TRADER JOE'S SHOPPING LIST: BASICS

Remember when I did a Whole 30? And then another one, minus Mother's Day? Oh, and all those recipes and meal plans where I can't stop talking about Whole 30 everything?

Whole 30 is kind of my jam, guys.

Since that first one, the husband and I mostly eat Whole 30 when we are at home. I love eating this way and I feel zero guilt when I truly enjoy my splurges, like during a recent weekend in New York City that involved both a meal of fresh gnocchi with three cheeses and macaroons from Bouchon, It's not a bad way to live. 

The thing is, Whole 30 eating, even Whole30ish eating, is not what one would call easy. The no sugar/no grains/no legumes/no alcohol/no dairy can making grocery shopping, well, hard. That stuff? It's. In. EVERYTHING. But fear not! Once you get the hang of it, it's totally doable. And you know what store has a bunch of stuff you can eat on Whole 30 and in Life After Whole 30 (that is a thing, it's a hash tag, it makes it real)?

Trader Joe's.

If Whole 30 is my jam, Trader Joe's is the music system playing it. Ya'll, that store is a happy place. (I understand that TJ's are not everywhere, and for that I am sorry, guys. I have to drive 40 minutes to get to mine and the parking lot is a maze that is intent on trapping my car there, if it makes you feel better). I always pick up these 10 things when I'm there as pantry basics. 

1. Flowers. Yes, not a food, but this is a happy place, remember? You always leave with a gorgeous bouquet of $5.99 flowers. 2. Riced Cauliflower. I love this stuff, we eat cauliflower rice at least once a week. 3. Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes. I season them with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and they cook up amazingly crisp and delicious. 4. Frozen Seafood Blend. This mix of shrimp, calamari rings, and scallops is bomb. 5. Creamy Almond Butter. This is the best tasting almond butter out there, hands down. 6. Clarified Butter aka Ghee. An essential to any Whole 30/Paleo kitchen. 7. Organic Maple Syrup. This is NOT Whole 30 (but maple syrup is paleo). It is a fantastic price. 8. Coconut Oil and Olive Oil. Another two staples at great prices. 9. Almond Meal. This is a great substitute for flour in many recipes. 10. Salt and Pepper Pistachios. It is super hard to find seasoned nuts that are Whole 30 compliant but these are and they taste amazing.

While I'm not doing an official Whole 30 currently, these things are always in my pantry and fridge. It makes it so much easier to eat Whole 30ish if you have a fridge and pantry full of good food. 

THE BASICS: HOMEMADE BROWN SUGAR

 

Sometimes, in the kitchen, magic happens. You mix two ingredients and BOOM. You've made something you never thought was possible to make on your own. It's science, it's magic, it's both.

 

That's how I felt when I found the recipe for brown sugar in the Joy the Baker Cookbook. I figured that brown sugar was a process that was only going to happen at the sugar factory. In fact, it is a simple process of mixing two sugar products-white, granulated sugar and molasses-into one another. 

 

 



 

One cup of sugar to one tablespoon of molasses.

 

 

We mix.

 

 

Soft, sticky, sweet brown sugar. Making cookies better, I promise.

 

I've stopped buying brown sugar at the store. I keep a bottle of unsulfured molasses in the house and just make up a cup or two at a time and store it in an airtight container in the cupboard. One bottle of molasses makes a ton of brown sugar. It tastes better and saves money. Win/win.

 

 

Homemade Brown Sugar

from the Joy the Baker Cookbook by Joy Wilson

 

Mix 1 cup of granulated cane sugar with 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses with a fork. As the sugar and molasses combine, it will appear clumpy and sticky. Keep going! Don't give up! Continue stirring until sugar is light brown in color and fluffy. For dark brown sugar, add another tablespoon of molasses.

 

Enjoy!



The Basics: CHICKEN STOCK

 

 

Homemade chicken stock is one of those things that is just so easy and so much better than store bought, that once you make it, you'll never look back.

Stock is traditionally prepared by simply simmering meat bones in water. Vegetables, herbs, and spices are often added for flavor. The key to stock is using bones that have been roasted, in an oven or even on a barbeque. I alternate from simmering stock on the stove top or using my slow cooker. Both produce excellent results.

Stock is the perfect way to use up a roasted chicken carcass and vegetable ends. I keep gallon size zip lock bags in my freezer, and I'll throw a roasted chicken in one after we've eaten most of the meat off of it. I keep another one for vegetable odds and ends. Half an onion, celery leaves, the end of leeks, all go into the bag. Once I have a bag full, I make up a pot of stock. I freeze my stock in ice cube trays and they it's always ready if I need a little or a lot.

Though a bit time consuming, this is an easy recipe that you can throw together any evening or weekend.

 

Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

1 roasted chicken carcass, some meat still on the bones

2 carrots, roughly chopped

4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

1-2 onions, quartered (you don't even have to peel them)

4-6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 sprigs of thyme

5 sprigs of Italian parsley

2 bay leaves

 

Method1: Place the chicken carcass in a large, deep pot. Cover with cold water. Add the vegetables. If you'd like, tie the herbs together with kitchen twine, it makes for easier straining but is not necessary. Add the herbs to the pot. Bring the stock to a boil and immediately reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 3-4 hours on stove top. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain stock through a fine sieve. Refrigerate (1 week ) or freeze (6 months).

 

Method 2: Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cover with cold water (see note above on herbs). Cook on low for 6 hours.Remove from heat and let cool. Strain stock through a fine sieve. Refrigerate (1 week ) or freeze (6 months).  

 

This is a new series of posts that will focus on the basics of cooking.