Trader Joe’s was such a hit last week that I decided to make this Week’s Meatless Monday Dish from one of their recipes. I hope you like it.
Summer has been a kind of crazy time for us full of travels, friends, and fun! I can’t believe it is almost over and then life will settle back into a lovely routine. Maybe. Summertime is the perfect time for easy meals, because if you’re like me you just want to get back outside! So start up the grill and let’s bring dinner outside!
Meatless Monday: Trader Joe’s Purple Yellow Miso Summer Curry
Time: 35 Minutes
Ease: Simple to Moderate
Review: While this is called curry, it is not curry in the sense we are used to having. It is not flavored with curry spice, but with smoked paprika. I rated this dish simple to moderate simply because it has ingredients that can be a little unfamiliar as well as flavors that are a little outside the norm. That said, I really enjoyed this dish even though I was prepared not to. Not everyone in the house liked it, but over all it worked. Vegetarians will like this, but meat lovers may have a little more trouble.
Time: about an hour
Ease: Simple – even a kid could do it, but let dad or mom do or supervise the grill
Review: Yuuumm. My son first made this when he was about 9 years old. At the time he was a huge fan of Emeril and ran around the house saying “BAM” to everything. The recipe sounds interesting, but give it a chance, it is really good. You can make these big, but the recommendation is to make them small and use slider buns or rolls. We added caramelized onions and BBQ Sauce just for fun!
Tilapia with Za’atar Spice
Za’atar spice is a combination of spice from the middle east often with sesame seeds, and dried sumac. I especially love this spice on hummus and experimented with it on fish. mmmm.
Time: 15 Minutes for the fish, longer if making rice
Ease: Simple
Review: I used frozen Tilapia fillets and allowed them to slowly thaw. About 20 minitues before cooking I rubbed olive oil and salt on the fillets and then rubbed in the Za’atar spice. If your Za’atar has salt you may want to skip the added salt. Preheat oven to 350 and then cook the fish 8-10 minutes or until flaky. That’s it! Serve with a salad to make it extra easy or play around with exotic sides. Remember that just because it is summertime it doesn’t mean we have to stop having fun when cooking. Play with your food!