Trader Joe’s: don’t we all love this magical grocery store?
This past summer, I did a Trader Joe’s Under $10 Wine Roundup, and you all ended up loving it. Diana, my friend, and food stylist suggested that we team up together to a fun fall Trader Joe’s wine and food pairing series, and I don’t think I could have said yes fast enough!
Over the next three weeks, I’ll be sharing some of Diana’s recipes here on the blog, which can all be prepared with Trader Joe’s ingredients. The best part? All of these recipes take 45 minutes or less to make! I’ll also be pairing a Trader Joe’s wine with each dish that’s under $15. A seasonal meal and affordable wine? You really can’t go wrong here!
If you enjoy Diana’s recipes, make sure to give her a follow on Instagram!
Trader Joe’s Wine and Food
Out of all the recipes I tried when we shot this project, I think this one might be my favorite: the Warm Sweet Potato and Kale Salad. But it’s hard to pick favorites because they all tasted incredible! I love this salad because it can be enjoyed hot or cold, and has a unique combination of flavors.
You can read Diana’s notes below:
“This salad has a lot of good things going on. It’s sweet, spicy, crunchy, and perfect for fall. Not to mention there’s minimal chopping needed. As a short cut, use Trader Joe’s pre-cut sweet potato ribbons, so the only chopping needed is slicing an onion, not too bad, huh? Another bonus, this can actually be served warm or cold. No one likes a cold, soggy salad, fear not. This one holds really well as leftovers!”
If you’re craving a bit more of a meaty dish, Diana says you can also add a protein of your choice to this salad.
The wine I decided to pair with this fun salad is the Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir Carneros 2018. Sweet Potatoes and Pinot Noir is one of my favorite fall food and wine pairings. This wine has raspberry and strawberry aromas on the nose and really nice earth tones. The complex tones of the wine will pair perfectly with the sweetness of the sweet potato. This wine is right under $15 and would pair well with beef and poultry dishes as well!
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Warm Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
A sweet, spicy, crunchy salad that’s perfect for fall.
Ingredients
1 (12 oz) container refrigerated Trader Joe’s sweet potato ribbons, or 1 sweet potatoes peeled and sliced into thin strips.
½ Red Onion, Sliced
5 cups chopped kale
1 bottle Trader Joe’s Honey Aleppo Sauce
½ lime, juiced
½ cup Tri-Colored Quinoa
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450°F.
- Place sweet potato ribbons and sliced red onion on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
- Roast in oven for 10 minutes, stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- In small pot boil 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of quinoa. Once boiling lower to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
- In a salad bowl add kale, 1 tablespoon of Honey Aleppo Sauce, and juice from ½ lime. Stir to throughly coat the kale, set aside.
- Once sweet potatoes and quinoa are done start to assemble the salad.
- Add the sweet potato mixture and the quinoa to the salad bowl. Then add an additional 2 tablespoons Honey Aleppo Sauce Toss, to combine.
- Top with feta and pumpkin seeds, and serve.
- Prep Time: 45 Mins
Stay tuned for Part Two of our Trader Joe’s Food and Wine Series Next Week!
Photos by Tom McGovern
What Trader Joe’s wine and food pairings do you love? Let me know in a comment below!
