Trader Joe’s Ginger Peanut Noodle Salad

November 30, 2006 | Reviewer: Rebecca

Trader Joe's Ginger Peanut Noodle Salad

Price: $2.99
Serving: 1 container, 10 oz.
Calories: 420
Fat: 29%, 19g
Sodium: 34%, 820mg
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 19%, 55g
Fiber: 12%, 3g

Trader says: Ginger Peanut Noodle Salad. Keep Refrigerated.

Rebecca says: I bought these noodles because I was craving something cool and refreshing on a hot day. I chose Ginger Peanut noodles because I have usually had good luck with Trader Ming’s.

The noodles, after being in the fridge, were quite refreshing and provided me with some temporary relief for being stuck in an office with no air conditioning. I thought that they would be tangy and full of dynamic favor (I’m a big ginger fan). However, they were not very tasty. I found one peanut in the entire container and did not even taste a smidgen of ginger. I was expecting something delicious but instead just had some bland cold noodles. In its defense, I might argue that it was nice to eat something cold and the noodles were well cooked and not gummy.

However…

In my haste, I did not realize there was a nutrition label at the bottom of the container until I could see the bottom as I was eating. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this tasteless wonder I had been consuming turned out to have 19 g of fat! If only I had noticed it before eating the whole thing, I would have returned it to the shelf I grabbed it from and would not have given it a second thought.

If these noodles had been flavorful and delicious, I might have attempted to justify the excessive amount of fat. However, the ginger peanut noodles were mostly blah and were simply not worth it. I bet I can find better ginger peanut noodles somewhere else with more flavor, less fat and about the about the same price. I’ll let you know when I find it.

Filed Under One Star, Trader Joe's Reviews, Vegetarian | 3 Comments

Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Bisque

November 29, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Bisque

Price: $3.19
Serving: 1 cup, 8 oz.
Calories: 130
Fat: 2%, 1g
Sodium: 17%, 410mg
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 9%, 28g
Fiber: 5%, 1g

Trader Joe says: Our Sweet Potato Bisque starts with only the freshest ingredients. A perfect balance of sweet potato, parsnips, potatoes, and a little bit of honey that will have you coming back for more. Garnish with nutmeg & a dollop of sour cream for a sensational soup.

Abi says: I am often lured to the soup area of Trader Joe’s. Alas, I do not own a car and so I leave without soup week after week. Sunday was my lucky day: George and I drove down to the mall, walked in the sunshine, then did a little shopping at TJ’s. The soup would be mine.

Sure, I ate half a Ritter Sport with hazelnuts on the way home, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. Once back in the kitchen, I poured a cup of this soup into a mug and microwaved it for a minutes. After that minute I stirred the soup, then returned it to the microwave for another 45 seconds.

Post cooking I added a dash (and just the briefest dash, mind you) of cayenne and a dollop of sour cream. While I have added dollops of sour cream to many warm soupy items (chili comes to mind) I still feel a bit apprehensive immediately before each dollop.

I’m not a nervous person, but for some reason I can’t help but think “What if this sour cream is bad?” or “Is it ok to add cold dairy to hot soups?” or “Is this going to curdle?”. These fears were unfounded. The sour cream added depth to the soup, rounding out an already delectable dish with the rich creaminess only dairy can provide. The cayenne pepper gave it a sassy kick without overpowering the sweet potatoey-ness of the soup.

Update: I served this as part of a meal the other day. George did not like it at all. He said it tasted like watery sweet potato. He also does not enjoy soup in general. In fact, the only soup-like things he enjoys are chili, stew, and chowder. So, if you already like soups then you will probably like this too. If you don’t like soup, then I’m sorry: you are missing out on one of winter’s pleasures.

Filed Under Four Stars, Trader Joe's Reviews, Vegetarian | 8 Comments

Trader Joe’s Middle East Feast

November 28, 2006 | Reviewer: Heather

Trader Joe's Middle East Feast

Price: $3.89
Serving: 1 package, 13 oz.
Calories: 860
Fat: 75%, 49g
Sodium: 68%, 1630mg
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 30%, 89g
Fiber: 73%, 18g
Weight Watchers Points: 20 Points

Heather says: Yes, readers, you read that nutritional information correctly. I would love to know who decided that this entire package constitutes one serving. I had to eat this meal in two fell swoops, and even a half portion left me quite full both times. Le’s just call this feast a Hungry Man for the vegan, Mediterranean food-loving set. “Good grief,” is all I can say to this portion size. I think someone at Trader Joe’s has been talking to my grandmother, and they are both VERY CONCERNED about us vegans getting too skinny (that’s a myth, by the way).

Portion size ranting aside, this meal was fantastic. It contained not just pita and hummus, but also falafel, cutesy little packages of tahini, and a generous portion of tabouleh. While I’ve had better, less parsley-heavy tabouleh, everything else gets top marks. The pita was fresh and soft, the hummus was divine, and the falafel was top-notch. I’ll definitely buy this one again. Only next time I’ll share it with a friend.

Filed Under Trader Joe's Reviews, Vegetarian | 8 Comments

Trader Giotto’s (Joe’s) Eggplant Parmesan

November 27, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Giotto's (Joe's) Eggplant Parmesan

Price: $2.29
Serving: 1 package, 9.75 oz.
Calories: 270
Fat: 24%, 16g
Sodium: 33%, 790mg
Protein: 16g
Fiber: 24%, 6g

Trader Giotto/Joe says: Grilled - Not Fried

Abi says: Nobody eats grilled eggplant parmesan because it looks good. You eat it because you know that eggplant is healthy, breading is not healthy, and breading doesn’t really microwave that well anyways.

This EP-Parm, as I will now call the dish, provides enough muy delicioso cheese that you won’t miss the breading. Though, if you’re thinking about eating this meal with a plastic spoon, think again. You’ll need a knife and a fork to slice and dice all of the eggplant and gooey cheese. After slicing and dicing you well be left with what appears to be quite seedy eggplant casserole. It is not attractive, but it is delicious and nutritious. Just eat it! It is good for you and tasty too.

Oh, and the other downside about this meal? It requires approximately 14 minutes in a microwave oven. I can bake and cool a batch of cookies in that amount of time! If you’re going to make this at work, make sure that you have patient cube-mates. Also, make sure that you’re using strong utensils, there’s nothing like using a ton of time to microwave something, then being unable to actually eat it because all you have is a plastic spoon.

Filed Under Trader Joe's Reviews, Vegetarian | 9 Comments