone in my childhood used to make “foo foo” chicken salad and I never really liked it and the look of this one brought back memories of that yucky chicken salad from my childhood (chicken salad flashbacks!!).  So this product could have been a big fail for me, but…  It was not!

Deeeelicious!

I first had it on a toasted mini TJ’s bagel topped with this chicken salad and avocado.  It was DELICIOUS!  Very good!  It totally hit the spot.  It was not TOO anything – not too sweet, not too mayonnaise-y, not too runny…  It is really a great chicken salad!

It was messy, but I can’t fault it for that.  The chicken chunks are big but not overpoweringly so – they are manageable.  The only thing I would say could be improved about this product is the LID:  it was difficult to get off. 

Not cheap, but really good.

We later had the remaining chicken salad in a lettuce salad (and ate some by the forkful right out of the plastic tub).  Anyway we served it, it tasted really yummy. 

I would give this a 4.75.   

Price - $4.99

Rating (average of 2 raters) - 4.5

Day 341 - BBQ Chicken Pizza

As  mentioned elsewhere in this blog, we do not eat a lot of pizza.  When we DO, we often make it ourselves using TJ’s dough ( reviewed here).  But because I wanted to try a product we had not eaten before, I picked up a frozen pizza – TJ’s BBQ Chicken Pizza topped with tangy BBQ sauce, chicken, mozzarella, Gouda, and red onions. 

 

Here's the box.  It is in the frozen food section.

I popped that sucker in the oven the other night when we had some friends from Kansas City staying with us.  They were on a cool quest – Tracy decided she wanted to see as many Christmas trees as she could this holiday season and Vince works for an airline (which means free flights!) so off they went!!!  I had tickets to the White House Christmas tree lighting ceremony so they put DC on their list to visit!  They had been outside for a few hours waiting for the tree to be lit, then had stopped in a pizzeria on the way back to our house (unbeknownst to me, or I would not have tried to feed them PIZZA!).  Anyway, of course I made them try it and help review it even though they weren’t hungry.  J  Cuz that’s  what friends are for, right?

David was the "limo driver" to pick up the guests at the airport.

The box said it was 3 servings of pizza.  We had 2 hungry people (David and myself) and 2 full people (the guests).  After a couple of bites I brought out the Trader Joe’s Green Dragon sauce for those who were interested.  Here is what people thought of the pizza:

After cooking, before eating.

David – “I like it.  It is nice.  I like the sauce and items like the chicken ratio in the middle.  As it gets toward the ends there is quite a lot of CRUST.  Thank God someone recommended Sriracha sauce and that makes it ok in the crusty area, otherwise it would be a little barren.  This could be a dinner.  It is convenient and it is tasty.  I would give it a 4.” (Editor here:  it was not sriracha, it was TJ’s Green Dragon sauce (not yet reviewed), and “someone” did not recommend it, I (Susan) went and got it out of the fridge and walked it allllll the way to the dining room (like 15 steps maybe!).  But TJ’s DOES do a good sriracha sauce, it was reviewed here .

Guest reviewer Vince (married to Tracy, from a small town that loves to shoot off fireworks near Kansas City, where they KNOW their BBQ sauce) – “I enjoyed it, it was very tasty.  But the sauce was lacking and it could use a little bit more BBQ sauce.  I give it a 3.” 

Guest reviewers VINCE and TRACY!

Guest reviewer Tracy (a very fun woman) – “I would give it a 4.5. I REALLLLLY liked it for a frozen pizza.  I am most impressed with the cheese ratio because I always have to add additional cheese to my frozen pizzas and this one I didn’t find lacking in that area at all.  The BBQ sauce was a little sweet for my taste but I got over that pretty quickly and the sriracha sauce was a nice tip!”  (Editor again:  IT WAS GREEN DRAGON SAUCE, PEOPLE!  J )

Me – I thought there was too much CRUST around the edge.  I wish the cheesey part would have spread out further so there was less naked crust.  I could have used more SAUCE on it, too.  I thought the chicken was good, but overall I thought the pizza was a bit boring.  The Green Dragon hot sauce helped a lot, but I do not think you should have to add hot sauce, I think the pizza should be able to stand on its own.  I give it a 3.5. 

