Spicy Cucumber Salad

Hello everyone, I know it's been a long time.  The last recipe I added to this blog was back in November of 2023.  My word, seems like forever ago.

 

If you follow me on my main blog, you will know that in January, after routine blood work, I was told my Triglycerides were slightly elevated and I needed to make a few changes to my diet.  I've never been one to eat a really bad diet to begin with, but certainly had to make quite a few changes, mainly ditching all the junk, sweets, sodas and snacks and embracing a more healthier way of life.

 

I had already been looking into the Mediterranean diet and had made a few dishes, but after my doctor suggested the same diet to me, I just dived right in.

 

My meals now revolve around a lot more fish and chicken, minimum red meat.  Lots of veggies and fruits, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas and wholewheat pasta and rice.  Minimal potatoes and when I do have those, they are either red skinned which are healthier, or sweet potatoes, but even then, I have a few pieces and that's all.

 

I have lost 35 pounds since February and am in the best shape I've been in since my twenties.  My goal is to maintain this healthier way of life, but not give up everything yummy completely.  I still have a sweet treat once in a while, maybe once a month if that.

 

But, I want to start sharing some of the meals I've been having, here on the blog, not just to help others achieve a healthier way of life, but also as a record for me to have for the future.  Hope you enjoy!

 

Today's recipe is one of my husband and son's favorites lately, well, and mine too.  This spicy cucumber salad is so refreshing with just the right amount of heat.  It's delicious.  The recipe comes from Recipe Tin Eats, she has amazing recipes so be sure to check out her website. 

 

 

 

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Source:  Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients

• 4 cucumbers (~20cm/8", scale up/down for shorter/longer, Note 1)
• 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1 eschalot/French onion , halved then very thinly sliced (US: shallot) (Note 2)
• 1 cup green onion , green part only finely sliced (1 large, 2 small stems)
• 2 tbsp+ chilli crisp (crispy chilli oil) - Laoganma is my fave (Note 3)
• 2 tsp white seame seeds , toasted (save some for topping)

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub any clear vinegar)
• 2 tsp soy sauce , all-purpose or light (Note 4)
• 2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (ie brown, not yellow)

Instructions

Smash & salt cucumbers

• Smash - Hit cucumbers with a meat mallet, rolling pin or similar to make the sides burst open. Cut in half lengthwise then into 2.5cm/1" pieces.
• Salt 30 min - Place in a bowl, toss with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to draw out water (Note 5). Drain/strain and discard salty water, leave cucumbers in same bowl.

Salad

• Whisk Dressing in a bowl.
• CHECK spiciness of your chilli crisp - they vary by brand. If using Laoganma, stick with recipe, else adjust to taste.
• Toss - Put green onion, eschalots, sesame seeds, dressing and chilli crisp in with the cucumbers. Toss until eschalots go floppy - ~30 seconds.
• Serve, sprinkled with extra sesame seeds and dollops of chilli crisp if you dare!

Note: Water continues to come out of cucumbers so after few hours/next day, you'll have a lot more dressing but not as intense flavoured. So eat/serve with spoon to get plenty of dressing in every bite!

 

Sauteed Kabocha Squash

The past few weeks, I've been trying to add more vegetables to our meals.  My kids for the most part, eat every vegetable I give them, but there are some they either don't care for, have never tried or don't want to try.

As with any other kid, and I say lightly because my son is turning 17 next month and my daughter is turning 21 next month, as well, I sometimes need to push them to eat veggies.  In other words, if I don't make it, they won't ask for it.

Typically I always add at least a salad to every meal, but that becomes a bit boring, and the extent of my veggies used to be steamed broccoli or cauliflower, or mixed vegetables.

It became quite boring, so I've been on a mission to add different vegetables that I normally wouldn't serve.

One vegetable we all love, is squash.  I bought a Kabocha Squash when I went grocery shopping, and aside from roasting it in the oven, I hadn't made it any other way.  I decided to sautee it and threw in a little of this and a little of that.

The result?  Absolutely delicious, kids and hubby scarfed it down and my son even claimed it may just be his favorite now.
 

Sauteed Kabocha Squash

1 kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (I use a potato peeler to peel the squash, you don't have to remove the skin completely, you can leave some behind)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
chili flakes, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley and cilantro
1 teaspoon paprika
boiling water


Wash the kabocha squash, cut in half and remove all the seeds.  Using a potato peeler, peel as much of the skin as you can, but don't worry about getting it all as it is easily cooked and very tasty.   Be careful however, if you've never cut squash, it is extremely hard and quite difficult to cut through.
Cut into 1 inch chunks.

