The Eat Your Way Healthy at Trader Joe's Cookbook: Over 75 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Every Meal

By Bonnie Matthews

What you eat begins at the store. If you can make going to the grocery store and preparing foods at home an enjoyable or pleasant experience, it's easier to reach and maintain a healthy diet. You'll be happier and less stressed about what's going on in your body. Author Bonnie Matthews has created a book of delicious, healthy recipes chock full of the amazing ingredients exclusively found at Trader Joe's. With over 75 recipes that will definitely satisfy your taste buds, this cookbook is equipped to bring smiles to the entire family with kid-friendly snacks and date night cuisines. In addition, Bonnie caters to different diets, with vegan and vegetarian friendly options for main and side dishes.

For cooks-on-the-go, Trader Joe's Eat Your Way Healthy Cookbook includes simple skillet meals that incorporate grains, proteins and veggies all in one! No brainers for portioning out for the week that will help you save money. Bonus sections include how to shop at Trader Joe's and read the labels with a grocery list of essential ingredients for successful healthy mindful eating.

Here's a list of some of Bonnie's yummy recipes using ingredients only at Trader Joe's

• Encrusted barramundi (fish) with Thai lime and chili almonds
• Pork tenderloin with blackberry pomegranate marinade
• Brown rice pasta with sweet basil pesto chicken sausage
• Fresh tossed pizza with sautéed vegetables and mushroom mélange
• Green curry stir-fry with wild caught shrimp
• Savory Paella with mahi mahi, scallops, and shrimp
• Kalbi BBQ and vegetable stir fry over bok choy
• Grilled panini with pastrami style Atlantic salmon

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Release date: May 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781634506533

Bonnie Matthews

Bonnie Matthews is a food photographer, cookbook author, and illustrator. When Bonnie is not creating recipes or photographing food, she’s drawing and painting for children’s books and magazines. She’s illustrated 25 books for children, including the award-winning “What To Do” series. In her spare time, she escapes to tiny islands and snorkels to get inspiration for the characters she draws. She is also the author of The Freekeh Cookbook, Hot & Hip Grilling Secrets, Hot & Hip Healthy Gluten-Free Cooking, and The Eat Your Way Healthy at Trader Joe’s Cookbook. She lives in Costa Mesa, California

Book preview

Cover Page of Eat Your Way Healthy at Trader Joe’s CookbookTitle Page of Eat Your Way Healthy at Trader Joe’s Cookbook

Copyright © 2016 by Bonnie Matthews

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

The author of this book is not a medical professional. While every effort has been made to provide information on brands and ingredients that are listed as gluten-free, it is the responsibility of the reader or anyone who may use this information to confirm whether they are allergen-free or gluten-free without cross contamination. The author and publisher assume no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products or opinions in this book. Some photographs show more than one portion for visual reference. Portion size will vary based on a person’s needs.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [e-mail].

Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Georgia Morrissey

Cover photo by Bonnie Matthews

ISBN: 978-1-63450-652-6

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-653-3

Printed in China

In memory of Jennifer Johnson, a.k.a. JJ,

my dear friend and old housemate whom I met at Trader Joe’s.

Special thanks to my foodie friends, Arabella Girardi and Alysia Gadson, for helping me with the book.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About the Book

Chapter 1 — Wake Up! Shape Up!

Breakfast Frittata

Hot Smoked Salmon Salad with Farro

Chocolate Protein Smoothie

Single Egg Skillet

Hot Smoked Salmon Breakfast

Egg Cups with Hot Smoked Salmon

Date and Almond Smoothie

Pumpkin Spice Shake

Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes with Garlic Chicken Sausage

Sweet Potato Spaghetti with Smoked Paprika

Chapter 2 — Green with Envy

Sprouted Rice Risotto with Asparagus

Salmon Salad with Corn and Chili Salsa with Lime Cumin Vinaigrette

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Arrabiata Sauce

Farro Salad

Farro Hash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Grilled Spaghetti Squash

Curried Barley and Kabocha Squash

Sardine Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Beet and Barley Salad

Cruciferous Slaw

Spicy Asian Rainbow Carrots

Serrano Salsa Salad

Turkish Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Roasted Broccolini with Everyday Seasoning

Crispy Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing

Leftover Chicken Salad

Chapter 3 — Kidding Around

Zucchini and Beet Hummus Roll-ups

Banana Date Roll-Ups

Spinach and Kale Dip with Veggies

Costa Mesa Cheesesteak

Tuna Boats

Chocolate Bites with Super Seed Sprinkles

Baked Chicken Nuggets with Flax Plus Multibran Flakes

Date Snack

Delicata Squash Turkey Tacos

Meatballs with Spinach on Zucchini Spaghetti

Spaghetti Squash with Heirloom Tomatoes

Flatbread Pizza with Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese

Chapter 4 — It’s a Wrap!