Not a bad price.

Well, scores were pretty varied – from a 3 to a 4.5.  I will average them together and give it a final number.

Tracy on her quest to SEE MANY CHRISTMAS TREES - this one is at Union Station, Washington DC.  

Price – $4.99

Rating – 3.75

Day 326 - Chicken Parmesan Lollipops

We had these treats when my sister and brother-in-law were in town visiting recently.  I forced them to try and them and be guest reviewers (it didn’t really take much forcing, they were totally game).  We ate them in between rushing around town finding fun things to do (like paint rocks at a mobile art van we found on the side of the road in Alexandria, VA!). 

We found a mobile art lab!  And it just so happened that it was ROCK PAINTING day!

Before I go into the individual reviews let me explain the product a bit.

These Chicken Parmesan Lollipops are easy to make – just take them out of the freezer and bake them for 15 – 20 minutes on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  The “lollipop sticks” (which are a bit fatter than normal toothpicks) are a bit superfluous.  You cannot really use the sticks to transfer the lollipop from the cookie sheet to a plate, because the stick falls out.  This is because the CHICKEN is not a solid piece of chicken (we we thought it would be).  Instead it is ground up chicken mixed with spices then formed into a little ball, not really a ball but a FLAT BALL, then breaded and put onto the stick. 

Here is the box - it is in the frozen food section

As for my opinion, I felt that this ground up chicken makes the texture a bit odd.  It is also a littttle too tomato-y but I personally liked it.  I thought they were interesting as an appetizer.  I would give them a 3.75.

They look cute on the plate, but trust me, the sticks had to be put back in after I transferred them over from the cookie sheet.

Jim’s thought on this product:  “I decided to spread the Chicken Parmesan Lollipops on CRACKERS.  I enjoyed them so much more this way.  I think that the texture lends itself to being spreadable.  I like the taste.  They taste like CHICKEN.  I would give them a 3.5, which is high.”  (Jim is a college professor and I kid him about being a tough grader, so this is a great score from him.)

Jim's new invention - CHICKEN PARM LOLLIPOPS ON A CRACKER!
Who needs a STICK when you can have a CRACKER?

Sherry’s thoughts:  “I didn’t really care for the texture when I bit into it, but I liked them spread on a cracker.  I liked the taste.  I don’t think I would BUY these, but if someone had them at a party I would eat one.  I would give them a 3.”

Sherry mid-bite.  

And finally, David’s musings on these meat lollipops J:  “I appreciate the respect that this food item has for my feelings.  First of all – potion size.  They are in small, manageable portions.  Each one provides 3 or 4 small bites so you don’t need to worry about a huge portion on your plate that is constantly saying, “You haven’t finished me yet…” and putting your blood pressure up.  The taste:  very nice.  Flavorful.  Like a little bit of chicken parmesan on a stick!  The downside of chicken parmesan is all of that TOMATO SAUCE, but when the portions are this small you don’t have to suffer through all of that.  You just have the delight of the taste and then you are done with it.  You don’t have to finish the rest of the chicken parm that is left on your plate.  Now, for this new concept of which I have heard of placing it on a CRACKER… I did try this, and I have to admit that it is nice.  Because the tomato paste is modified by all of that starch/breading so it “milds it out” and that is good.  But I prefer them on a stick to on a cracker (because the cracker is too stressful…).  (Editor’s note:  David seems remarkably stressed about his appetizers, doesn’t he???)  It doesn’t STICK to the cracker, it just SITS on the cracker because of all of the BREADING…  So, as you bring it to your mouth, you are worried about it rolling off!!!  (Editor again:  apparently Jim smooshed his onto the crackers more to prevent the falling off factor.) I would give these a 4.” 

