MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - TOFU, CUCUMBER AND SPRING ONION SALAD WITH SESAME MISO DRESSING

 

My salad comes from Hungry and Frozen which can be found at this link.  Laura, its host, has wonderful recipes. Gregg made this one for the first time in April 2015. I checked recently and the link no longer works. Fortunately, Hungry and Frozen is still current. Laura has other wonderful meals that I look forward to trying. 


Tofu, Cucumber and Spring Onion Salad with Sesame Miso Dressing - serves 1


100g (3.53 ounces) firm tofu 
Half a cucumber (I always use a Hot House Cucumber which doesn't have to be deseeded)
1 Spring Onion
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 or 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaped teaspoons white miso paste
A pinch of caster sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Make sure your tofu and cucumber are well-chilled.  
Dice tofu into small squares, the same for the cucumber. 

Finely slice the spring onion, reserving some of the green for garnish.

In a bowl whisk together the vinegar, soy, olive oil, miso and most of the sesame seeds until it comes together as a smooth dressing.

Mix in the tofu, cucumber and spring onion, stir to cover.  

Transfer to your serving bowl and garnish with the remaining sesame seeds and sliced spring onion.

Enjoy!

This is a favorite for the warmer months.  

The dressing reminds me of the one they serve on the salad at our local Japanese Steakhouse.  The different taste I experienced must have come from the miso paste.

Laura suggests serving this with Roast Chicken and Rice. No recipe and again I couldn't find a link to one but there are plenty of them around if you want to do a search. You probably have your own favorite version.

Not everyone likes tofu so you could leave this out. It would be very nice as a cucumber and green onion salad. The dressing alone is worth a try. You could add any of your favorites. If you want a meatless meal, beans would give it a little protein.

You can copy and paste the address below to visit Laura's blog.

https://hungryandfrozen.com/

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - CHICKPEA, FETA CUCUMBER SALAD

 We wanted a salad to go with our meal tonight. This fit with our idea of wanting something a bit different than the usual mixed greens. I have no complaint about mixed greens, just wanted to vary things a bit.

The recipe came from 'Thyme and Joy' hosted by Valerie, and the original recipe can be found here. Valerie's bio: "I am a trained natural foods chef ready to help you with meal prep. On Thyme & Joy I share kitchen tips and recipes that use the air fryer, instant pot, slow cooker and more, to make healthy food fast." I have been enjoying looking through Valerie's recipes and will make more of them as time goes on.

Chickpea, Feta and Cucumber Salad 

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

8 ounces Feta Cheese

1/2 cup Red Onion, diced

1 piece English Cucumber, diced

1/2 cup olive or avocado oil

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Lemon Zest

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup fresh herbs:

chopped basil, dill, mint 

(optional)

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried parsley 

1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, to taste

Make the red wine dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl (or mason jar) and whisking until fully combined.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, fully removing as much moisture as possible, and pour them into the bowl with the dressing.

Add the diced cucumber, red onion, crumbled feta and fresh herbs, if using. Toss together until all ingredients are fully combined.

For best results chill covered in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy!

We liked this a lot, very yummy.

We had no fresh herbs this time but will be sure to put them on the shopping list for the next, as we intend to make it again. Better still I am going to pop down to the garden center and buy seeds to grow them. We didn't miss them, I just like the idea of having fresh herbs.

There was a sweet red pepper in the fridge. I not only like how they taste, but I wanted to add a little more color.

Our sides were Jasmine rice and roasted chicken thighs. 

I sprinkled sesame seeds and then turmeric powder on top of the rice just to make it look less plain, a little white pepper too though it is hard to tell. You probably should see if you like the taste before you use the turmeric before trying it yourself. If anyone out there uses turmeric, I would enjoy knowing how you use it.  Always looking for ideas. 

Below is the full address to today's recipe, which I have added for those who prefer to copy and paste rather than use the link at the beginning.

https://thymeandjoy.com/chickpea-feta-cucumber-salad/

Thanks for dropping by, enjoy your day

and Bon Appetit!

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - CUCUMBER AND LEMON INFUSED WATER

No recipe for this one, or a proper photo, but very simple to do. With these summer temperatures, we wanted a change from just plain water. I remembered being given a glass some time ago, and decided to make it this week. There has been a double batch in a large pitcher sitting in the fridge ready and waiting. I replenish the water if needed but will not keep for more than 24 hours as it can get a bit too strong. A good idea would be to make it first thing in the morning and finish it by end of day. You may have your own versions. It certainly is a very refreshing drink, if you like this taste combination.  Also great to sip on a hot, humid day. I am adding it on here to remind me how much we both enjoyed it.

Cucumber and Lemon Infused Water - serves 8

8 cups (2 quarts) water (you can use tap water but I don’t like how ours tastes so I usually fill up my measuring jug with water from the refrigerator filtered water dispenser, and pour it into the pitcher. You might have great tasting tap water.)

