Hi. I’m a Costco addict and everyone knows it. I started going to Costco way back when it was called Price Club and have been hooked ever since. I practically use it as a grocery store and my kids haven’t even hit the teens yet.
“What the hell do you buy there?” I get asked that, a lot. That, and “how do you not waste it all?” So I’ll tell you. They have amazing produce, which if you plan your week and buy things that have a shelf, fridge or freezer span of at least a week, you’re all good. Buying things your family actually eats is a necessity. If they only eat apples once in a while, don’t buy them in bulk. You also can’t beat the rotisserie chickens, I mean really now, $5 for a massive chicken? They might have caught them running around in the Miami Costco parking lot, but I’m OK with that. And yes, from time to time, you do see roosters and/or chickens hanging out in the parking lot. Welcome to Miami.
Anyway, my trips usually consist of the normal eggs, milk and bread. I also like to keep stocked up on raw chicken and raw ground turkey; those keep well in the freezer. There are also amazing smoothies, hummus and prosciutto. Produce: strawberries, spinach, bananas, tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, avocado…the list goes on. You can always roast the veggies and serve as a side, puree them and use as a pasta sauce. Make banana bread with overripe bananas, and fruit leather or jam with the strawberries. Avocados, well obviously, hello guacamole! There is plenty more, but I won’t bore you.
This past week, I really, really wanted Orange Chicken. I knew take out would leave me feeling as if I had taken a plunge in a vat of oil. So, I did what any Costco addict would do, I scoured the internet for recipes and opened my well stocked fridge and pantry. Low and behold, I found amazing Orange Chicken (inspired by thenoshery.com). Now I feel confident that I will never be forced to order take out again. Awesome.
Enjoy
xx
turnips and tantrums team
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/4 c oil olive or veggie
- 4 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 c flour regular or gluten free, you can also omit this to make it lighter
- 1½ c water
- 1/3 c orange juice
- 1/3 c rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 c brown sugar packed
- 1 inch section of fresh peeled, ginger, minced
- 3 fresh garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flake
Thicken with:
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp cold water
Serve with:
- Rice
- Chopped green onion
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add all the sauce ingredients (everything except chicken, flour, S&P). Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cold water and cornstarch, add to sauce. Stir until thickened. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, add oil. Heat on high until oil shimmers.
- Toss chicken in a large bowl with flour and S&P. If you’re omitting the flour, just use S&P, I promise, it will still be delicious. In small batches (I did mine in 3), add chicken and sear, about 2 minutes each side. You’re not cooking it, just searing it. Set aside each batch on a plate. The keys here are HOT oil and minimal chicken. If you crowd your pan, you will end up with boiled chicken. You’re looking for the golden color and a nice seared texture.
- After your last batch, add all the chicken back into large sauté pan. Add all of sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over rice, top with chopped green onion.
Nutrition
Recipe Source: inspired by the Noshery’s “Orange Chicken.”