Smorgasbite

Chinese Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

From Simply Salads, a wonderful cookbook by Jennifer Chandler that builds on store-bought salad greens to make an incredible variety of healthy, tasty meal-sized salads!

Makes 4 dinner salads
Peanut butter lovers beware.  The dressing in this colorful and tasty salad is addictive.

For the Peanut Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (if you use natural you may want to add a bit of sugar to sweeten)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
1/2 cup Peanut Dressing
1/2 cup fresh snow peas
1 bag (5 ounces) Spring Mix salad blend
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use supermarket rotisserie chicken)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a traditional grater
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 limes, quartered, for garnish

For the Peanut Dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, canola oil, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad:
Bring salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add snow peas and cook until vibrant green and crisp tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Drain the peas and immerse in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain again and place in a large salad bowl.

Add the salad blend, chicken, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts and toss. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss to coat.

Garnish with lime wedges.  Serve immediately.

What’s a better way to spend a weeknight than at a wine tasting?

This past Tuesday was made quite enjoyable thanks to Maslow 6.  In a loftlike space in Tribeca, Maslow 6’s wine director, Mollie Battenhouse, presented 9 wines from Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune.  Mollie is as educational for other wine professionals as everyday wine lovers; she promotes dialogue–even disagreements–and intertwines history, geography and stories to keep everyone engaged.

We tasted 4 chardonnays and 5 pinot noirs, all from different villages with distinct noses and flavors.  Each attendee was given a helpful packet that included wine descriptions, maps, and even an order form to have your favorite wines delivered to your apartment the following day (thanks to new storefront at 211b West Broadway).

Quite fortuitously I was seated next to the cheese and pate tray, which I later discovered had been selected in a bit of a rush by the husband of Maslow 6’s founding partner and CEO, Keri Jackson Kunzle.  He has a knack for it. I met Keri, her husband and his mother (visiting from Hampshire, England) and felt I could have talked to them all for hours.  Same goes for the dozen or so others I met!  I’ve been to many lovely wine tastings, but never has the social atmosphere been as genial, welcoming and full of successful and interesting characters as at this seminar at Maslow 6.

There’s a new beverage from R.W. Knudsen Family, a brand whose juices I’ve sampled over the years.

It’s called Sparkling Essence and it has no calories, no artificial flavors and no sugars or sweeteners. It’s just sparkling spring water infused with organic ingredients.

There are four flavors and I’ve tried them all: Organic Lemon, Organic Cucumber, Organic Blueberry and Organic Mint.

Blueberry and Cucumber are by far my favorite.  Mint and Lemon were slightly “off” tasting to me but still entirely drinkable (as indicated by the the recycling bin full of empty cans).

I’ve been describing it to friends as mineral water with a LOT more flavor than regular mineral water.

Essences are packaged in attractive 10.5-ounce slim cans, sold individually and in handy 4-pack carriers.

LAVERE Anti-Aging by Lavera is celebrating its 20th anniversary and, as a result, I got to fight wrinkles.  Or rather, as I’m pretty young still, I got to preemptively fight wrinkles.

LAVERE Lifting Serum Hydro-Gel is a cute little bottle, and the gel is very gentle, unabrasive, not stingy and sweet-smelling.  It reminded me of aloe gel.  As I applied it for the first time, I was a little skeptical that something so benign would have much of an effect.

A day later, I already noticed a difference in my face.  My skin felt fresher, firmer and smoother.  This has continued as I’ve used it for several weeks now.  The 0.8 oz lasts for many, many applications.

Who knew fighting a preemptive war (against aging) could be so peaceful?!

I have enjoyed Pirate’s Booty puffed rice and corn snacks for some time now.  The Aged White Cheddar and Veggie flavors always hit the spot.

So I was delighted to discover that two new flavors of Pirate’s Booty are hitting the shores:

1. Bermuda Onion - Subtly seasoned with garlic, green chives and sweet Bermuda onions
2. Sea Salt & Vinegar - Subtly flavored with aged balsamic vinegar and coarsely ground sea salt

Ahoy, matey, they’re delicious!

Best yet, they’re all-natural, baked, 130 calories per serving (which is a surprisingly copious 1-ounce portion), trans-fat-free and gluten free.

We all hear about the importance of wearing sunscreen, but the less common side story is that not all sunscreens are made from the same ingredients.

Vivesana organic sunscreens take that side story and make it a headline.

It created the first 100% natural sun care with the highest all-natural SPF (40 & 42) on the market.  It also uses exclusively United States-grown organics and sustainable, BPA-free packaging.  Botanicals, like jojoba and apricot, hydrate and nourish.  Potent antioxidants, like green tea and raspberry seed, help scavenge radicals and repair damaged cells.  Minerals, like zinc oxide, provide broad spectrum protection. Soothing extracts, like chamomile, help comfort skin exposed to the elements.

Sound too good to be true?  It is, almost.  Two points of caution:

1. Get ready to rub.  Such a high SPF means you’ll be sporting a whitish tint for a while after applying.

2. At $29-$32 for 2.25 oz, it’s not cheap.  However, it’s dense- a little goes a long way.

Home Free Cookies are the health- and/or allergy- conscious person’s dream cookie!  They’re also likely to be the favorite cookie of bulleted-list lovers everywhere.

They are:
·         Certified organic

·         Certified whole grain – each cookie serving contains at least ½ serving of whole grains

·         Without trans fat or cholesterol

·         Free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and dairy

·         Fine for most people allergic to wheat (not gluten-free; contain oats)

·         Fine for most people allergic to soy (most contain soy lecithin)

·         Baked and packaged in a dedicated bakery

·         Allergen tested

·         Without corn sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, MSG, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

·         Certified vegan (oatmeal cookies, and coffee cakes)

·         Certified kosher pareve

And the taste?  I tried the chocolate chip, mini chocolate chip, and oatmeal varieties.  I shared some with friends and co-workers to get their opinions, too.

Verdict?  Regular chocolate chip, chewy and moist, are the standout winner.  Mini chocolate chip were crisp, but more like a merengue than a Chips Ahoy.  Oatmeal were “not yo’ grandma’s oatmeal cookie,” according to one friend (I finished his).  But, for people whose health or allergy concerns keep them from enjoying other varieties of cookies, Home Free flavors are appreciated options!

I recently tried a new kind of bottled water: State of Mind Water.  The bottles caught my eye because of their inspirational words: Believe, Love, Compassion and Peace.

I generally avoid using plastic bottles, but these I could feel pretty good about.  The water is fancily filtered to be very safe and pure and has a balanced pH.  Plus, the bottles are 100% oxo-biodegradable.

State of Mind’s founder, Laura Thereza, says, “If you are going to carry a bottle of water, why not carry something positive?!”  Good point.

What’s more, if you passed someone on the sidewalk who was being obnoxious you could kindly remind them to exhibit good behavior by pointing to your water bottle.

Well, haven’t I been a busy little reader lately? Or should I say busy little bee?

Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy describes the steps we need to take to restore backyard biodiversity and to keep plant and animal species from extinction.  There are colorful photographs on every [...] Continue Reading…

I love lighting a candle or two in the evening but I’ve heard that many candles release toxins into the air and can be bad for our health and air quality.

I was thrilled to learn about Evergreen Candleworks, an Evergreen, Colorado-based candle company that makes candles that are better [...] Continue Reading…