Creative Repurposing and Easy Meals from Trader Joe’s products

I’m obsessed with the zhoug, too. I forgot how good it was and didn’t buy it for a long time, then got reinitiated. I love that it has some actual heat and fresh-tasting herbs. My favorite use so far is just mixed into Duke’s mayo and served with grilled or roasted chicken and veggies, as well as spread on a sandwich. Clearly I need to innovate.

The pork belly is an occasional buy for me — I crisp it up and serve with yo po mian or over ramen. Tasty and easy, if a bit decadent.

The lemon pesto is great stirred into Serious Eats’ shrimp scampi. I also like a little bit of it mixed into angel hair pasta along with some half and half. And a dollop in chicken-artichoke-spinach burger mix just works. I recently mixed some with Duke’s as a dip for pinchos morunos (spiced pork tenderloin chunks).

I use the frozen naan as quick individual pizza crusts or as a fusiony pizza base topped with spinach paneer from the frozen section and mozz. Next up: beef lahmajun

Lemon curd works as a sweet-tart vinaigrette base.

The handmade whole wheat tortillas work as flatbreads in all kinds of applications. Those are a regular buy.

Pasta alla crudaiola is easy with all TJ’s ingredients – angel hair, garlic, olive oil, Kumatoes (always ripe), fresh basil, and Parm Regg stravecchio. A pinch of sugar makes the tomatoes sing.

I’m sure there are more…

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