uExpress.com: Supermarket Sampler by Bonnie Tandy Leblang and Carolyn Wyman -- (08/01/1999) WHAT'S NEW ON THE GROCERS' SHELVES

Previous Date | Most Recent Supermarket Sampler | Next Date

WHAT'S NEW ON THE GROCERS' SHELVES

08/01/1999

Ben & Jerry's Frozen Smoothies. Strawberry Banana Manna, Tropic of Mango, Raspberry Renewal, and Chai Tea Latte. $3.29 per 12-ounce container.

Bonnie: Herbal remedies have figuratively blossomed in the cold of our freezer cases with the introduction of Ben & Jerry's smoothies. Like drinkable smoothies you'd buy at a stand, these are made from fresh fruit and yogurt, and are full of vitamins, protein, calcium and fiber.

Ben & Jerry's has also enhanced its smoothies with herbs. For instance, a single serving of the Tropic of Mango -- which Ben & Jerry's defines as the entire 12-ounce carton -- contains almost three times the recommended daily need for vitamin C, half the vitamin A, an incredible 6 grams of fiber, some echinacea and almost no fat in a very sweet treat.

I can't think of another frozen dessert that can boast those benefits, impressive even at the more realistic half-cup serving size.

Carolyn: Frozen vegetables taste better than canned. So it's not surprising that Ben & Jerry's Frozen Smoothies taste better than Snapple or other bottled smoothies. Unfortunately, they're nowhere near as convenient. In order to enjoy them as drinks, you need milk or juice and a blender -- which pretty much means you have to be at home. Frozen, they eat a lot like sherbet or sorbet.

I was also surprised and a little disappointed to see that they contained that modern-day snake oil, herbal ingredients. I would have thought Ben & Jerry's was above that. But I liked the gingerbready chai flavor and loved the peachy-tasting mango. And I liked the idea of packaged individual servings of Ben & Jerry's so much that I'm hoping it inspires the company to come out with more modest-sized individual cups of its regular ice cream.

story continues below

Kraft Shake 'N Bake for Boneless Skinless Chicken. Savory Roast, and Herb & Garlic. $2.29 per 5.29-ounce box containing two seasoning packets, each containing enough to coat 2 pounds of chicken.

Bonnie: Why, oh why do we need Shake 'N Bake for boneless chicken breasts? Are folks now so cooking illiterate that they can't figure out that they could just use regular Shake 'N Bake for chicken for their boneless cutlets?

And why use these kits at all when you can easily mix together a flavored breadcrumb coating of your own?

Make one of my favorite crunchy coatings by combining 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a plastic bag. Then rinse the chicken with water and dip into crumbs.

For a richer version (if you can afford the fat), dip chicken in 3 tablespoons melted butter, then into crumbs. Place on greased baking sheet and into a 450-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, or until golden.

The result? Delicious crispy chicken without any of the additives found in Shake 'N Bake.

Carolyn: To answer your question, Bonnie: Yes, some of us are that stupid because I never thought of using regular Shake 'N Bake with boneless chicken.

Now that I've tried this, I may try that. Because even though this new Shake 'N Bake is just as easy to make as the regular kind, it's not as tasty. And I don't think it's just because of the missing fat from the skin.

Less of this new Shake 'N Bake sticks to the boneless chicken. The coatings also appear to be more mildly seasoned. This new Shake 'N Bake "light" may indeed hold more appeal to the subtler tastes of the sophisticates who regularly choose boneless over regular chicken. But that's not me.

Dole Pineapple Fun Shapes. Cosmic, and Sea Creatures. 99 cents to $1.19 per 15.25-ounce can.

Bonnie: There's nothing not to like about Dole's new fun pineapple shapes. Each can is filled with pineapple cut in cosmic shapes (stars, moons and suns) or sea creature shapes (fish, shells and sea turtles) packed in lightly sweetened syrup.

Served as is or to decorate salads or desserts, these are a great way to get kids to eat more fruit.

Carolyn: I say God bless any person or company that can bring a little more fun into the world. Pasta, cereal, cookie and candy companies have been doing this for years by molding their products into fun shapes.

All I can say about these new pineapple shapes from Dole is gesundheit.

(Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and creator of Express Lane Cooking: A Simple Solution to What's for Dinner (Universal Press Syndicate). Carolyn Wyman is a junk food fanatic and author of "Spam: A Biography" (Harvest/Harcourt Brace). Each week they critique three new food items.)