Category Archives: Salad
Baby Bok Choy With Cucumber Noodles in Peanut Sauce
My mom’s latest obsession is baby bok choy. And so, I thought I’d hunt down some new and interesting bok choy recipes to try. I didn’t have to hunt very hard. I adapted this recipe from one I found on tastespotting.com. It was relatively easy to make although it isn’t the best on the second day; it gets soggy. Next time, if I plan on leftovers, I’ll keep the sauce and salad separate and dress it right before eating OR put some sauce in the bottom of one of my mason jars with salad on top and mix later. I love my jars.
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers
1 bunch baby bok choy
1/4 cup peanut butter (natural – I use Justin’s)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons of water
1/2 teaspoon garlic-chili paste (add more for extra heat!)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
cilantro chopped and chopped/crushed peanuts to garnish
Directions:
1. In a small mixing bowl combine peanut butter, maple syrup, lime juice, sea salt, water and chili oil.
2. Chill in refrigerator while you prepare the noodles.
3. Chop baby bok choy into thin slivers.
4. Peel skin from cucumbers. Then, cut them julienne or continue using your peeler to yield strips or “noodles” of cucumbers.
5. Squeeze as much liquid out of the cucumber noodles as possible (you can wrap a paper-towel around them to do this), and combine with boy choy in a large bowl.
6. Add peanut sauce, a bit at a time, to cucumber noodles and bok choy (add more water to the sauce if needed, use more of less peanut sauce to taste).
7. Serve immediately garnished with cilantro and chopped peanuts
Adapted from A House in the Hills.
Product Review: Season 1 Blends
I was contacted by Season 1 Blends to test out all of the seasoning blends in the picture above. Their primary reason for approaching me (I think) is my obsession with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Season 1 offers a similar product called New York Steak. Although I’ve only tasted the New York Steak on its own (delish) I have yet to use it in a recipe. I will. I promise. In the meantime, I started with the Peppered Lemon & Herb for roasting a whole chicken and the Riviera Blend on chicken breast and in a tomato, cucumber, and feta salad.
Riviera Blend!
Peppered Lemon & Herb
This stuff is awesome.
I’ll generally tell you how I feel about these blends here and then please stay tuned for them in several upcoming recipes.
I really love these blends. Low sodium, all natural, no preservatives, and gluten-free – what could be better? I know your question, though…what is it that sets these blends a part from other spice/herb blends? This was the question I set out to answer and the answer surprised me…
Using these blends is almost equivalent to using freshly cut herbs. I’m serious. The blends that I’ve used thus far, are so fresh in appearance and so fragrant that I cannot tell them a part from the real deal or more accurately, the “fresh” deal.
I used the Peppered Lemon & Herb to rub the inside and outside of a roasting chicken. The flavoring was so fragrant in the oven! It filled the whole house with fresh smelling herbs. The chicken was pretty darn good too! When I took chicken leftovers to work the next day, I brought my jar of Peppered Lemon & Herb. I sprinkled a little on my plate and dipped my chicken in it as I ate. It was a nice additional to next-day chicken.
The Riviera Blend is a blend of sea salt, garlic, black pepper, oregano, thyme, majoram, and lavender. Season 1 recommends that you use it on poultry, fish, meats, veggies, and salads. So far I’ve used this blend on baked chicken breasts and a cucumber, tomato, and feta salad. But, I think the possibilities are endless. This blend is unique and delicious.
For chicken, preheat your oven to 375 and cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss heavily with the Riviera blend and a little olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with salad, brown rice, or farro!
For the salad, cut one cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Combine with halved cherry tomatoes. Mix in 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar, and 1 tbsp of Riviera Blend Seasoning. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve!
HINT: Apparently this is obvious to most people but not to me (thanks, Greg for pointing it out). Season 1 says: “Make sure you use the shaker top. Some people just unscrew the top and try to pinch or tap it out and then it doesn’t come out uniform because the sea salt is heavier.” Hmmm. I didn’t know this. But, it makes sense. What a great tip!
Stay tuned for more Season 1 seasoned recipes!
