5 Steps To Easy Mandarin Orange Chicken

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken

If you're looking for an Asian dish to include in your line-up of meals, consider Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken. 

This dish is so easy you can get away with making it with two ingredients: the chicken and rice. And it still will be a good, filling meal.

But on to my original recipe. While the rice and chicken are cooking, saute green onions and sweet peppers. Once the rice is pulled off direct heat, add the sauteed vegetables to the rice and stir. Let sit two to three minutes while you coat the chicken. 

The bag offers quite a bit of chicken for the price, under $8, and cooks in about 30 minutes. Two sauce packs are included in the bag. But given the amount of chicken, another pack is needed so be sure to coat the meat slowly.

Plate the food. Rice as the base with chicken added atop. Dinner or lunch is served.

I was pleasantly pleased with this meal because it was enjoyable and easy to prepare. It is the most convenient meal-in-a-bag I've cooked so far. 

What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

Ice Cream (photo credit: Toni)

Every so often, go off the rails! Do something you probably shouldn't. I say that with a wink and a smile.

But really. Be decadent. Buy rather than create. Don't count the fat or the calories and ignore the pricetag. You don't need an excuse or an emotional escape. You deserve it -- every so often.

I'm not a chocoholic. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. But when I decide to be food-naughty, as I like to call the behavior, I splurge on a summertime favorite -- ice cream. And not just any flavor.

I love Haagen Dazs' Rum Raisin ice cream. It makes me smile. It was No. 1 on my favorites list until I recently discovered their Bourbon Pecan Praline flavor. I have to confess. The first night I tasted this treat I ate the entire carton.

Yep! I have to own that one. I cleaned that carton down to the crevices, a first for me. But this flavor is so good I'm tempted to write the company and plead for it to move from limited edition to a regular. It is that good. Maybe, I'll just post something on the company Facebook page.
My advice: If you see it in your grocery freezer, grab it. You will not be disappointed.

I've read America's most popular ice cream flavor is vanilla, which has switched places with chocolate during the past few years. Those flavors are followed in ranking by butter pecan, Rocky Road and Neapolitan flavors. Neither one of those has ever made my favorites list.
 
My favorite flavors in this order are:
Bourbon Pecan Praline
Rum Raisin
Pralines 'N Cream
Dulce de leche

What is your favorite flavor?

All Hail A Big Cheesy Smile For Cheesecake Day

Sweet Potato Cheesecake (photo credit: Toni)

I know I'm a bit late for National Cheesecake Day, which was Wednesday, but this delightful dessert deserves a post and my commentary. Seriously though, I planned to post something earlier, but life happens. What can I say.

I admit I learned late (the day before) there even is a National Cheesecake Day, an American observation every July 30. While I'm not surprised, I can't believe I didn't know that and not because I'm a walking ball of food knowledge. It's because so many of my friends and relatives absolutely salivate over this decadent treat. And I do mean salivate. I, on the other hand, enjoy an occasional slice of smooth, rich cheesecake. But I wouldn't put myself in the addict-lite camp. I use that description lovingly, my friends and guests.

So in homage to the cheesecake, which was the preferred cake of Greek brides and grooms a long time ago, I offer these humble but popular recipes. I also recommend you give this enjoyable sweet potato cheesecake a try at Tamarind, a local Thai restaurant in the South Loop. A review on the restaurant is coming shortly (a few days).

Tamarind's sweet potato cheesecake is smooth, creamy and pleasant. The baker definitely got the texture right for this dense cake. Its flavor is more savory than sweet, which is to say if you like the taste of a sweet potato sans any flavorings and butter you will love this cheesecake.

I like Tamarind's cheesecake, which offers a pleasant departure from the super-sweet desserts offered at many restaurants. If I were to change anything, I suggest they increase the amount of caramel sauce and sweeten the cheesecake a tad. After all, we are talking about the sweet potato. Must I explain more.

Read about the History of Cheesecake
Cheesecake Fun Facts

Try These Cheesecake Recipes:
Cheesecakes by Eli's
Cheesecakes by Junior's
Cheesecakes by Kraft's
Cheesecake bars for the children

Is Your Must-Haves Grocery List Costing You Money?

Supermarket (photo credit: Wikipedia)

More than a decade ago, I realized how much food (and money) I wasted regularly because the items were unused or barely used by the expiration dates. So into the trash can went whole gallons of unopened milk or loaves of bread. I felt wasteful and irritated I was throwing away money.

I was pruning my closets and cleaning my refrigerator one day when it hit me. I looked at the amount of stuff, much of which I didn't use or had forgotten I had, that surrounded me. It was an epiphany -- truly. I was barely aware I was purchasing so much food routinely without thought or question. I just "thought" I needed to buy those items each time I did the monthly grocery shopping, which was when I purchased just about everything during one trip.

I put "thought" in quotation marks because there really was little thinking occurring. I was shopping by conditioning.
You ask, "What is shopping by conditioning?"
It is shopping by habit, which is to say we buy things we have been taught and/or told we need or must have in our cabinets and refrigerators without question or re-evaluation.
Are you nodding your heads in agreement, acknowledging that insanity?

