How To Turn A Ready-Made Meal Into A Homemade One

Mandarin Orange Chicken

So I'm sure you're wondering "What in the world is this post going to be about?"
Many times you come home, and you're just dead tired. You don't want to exert yourself too much or think too deeply.

Too often in those cases, we either skip meals or grab the junk food -- potato chips -- or the processed stuff -- Ramen noodles -- just to give our bodies some sustenance. And though this fills our bellies and gets us through the night, they not exactly the best choices. I'm guilty of this eating sin far tooooo often myself.

So I've started searching for ways to make quick meals or those requiring a couple of steps or ingredients. My latest find is the Mandarin Orange Chicken available at Trader Joe's for less than $5. The bag has at least six servings. The chicken is seasoned well and comes close to tasting like orange chicken at the restaurant.

Cook pasta or rice (preferably brown) at the same time you bake the chicken. Depending on the type of rice you get, the chicken can be done close to the time the rice is ready. At this point, I'd serve the chicken atop the rice with a side salad.

But if you want to add a few more flavors to the dish, you can cook bell peppers with the rice to add another layer. Or you can saute bell peppers, onions, and fresh garlic in olive oil then add to the rice. Then serve however you want.

If you have quick-meal tips, send some my way.