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Win these fabulous spice-themed prizes!
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March
is National Nutrition Month, and we're celebrating by running a
spice-themed recipe contest! Spices are a great way to create healthy,
nutritious meals (scroll down for our Top 10 list). Reduce salt and fat, and instead use herbs and spices
to jazz up savory dishes. Back off of sugar, and use warm spices like
cinnamon and nutmeg to liven sweet treats. And go heavy on the garlic
-- garlic is believed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Below
are some of our most recent creations using spices from Trader Joe's.
We have some terrific spice-themed prizes set aside for you, so send in your original recipe for a healthy entree using bottled herbs & spices from Trader Joe's.
Are you a grill master with a killer rub recipe? Do your dishes fill
the room with interesting spicy aromas? We want to hear about it! We
will judge winners based on creativity, flavor, and ease of
preparation. Recipe contest ends Friday, March 27, 2009.
1st prize: Spice Stack organizer* (holds 18 bottles and even includes pre-printed
shelf labels), granite mortar & pestle, microplane zester, nesting prep bowls
2nd prize: Spice Stack organizer*
3rd prize: The Spice and Herb Bible reference guide
*The
Spice Stack has 3 drawers that slide out and pivot down so you can
easily reach all your spices. It's the perfect organizing solution for
spice lovers! Sorry, spices not included.
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Herb Crusted
Tilapia
Tilapia
has become quite popular because it is very low in mercury. With a
mild, non-fishy taste, it's a great fish to start with if you're not
used to eating seafood. Nearly any kind of fish will do for this
recipe.
1 lb frozen Tilapia Loin Fillet or
other white fish (if you prefer
smaller pieces, cut the 3 long
tilapia loins in half)
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 Tbsp 21 Seasoning Salute spice
blend (in spice section)
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1. In a shallow bowl, beat together the egg and milk.
2. On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs, seasoning, and salt.
3. Dip each piece of fish in the egg mixture and then coat with the bread crumb mixture.
4.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each piece of
fish for just a minute or two on each side. If the fillets are very
thick, you might need to cook for 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook the
fish. Fish is done when it is white and flakes easily. The outside
will be golden and crisp.
Makes 3 filets, or 6 smaller pieces (if you cut them in half).
Serving suggestion:
Serve with heated Mashed Potatoes (available frozen) and Ratatouille.
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Turkish Minted Kebabs
These
kebabs are wonderful with lamb, but also tasty with beef. Serve on a
bed of couscous or Middle Eastern lavash bread, with a side of our
Raita Cucumber Yogurt Dip (pg 196).
2 lbs leg of lamb (or beef),
cut into 1" chunks
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 cloves garlic, crushed
(available frozen)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, or
1 Tbsp dried mint
1 red onion, cut into 1" chunks
1.
Combine all spices in a Ziploc bag (everything except meat and onion).
Massage with your hands until all spices are well combined. The spice
mixture will be thick in texture, like a rub or paste.
2. Add meat
and continue to massage, so that each piece of meat is coated with the
minted spice mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or
overnight.
3. Skewer meat and onion chunks. Depending on the size of your skewers, you will have 4-6 skewers.
3. Grill for 6-8 minutes total, turning skewers every couple of minutes. You can also cook on the stovetop using a grill pan.
4. Let meat rest under foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
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Saffron Yogurt Pudding
Greek
yogurt has a luxurious, thick texture similar to sour cream. If you
can't find Greek yogurt, drain plain yogurt in a paper-towel-lined
strainer for 5+ hours or overnight.
1 (16-oz) pkg Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp Spanish Saffron threads
2 tsp hot water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup pistachios or almonds
Dried fruit as garnish (hibiscus
flowers and mango shown
in photo above)
1. In a small bowl, combine saffron and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes for color and flavor to be released.
2. Combine yogurt, saffron mixture, and sugar and mix well.
3.
Place yogurt in 4 serving bowls, and store in refrigerator until ready
to serve. Top each bowl with 1 Tbsp nuts and garnish with dried fruit.
Serves 4.
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And now our Top 10 herbs & spices for beginning cooks:
1. Basil is terrific for salad dressings, pastas, curries, pizza sauce,
poultry, and meats.
2. Oregano is great for pasta sauce, pizza sauce, seafood, and roasted chicken.
3. Rosemary imparts great aroma and flavor to seafood, pasta, roasted potatoes, and roasted chicken.
4. Cumin
adds smoky depth to soups and chilis, is essential for making a great
hummus, and is a critical spice for many Indian and middle-eastern
dishes.
5. Cinnamon
is a versatile warm flavor that is great on everything from simple
desserts like rice pudding, to warm oatmeal in the morning, to savory
dishes like middle-eastern rice.
6. Curry powder is the star ingredient in curried vegetables, curried rice, curried sweet potatoes, and flavoring curries.
7. Garlic is indispensable for pastas, stir fry, vegetables, or garlic bread.
8. Vanilla extract is a "must" for many cookies, desserts, pies, and puddings...even in oatmeal, coffee, or warm milk.
9. Salt
is the king of basic seasoning, enhancing the flavor of foods. Salt
and pepper can be bought in containers with built-in grinders for
maximum flavor. Try kosher salt or sea salt for best taste.
10. Black pepper
goes hand-in-hand with salt and is best freshly ground. Besides basic
seasoning, it can be mixed with lemon zest and heavy cream for a great
linguini sauce.
We hope you enjoy experimenting with spices this month, and here's to our health!
Deana Gunn & Wona Miniati
www.cookingwithtraderjoes.com
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Visit our blog!
  
Breakaway Cooking Apple Tarte Tartin Homemade Granola
with chef Eric Gower
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Our cookbook is an independent work. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by Trader Joe's company.
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