Gastroporn by way of Trader Joe's: Black bean & veggie tacos

I "kinda sorta" (look at me employing my academic words in non-academic writing) cheated here, but not without good reason. TJ's introduced a cut veggie cooking pack---which I think they actually introduce and re-introduce frequently. This one bursts with a colorful mix of baby carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, red onions and acorn squash. As for the black bean interior, I cooked an organic can of black beans with pico de gallo salsa from my farmer's market, cilantro and tomatoes, and spread it on a blue corn tortilla. And the best part is the topping---a couple of dollops of Greek yogurt---this multipurpose magic murders sour cream any day. Try it and be pleasantly surprised and use the remaining amount to blend a date shake and call it a tex-mex-a-rab fusion night.

Gastroporn by way of Trader Joe's: Ahi Tuna steak salad with veggies and quinoa

In the past year I have been gradually limiting my consumption of all food products that I don't know the ingredients and origins of. Being several steps away from growing my own crops and tending to livestock, I have decided upon exclusively buying food from Trader Joe's (with the exception of produce which I pick up at the farmer's market, local specialty ethnic markets, and random runs to Whole Paycheck for certain unavailable products at TJs). Considering that TJ's plays musical chairs with its inventory and compared to most grocery stores has a modicum amount of products, I thought I would share my attempts at making this formula work for me, by making Trader Joe's Gour-met (said gor-met). Here is what I cooked tonight for dinner:

The ahi tuna steak (pan seared in EVOO and lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon) salad rests on a bed of herb salad sprinkled with Italiana-mama dressing, quinoa sweetened with floral water/olive oil sauteed cranberries and almonds (my chef friend suggests that I try saffron butter next time---so looking forward to it) and rounded out with oregano and basil seasoned farmer's market veggies that were also sauteed in EVOO.

Now, being the overly-elitist quality snob, there are two food items I am having a hard time settling for at TJ's, its EVOO and balsamic vinegar (not to mention the atrocious roasted seeds they call coffee). Any suggestions for the best of EVOO and balsamic vinegar in LA?

this is what an ice blended date shake looks like