Trader Joe’s threads reveal that there are a lot of fans on the Dope. They also reveal that there are some Dopers who are new to TJ’s or who have never been to one. So here’s the game:
Let’s review products available at Trader Joe’s. I think it would be nice to limit ourselves to a single product review per post.
I’ve just tried the Stuffed Poblano Peppers (with chipotle salsa) for the first time. Net weight 16 oz. (454g). Cost: $3.49. Two servings. 190 Calories per serve.
You’d never know it, but these are meat-free. The filling is made from ‘soy crumble’. My immediate reaction was that it tastes like tamale pie filling. I like tamale pie, so I liked the Stuffed Poblano Pepper. In addition to the soy crumble there is also corn, onions, black beans, red and green bell pepper, plus the other usual suspects. When I cook with chipotle chilis, the result is always rather warm; so I was surprised at how mild the Trader Joe’s offering is. It could be hotter. But lack of Scoville units notwithstanding, the flavour is very good. The poblano pepper itself was overpowered by the filling.
Cooking is easy. Just pop them in the microwave oven for five or six minutes. I wasn’t famished, so one stuffed pepper was quite sufficient for me.
I’m personally not going to rate on a number scale. Instead, my rating is ‘Will buy again.’
Trader Joe’s Belgian Chocolate Hazelnut Seashells are absolutely delicious and decidedly habit-forming. There are 20 seashells per 250g box. It’s a chocolate seashell filled with chocolate hazelnut cream.
Thai-spiced frozen green beans - spiced with chilis, these are absolutely wonderful. We usually pair them with TJ’s Frozen Teriyaki Wings for a quick and easy dinner with a salad.
Comes frozen in three microwaveable pouches per box. Do nothing to it- don’t add water, don’t scrub a pot afterwards. Just slit the bag and heat for 3 minutes in the microwave and you get wonderful, fresh-tasting rice, especially the jasmine.
Frozen together in a cute little package is the soup, the croutons and the cheese. Heat the over to 400 F, and take the plastic wrap off of the little soup unit and place it cheese-up in an oven-safe bowl. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
Yummy and not too salty, which is a common flaw amongst store-bought onion soups.
TJ’s Instant Spiced Chai Latte. 130 k/cal per scoop, mixed with 8 oz water. I think it’s $3.49 for a 1 lb tin. Sometimes I’m bad and make it half water and half whole milk.
TJ’s Bleu Cheese stuffed (gigantic!) olives. Don’t make your martinis without them.
Yes, those of you who paid attention to the brand name get it- there is nothing ice-creamy about these things! They are made from tofu, which I ordinarily won’t touch. However, these are some of the best damned ice cream sandwiches I have had outside of an elementary school lunchroom!
Slip them to your non-vegan friends and they will never know the difference. I sure didn’t. Good chocolate, good vanilla… good dessert.
Our favorites are the sweet & savory mix (dried golden raisins and cranberries, peanuts, cashews, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, almonds) and the Global Village mix (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, hot asian peanuts, soy, sesame seeds, and God knows what else).
Organic Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup (in a tetrapak, ~$2.50)
I do not generally like smooth soups. But I tried this at the free sample table and fell in love. It is so fresh tasting and creamy. I serve it with fresh diced red peppers tossed on top, and warm cornbread on the side. It’s resealable and has 3-4 servings per box.
Triple Ginger Snaps- crisp, buttery cookies with three different forms of ginger in them. Powdered, candied, fresh. Very gingery and delicious.
Look, Trader Joe’s would do fabulously well up here. We need at least five in the Toronto area alone.
I especially like the celery and green onion for salads, and the asparagus spears for steaming. Always fresh and in great condition. The asparagus is sold in neat shrink-wrapped packages of 12 ounces (perfect for cooking for 1 or 2 people).
We also love the four-packs of small artichokes (not the minis, which come about 8 to a package). Perfect as a veggie side dish and they don’t take 1.5 hours to steam!
I tried the Whole Grain Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips. They tasted stale. Not crispy enough. Trader Joe’s does have a return policy. If you don’t like something you can bring it back for a refund. I didn’t bother. But I won’t be buying those chips again.
