product review

Bratwursts From Aldi’s are Still the Best!

This re-post is one of my most popular posts ever. I don’t think any other product review even comes close. We had them for supper recently. As great tasting as ever. It’s Oktoberfest time so here it is again!

I bought the package of 4 uncured Bavarian bratwurst at Aldi’s. They were pale and unexciting looking in the shrink wrap but when I pan fried them in a bit of olive oil they browned up nicely. Each brat was still juicy and tender with a delicate flavor I was very impressed with. bratwurst

I have bought brats before at other grocery stores and found them rather dull and pedestrian. These are thinner, longer and far tastier.  bratwurst packageUncured means they have less junk added in the curing process of many sausages.  Definitely a yummy and healthy-ish choice for sausage in any recipe. They cook in about 8-10 minutes. They make a quick supper with some pan-fried potatoes and a veggie. And grilling them is on the package as an alternative to the frying pan. I need try them on my grill. Maybe for camping next year…

They are imported from Germany, and I have heard that they are very authentic compared to most of the brats made in the USA. I give these an A plus in every category. Enjoy!

Originally posted June 2018.

Bratwursts From Aldi’s are Still the Best!

This re-post is one of my most popular posts ever. I don’t think any other product review even comes close. We had them for supper tonight. As great tasting as ever. So here it is again!

I bought the package of 4 uncured Bavarian bratwurst at Aldi’s. They were pale and unexciting looking in the shrink wrap but when I pan fried them in a bit of olive oil they browned up nicely. Each brat was still juicy and tender with a delicate flavor I was very impressed with. bratwurst

I have bought brats before at other grocery stores and found them rather dull and pedestrian. These are thinner, longer and far tastier.  bratwurst packageUncured means they have less junk added in the curing process of many sausages.  Definitely a yummy and healthy-ish choice for sausage in any recipe. They cook in about 8-10 minutes. They make a quick supper with some pan-fried potatoes and a veggie. And grilling them is on the package as an alternative to the frying pan. I need try them on my grill. Maybe for camping next year…

They are imported from Germany, and I have heard that they are very authentic compared to most of the brats made in the USA. I give these an A plus in every category. Enjoy!

Originally posted June 2018.

New Pasta Choices

I think I am going to write a regular post on new products or one’s folks may be missing in the store. This one is on pasta. The other week I was in Trader Joe’s and got some wide pasta, tagliatelle. In the past I have bought similar shaped noodles on Amazon for a ridiculous price, and it was nothing that amazing. This store brand pasta is great looking and at a super great price. It will pair well with a chunky meaty ragu and you won’t even miss that darn gluten!

Next, I looked at the cassava-based orzo; purchased at my local Shoprite and is a shape that is very hard to find in a gf format. Orzo is particularly great in soups; I have missed it in mine… I made a chickpea pasta soup this week and used gf orzo for the pasta; it was great to have it the right size already; no breaking up elbow pasta that is in a Ziplock baggie. Which gives you irregular jagged bits and pieces, certainly not what you really want in your soup?

I just made the classic tuna casserole but without the canned soup goop. Instead, I made a scratch white sauce flavored with sautéed onions, celery, garlic and peas plus a hint of dill week. Mixed with the par cooked pasta and 2 cans of drained solid white tuna it was somewhat sad looking. I topped it with partially crushed Shaar Company crackers, like Ritz crackers but gf. then I drizzled melted butter over the crackers and baked it for 25 minutes. It became all crunchy buttery crumbs that elevated my delicate white sauced tuna into a delicious treat. I don’t actually remember when I last made a gf tuna noodle casserole. That’s because so often it is a goopy dull mess of that canned sauce and sad noodles. this is just an elegant and tasty version I know I will make it again and again. One cavoite; I think I will cook the noodles less so they are definitely underdone before assembling the casserole. Mine were a tad overcooked when reheated the next day so undercooking is the way to go.

I will try the capellini another time; only so much pasta I eat these days. I am looking forward to it! If you don’t have a ShopRite near you try the store with the biggest gf section; most likely place to find these tempting pasta shapes.

There are so many more gf pastas than there were 11 years ago when I had to go gluten free. Get out there and try some; it makes all the difference to a recipe to use the right size and shape of pasta and it adds variety to what you can make. Enjoy!

German Bratwursts are at Lidl!

I used to get these lovely uncured German bratwurst at Aldi’s and enjoyed them often. Then disaster struck; couldn’t find them at Aldi’s for months and months. No idea why they never have them. Last week I found some very similar brats at Lidls in Wilson Boro near the Aldi’s there. They are out of their smoked brats in all varieties but I saw these uncured brats; they looked remarkably like those at Aldi’s and the flavor is pretty much identical to what I remember. They are pricy for Lidl’s; around $5 but you get five of them; a buck a piece is pretty decent these days. If you loved the ones from Aldi’s go get these as they will satisfy your bratwurst dreams! They brown up nicely and their delicate flavor is very authentic. I had one sautéed tonight along with some Italian peasant soup; great combo. Go get some, you know you want them!

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Oranges

Trader Joe's Dried Fruit SOFT & JUICY MANDARINS Dried Orange Fruit 4 6 OZ BAGS | Dried fruit, Dried oranges, Orange fruit
So yummy!

A few weeks ago, I got to shop at a Trader Joe’s and I discovered a delightful and relatively healthy treat; dried mandarin orange sections.140 calories for 12 pieces. Sweet and tangy. Delightful and I love that I can eat just one or two sections for a tiny treat. Hard to eat half a muffin, half an orange or just a few tortilla chips…. Too bad they are all gone. I live over an hour away from the nearest Trader Joe’s. Longing for the day the move into my area. We are a large population center in Pennsylvania. Kinda mystifying why we don’t have one…. come on Trader Joe’s!! We NEED you here in the Lehigh Valley ASAP, for nothing else, for my addiction to these tangy tasty crescents of citrus flavor.