The Cooking With Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done!

Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati

Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati both like to cook from scratch. But as their children grew and their lives got busier, they looked for shortcuts. They found them at Trader Joe's.

If you don't know, Trader Joe's is a chain of small grocery stores with an emphasis on healthy cooking and good wine. They did not sponsor this cookbook when Gunn and Miniati wrote it. I bet they are now, though.

The Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done! is full of dishes are are easy to prepare and good to eat. Gunn and Miniati tested all these recipes before choosing the ones included. Photos of mouth watering food accompanies each recipe. All the ingredients can be found at Trader Joe's. Some are exclusive Trader Joe's brands; many are available at any supermarket.

Each recipe shows the preparation time, the cooking time, the number of servings per recipe, and the nutrition information. All the recipes Gunn and Miniati have included were tested by a nutritionist to calculate the nutrition information. Many of the recipes are vegetarian and/or gluten free.

The Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done! is divided into five sections of recipes. "Appealing Appetizers" includes recipes like "Ten-Layer Mexican Dip", "Home Made Guacamole", and Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce". Their "Cheese and Chutney Mini Rolls" look delicious.

"Soups and Salads" follows next. Gunn and Miniati point out that prep time will be quick, but the soups may take a while to cook. The soups include dishes like "Hearty Minestrone Soup" and "Garden Gazpacho". There is a "Blue Cheese Coleslaw". The "Zesty Potato Salad" doesn't have a mayonnaise dressing, but instead a vinaigrette dressing and includes green beans in it.

There is a recipe for "White-Lightening Chili" that doesn't have any tomatoes in it in the "Main Meals" section. It includes Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa for flavoring. There are other recipes for "Chicken in Wine Sauce, "Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza", and "Chole and Naan", using Trader Joe's frozen naan bread. I have some sitting in my freezer right now.

"Simple Sides" includes breads as well as vegetable dishes. There is "Irish Soda Bread" and "Almond Bread" that uses almond meal. Other recipes include "Easy Spanish Rice", "Roasted Asparagus with Tomatoes and Feta", and "Harvest Glazed Carrots."

What is a meal without "Delicious Desserts and Daring Drinks"? If you want something fancy, "You Can Flan". There is a recipe for a "Mighty Mojito" that looks tasty. For some nutrition in a drink to wake you up in the morning, try "Low-fat Wide Awake Coffee Shake" made with plain yogurt and chocolate-covered espresso beans. I really want to try the "Chocolate Truffle Pie with Joe-Joe's Crust". Trader Joe's Oreo-type cookies, Joe-Joe's are used to make the crust. I bet it would be very good with their holiday Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. The filling is simple using chocolate chips and coconut milk.

The book includes an index of the recipes at the end, plus a list of each recipe included at the beginning of each section. Also included is a list of general cooking staples every kitchen should have. At the end of The Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done!, Gunn and Miniati have added a list of all the Trader Joe's markets in the United States as of the time of printing. As an added bonus, Weight Watcher's points for each recipe can be found at their website, Cooking With Trader Joe's.

If you'd like to check the recipes out before getting your own copy of The Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done!, ask at your public library. If you're only interested in one or two recipes, you can copy them without violating any copyright laws. If more interest you, though, you might want your own copy of The Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done! on your kitchen shelves.