Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Pineapple Juice never makes it home from the store. It is, as you can see, my “car treat” after my shopping expedition.
This is the best juice I’ve ever had. It’s so fresh-tasting and refreshing. It often does separate, so it needs a good shake. But it tastes like you’re drinking it straight from the pineapple.
You’ll find it with the fresh juices, near the dairy.
And if you down it in the car before you even leave the parking lot or remember to take a picture, I won’t blame you.
If you’ve read my blog, you know I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s ready-made meals. Whether it’s frozen pasta or the famous Mandarin Orange Chicken, I know I can always have a wholesome meal on the table no matter how busy I am.
In addition to their more well-known freezer meals, Trader Joe’s also has some fantastic ready-made meals in the refrigerated section. These tend to be entrees, like lasagna or chicken.
My favorite, by far, is the Chicken Piccata.
This is really an entree and not a full meal, though I won’t judge you if you eat it by itself. It comes with three large, breaded chicken breasts and a bag of lemony, tart piccata sauce with capers.
You simply heat up the chicken breasts in the oven and warm the sauce in hot water for a few minutes. Just like that, dinner is ready.
Just a note: There are instructions for heating it up in the microwave, and I’ve tried that so you don’t have to. The chicken breasts are much better when heated in the oven, and it takes no extra effort. You pop it on a sheet tray in the container it comes in, and 20 minutes later, they’re ready. It’s worth the time.
There are three large chicken breasts, but if you cut it in slices, there’s plenty for four people with a side of pasta and some salad.
This is a great meal, even if you have to provide the sides yourself. Do yourself a favor one weeknight and make this delicious Chicken Piccata.
As much as I love Trader Joe’s, I’m not in love with their pre-made foods.
That isn’t to say I dislike everything from the refrigerated case. Their soups are the bomb (especially the seasonal varieties) and I do very much like a lot of their ready-made meals. But while I succumb occasionally (it’s a long drive to TJ’s from my house), their salads and sandwiches don’t usually thrill me.
After that long-winded disclaimer, let me just say that this Cubano Seasoned Wrap is…not bad.
It’s described as roasted pork, uncured ham, Swiss cheese and dill pickles in a flour tortilla with a Cuban-inspired mustard dressing.
Let’s break it down, shall we?
Roasted pork – This was my favorite part. The meat is moist and well-seasoned, and there are decent sized pieces.
Uncured ham – Also very good; much better quality than you’d normally expect in a pre-made sandwich wrap.
Swiss cheese – It’s…Swiss cheese?
Dill pickles – Not sure what these are, but they’re not the dill pickles of my Vlasic dreams. They tasted more like sweet pickles, and since I detest sweet pickles, I was turned off.
Flour tortilla – Pretty standard. Because the dressing was on the side and there were no vegetables, it didn’t get soggy or slimy, which was nice. Speaking of the dressing…
Mustard dressing: I would say a lot of the “seasoning” from the Cubano Seasoned Wrap was actually in here. But it’s not spicy at all. Rather, it’s tangy, sweet and mustardy all at once, and thin enough for dipping. There was enough for the whole wrap, but barely.
Overall, I’d say this is a solid option if you’re stuck at lunchtime.
Trader Joe's Table 