error in the nutritional analysis of one of the recipes in my new cookbook, Livin’

Lean with Trader Joe’s!

How could this happen after such absolute scrutiny??!

Sigh… If you have the cookbook, please turn to the Sassy Black Bean Soup

(which one of my book group friends served at the last meeting to everyone’s

delight) on page 97 and add a dot between the 2 and the 5 in the grams of fat.

It should read 2.5 g fat not 25, which you probably figured out if you looked

at the Weight Watcher PointsPlus or compared the fat grams to any of the other

recipes, which are lower in fat.  Sooo sorry!

Valentine’s Day

dinner for Valentine’s Day? With Trader Joe’s curry sauce and already cooked chicken,

dinner couldn’t be easier or more flavorful. Add some fun placemats and some

candles and voila, you have a great dinner.

The entree in the photo is a recipe my cooking class students love and its from my

“Quick and Healthy Meals from Trader Joe’s” cookbook and is called Yellow Curry with Chicken and Mushrooms:

You will need:

2 pouches frozen TJ’s brown or white rice or 4 cups of cooked rice

1 package TJ’s Just Chicken, diced

1 package sliced mushrooms

2 cups TJ’s Thai Yellow Curry Sauce

Directions:

Heat rice according to package directions.

Combine chicken, mushrooms and sauce in a microwave-safe bowl

and cook 3 to 4 minutes or in a saucepan for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat,

or until warm.

Serve mixture over rice.

Serves 6.  Per serving: 277 calories, 5.3 g fat, 560 mg sodium,

31 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g fiber and 24 g protein

In this case, I pressed the rice into a heart-shaped cookie cutter

and placed it on some fresh spinach along with the chicken and some carrots.

For the dessert, you can take any brownie mix and replace the oil called for with

pumpkin puree, applesauce, yogurt, prune puree or other purees to lower the calories

and fat. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter and then sprinkled the brownie with

frosting sugar and added some strawberry jam in the shape of a heart.

A delicious and romantic dinner for two or fun for the whole family!

and dips, ribs and nibs and much much more, you may be looking for something a

bit healthier. Trader Joe’s to the rescue! Yes, they have chips and dips,  etc., but

they also have open-and-serve options as well as lots of products you can put

together easily and quickly that are much better for us.  No matter who wins,

we all feel better when we don’t  overindulge. You may feel self-conscious

about bringing something “healthy” but you’ll be surprised that there are lots

of people who will want  healthier options; and if not, you will at least have

something that works for you!

A Few Quick  Open-and-Serve Ideas

-Hummus and cut-up carrots,  cauliflower and other ready-to-eat vegetables

-Masala Lentil Dip and cut-up cauliflower

-Tapenade and vegetables

-Egg White Salad (with or without chives) on healthy crackers (Ak-Mak) or endive

-I don’t have the box for the exact name, but there are crackers with raisins and

rosemary that are amazing. Serve with low fat or fat free ricotta or

babybel light cheese.

-Baked Tofu, Teriyaki flavor, cubed and on a toothpick with a cube of pineapple

dipped in teriyaki sauce or General Tsao’s sauce

-California Rolls and  Sushi

-Spicy Black Bean Dip and no guilt tortilla chips or vegetables

-Spicy Smoky Peach Salsa and no guilt tortilla chips

-Freeze dried Mango-amazing!

Need a little preparation:

-Sliced polenta, baked for 10 minutes on each side and topped with bruschetta

and a little Parmesan

-Mixture of hummus and tuna with celery and serve as a spread

-Spanikopita in the freezer section

-Canned black refried beans mixed with corn relish or peach salsa

-Steamed lentils pureed with tapenade  and feta on crackers

For more ideas and recipes, including Sweet Potato Hummus,  Salmon Cream

Cheese Spread, Curry Cheese Spead, Lentil Pate, and Black Bean and Sweet Potato Dip

check out “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s”,  available locally (locations on

my home page) as well as on Amazon. Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegetarian and Vegan

recipe designations and indexes.

http://newhope360.com/weight-management/hormone-balance-plan

I hope you enjoy it!

Jamie

Simple and Healthy Crock pot Cooking

Simplify your life. Dust off that crock pot and put it to good use-let it make something delicious and healthy for you and your family. Plus, save time and money. Sample Mexican-Flavored Beef Stew, Jambalaya, Curried Lentils and Yams and Chicken Tortilla Soup. Get tips to make crock pot cooking as easy, delicious and practical as it sounds. Save room for generous samples.

Lafayette Community Center

Date: Thursday, February 9

Time: 7-9:30 P.M.

Fee: $38.00

Lab fee: $7.00

Register at 925-284-2232 or online at www.LafayetteRec.org

Orinda Community Center

Date: Thursday February 16

Time: 7-9:30 P.M.

Fee: $38.00

Lab fee: $7.00

Register at (925) 254-2445 or online at www.cityoforinda.org

How does Trader Joe’s help you follow a gluten-free diet?

Trader Joe’s has a no gluten handout which lists all of their products which are gluten-free. You can download and print it on your printer or they can do that for you at the store.

Some of my favorite gluten-free products at Trader Joe’s are:

Brown rice tortillas

Brown rice bread

O’s cereal

Organic Black Bean and Corn Enchilada (vegan)

Brown rice cakes and regular rice cakes

Brown rice pastas

My new book, “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s” has lots of recipes that are designated gluten-free as well as dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan. Check it out!

Thanks so much!

Jamie

They loved the Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette, the Cilantro Salad Dressing, a new low fat popped popcorn in a bag, dehydrated mango slices (like candy) and one of my favorite items, the White Bean and Basil Hummus. All were big hits! It was a fun evening.

I told one of the gals, a college student, how easy it is to make microwave popcorn by using a paper lunch bag and popcorn kernels. (Yes, Trader Joe’s carries those too.) Put 3 to 4 tablespoons of popcorn into a brown lunch bag and fold up the end (or tape the end); pop for about 1 minute and 50 seconds or begin microwaving on high and listen until the popping slows down and has almost stopped. I spray a little olive oil spray on it and add sea salt and cardamom. A really inexpensive and filling snack!

This week, I look forward to teaching my popular class, “Quick and Healthy Meals from Costco and Trader Joe’s” through the city of Walnut Creek. See the information in the class section and join us if you can. Sign up at least a day ahead of time to make sure there are enough samples to go around.

They’re good and have healthy numbers nutritionally.  Per 3.2 ounce serving:

110 calories, 3.5 g fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate,

0 g fiber, 15 g protein.  They would be great used for burgers,  sandwiches,

atop salad or added to pasta dishes. You can cook them on the grill or bbq, bake them

in the oven, in a skillet or microwave them.

Ingredients include: pink salmon, water, tapioca syrup and 2% or less of the

the following ingredients: onion powder, carrot powder, celery powder, salt, carrageenan, natural flavor and yeast extract.

Try them and tell  me what you did with them and how you like them.

Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Burgers

If you live in the Bay Area or in Pacific Grove, CA, you can pick up a copy of the book in time for your New Year’s Eve party at the following stores: Outback on 4th Street in Berkeley, Rockridge Home, Pendragon Books, Orinda Books, Elmwood Stationers, They Grow So Fast, David M. Brian, McCalou’s, John Muir Women’s Health Center, John Muir Medical Center Gift Store and Rakestraw Books; in Pacific Grove you can get a copy at Miss Trawick’s Garden Store and The Works Book Store.

Happy Healthy New Year!