Tag Archives: cucumber

CUCUMBER SALAD and CUCUMBER COCKTAIL

24 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Cocktails, Recipes, Salad

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I made a Cucumber Salad after a lovely family day out, to accompany our grilled chicken dinner on the back deck. I then muddled the end pieces of the vegetable with gin to make a fresh, yummy Cucumber Cocktail.

CUCUMBER SALAD

cucumber salad

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into large dice

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons of sour cream

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

handful fresh dill

Mix the cucumber in a bowl with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours. After chilled, drain the cucumbers, mix in the sour cream. Chop the dill and add to the sour cream. Mix well.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Dining Guide, June 2015

www.nwaonline.com/dining/

CUCUMBER COCKTAIL

cucumber cocktail

In  cocktail shaker, muddle 2 inches of cucumber, then add gin, ice and the juice of a lime. Shake and strain.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, December 2014

www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/

WHITE GAZPACHO WITH CRISPY HAM

23 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Recipes, Soup

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I love chilled soups during the hot summer months – they are lovely, light and refreshing and won’t heat up the kitchen.

WHITE GAZPACHO WITH CRISPY HAM

white gazpacho with crispy ham

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, halved

1 cup whole almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

2 cups seedless grapes, plus more, halved, for garnish

1 cup peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber

salt

1 to 2 cups cold water

sherry vinegar

4 slices ham

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and fry until golden and crisp.

Puree garlic and almonds until smooth. Add grapes, cucumbers and a pinch of salt and puree until smooth. Add 1 cup of water and puree, adding more if soup is too thick. Season to taste with salt and vinegar. Set gazpacho aside.

Set a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add ham. Fry until crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Break crisped ham into bite-sized pieces.

Ladle gazpacho into chilled bowls and garnish with halved grapes and ham.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Wall Street Journal, April 2014

www.wsj.com/public/page/magazine-food.html

SUMMER SALAD WITH MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE – FAYETTEVILLE PILATES AND BARRE

16 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Recipes, Salad

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It has been a few weeks since I have been to my 5:30am yoga class. It seems there are many excuses to miss – Spring Break and traveling, a minor medical procedure, snuggling further under the covers in my cozy bed, stopping my Thyroid medication (although my expanding waistline encouraged me to promptly refill my prescription). However, it is one of my very favorite ways to start the day – a quiet, pleasantly dim, warm room with no internal judgement or pressure on myself to execute the poses perfectly. So this morning when my alarm chimed at 5am, I pulled on a pair of pants, fresh from the sale rack at Old Navy, brushed my teeth, smoothed my hair and applied a little spray, pencilled in my eyebrows, and made the 6 minute drive to the yoga studio. Apart from the feeling of serenity and accomplishment I feel afterwards, I also find I want to eat better and healthier all day, and more carefully choose what I fuel my body with.

SUMMER SALAD WITH MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE – FAYETTEVILLE PILATES AND BARRE

summer salad with mustard vinaigrette

spring mix

1 cup seeded and sliced English cucumber

1/2 cup sliced radish

1/2 cup carrot ribbons

salt

freshly ground black pepper

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoons minced garlic

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 to 1 1/2 cups olive oil

SALAD

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber, radish, carrot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with desired amount of Mustard Vinaigrette and serve.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar and shallot. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add mustard, honey, garlic, season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Gradually add olive oil, whisking constantly until mixture is smooth. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before using.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Entertain Decorate Celebrate, May/June 2014

www.celebratemag.com/

MINI MEDITERRANEAN SALAD BOATS – FAYETTEVILLE PILATES AND BARRE

15 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by in Recipes, Salad

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This Saturday, the 17th, is the 3 Year Anniversary Party for Fayetteville Pilates and Barre – and they have a great event planned! Not only will there be delicious food and wine, from Petra Cafe, fabulous giveaways and a grand announcement – but all proceeds go to Peace At Home Family Shelter!! It doesn’t get any better!! To tickle your taste buds, and get you in the mood for the great Mediterranean food from Petra, here is a cute little salad.

MINI MEDITERRANEAN SALAD BOATS – FAYETTEVILLE PILATES AND BARRE

mini mediterranean salad boats

2 cups diced tomato

1 1/2 cups diced English cucumber

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3/4 cup crumbled feta

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 heads Belgian endive, separated into spears

In a medium bowl, combine tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, mint, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, feta, salt and black pepper. Spoon mixture onto endive spears, arrange on platter and serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, November 2014

www.oprah.com/app/food.html

SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER BITES

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by in Appetizers, Recipes

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Our neighbor had a wonderful gathering in her newly built home the night before a Razorback football game. After spending the day at a conference in Rogers, and being caught up in the heavy traffic heading back to Fayetteville that afternoon – I had very little time to make the appetizer I had promised. Thankfully these Shrimp and Cucumber Bites came together quickly and elegantly, with a minimum of fuss.

A pair of high heels, a hostess gift and a bottle of wine, and my husband and I were ready to walk across the street to the festivities – a much less congested road than I had traversed earlier.

SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER BITES

shrimp and cucumber bites

2 dozen shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

24 slices cucumber

1/2 cup Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 Campari tomatoes, halved

garnish with fresh parsley

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

2 tablespoon shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon minced garlic

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups olive oil

TO PREPARE THE BITES

In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, cucumber, mustard vinaigrette, salt and pepper, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours (it was more like 15 minutes when I made them). Drain, discarding marinade. Layer 1 cucumber slice and 1 shrimp on cut side of each tomato half (I sliced a thin piece off the bottom of some of the tomatoes so they stood steady on the plate). Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Entertain, Decorate, Celebrate, May/June 2014

www.celebratemag.com/

PLUM PANZANELLA

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Recipes, Salad

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Fun, fabulous and very flavorful!!

PLUM PANZANELLA

plum panzanella

Cut firm plums into wedges and toss with toasted bread cubes, basil leaves, cucumber chunks, pitted black olives, crumbled feta and sliced red onions marinated in red wine vinegar. Drizzle with olive oil and more red wine vinegar, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, June 2014

THE JUICE BOX and CUCUMBER MOJITO

22 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Cocktails, Recipes

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I was curious to try these cocktails infused with cucumber – both were different and both were delicious. Lovely and refreshing for a hot summer day.

THE JUICE BOX

the juice box

4 slices cucumber

mint leaves

2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce lime juice

3/4 ounce St Germain

1/2 ounce simple syrup

Snap the cucumber slices in half, toss them in a shaker and give them a quick muddle. Throw in a generous amount of mint leaves and ice, along with all the other ingredients, and shake as hard as you can. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cosmopolitan, April 2013

CUCUMBER MOJITO

cucumber mojito

85 grams cubed cucumber

1 small handful of mint leaves

60 ml agave nectar

60 ml fresh lime juice

45 ml white rum

soda, ice and mint to serve

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber, mint, agave nectar, lime juice and rum. Strain into a glass with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with mint if desired.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Jamie Magazine

ARUGULA SALAD WITH CUCUMBER AND FETA

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Recipes, Salad

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This past weekend, after stopping at a friends dock for a catch up and a glass of wine, we motored over to our little cottage on the lake for the first time this summer. Meals while on vacation should be casual, straightforward and effortless, so I put together this simple salad, having already mixed the dressing while at home, to go with the filets my husband was grilling.

The next morning, with a perfect blue sky overhead, we took a family walk, lounged around reading, then headed down to the boat to take the kids tubing, swimming, and to another friends dock to visit and play with their lake toys – challenging our balance on the paddle board and our endurance with the sea cycle. Lunch was at a waterfront restaurant and after enjoying the break from the sun, it was time to return home, carrying our wet towels, empty ice chest, and great plans to return soon.

ARUGULA SALAD WITH CUCUMBER AND FETA

arugula salad with cucumber and feta

DRESSING

2 tablespoons tomato juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

SALAD

arugula

1/3 cup sliced, peeled cucumber

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

To prepare dressing, combine tomato juice, rice vinegar, olive oil and sugar, in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare salad, combine the arugula, cucumber, feta cheese and green onions in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad, tossing gently to coat.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2003

GRILLED FISH WITH SPICY CANTALOUPE CUCUMBER SALAD

03 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by in Fish, Recipes, Salad

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My husband and I stopped at a road side fruit stand on our way home from a lovely night away, and he returned to the car with three cantaloupe!! He was offered three, for just 50 cents more than one, and not being able to pass up the bargain, we found ourselves with a bounty of melons.

I looked for interesting ways to use the cantaloupe, after all there is only so much plain melon one can eat.

GRILLED FISH WITH SPICY CANTALOUPE CUCUMBER SALAD

fish with cantalope

4 firm fish fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, flesh thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 jalapeno, halved lengthwise, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, sliced

Heat a pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray, or swirl in a little olive oil.
Pat fish dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper.
Grill until opaque throughout, about 10 minutes, flipping once.
In a large bowl, combine cucumber, cantaloupe, fish sauce, lime juice, jalapeno, ginger and mint. Transfer fish to plates and serve with the salad.
Enjoy!

 

TURKEY BURGER WITH PONZU CARROT AND CUCUMBER RIBBONS

27 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by in burgers and sandwiches, Recipes

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The vegetables for the turkey burger were delicious, full of great flavors. However, I ended up eating most of them before they could make it onto the burgers.

TURKEY BURGER WITH PONZU CARROT AND CUCUMBER RIBBONS

turkey burger

FOR THE BURGER

16 ounces turkey, divided into four patties

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 buns, sliced and toasted

lettuce

FOR THE PONZU CARROT AND CUCUMBER RIBBONS

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon wasabi paste

1 carrot, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler

1 cucumber, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler

To make the ponzu carrot and cucumber ribbons, in a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, sesame oil and wasabi paste until incorporated. Add the carrot and cucumber ribbons and toss, set aside.

Season the turkey patties with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan and heat to medium-high. Cook turkey patties for 5 to 6 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until the turkey patties are cooked all the way through.

To build the burgers, place a lettuce leaf and a patty on each bun bottom. Add the ponzu vegetables and a bun top.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Shape Magazine, June 2014

http://www.shape.com/