No More Chinese Takeout!

My favorite market grocer has moved into town...Trader Joe's.  Everyone knows my excitement over this and if you don't, then we're obviously not real friends.  Sorry, just stating facts.  I'm going to *attempt* to write one blog post a week regarding something I've tried at Trader Joe's.  It may be something I don't like (shocker) and most of the time it will be things I LOVE and will demand that you try them as well. 


For my first post I'm picking their mandarin orange chicken, brown rice and pot-stickers.  With all of these items it's just not necessary to get Chinese takeout unless you're craving some lo mein or something boring. 


I want to be sure you know what each product looks like so you don't spend too much time wandering around tearing your hair out, which I do often.  This is the Mandarin Orange Chicken.   The orange chicken combo #14 at Lin Garden can't touch it.

With any good chinese dish you need rice.  I can hear the excuses now: "rice takes too long", "the rice sticks to the pan and I don't want to clean it".  Well these excuses are no good because Trader Joe's brown rice comes frozen in 3 individual packets (2 servings) and you put them in the MICROWAVE for 3 minutes...presto....done.  And it pairs marvelously with the mandarin orange chicken. 

Now, I didn't claim this was a very healthy meal.  Sure, the rice is brown and there is protein in the chicken but overall this meal isn't going to be on a dieters list of eats.  Eh, screw them...it's good stuff.  The side item won't be on their grocery list either but they're so YUMMY.  Potstickers!  Tim and I were first introduced to pot stickers through our friend Jon.  He is Taiwanese and his mom would make him potstickers and make enough for him to share.  How lucky were we?  I can't say that Trader Joe's pot stickers are better than Mrs. Ho's.  Not possible but since we no longer live near Jon we have to settle for second best.  

And if you're going to get the potstickers getting the gyoza dipping sauce is mandatory - no questions.  Tim is extremely picky about his dipping sauce and said that TGI Friday's has the best BUT after trying this sauce it wins.

Your meal is now complete.  And no need to thank me.  I share this with you because I am a wonderful person. 

Trader Joe's Luva,

Sarah