$4.99 - not a bad price if you want chicken balls on a stick

So, in the end, nobody hated these, nobody thought they couldn’t live without them, and one person invented a new way to eat them.  All in all a good time was had by everyone.  J

Price – $4.99

Rating (average of 4 raters) – 3.5

Day 323 - Chicken Soup Dumplings

Let me start by saying – THIS BLOG HIT 50,000 VIEWS!!  Yes siree, this crazy wild project of mine, this hair brained idea hatched at the end of 2014, has surpassed any expectations I may have had.  On the afternoon of November 11, 2015 I watched as the counter clicked over to 50,000.  Let’s just say, I was excited!!

GET.  OUT!  50,000 hits????!  Yowsa!

Now, time for a REVIEW!

Trader Joe’s CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS get 5 super shiny solid gold stars!  Twinkle twinkle 5 shiny stars, these dumplings rock.

This is the box.  It is in the frozen food section.  You NEED it.  Go buy a box.  Like, now.

David and I both agree – the only thing that is not so good about these dumplings are that there are not more of them in the package.  J  There are six in the package and it says the serving size is one.  I think that would be perfect, however both times we have had these I had to split them with someone who shall remain nameless, and 3 was just not enough.  They are too yummy to stop at 3!

Here is MY portion.  I WOULD have eaten the whole box of these dumplings, but I was forced to share.

We first tried them as a sample at the Bethesda, Maryland TJ’s.  They are amazing.  My sister Sherry was here the first time we had them, but she didn’t want any because she thought they smelled like stinky feet when they were cooking.  Well let me say, if stinky feet taste this good, bring on the toes cuz I will gobble them up!!    (They do not smell like stinky feet to me.)

They are super easy to cook – pop ‘em in the microwave for 2 minutes in their little container and you are ready to roll.  The tricky part is to get them out of the little plastic container.  Each dumpling is in it’s own little compartment.  You need to use a big spoon to gently glide it under the dumpling and place it gingerly in a bowl.

Another Chicken Soup Dumpling lover

The thing is, when you read the title, CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS, you might be like me and mistakenly think they are dumplings IN chicken soup.  That is incorrect.  These are dumplings with chicken soup IN THEM!  I KNOOOOW, nutty concept!!  But what execution!  To fully experience the “chicken-soup-inside” effect you have to be careful when transferring them from microwave to bowl.  Otherwise you rip the dumpling and some soup leaks out.  But if that happens don’t fret!  Just catch the soup and put it in your bowl!

These are totally delicious.  the second time we had them we dipped them in soy sauce and it was yummy, but you do not NEED to add the sauce.  They are moist and tasty enough to stand on their own.  They can be a bit messy – if you have been careful and the soup is still in the dumpling you will get a chin full of soup, but it is worth it.  Just pull out a napkin, wipe up, and move on to the next dumpling. 

Well worth the three bucks.  NEW ITEM - don't discontinue these Trader Joe's!  Are you reading these?
KEEP THESE DUMPLINGS!

David thought about opening a can of chicken soup and plopping these in to make “instant won ton soup” but we agreed that would be a waste of perfectly amazing dumplings.  Eat them on their own.  And eat them right after you cook them. 

These are a good invention!  They are new and maybe seasonal, so GET THEM SOON AND GET THEM OFTEN.

Price – $2.99 (only .50 cents per delicious dumpling)

Rating - 5

Day 294 - Chicken Piccata

This was a very nice dinner!  It is a new product for Trader Joe’s.  I bought it in the refrigerated, not FROZEN, section (near the salads).  But when I came home and unpacked the groceries, oops, I accidentally popped it in the freezer…  So when it came time to cook it, we had to cook it longer than the instructions said. 