1 large thinly sliced hot house cucumber, the kind without seeds. You may see them as English Cucumbers. (These were the only kind we could get when growing up, and as is often the case when you have anything as a child, we often prefer them to anything else. You don’t have to deseed them and they seem milder in taste to me. Three of the smaller regular cucumbers could be used probably, the type with seeds. We reached our own taste combination after a couple of tries.)

2 to 3 large lemons, thinly sliced

2-3 sprigs fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Extra slices of cucumber and lemon for garnish  (optional)

Wash and dry the cucumber and lemon. Thinly slice them and add to a large pitcher.

Fill the pitcher with water and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.  

Making and serving right away works too, but it won't have as much time to infuse.

To serve, pour the cucumber and lemon water over a glass of crushed ice. (I am not one for a lot of ice and water only is enough for me, especially if that water has been well refrigerated.) Garnish with some of the lemon and cucumber slices from the pitcher or add fresh to the top.

As you drink the water, you can top up the pitcher with more water. Add extra cucumber and lemon if you think it is needed.You will know when it is time to make a fresh batch. As I said in the beginning, it is very refreshing but I found the flavor too strong the next day. It is much better to put together first thing in the morning and drink it all before going to bed.

Not that the following were the reasons why I made this, but I have read several articles online that I found encouraging.

Here are 7 benefits. 

1. It alkalizes the body. Lemons and cucumbers are alkaline forming foods that will help the body function at its optimal level.

2. It is packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants and silica, good for cleansing toxins from the body.  Silica is supposedly nature’s anti-aging secret.

3. The silica in cucumber is a mineral necessary to keep connective tissues healthy. Add a few slices to your workout water bottle.

4. Vitamin C and antioxidants can double as an immune system booster. 

5. Aids in digestion. Citrus flavonoids stimulate and purify the liver. An entire cucumber averages about 45 calories and a lemon only 17, so a few slices to your water is not going to add many calories.

6. May help you drink more water. We like things that taste good. Better tasting water just may prompt us to drink more.

7. Lemon-Cucumber water first thing in the morning gives a nice boost. All thanks to the Vitamin C, potassium and phytonutrients.

There is all kind of information on line when you put what are the benefits of Cucumber-Lemon Infused Water in your search engine. I don’t necessarily believe everything I read, so I go to several places in my search and compare information.

And, when it is anything to do with our health, the first advice we should get is from our own physician.

I am also including this link from the Mayo Clinic.  The article is about the benefits of drinking water, and if you scroll down the page, there is a list of various food combinations I will enjoy trying at some point.

(For non-French speakers, 'Tchin-tchin' means 'Cheers' in English)

MONDAY RECIPE POST - THE BEST CUCUMBER SALAD

This salad was found at Nutmeg Nanny hosted by Brandy.  Lately we've been thinking about making a cucumber salad.  No doubt you've got your favorites but as I haven't made one in a very long time, we searched online and this popped up. It has no mayonnaise, no oil but does have 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar. There are 6 servings and only 37 calories a serving.  The original recipe is here. A very refreshing summer side-salad.

Brandy's Best Cucumber Salad – serves 6

Calories per serving 37:

From prep to table: 2 hours 15 minutes (up to 2 hours marinating the cucumber but ours was only in the marinade for 20 minutes or so.  It was delicate and delicious.)

1 lb. mini cucumbers, thinly sliced (Persian cucumbers are nice, or hot house cucumbers.  You can use regular but as the skin is thick, best to peel them.  I have bought the Persians but I can't get them that often. The packet on the ones at our local supermarket just said miniature cucumbers.  See info below recipe on related websites) 

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.

Cover, and place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 2 hours to help the flavors develop.

Serve cold.

We both enjoyed this.  See the original recipe for all Brandy's tips.  

I wouldn't change a thing on this one, but I did notice that I used plain rice wine vinegar and not seasoned.

We built our meal around the cucumber salad, and had the ingredients already.

A package of frozen Firecracker Shrimp from Wegmans. It comes with a tasty sweet chili sauce packet which I used on my shrimp and rice after serving.  We have had these before and thoroughly enjoy them but next time I would like to try regular steamed shrimp.

Up to a cup of Frozen Trader Joe's Jasmine Rice, cooked to package directions.  There are three packets to a box and we use 1 box that we place in the microwave for three minutes.  It is nice on busy days.

Crudités consisting of slices of 1 sweet pepper (prefer red, orange or yellow), thinly sliced radishes, and stuffed celery with a commercial pimiento cheese.  Also whipped cream cheese goes well.  I stuff the celery stick and cut into bite sized pieces and they are a tasty treat.  This is old school so you probably do this yourself.  I used to use peanut butter for our son when packing his school lunches.

My plate looks like it has an orange crab on top!  Ah well, you win some, you lose some.  All that being said, the veggies suited our taste, and the combination was what we would choose again. Very yummy!

The full address of the salad is below:

https://www.nutmegnanny.com/the-best-cucumber-salad/

I found an interesting website on the different kinds of cucumbers at this address here.

Another website with good information here but there are a lot of pop-ups.

Thanks for looking, 

and have a great week!