New Potatoes in Creamy Dill Sauce

I actually used a recipe from something OTHER than the Trader Joe's cookbook! I found this one in the Kraft magazine:

1-1/2 lb. small new potatoes (about 22), quartered

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. dill weed (I used the Dill dip mix from Pampered Chef)

MICROWAVE potatoes and water in covered 3-qt. microwaveable dish on HIGH 15 to 17 min. or until potatoes are tender, stirring after 10 min.; drain. Return potatoes to dish; set aside.

MICROWAVE cream cheese and milk in microwaveable bowl 1 min.; stir until smooth. Pour over potatoes; sprinkle with dill.

MICROWAVE 1 to 2 min. or until heated through; stir gently.

Pasta alla Checca

I swear...each recipe gets easier and yummier!! Another one from Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's!

8 oz Linguine (I just used regular ol' spaghetti)
1 (8 oz) container refrigerated Fresh Bruschetta Sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) container Ciliegine, Fresh Mozzarella balls
1/2 cup chopped basil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Add bruschetta and Parmesan cheese. Mix well to coat pasta evenly.
3. Stir in mozzarella balls gently, being careful not to break them. Top with basil and serve immediately.

Seriously...it's THAT easy and even MORE delicious!!

Polenta With Truffled Mushrooms

Another gem from Cooking With All Things Trader Joes!!

1 tube pre-cooked Organic Polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
2 tsp White Truffle Oil or substitute Garlic Oil for a milder flavor
1/2 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese or Crumbed Goat Cheese
Chopped chives (optional)

Heat a large non-stick skillet or grill pan over high heat
Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil onto hot pan. Arrange polenta slices in pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
While polenta is cooking, heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small pan. Cook mushrooms for 5 minutes, sprinkling in salt towards the end. Remove from heat. Drizzle with truffle oil and stir to combine.
Top each ploenta round with a heaping spoonful of mushrooms and a sprinkle of cheese.
Garnish with chives.

So, I couldn't find any garlic oil or truffle oil so I added a frozen cube of garlic to the oil I cooked the polenta in and the oil I cooked the mushrooms in. I also had just plain ol' regular mushrooms in the fridge so I used those instead of buying a container of crimini mushrooms.

This was DELICIOUS!! I could have (and almost did) eaten the entire thing buy myself!

Italian Wedding Soup

Again...another amazing recipe from Cooking With All Things Trader Joes! Chris actually made this one...it was delicious and he said it was really easy to make!

20 frozen Party Size Mini Meatballs, about 1/2 the package or use 1 bag frozen Turkey Meatballs, Italian Style Meatballs (Chris used this one) or Meatless Meatballs
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped or 1 cup bagged Freshly Diced Onions
1 garlic clove, minced or 1 tsp jarred Crushed Garlic (we used 1 frozen garlic cube)
1/2 cub diced carrots or halved baby carrots
4 cups (one 32oz carton) Organic Free Range Chicken Broth - Low Sodium
3 cups fresh Chard of Many Colors (Swiss Chard) or spinach (if using frozen spinach, use only 1 cup - this is what Chris used)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (we didn't use this - didn't have any)
1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

• Chris did everything in our big Caphalon stock pot
• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and meatballs. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add Swiss chard (or spinach) and boil for 5 minutes longer.
• Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Okey-Gnocchi With Pancetta & Peas

Another one from Cooking With All Things Trader Joes...I know...I need to get some recipes from another cookbook!!

1 (16 oz) bag frozen Gnocchi Alla Gorgonzola
2oz Pancetta mini-cubes, about 1/2 the package, or 1/2 cup chopped ham (oops...I used the whole package of Pancetta and it tasted great!)
1/2 cup frozen peas or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach (I used frozen peas)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 cube frozen Chopped Basil (I used 1 cube frozen chopped basil - I love those things!)

• Cook pancetta over medium-high heat until browned. Place on a paper towel to drain grease.
• Pour entire package of gnocchi in a medium saucepan (I used the same pan I cooked the pancetta in - who wants to clean 2 pans/pots?!?!) and cook for 5 minutes until cheese is almost melted. Add pancetta and frozen peas; continue cooking for 3 minutes longer.
• Stir in basil
  

This was the easiest and yummiest dish I've made so far! This one will definately be made again!

Asian Dumpling Soup

This one is, again, from Cooking With All Things Trader Joes and WAS SO EASY!!

1 (16oz bag) frozen Thai Shrimp Goyza (I used chicken, I don't like seafood)
4 cups (one 32oz carton) Low Sodium Organic Free Range Chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1 small garlic clove crushed or 1/2 tsp jarred crushed garlic (I used 1 cube of their frozen crushed garlic)
3 cups (1 bag) of frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables
1 egg (optional - but I used it)
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Black Pepper

In a medium pot (a large pot would have been better!), heat broth, soy sauce and garlic over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Add gyoza and vegetables. When mixture boils again, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes.
If using egg, beat with a fork until frothy. Slowly pour into boiling soup in a thin stream, creating cooked ribbons of egg. If you prefer, you can pan-fry the gg and cut into strips or squares to use as a garnish.
Remove from heat. Stir in sesame oil. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste.

How easy is that?? Needed a touch of salt but it tasted pretty good!

Comfy Chicken Pot Pie

This one's from Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cookbook! It doesn't hurt that I do 99% of my grocery shopping there! Anyway, here's the recipe:

3 cups cooked chicken, such as charbroiled Just Chicken, cubed
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups of milk
1 Tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base or chicken bouillon (I couldn't find this and used a little bit of chicken broth - didn't hurt the taste but chicken bouillon would have tasted better)
1 (16oz) pkg frozen Vegetable Melange or other vegetable mix such as Soycutash or Organic Foursome, thawed (I didn't thaw the veggies - oops! I defrosted them in the micro and it worked out fine)
1 box frozen ready-made Gourmet Pie Crust (2 crusts) (I had 2 Pillsbury crusts that I used - worked just fine!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Defrost pie crusts according to package instructions.
• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. (I used a big frying pan) Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add milk and broth. Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. (Took about 15 minutes for me)
• Stir in chicken and veggies, coating all pieces evenly. Season with salt and pepper to tasted.
• Line 9-inch pie pan with 1 pie crust. Pour chicken mixture into lined pan. Top with 2nd crust and crimp edges to seal.
• Place pie on a baking sheet to catch any drippings. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. (I cooked it for about 40 minutes and the crust never really turned "golden brown")

Here's a pic of my "creation". Looks, eh...ok...but it tasted pretty good! Chris really liked it! Had 3 helpings and took leftovers to work today! I thought it would be "creamier", I guess...Oh well...