Trader Joe's + Stir Fry

One word. Soyaki. It's a magical sauce from Trader Joe's. Meat, fish, vegetables. Tastes great on all three. This week I marinated some chicken breasts and made this stir fry to go with it. New family favorite. Give it a try. 

Soyaki Stir Fry 

4-6 servings Jasmine or Basmati Rice 
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 c. snap or snow peas
3-4 carrots, julienned
1 1/2 c. broccoli
1 1/2 c. asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 c. bean sprouts 
2 tbs. olive or peanut oil
Soyaki Sauce to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oil on medium high heat. Add carrots, broccoli and asparagus. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms, bean sprouts and Soyaki sauce to taste. Cook additional 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add salt & pepper. 


Serve immediately over rice.

Cooking with Joe

My friend Jordan introduced me to the I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook. Are you a lover of  all things Trader? I usually end up with a bunch of things that taste good, but don't necessarily translate to meals, so this book will be a life-changer.  

Especially excited about trying out the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce, Carmelized Onion, Fig & Gorgonzola Tart, Fettucine with Shrimp & Saffron Creme, and Matt's Magic Mushrooms (secret ingredients?). 

Wine Picks

Being on a budget doesn't mean you have to drink 2 buck Chuck. 


Here's one of my new favorites. Francis Ford Coppola's Rosso. It's their "everyday dinner" wine. This one is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Savignon. It was very full bodied and didn't taste like it cost 6.99. Try it. Found it at Trader Joe's. 

Trader Flowers

As I've been thinking through our new "one-income" budget, there are some things I need to keep around.

Flowers from Trader Joe's are my new favorite treat. They're long-lasting, are well priced and always have lots of pretty options.

This week, these sunflowers were 4. and the pretty potted roses were 6. They've made me happy since I got them.

Here's to flowers on a budget. Thanks Trader Joe's.