In a saucepan add oil and garlic.  Fry garlic for a few seconds, constantly stirring. 

Add the kabocha squash, and then season with the remaining ingredients.  Stir well to combine, and sautee for 3 to 5 minutes stirring often so it doesn't stick.  Add boiling water until it covers squash about an inch above.

Pop the lid on and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, on medium heat, until fork tender. 

Fried Okra

Crunchy, golden brown, delicious Okra.

There really is much you can say about this yummy side dish, or appetizer, whatever you wish.

Again, I had no clue what Okra was until I moved to the States, it's not a vegetable that is available in South Africa or Portugal, but boy is it one of my favorite things ever.

Okra is a pretty sticky vegetable to work with which actually makes it quite easy to coat.  You will find a lot of variations and recipes for making the fried okra.  Family recipes, favorite recipes all using either flour, or breadcrumbs or panko crumbs, some using just cornmeal, but I like to use a mixture of both flour and cornmeal.

Fried Okra

2 lbs Okra, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Buttermilk
Garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
Vegetable oil to fry

Drizzle some buttermilk over the okra, just enough to coat it well. Sprinkle on the flour and mix well to ensure that it's all coated. Sprinkle on the cornmeal and once again give it a good stir until all the okra is coated and doesn't stick together.

Fry until golden brown, remove onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve.

Light Cheesy Cauliflower

One of my favorite vegetables is cauliflower.  I just love it and feel like I don't eat it near enough.



Thing is, my favorite way of eating it is with a cheese sauce which can be quite a killer on the calories, so with that in mind, I tweaked my usual recipe to make it lighter.

This one comes out to about 173 calories per serving and it serves 4 people.  If you make 6 servings out of it, like we do, then it's only about 115 calories.

Light Cheesy Cauliflower

Servings 4 - Calories 173 per serving

1 medium head cauliflower
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 cup Hellman's Light Mayo
1 cup shredded Kraft Cheddar Light 2/%


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash cauliflower, remove leaves and trim stems.  Cut into bite size pieces.

Add water to a large saucepan;  place cauliflower in pan.  Cook, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes;  drain.

Spray a medium baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer cauliflower in dish.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over top.

Combine mustard and mayo in a small bowl.  Spread over cauliflower.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake until bubbly;  about 10 minutes.

Cheesy Mixed Vegetable Bake

I'm lucky in that my children love vegetables.  I do try to serve some with every meal, but truthfully sometimes I get tired of the same thing over and over.


I first made this casserole about 7 years ago and since then it's become a favorite, especially with the kids.  Threw in what I had on hand and it turned out really yummy.

Cheesy Mixed Vegetable Bake

1 (16 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 Small sweet peppers, chopped (I like using the little ones that come prepackaged)
1 (10 oz) can condensed cheddar soup
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
French-fried onions
shredded cheese


Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a large casserole dish.

In a big bowl, combine the veggies, peppers, cheddar soup, sour cream, salt and pepper and some french-fried onions.  ( I add about 1/3 cup)

Pour into the casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Sprinkle the remaining french-fried onions and some shredded cheese on top and bake for a few minutes longer.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  I have also made it using mushroom soup which is really yummy as well.

Zucchini Fritters

I love zucchini and any chance I get to have it, I do.

One of my favorite ways to have it, is these fritters.  Not many ingredients are needed but they're delicious, and my children love them dipped in ranch.

This is another one from one of my Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.

Zucchini Fritters

2 zucchini, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 egg
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup round buttery crackers, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (optional)
2 tablespoons oil

Directions

Combine zucchini, egg, cheese, crackers and, if desired, the seasoned salt in a large mixing bowl. If mixture seems wet, add extra crackers.

Shape mixture into patties. Heat oil in a skillet; fry patties about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serves 4.

So pretty....and tasty too.

Squash and Tomato Gratin

Oh I love veggies and thankfully so does the rest of my family, kids included.  Now aside from the tomatoes, which my kids loathe, they will eat everything else.



Funny story with the tomatoes, when I was a child I would eat them like apples and then I guess I ate too many because I soon because so sick of them that I refused to eat them at all.  The only way I could handle tomato would be in sauce or cooked, I couldn't handle raw tomato....this went on for years and years, until about a year ago and then suddenly my love for tomatoes returned and now I'm back to enjoying them whichever way I can find.

And all that just to tell you that I included tomatoes with this Gratin.  Haha!