New!  The sign SAYS capers, but don't get your hopes up on that part.  I am just trying to keep you from getting crushed.

The chicken was succulent and reasonably tender.  The coating, as David said, was “Light and a bit delicate.  And the SAUCE!  The sauce is LOVELY and there is plenty of sauce!  So I am a big fan of this chicken picatta.”

David is the biggest fan of sauce of anyone I have ever met.  He adores sauce.  If he weren’t already married to me I am sure he would find a way to marry sauce.  And this dish has TONS of sauce – even more than you can put over the two pieces of chicken included!

Would you LOOK at all of that SAUCE???  It was great!  However, one cannot overlook the fact that there are ONLY 4 CAPERS on this plate...  That was half of the capers in the package.  Who votes for more capers?  THIS GIRL!  (Note - we also had tots, served on a differnt plate, cuz this plate was so SAUCY!  :)  )

The packaging says this has 3 servings, but when you open it up you see it is only 2 actual pieces of chicken.  If I was cooking for a family of 3 I think I would expect there to be 3 PIECES of chicken in this container.  The 2 pieces were BIG – for us it would serve 3.  But many Americans eat larger servings than we do, and it just seems a little awkward to have to cut a piece of chicken to make the servings.  Do you know what I mean?

Here is the package.  This one is worth a try - it is good.

I think the meat was good, the breading was good, and the lemony creamy sauce was really nice.  My only beef with this dish (a BEEF with a chicken dish!!) is the lack of CAPERS.  I mean, it SAYS there are capers…  But there were literally, like, only EIGHT teeny tiny capers…  And TJ’s capers are crazy cheap – we go through lots of them!  See the glowing 5 star caper review here  So would it kill them to quadruple the amount of capers they put in this dish?  Note to corporate:  ADD.  MORE.  CAPERS.

We served this with tots, which will be reviewed soon. 

Price – $5.99

Rating – 4.25 (would have been a 4.5 if they would have not been so damn stingy with the capers)

Day 281 - Chicken Marsala with Mashed Potatoes

We recently had (and really liked, though I have not finished the review yet) Trader Joe’s Chicken Picatta.  Since that went over so well at our dinner table, we decided to grab this Chicken Marsala.  Both products are pre-cooked and ready to eat – they just need to be quickly heated.  They are found in the refrigerated (not frozen) food section.

The label on this chicken marsala says it contains 2 servings.  However, when you open it up, it is one big chicken breast/cutlet.  While that is 2 servings for US (we are rather small humans), I think for many people they would not consider it big enough for 2 people.  We just cut the chicken in half and plopped it on plates. 

Here is the package - it looks better on here than it did on our plates

I think the mashed potatoes in this dish are better than the chicken.  The breading on the chicken has a lot of what tasted to me like rosemary and the strength of that overpowered the other flavors.  The sauce was good but not what I expected as “marsala”.  To be honest, my favorite thing on my plate was the left-over spinach from going out for dim sum at a Chinese restaurant earlier in the day…

David liked this product better than me.  He thought the chicken was good, the breading nice and soft.  He liked the rosemary.  He said the sauce was, “Lovely with a lot of mushroom taste in it, and the mashed potatoes that go with it are a perfect compliment, particularly with the sauce poured over the top.”

We had a discussion about the marsala sauce.  We both expected it to be more “wine-ish” and less “chicken gravy-ish”.  When I look at photos online of chicken marsala it all looks darker than the sauce that comes with this dish.  Something just didn’t taste right…

See how the sauce is sort of tan/gray and dull looking?  No marsala excitement.
And this is "one serving" - so half a chicken breast (this was before I ate any)

All of that being said, this is a very easy, convenient meal in that you just bung it in the microwave.  But Trader Joe’s sells many other quick to prepare meals that are much tastier than this one.  I would go with a different one if I were you.  

