Whether you have been reading my blog since it began back in August or have only been following along for a month, one thing that I am fairly certain you have learned is that I have a serious love for Trader Joe’s and nearly every product that I purchase there. I swear, every time that I walk into the store there is something new that I just have to try! It is like the food is calling out to me or something ;). As a result, I try quite a few new TJ’s products on a monthly basis. About a month ago I decided to start sharing my experiences with and reviews of some of these products, specifically those that make up main dish meals. My first review of an Indian dish called Biryani was a delicious one. Are you ready for a second installment of Trader Joe’s Tuesday? I sure hope so, because it is a good one!
Trader Joe’s Tuesday: Organic Superfood Pilaf + French Yellow Beans
For my main dish I selected Trader Joe’s Organic Superfood Pilaf. I am not going to lie, anything with “superfood” in the title is likely to instantly draw me in. And when I looked at the ingredients list I was not only impressed, but also incredibly intrigued. It sounded delicious!
This pilaf, which comes frozen, contains tri-color quinoa, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, onions, red peppers, extra virgin olive oil, and spices. The ingredients list is full of whole, all-natural foods, and every ingredient is organic and vegan. I was pretty much sold by the ingredients list and picture alone. Oh, and if you can empty the package into a skillet and turn on your stove, then you can cook this! 😉
I bulked up my superfood pilaf by adding broccoli slaw that I had leftover in my fridge. I also jazzed things up a bit by adding Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. The package states that this pilaf serves three (which is likely accurate if you are serving it as a side), but I had plans to eat it as a main dish and hoped to get two servings out of it. I was certainly happy that I added the broccoli slaw into the mix because without it, I think I would have been left unsatisfied and a bit hungry. My additions, however, were delicious and satisfying!
I served the pilaf alongside roasted French yellow beans. This was the first time that I had ever seen yellow beans in a grocery store, and since I am all about trying new products, I was super excited to cook with these. The package provides instructions for steaming or sauteing the beans. I, however, decided to roast them. I sprayed the beans with olive oil cooking spray, sprinkled them with black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder, and roasted them for about 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees F.
These yellow beans tasted very similar to their more popular counterpart, green beans, but with a slightly sweeter taste. I really enjoyed them and definitely plan to purchase them again the future. Unfortunately, they are a bit pricier than green beans :(.
I was extremely pleased with this meal. I think that the pilaf on its own would make for a delicious side to a main meal, and with a few additions (like the broccoli slaw that I used), it makes for the perfect meal. The yellow beans complimented the pilaf nicely, and I was loving all of the “superfoods” that I got into one meal.
So…the ultimate verdict: Go buy one or both of these! They are both delicious, as nearly every product from TJ’s tends to be! 😉
