Chimichurri Sauce: You can find Chimichurri sauces at other grocers, or make your own:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp dry oregano (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Puree in a processor or just mix together for a more rustic version (chop herbs more finely if skipping the processor).
Eggplant Garlic Spread: it's back! But if you can't find it, substitute Red Pepper Spread with Eggplant & Garlic. Green Garbanzos: substitute an equal amount of canned regular garbanzos, frozen shelled edamame, or use Organic Soycutash. Greens with Envy: use your own combination of frozen greens such as frozen spinach and shelled edamame, or use frozen Organic Soycutash. Lobster Ravioli: this ravioli appears to be a regional item. It won’t be lobster-themed, but you can substitute Portobello Mushroom Ravioli or Mushroom Blend Ravioli with Asiago and Mascarpone Cheese.
Fire Roasted Papaya Mango Salsa: this salsa is available in certain regions only. You can substitute Cilantro Dressing in the Shrimp Boats recipe, or use another fresh fruit salsa from another grocer.
India Relish: substitute 1/2 cup of Tomato Chutney (this one is spicier than the India Relish, so use less than what's called for in the original recipe). Or use “tomato chutney” or “tomato relish" from another grocer or Indian market. Taste as you go along and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
Italian Bruschetta: use Fresh Bruschetta Sauce instead and add 2 Tbsp capers and 1/4 cup chopped green olives.
Lemon Curd: this item is still available in California, but may not be available everywhere. Substitute Organic Morello Cherry Fruit Spread in our Mint Condition Sundae.
Lemon Dill Sauce: substitute Italian dressing or a vinaigrette. For a deep, peppery marinade, we also like Black Pepper Sauce. It's spicy, so be warned!
Mandarin Orange Chef Sauce: substitute with General Tso's Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, any of the chutneys, or any condiment sauce that looks adventurous! Pear Sauce: substitute applesauce or other fruit sauce. In the Perfectly Paired Gorgonzola Quesadillas recipe, you can also leave out the pear sauce entirely and serve the quesadillas on their own, or with a fruit salsa.
Mango Sauce: leave out the Mango Sauce in our Coconut Rice with Mango. Traditional coconut rice is served with just fresh mango slices, no sauce, so it will be wonderful even without the sauce. But if you'd like to experiment, you could try other fruit sauces, or mango nectar.
Mixed Grilled Vegetable Bruschetta: use jarred Eggplant Caponata instead.
Mixed Olive Bruschetta: substitute jarred Eggplant Caponata, Green Olive Tapenade or any thick brushetta/tapenade/spread.
Mixed Wild Mushrooms: these are sometimes seasonal. They might be gone for a week or two and then return. To substitute, just use 1 8-10 oz package of regular or portabello mushrooms, chopped and sautéed for 1 minute in olive oil over medium high heat.
Poultry Blend fresh herbs: Substitute a handful of fresh herbs or use 1-2 Tbsp total of dried herbs (any combination of rosemary, thyme, sage, or basil).
Prosciutto: use bacon.
Red Mole: look for mole sauce at another store. Other brands we know of are Doña Maria Mole or Rogelio Mole.
Rice Sticks: we still see it at our local store, but some TJ’s are no longer carrying Rice Sticks. Substitute regular fettucini or linguini, or you can buy rice sticks at any Asian grocer. Soy Ginger Broth: instead of using 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups Soy Ginger broth, use 4 cups chicken broth (the whole 32 oz carton), along with 1 Tbsp Soy sauce and 1 tsp crushed ginger. In step 1 of the Asian Shrimp and Noodle soup recipe, add the broth, water, soy, and ginger to a medium pot, bringing to a boil. The rest of the recipe will be the same.
Southwest Salsa: substitute your favorite salsa, such as Chipotle Salsa or Double Roasted Salsa.
Spanish Rice Mix: use any Spanish rice/pilaf mix, such as the Casbah brand that is commonly available at most grocers. For our Seafood Paella recipe, use 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice and 1 cup salsa for the rice mix, and use 2 1/2 cups chicken broth instead of water.
Swedish Pancake Mix: substitute any brand crepe mix, available at grocers or at higher end sources such as Barefoot Contessa brand or Williams Sonoma. Crepes are also fairly easy to make from scratch, and basic crepe recipes can be found online: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1646,157181-228203,00.html
Tea Loaf: might not be available in some Midwest Trader Joe’s. Use a pound cake or tea loaf from any grocer.
White Truffle Oil: make your own garlic-infused oil by mixing olive oil and touch of crushed garlic, or just use plain olive oil (unfiltered has most flavor). You can also buy white truffle oil at most high end grocers.