Cedar-Wrapped Salmon

Curried Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Fast Mexican Wrap with Chicken

Grilled Shaved Beef Flatbread

Curried Chicken Flatbread

Turkey, Grilled Eggplant, and Zucchini Roll-Up

Chicken Wrap with Black Rice and Spicy Hummus

Chapter 5 — One-Pot Wonders

Ahi Tuna with Fire-Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Seafood Stew

Thai Red Curry with Vegetables and Garbanzo Beans

Chicken with Mushroom Medley and French Green Beans

Greek Chicken with Eggplant and Onion

Carolina Gold BBQ Lettuce Wraps with Tangy Cruciferous Slaw

Thai Green Curry Mahi Mahi with Heirloom Rainbow Carrots

Rustic Soup with Chicken Apple Sausage and Sweet Potatoes

Stuffed Winter Squash

Moroccan Beef Tagine

Chipotle Pulled Chicken

Paella with Mahi Mahi

Slow Cooked Tomatillo Chicken

Chapter 6 — Prep for Success

Caliente Chicken

Cedar-Planked Coho Salmon with BBQ Sauce

Spicy Hot Sweet Sirloin Lettuce Wraps

Tri-Tip Roast Salad with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Murasaki Sweet Potatoes with Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

Chicken Spiedies

Lentil Salad with Sugar Snaps and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chicken Encrusted with Flax Plus Multibran Flakes

Thai Red Curry with Roasted Kabocha Squash and Shrimp

Curried Chicken Salad

Grilled Chicken with Barley and Mushroom Medley

Lentil Slaw and Tomato Salad

Rainbow Carrots with Spicy Asian Vinaigrette

Flatbread Pizza with Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini

Chapter 7 — Date Night

Smoked Paprika Shrimp with Zucchini Spaghetti

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Rosemary Marinade

Mediterranean Barramundi Parcels

Gnocchi with Roasted Kabocha Squash

Salmon Parcels with Cilantro Mint Pesto

Pork Tenderloin with BBQ Coffee Rub

Thai Lime and Chili Cashew-Crusted Chicken

Roasted Butternut Squash Cups with Red Curry

Lemony Smoked Paprika Chicken

Tunisian Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Introduction

How is it possible to love a grocery store? I mean, it’s only four walls, freezer cases, and shelves full of food, right? Wrong. My friend, Karen, introduced me to Trader Joe’s when I visited her in Tucson, Arizona. She was adamant about me going to Trader Joe’s while I was there. I had no idea why she was making such a big deal over a grocery store, but once I stepped inside I was fascinated. It had personality. There was a colorful, welcoming sign and pleasant employees. Inside it smelled like fresh flowers, and the merchandise and products were unique and inexpensive.

I admired the store’s dedication to healthy foods, which included an entire aisle of dried fruits and nuts. The brand was also creative with salsas, combining spices and fruits in ways I never would have imagined. With delicious coffees made with beans from all over the world for just a few bucks, I was hooked.

Years later, I was excited when my city, Baltimore, got its first Trader Joe’s. This little store helped save my life, literally. Around 2008 I was going through a seriously difficult time in my life. I was a freelance illustrator and my career took a big blow due to the economy’s downward spiral. My seven year relationship had just ended and I didn’t know how I was going to pay the mortgage. I was so depressed.

Then it hit me. I love to cook, and my local Trader Joe’s was looking for a part-time demo person. Dennis, the store’s Captain, asked me, What is your favorite product in the store? When I told him it was the White Stilton Cheese with Mango and Ginger, he hired me on the spot.

Honestly, I needed the job for more than just the measly hourly wage, I needed the medical benefits. They offer full medical benefits for part-time employees. That job was gold to me, and it helped me to start living a healthier lifestyle.

I had gotten up to nearly 300 pounds around that time, and I needed a change. Believe it or not, being surrounded by food all day at work enabled me to really focus on my body.

I was on a mission to drop 130 pounds, and I found my secret weapon at Trader Joe’s! I met two customers: Kenny and his wife. They came in all the time wearing workout clothes, and they bought healthy food. He noticed I had been losing weight and asked how I was doing it. I told him I was cutting out ice cream and cheese, and I had started walking for exercise. Then he told me he was a personal trainer and could help me. "I don’t have money for a