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cucumber

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Edamame, olive salad

This edamame, olive salad will make you feel like you’re lunching at a seaside restaurant on some far flung Greek island. I swear it! It’s such an unusual combination that your taste buds will think you’re on vacation. I had a variation of this salad last week at an unlikely waterfront spot in North Carolina. The restaurant served mostly seaside style bar food, except for this incredible side dish. I’m so glad I ordered it. It was easily my favorite thing I had that meal — aside from that delicious Southern sweet tea. That’s hard to beat. This edamame, olive combo makes for a simple salad but not one where you want to cut back on quality. A bag of shelled edamame should only run you a few dollars, so splurge on the fancy olives — you know, the ones from the olive bar. Or at least get a good brand of jarred kalamatas.…

Refreshing pineapple, cucumber salad

Summer is the season to celebrate with fresh fruit salads. There is such a bounty of fruits and vegetables and you can enjoy them individually of course, but you can also put them together in unusual ways and get excited about bright new flavors pairs. This is one of my favorite fruit salads to share. People are always surprised at how well this colorful combo works together. Sweet pineapple is balanced by the bite of the lime and the crunchiness of the cucumber. The cilantro brings it all together — herbs are good like that. Truth-be-told, this recipe is just a variation of a pineapple salsa recipe I make — just with bigger pieces of pineapple and cucumber so it’s easier to eat with a fork (and not just a tortilla chip). But, that said, if your crowd appreciates a little heat, you can consider adding the diced jalapeños back in. They…

Fresh and easy summer tomato, peach, jalapeño gazpacho

If you’re expecting an abundance of tomatoes, let me suggest an easy way to them up: gazpacho. Gazpacho is a traditional dish from the Andalusia region of southern Spain. Cities in the area, including Córdoba and Seville, average summer temperatures nearing 100ºF, so it’s no wonder locals have their pulse on what makes a refreshing but nutritious summer meal. Unappetizingly, the vegetable-based, soup-like dish is sometimes referred to as a “liquid salad” or “cold soup” — but don’t let that scare you. The flavors fall somewhere between tangy vegetable juice, veggie soup and Mexican salsa, but it’s a unique dish all on its own, that in no way begs to be warmed. When your fruit baskets start filling with an excess tomato crop, try whipping up a batch of gazpacho and serving with a loaf of garlic bread. You’ll keep yourself, or your family, full, cool and satisfied. Summer tomato, peach,…

Simple watermelon salsa is sweet, mildly spicy

Who would have thought watermelon and jalapeño would be such a delicious pair? What’s better, is that this quick condiment only requires six ingredients. I’ve been experimenting with a lot of watermelon lately, so get ready for quite a few juicy recipes coming up.. This one was one of my favorites, since it’s a perfect match-up of sweet and spicy, combined with saltiness from the chips. I’ve only tried it as a salsa so far, but I could see this going great with grilled chicken or fish, or atop a grilled vegetable dinner. Watermelon Salsa Serves 6-8: Prep time 10 min Ingredients 4 cups watermelon (seedless, or seeds removed and chopped) 1 cup cucumber, chopped 1 cup red onion (about 1/2 large onion, chopped) 2 medium jalapeños (remove seeds for less heat, chopped) 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 lime, cut in half salt (to taste) Directions Add watermelon, cucumber, onion,…