I work as a chef for a meal-prep company, often spending almost 10 hours a day on my feet in the kitchen. By the time I get home, I'm usually exhausted, and I don't want to spend a second longer making dinner than I have to.
Sometimes I can bring leftovers home from work, but most nights I have to cook dinner — especially since my husband also works long hours and usually comes home after me.
Although I'm tired, I don't want to rely on expensive take-out. I still want to eat tasty, healthy, affordable meals — I just don't want to spend ages making them.
These are my favorite Trader Joe's products that make weeknights so much easier.
I always stock up on Dorot Gardens crushed ginger and garlic.
The last thing that I want to do after a long day in the kitchen is peel more garlic or ginger. Instead, I use these frozen, pre-portioned, crushed ginger and garlic cubes.
They're so easy to throw into a curry, stir-fry, or pasta sauce — I always keep these in my freezer.
Super-firm tofu is one of my favorite sources of protein.
I also usually keep a packet of super-firm tofu, which doesn't need any pressing, in my fridge. I'll use this as the base for a quick stir-fry or toss it in a sauce and bake it in the oven for some low-effort protein.
Plus, it lasts for ages — so even if I do come home with leftovers from work, I don't have to worry about my groceries going bad and wasting my money.
I like to pair the tofu with pre-cooked wheat noodles and stir-fry sauce.
To go with the super-firm tofu, I keep a bottle of stir-fry sauce and pre-cooked Thai wheat noodles in my pantry.
Then, all I need to grab is a packet of stir-fry veggie blend on my way home, and I can have dinner on the table in under 15 minutes.
Vegetable fried rice is a great low-effort comfort meal.
I always keep a bag of vegetable fried rice in my freezer. It's ready in five minutes and full of vegetables, and I can throw in some tofu, eggs, or pre-cooked chicken to amp up the protein if I want.
It's extremely comforting and easy to eat on the couch after a long day.
I always swing by the fresh-pasta section.
I love Trader Joe's selection of fresh, filled pastas. I've tried them all, but my favorites are the spinach-ricotta raviolini and the cheese tortellini.
I've found that both of these cook in under five minutes, and are so good with jarred pesto. They're perfect for days when I haven't had the chance to eat much during my shift and feel starving by the time I get home.
I'm obsessed with Trader Joe's mini chicken tikka samosas.
I cook dishes from a lot of different cuisines at work, but we rarely make Indian food.
On days when I want to eat something completely different from what I've been cooking all day — and feel too tired to stand at the stove at all — I'll eat an entire box of about 12 mini samosas in front of the TV.
Crispy and flavorful, they manage to rival the best samosas I ate at London's Indian restaurants.
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Laura Keys is a writer, chef, and sailor based in New York. Her work explores food, travel, lifestyle, and the experience of building a life in a new place, on land or at sea. She writes about her experience of moving to the US and learning about classic American food on her Substack, E Pluribus Yum.
