IN THE KITCHEN â—½ TIPS
Trader Joe’s 5-Ingredient or Less Cookbook. Have you heard of it? It was a gift to me, and I’ve SO enjoyed the recipes I’ve tried so far. Simple. All the ingredients are at Trader Joe’s. And oh, so tasty. I’m including several of the recipes this month, along with a sweet treat…
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Sweet Potato Tacos
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2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
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15.5 oz black beans
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14 oz Mexican style roasted corn with cotija cheese
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Corn tortillas
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1-2 avocados, sliced
In a bowl, combine sweet potatoes, 1 T olive oil, sea salt, paprika, garlic powder and mix well.
In air fryer, air fry them at 400 for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway. (Or just roast them at 375 in the oven for 25 minutes if you don’t have an air fryer).
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Rinse and drain beans and set aside.
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In a non-stick skillet, add 2T olive oil and add corn and sauce pellets and cook for 5-7 minutes.
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Heat tortillas, then assemble the tacos. Scoop some sweet potatoes, corn and black beans into the warm tortilla, then top with avocado and cheese.
Sesame Noodles with Chicken
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8 oz linguine
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1lb boneless chicken breasts
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2 c shredded carrots
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2 c edamame
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Toasted sesame dressing
Bring large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.
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Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes and season with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
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Heat 1 T olive oil in skillet and add chicken to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, undisturbed.
Turn and cook another 3 minutes til fully cooked. Set aside to cool.
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Assemble the bowls by dividing chicken, carrots, edamame and noodles into 4 bowls and drizzle with the dressing. Serve cold or hot. (You can toss edamame and carrots in oil in a pan and cook 2-3 min if you want them hot.)
Grilled Cheese
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2 slices of sourdough bread
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1 T Garlic spread dip
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1 T Italian Hot Pepper Bomba Sauce
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1 c unexpected cheddar cheese, grated
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Tomato & roasted red pepper soup (or soup of your choice)
Spread 1 T butter on one slice of sourdough, repeat with the other. Flip the slice over and spread 1 T garlic spread dip. On the other slice of bread, spread 1 T of the sauce. Place grated cheese on top of the sauce, place other slice of bread on top to close.
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In a skillet, place the sandwich butter side down and cover with lid. Heat 2 min per side til cheese melts.
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Heat your soup and serve alongside the grilled cheese.
A Sweet Treat
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We love this treat and have it often…
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Apple
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Caramel sauce
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Chocolate syrup
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Fresh blackberries and strawberries
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Dark chocolate chips
Just slice the apples and arrange in a flower like shape on the plate. Place your fruit in the middle, and drizzle the sauce and syrup. Top with chocolate chips!
A Box to Go
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Have you seen the divided boxes, found in the hardware section of the dollar store? Get the ones with rigid dividers, not the removable kind. Or you can find these at Michaels stores, too. These boxes work great for snacks to go, for those day trips or games or just a picnic out for fun!
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You can place whatever you want inside the squared sections, but here are the tastes we enjoy:
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Cucumbers
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Sliced carrots
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Pita chips
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Hummus
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Market treat
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Dips or sauces
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Tabbouleh
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Dark chocolate
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Cashews
Fill it with what you have. It can be a totally snack treat, a savory one, lots of crunch, or only sweets!