Marinated Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• ½ cup distilled white vinegar

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

• 3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges

• 1 onion, sliced and separated into rings

Preparation:

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Whisk water, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth. continue to burst and create a sauce, 5 more minutes.

3. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion and stir to coat.

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

5. Enjoy!

allrecipes.com

Tatsoi Salad

 

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces tatsoi greens, roughly chopped
• 1 English cucumber, halved and ribboned (center seeds discarded)
• 3 large (or 5 small) red radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 2 teaspoons furikake seasoning
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Preparation:

1. Add the chopped tatsoi, slivered cucumber, and radishes to a large serving dish. Top with the hemp hearts and furikake. Toss to combine. 
2. Whisk together the canola oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger in a small bowl. Pour it over the salad and toss again to combine. 

thishealthytable.com

Tabbouleh

 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup bulgur
• 1 cup diced cucumber (1 small-to-medium)
• 1 cup diced tomato (1 large)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 3 medium bunches curly parsley
• ⅓ cup (⅔ ounce) chopped fresh mint (optional but recommended—you can chop it in the food processor with the parsley)
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onion
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced

Preparation:

1. Cook or soak the bulgur until tender according to package directions. Drain off any excess water, and set it aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, combine the diced cucumber and tomato in a medium bowl with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir, and let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes, or until you’re ready to mix the salad.
3. To prepare the parsley, cut off the thick stems. Then, finely chop the parsley and remaining stems—you can do this by hand, but it’s much easier in a food processor with the standard “S” blade. Process 1 bunch at a time (it should yield about 1 cup chopped), transferring the chopped parsley to a large serving bowl before proceeding with the next.
4. Add the cooled bulgur, chopped fresh mint (if using), and green onion to the bowl of parsley. Strain off and discard the cucumber and tomato juice that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl (this ensures that your tabbouleh isn’t too watery). Add the strained cucumber and tomato to the bowl.
5. In a small measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Pour it into the salad and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust if necessary—add another tablespoon of lemon juice for zing or salt for more overall flavor.
6. If you have the time, let the salad rest for 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors mingle. Otherwise, you can serve it immediately or chill it for later. Tabbouleh will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.

https://cookieandkate.com/best-tabbouleh-recipe/

 

Cucumber Wakame Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 medium english cucumber
• 4 tbsp dehydrated wakame seaweed
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp naturally-brewed tamari soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Place 4 tbsp dried wakame seaweed in a bowl. Break the wakame into smaller bite-size pieces if they are not pre-cut. Pour warm water to completely cover the wakame by at least a couple of inches. Dried wakame soak up a lot of water. Check in a few minutes and add more water if necessary to ensure all the wakame are submerged. It takes about 15 minutes to rehydrate.

2. In the meanwhile, slice 1 medium English cucumber into thin slices. You can use a knife, mandoline, or a spiralizer like I did in the video. 

3. Mix 1 tsp sea salt evenly with the sliced cucumbers. Let it rest in a bowl for about 10 minutes. The cucumber will release the excess juice through osmosis. 

4. Combine rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, maple syrup (or an equal amount of sugar if you don't have maple syrup), tamari soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl to make the dressing.

5. Squeeze out the excess cucumber juice, and strain away excess water from the rehydrated wakame. Discard the water used to rehydrate wakame, but you can save the salted cucumber juice for other use. See recipe notes.

6. Place strained cucumber and wakame in a bowl, pour over the dressing, and garnish with black and white sesame seeds.

https://www.yangsnourishingkitchen.com/cucumber-wakame-salad

Roasted Eggplant with Crispy Kale and Yogurt

 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Italian eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds total), quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchoor; optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 Tuscan kale leaves, ribs and stems removed, leaves coarsely torn
• 1 medium Persian cucumber
• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• Olive oil (for drizzling)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven or grill to 450°F. Toss eggplants with vegetable oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Roast, tossing halfway through, until eggplants are charred in spots and tender, 20–25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with mango powder (if using) and cumin, and toss to coat.
2. Meanwhile, heat a dry large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Add kale, arranging to fit in a single even layer (work in batches if needed), and cook, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and crisp, about 4 minutes.
3. Grate cucumber on the medium holes of a box grater; squeeze out excess liquid with your hands and transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt.
4. Toss tomatoes with a good pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil in a medium bowl. Spoon yogurt mixture onto a platter and layer eggplants, kale, and tomatoes on top. Drizzle with more olive oil.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-eggplant-and-crispy-kale-with-yogurt

Mediterranean Tuna Salad with a Zesty Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

For the Zesty Dijon Mustard Dressing

• 2 1/2 tsp good quality Dijon mustard
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 1/2 limes, juice of
• 1/3 cup Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

For the Tuna Salad:

• 3 cans tuna, 5 ounces each (use quality tuna of your choice)
• 2 1/2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
• 4–5 whole small radishes, stems removed, chopped
• 3 green onions, both white and green parts, chopped
• 1/2 medium-sized red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 1 bunch of parsley, stems removed, chopped (about 1 cup chopped fresh parsley)
• 10–15 fresh mint leaves, stems removed, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint)
• Six slices heirloom tomatoes for serving
• Homemade Pita chips or pita pockets for serving

Preparation:

1. To make the zesty mustard vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lime zest, and lime juice. Add the olive oil, sumac, salt and pepper, and crushed pepper flakes (if using), and whisk again until well-blended. Set aside briefly.
2. To make the tuna salad, in a large salad bowl, combine the tuna with the chopped vegetables, Kalamata olives, chopped fresh parsley and mint leaves. Mix gently with a wooden spoon.
3. Pour the dressing over the tuna salad. Mix again to make sure the tuna salad is evenly coated with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour before serving. When ready to serve, toss the salad gently to refresh.
4. Serve in pita pockets for a sandwich dinner. Or to serve as an appetizer, transfer to a serving platter and add pita chips and sliced heirloom tomatoes on the side. If you like, serve a portion of the tuna salad over the sliced heirloom tomatoes. Enjoy!

