Friday, January 28, 2011

Spring Trends!

I have a new favorite Trader Joe's treat that I'm going to be using all summer (yes, I know it's a long ways off):  Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing.  It's only 80 calories, or only 1 point for 2 tablespoons!  That is freaking awesome, especially considering your standard restaurant flavored ranch is around 5.  I picked it up yesterday to have on my salad alongside burritos (replacing my normal favorite, Zatarain's Mexican Rice with a little cheese and sour cream on top).  In the last 24 hours, I've used it three times.  It's creamy!  It's herbaceous and fresh!  It has no funky low-fat dressing aftertaste! 

Like I mentioned, Use #1 was on a simple green salad.  Whenever it hit a crouton... gold!  Such a nice switch-up from the light Kraft I've been using.  It felt like cheating, but no!  Even icky balsamic would be at least that bad for you.  So I thought, wow.  This stuff could be used for other deliciousness I'm sure.  I made myself a chicken wrap to take to work with leftover chicken, bruschetta and a drizzle of my new cilantro magic.  Deliciousness at my desk!  Then, tonight when I got home, I went all Bobby Flay on its ass to use as a drizzle over my dinner quesadilla.  I think I need to get a squeeze bottle, because my neat drizzling/plating methods are a little on the ghetto side (little Ziploc bag with a scissor snip to the corner).  I thought we were going out for Thai tonight, but apparently Matt went to the Wok Inn for lunch and was still full.  Damn!  I weighed the takeout options, but doing a quick inventory of fridge ingredients (tons of tortillas, Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded rotisserie chicken, Trader Joe's pico de gallo, sour cream and my wonderful cilantro sauce), I realized I could make something infinitely better-tasting for free and sans a stop. 

This would be so good on:
- Fish tacos!
- Tossed with curly pasta noodles, fresh tomatoes and chickpeas for a great pasta salad!
- Drizzled over pitas stuffed with grilled lamb and veggies!
- Funky potato salad dressing!
- In breakfast burritos!
- Anything that sprouts out of your springtime garden!

Go get a bottle and start having cilantro creativity!

2 comments:

  1. Nice! I've been wondering about that one. Have you tried the Pear Gorgonzola style? Great topping grilled Romaine.

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  2. I haven't tried the Pear Gorgonzola because I just can't eat blue cheese (I've tried, I just can't do it!). I've heard from other people it's great, though. Trader Joe's knows how to dress a salad! They're like Project Runway for lettuce.

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