The packaging for this chicken marsala boasts that this dish “replicates a restaurant experience at a fraction of the price”.  I would concur with the “fraction of the price” part but not the “replicates a restaurant experience” part.  This doesn’t taste like something from a restaurant, not a restaurant I would return to anyway.  The box even says, “Who needs a restaurant when dining in tastes this good?”.   Well if all Trader Joe’s food tasted “this good” (which is middle of the road and sort of boring) then I WOULD need a restaurant.

David liked it better than me, so this won’t get a horrible rating.  But it won’t be in our fridge again if I do the shopping.

Price – $6.49

Rating – 3.25

Day 279 - Southwest Chicken Poppers

I went to a “new to this blog” Trader Joe’s this week.  It was not new to ME, mind you, I had been there before, but not since I began this blog.  It is the one in Tysons Corner, VA (on Leesburg Pike in Falls Church) – which, to those of you not from the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland area – is a suburb of DC basically.  J

Anyway, it is right off a busy road, which makes getting out of the parking lot a bit tricky.  One exit has a stop light and that is the best one to use, but the set up makes it tough to get in line to get out.  The shopping complex has, among other things, a Peet’s Coffee, so you can grab a latte to sip while you shop.  I think it is strange that there is a Whole Foods right across the road, too.  I am not sure which one came first but they sure are close to each other.

Artwork in the TJ's lobby - Tyson's Corner THEN and NOW.  :)

This store was fine.  Nothing really special about it – no employees smiled at me or greeted me or asked if I needed help.  It was clean.  Signs were okay.  I saw a stuffed frog wearing a TJ’s nametag hidden amongst some products, so they must have the program for kids to find it.  That always makes me smile.  It seemed like the store might be having an inspection of some sort when I was there because some people with clip boards were standing out on the sidewalk lamenting about the lack of lights. 

What I found to be the worst about this store was what appeared to be a distrust of shoppers.  Either they have some really jerky people who shop there, or someone in management thinks people can’t return carts to the store, because there is no curb cut in front of the store to roll your cart down to bring your groceries to the car and load them.  Not only that; even if you are willing to “off-road it” and barrel your cart down a curb, they went to the trouble of placing BARRIERS all in front of the store that are not wide enough for a cart to fit through.  Look – I am a responsible, trustworthy citizen.  I RETURN MY SHOPPING CARTS after delivering my goods to the car, people!!  And you should, too.  (That is a pet peeve of mine – people who leave shopping carts in parking lots are rude.)  I realize not everyone returns their cart though, and I hate door dings as much as the next guy.  But REALLY, it feels unwelcoming to be blocked in with my cart and forced to carry heavy bags to the car.  Once I lugged my big bag to the car I noticed that if a shopper walks quite far down to the next store, they could bring their cart out into the parking lot THERE, as they have a curb cut and no barriers. 

I took this photo before I walked into the store. I didn't even notice this unfriendly curb/barrier combination as I was taking it!

Enough of my rant.  Onto the review.

Southwest Chicken Poppers.  What is FUNNY is that by the time we sat down to eat these I had somehow convinced myself that TJ’s had named this product CHICKEN BALLS.  Understandably (to me at least) I found that name very funny.  I worried about the chickens…  And as part of this review I was prepared to explain to Trader Joe’s why a name change was in order.  Only now I look at the box and see CHICKEN BALLS was only in my mind!  The real name is Southwest Chicken Poppers (but in our house they will continue to be called Chicken Balls).  J

Chicken Balls - errr - Poppers...

These were good.  I like the breading on the outside and the stuff on the inside is really tasty!  I tasted  black beans, corn, spices - and I didn’t even taste the chicken!  They are a little spicy but not hot at all.  I dipped mine in Hatch Valley Salsa (cuz I love that stuff and could eat it all day) (if you STILL haven't read the Hatch Valley Salsa review click here. )

These took 20 minutes to cook in the oven – not bad at all.  A serving size is 3 which was the right amount for our 10:00 PM dinner.

