Trader Ming’s Peanut Satay Noodles & Sauce, $1.99 at Trader Joe’s Markets
In our busy world, there are numerous quick meals available to help get dinner on the table. However, most of them require adding meat. This is fine for the carnivores among us, but it’s really lousy for vegetarians, especially vegans. Trader Ming to the rescue. The Peanut Satay Noodle box is a delicious vegan-friendly entrée that can be eaten on its own or, for those at the top of the food chain, as part of a meal that includes dead animals. Mildly spiced, with a great peanut flavor, the noodles have decent texture that holds up during cooking. It’s great for those nights when you just can’t face cooking or even deciding what cheap and cheerful palace of fine dining to patronize. This little meal takes only two minutes in the microwave and is prepared in its own take-out carton for fuss-free cooking and no clean-up.