This recipe is adapted from one over at Delicious Dishings.



Squash and Tomato Gratin


Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used a teaspoon of jarred minced garlic)
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 cousa squash, sliced
salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup garlic bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 20 minutes.



Slice all of the vegetables in 1/4-inch thick slices. (Discard ends.)

Combine zucchini and cousa squash in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, and season with salt.



Drizzle tomato slices with olive oil, and season with salt.



Combine Parmesan, bread crumbs, and remaining thyme in a small bowl.

Divide onion mixture among baking pans, and spread it to cover the bottoms of the pans. Then begin layering the vegetables. Make a row of overlapping cousa squash slices, and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.



Next make a row of overlapping summer squash slices, making sure they slightly overlap the zucchini slices. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.



Make a row of overlapping tomato slices, making sure they slightly overlap the squash slices. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.



Repeat with the veggies. Sprinkle a layer of breadcrumb mixture over it all. Repeat with the other pan.



I was able to make two pie size pans with the veggies. Bake until veggies are tender, then pop into the broiler to get the breadcrumbs nice and brown. I usually don't need to do this because mine brown nicely while cooking.

Veggie Biscuits!

I am all for easy, quick but delicious snacks and if I can find a way of incorporating healthy eating into it, then all the better.

This afternoon while trying to find something to eat for lunch, I was craving vegetables but not just plain ol veggies, I wanted something different.

While searching through the refrigerator I found a can of refrigerated biscuits, those 8 count large biscuits, and then it hit me, why not make some Veggie Biscuits?

Don't crinkle your nose, I know it may sound a little weird but stick with me here, I promise you'll enjoy and if your kids love biscuits AND veggies, this is a great way of whipping up a nutritious healthy snack.

Veggie Biscuits

1 can of large refrigerated biscuits (8 count)
4 oz of cream cheese (half a box), softened
Ranch dressing
shredded cheese (I used the colby jack, but you can use whichever you like) 
Finely chopped onion, green pepper (this is what I had on hand, but go ahead and add broccoli, tomato, cauliflower, carrots etc, whatever you have)

Bake the biscuits according to the package directions.    Let them cool completely and then slice in half.

In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and add ranch dressing to your liking.  I didn't use too much but just enough to make it tasty without overpowering the cream cheese.

Spread about a teaspoonful of the mixture on every biscuit half, top with the chopped veggies and the cheese.  Pop in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Enjoy!!!

Zucchini Melts

My family and I love Zucchini and when they're in season, I always have a ton in the fridge.

Whether I'm throwing them into stews, or mixed veggies, fried zucchini or even zucchini bread, chances are there is always some sort of dish involving this yummy vegetable.

Here's a super quick and easy way to prepare a simple side dish that everyone will love, I mean if it's got cheese, you know they'll be a hit.

Zucchini Melts
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

2-3 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
Season salt
Mozzarella cheese

Slice the zucchini into rings and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish, or on a cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the zucchini slices with season salt.

Roast the zucchini in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until zucchini becomes crisp/tender. Then, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Return the pan to the oven and broil until the cheese is browned. (my kids don't like the cheese browned, they like it just as it melts, so that's what I do with mine)

Deep Fried Green Beans!

I've posted this recipe a while ago, it's one of our favorite Portuguese side dishes *Peixinhos da Horta*.

My kids absolutely love it and will eat it the next day as a snack.

You can use canned green beans but I prefer fresh.

The original recipe I posted can be found right here.

Wash and trim the green beans.

Dip in the flour mixture

Fry in vegetable oil

Enjoy!

My Potato Salad

I think potato salad is one of the most versatile dishes you can prepare and nearly everyone has at least one or two different ways of making it.

This is the way I prepare mine and it's my family's and friends favorite.

Sandra's Potato Salad

5 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 eggs
Sweet Relish
1 green onions, finely sliced
Mustard
Mayonnaise - just enough to moisten the salad
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot halfway with water, add the potatoes and the eggs, season with a little bit of salt. Boil until the potatoes done, yet still firm, let cool. Strain the water out and transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl. Cut into small cubes.

Peel the eggs and dice them up finely, add to the potatoes. Add relish to taste, green onions, mustard (about a tablespoon, little more or less depending on your own preference). Add the mayonnaise and salt and pepper and stir until well combined and moistened. (Just add mayonnaise a little at a time and keep adding until you're happy with the consistency)

You can serve the salad immediately or chill first, I prefer to chill it for about 30 minutes to an hour. Serves 6.

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