Well, we all do it. But what will you do about it once you are aware? Years ago, I stopped purchasing milk, bread and eggs unless I had specific plans for using them. I would buy the smallest sizes available such as a quarter of milk or a half dozen eggs when I did. I applied this pruning tactic to every food item I purchased. Through refining this process, I discovered and developed MY "must-haves" in my kitchen. It is a quarter of the size of what I had prior to the eye-opening exercise.

I've maintained that awareness since then and evaluated my must-haves list with each life stage or major life event. Several factors, including the recession and a return to gardening, have heightened my awareness even more. So imagine my surprise when I discovered "extras" while cleaning my refrigerator. They were primarily condiments: jar of peppers, deli mustard, etc. Ka-ching, the universal sound for spending came to mind. Though minor, those extras are reminders must-haves lists have to be refined often. And so I will.

Create A Must-Haves List 
There are various ways you can create a must-haves grocery list. Here are a few:

*What I did: I examined my refrigerator and cabinets, taking note of what's there and what's not. I also noticed how long items had been in either. Using a process of elimination and assessing my true eating/cooking habits, I established my list. Things I use infrequently I only buy when I'm going to use them.

Other Options:
*Look through your refrigerator and cabinets, noting the items you are out of and those that remain but are unused or rarely used. Your observations will help form the list.

*Make a list of the items you use frequently: milk, butter, bread, etc. Keep it simple. This is your initial list. Confirm or refine it over the next 30 days as you shop, cook and eat.

*Make a list of the items you use infrequently and make a list of the items you rarely use. Check your cabinets and refrigerator for these items. Move this to your buy-as-needed list, meaning you'll purchase the day you plan to use the item.

Let me know how this works for you.

Test Your Knowledge of Italian Food Terms

A selection of delicious Italian foods

Shouldn't you know, at least, a few of the terms used for your favorite foods?
I think so. That's why I'm sharing with fellow lovers of Italian food this nifty article with easy-to-remember words and phrases whether you speak Italian or not.
 
I love good food no matter its origins. But Italian food is just one of my favorites. I absolutely love seafood and Asian dishes. I'm smiling now as I think of the dishes I plan to cook tonight using my wok.

The article has inspired a future "listicle" posting: Terms Everyone Who Steps Into A Kitchen Needs To Know. Hmm, that will be fun to write as well as educational. Look for the post soon. And if you have any suggestions for what to add to the listicle, a list crafted into an article, post a comment or send me a note.

7 Minutes To The Perfect Boiled Egg

Perfect Boiled Egg

OK, I know some folks are snickering about this topic: How to Cook the Perfect Boiled Egg. But I assure you, it's a bigger deal than you think.

Think not. I encourage you to watch the Worst Cooks in America show on the Food Network. Some people can't boil water let alone an egg.

Aside from providing a primer on how to boil an egg for the seriously challenged, I think it's important for the rest of us to get it right.

A boiled egg is the "anytime" meal in America: It's fine for breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner alone or as part of something else such as a green or tuna salad. If boiled eggs are under or overcooked, they can ruin your appetite or a meal.

So how do you make a perfect one? 
Fill a pot of water, enough to cover the egg. Turn on the stove to medium heat/flame. Let the water come to a rolling boil then use a spoon to lower the egg into the water. Start the timer or keep an eye on the clock because 7 minutes goes by fast.

Turn off the pot at 7 minutes and remove the eggs or let them sit no longer than a minute in the water. Place in a container to cool off before peeling. The yolk should be a pretty firm yellow and the white a smooth but semi-firm exterior. The shells will slide off pretty much. Now enjoy.

How do you know if it's overcooked? The shell will be stuck or hard to peel off. The egg white will be rubbery, and the yolk hard with a stale taste or similar to the powder egg flavor.

How do you know if it's under-cooked? The shell will feel delicate. The yolk will be a bit runny, and the egg white will be watery and loose.

Simple Desserts In Less Than 30 Minutes

Key Lime Pie with Strawberries

Everyone has a little "Betty Crocker" inside of them. Your Betty may not be as knowledgeable as the home cooks' pseudo kitchen coach, but she surely has as much ingenuity as the dame synonymous with baking.

Don't believe me? Try making this simple recipe for Key Lime pie.

Ingredients: 1 graham cracker pie shell, 1 can of Key Lime pie filler. 1 container (16 oz or so) of whipped cream. Optional: Fruit or lime slices to top.

Instructions: Mix (with a spoon) the pie filler and about 1/3 of the whipped cream until blended. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover and let cool in the freezer for at least 5 hours. When ready, top with garnish or fruit then serve.

Hmmm, you think. I know. I thought the same thing. But I gave it a try because truth be told I don't like Key Lime Pie. I've had it twice -- both were made using the longer more involved recipes -- and I did not like it.

But I really wanted to give this popular pie another chance. I reasoned perhaps the bakers were not up to snuff. And because a relative had given me the pie filler, which he said was pretty good, I decided to try making the pie myself. I also reasoned that perhaps the can-made pie might be tastier.

Well, no such luck. I'm still no fan of the Key Lime pie. It has nothing to do with the pie, which came out perfect. It was smooth and firmly molded. I've come to accept the fact I just don't like Key Lime pie.

But what I do like about this pie is it's incredibly easy to make, which makes it perfect for parties and last-minute gatherings whether you like Key Lime or not. You can set your "Betty" loose with this easy dish and be the toast of the event. Wink.

More longer Key Lime pie recipes:
Lagasse's recipe
All Recipes