They don't stay together all that well, but they taste good.  Here they are served with baby bok choy
(dipping choices of Hatch Valley Salsa and TJ's Cowboy Cavier were off to the side)

David said the coating on these was nice.  The inside was moist but “not so gooey” that the stuff ran out.  He agreed that it tasted very nice because of the vegetables.  He also didn’t taste the chicken but wanted to be clear that he didn’t REGRET that.  He decided it must be “chicken paste” that is somehow “infused through the whole thing” because the balls don’t taste like they lack the ”body that proteins give”.  He says it is more like a CROQUETTE.

David, like me, got the giggles over calling these things chicken balls.

They are easy to prepare.  They would make good appetizers for a party.

Price – $3.99

Rating - 4

Day 169 - Chicken Balti Pies

Chicken WHAT?

That was our first response, and maybe yours too, to see the name of this frozen product.  Being a resident of the Washington DC area, what I thought of was BALTI-MORE, however, it turns that is not what these are named after J.  The box tells us that BALTI is a traditional curry.  Because it is a CURRY, I mistakenly thought INDIAN.  But if you read the fine (pretty font) print on the side of the box you will learn that this was actually inspired by the “savory pies of the United Kingdom”.

Frozen food section - don't they look yummy?  Looks are not deceiving in this case!

Whew, glad I didn’t read that BEFORE we bought these!  Not sure I would have put them in our cart!  David lived in London for a long time and when we go back and visit I am amazed that a region can have such blaaaaaaaaand food. 

Not these Chicken Balti Pies, ain’t nuttin’ bland about ‘em!  They are really good! 

First off, they are not like Chicken POT Pies.  They are much thicker and sturdier than a chicken pot pie.  They do not need a little tin to hold them – they are hefty enough to stand on their own.  The crust is really nice!  Inside is curry, carrots, gold potatoes, and chicken.  We were afraid they might be very dry inside but they are not, the curry was just right.  Yum! 

We heated both up (mostly via the microwave because we didn’t even start prepping dinner until after 11 pm and we were not patient enough to wait an hour for the oven method).  The nutrition facts on the box say 1 pie per person, but I only ate half of mine (and the baby bok choy we served with it (reviewed on day 38 of this blog). 

All descriptions on this sign are correct.  These are, as the sign says, a delight!

These are a new product at Trader Joe’s and I hope they continue to carry them.  Get some and try them!  And if you want to learn more about BALTI, here is a link (though Wikipedia is hesitant about the validity of some of the info):  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balti_(food)

Price - $5.99 (so 3 bucks per pie)

Rating – 4.25

Day 153 - Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

Oh hell to the yes.  This is a good sauce!

19.5 oz bottle - that's quite a bit of BBQ

I am not a huge BBQ person, but David is, so when I saw this at Trader Joe’s I grabbed it.  And boy I am glad I did!

The only problem with this sauce was deciding what to make with it – chicken or pork!  So, in true David fashion, instead of choosing ONE to make, he got BOTH!  And both were super yummy.

Chicken with Siriracha & Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce, brocolli, & Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta ( reviewed on day 150)

The sauce is spicy (hence the sriracha in the name…) but not TOO spicy.  It definitely has a kick to it though!  And the roasted garlic in it is great.  There is also a bit of sweet to round out the flavor. 

We have half a jar left so will be having it again soon.  Who knows, maybe I will become a BBQ junkie.  I recommend you grab a bottle and try this one.

Not a bad price!  Flyer item - it was on an end cap in our local Trader Joe's

 Note:  I just checked in with David to ask his opinion on this, and he said, “Didn’t knock my socks off.  Got the job done.  It didn’t seem all that different than other BBQ sauces to me.”  HUH??  I thought it tasted way better than most…  Oh my.  We may have to agree to disagree on this one.  Try it and comment in the comment section and let me know what you think.

Price - $2.99

Rating – 4.25