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/mediterranean-tuna-salad/

Cucumber Dill Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Greek-style plain yogurt
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• Toasted pita or pita chips, for serving

Preparation:

1. Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and dill in a medium bowl. Season with the salt and pepper.
2. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Before serving, garnish with more fresh dill and serve with toasted pita.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cucumber-dill-tzatziki

Mediterranean Quinoa and Escarole Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large head escarole (about 14 oz.), chopped
• 1 small English cucumber, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 ounce pitted kalamata olives (about 8), chopped

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet, and let cool.
2. Spread chickpeas evenly on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Gently rub chickpeas until dry, removing any skins that peel away. Sprinkle chickpeas with cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; toss to coat.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add chickpeas; cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and slightly crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 4 While chickpeas cook, whisk together lemon juice, mustard, oregano, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; drizzle in remaining 4 tablespoons oil while whisking. Combine quinoa, escarole, cucumber, feta, and olives in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Divide among 4 bowls; top with toasted chickpeas. Serve immediately.

https://www.health.com/recipes/mediterranean-quinoa-and-escarole-salad

Honeydew Cucumber Slushy

Ingredients:

• 4 cups honeydew (from about 1 small), rind removed, flesh cut into 1" pieces, frozen
• 2½ cups coconut water
• ⅓ cup mint leaves
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 6 oz. English hothouse cucumber (about ½ cucumber), peeled, cut into 1" pieces, plus more sliced for garnish

Instructions:

• Blend honeydew, coconut water, mint, lime juice, salt, 6 oz. cucumber, and 2 cups ice in a blender until smooth. Divide among glasses, then garnish with cucumber slices.

https://www.bonappetit.com

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced 
• 1/3 cup cider or white vinegar
• 1/3 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Chopped fresh dill weed or parsley, if desired

Instructions:

• Place cucumbers in small glass or plastic bowl.
• In tightly covered container, shake remaining ingredients except dill weed. Pour over cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to blend flavors.
• Drain cucumbers. Sprinkle with dill weed. Store covered in refrigerator.

bettycrocker.com/recipes/cucumber-salad/aff7166e-e3f7-4d87-9dc3-22368cf04332

Lemony Escarole Salad with Peaches and Feta

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• Pinch of sugar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium heads of escarole, inner light green and white leaves only, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 large peaches—halved, pitted and thinly sliced
• 2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Ground sumac (see Note) and/or dried oregano, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon zest, juice, garlic and sugar. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Add the escarole, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers and onion to the dressing and toss well. Season the salad with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving platter. Scatter the feta on top, sprinkle with the sumac and serve.

foodandwine.com/recipes/lemony-escarole-salad-with-peaches-and-feta

Traditional Spanish Gazpacho

Ingredients:

2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, mined
½ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup stale white bread, moistened with water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (recommended: sherry, red wine or white wine)
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Fill a small bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of water and add stale bread, torn into pieces. Set aside.

To peel and deseed your tomatoes: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Score an "X" into the bottom of each tomato and plunge in boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath. When cool, remove core with paring knife and peel tomatoes. Cut in half crosswise and squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes and place in a blender or food processor.

Peel, deseed and chop cucumber. Add to blender/food processor.
Squeeze out excess water from bread and add to blender/food processor along with garlic, peppers, olive oil, onion, vinegar and salt to taste.

Process until desired texture.
Add additional soaked bread to thicken, if necessary, and blend until smooth. If you prefer a thinner texture, add water and process again.

Add additional olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to reach desired taste.

Chill for at least two hours to blend flavors.

Serve chilled gazpacho with your favorite toppings, such as creme fraiche or sour cream, crispy Serrano ham or chorizo, chopped cucumber, chopped bell pepper, sliced tomato, fresh herbs and a drizzle of oilve oil.

Recipe Source

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped & core removed
• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped & seeds removed
• 1 English cucumber, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable cocktail 
• 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
• Red pepper flakes & Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley 
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5-3 tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste

Instructions:

1. Add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic clove, lime juice, V8 (or tomato juice), olive oil, and herbs into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Now add the rest of the seasonings (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar) slowly and adjust to taste.
3. Chill for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
4. Garnish with chopped peppers, green onion, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.
Note: If your blender is small you might have to cut this batch in half so it won’t overflow. I made mine in the Vitamix and it just fit. Makes about 6.5 cups.

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/20/gazpacho/

Raw Kale Salad

Ingredients:

bell peppers, sliced thinly

kale cut into 1 inch square pieces (approximately) (they need to be small or the lemon doesn't do its thing fast enough)
avocado cut into 1/2 inch pieces
tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
cucumber cut into 1/2 inch pieces
red onion (i usually use a 1/8 inch slice and cut it like a pizza so no piece is longer than 1/2 inch)
basil leaves cut into 1/2 inch pieces
hemp seed
lemon juice
olive oil
salt

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, tossing well and let sit at least an hour. the lemon helps soften the kale.

recipe courtesy of All Ways Cafe: http://www.allwayscafe.com/