Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad

Light and refreshing, 

this creamy cucumber tomato salad is a hit with any meal!

It’s a classic salad that’s good on its own or served with grilled chicken, fish, pork or burgers or grilled steak. In other words, it’s a tasty side dish that goes for most any meat!

After Almost 9 Years, it's So Long with a Corn Salad Recipe

It has been almost 9 years, since October 2009, that I started this blog.  That's a lot of posts and I've reached the point where it has become a chore for me, so it's time to say so long.

It has been a great journey, I've learned a lot from all of you over the years and thank you all very much for your support of Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner!  I'm leaving you with a great summer recipe that I hope you'll try...

It’s looks like fiesta time when you serve this spicy corn salad for your crowd! 

Let Us Honor Memorial Day, and Kick Start Summer with a Cucumber, Mustard and Dill Salad

Get out your white shoes, and let's celebrate the start of summer by honoring our nation's veterans!

Let us pay tribute to all veteran's who have given their lives to our nation's wars...

Gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery decorated with American flags on Memorial Day

On Monday ~ Memorial Day ~ according to the "The National Moment of Remembrance Act," passed in December, 2000, we Americans are encouraged to pause wherever we are at 3:00 p.m. local time, for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation.  

It's a way we can all help put memorial back into Memorial Day.

Now for the cucumber salad...

It's super quick, super easy and, you guessed it:  super good and tasty!

You won't find a fresher-tasting salad than this simple stunner.

It's a Cool, Refreshing, Summertime Salad!


Cucumber, Mustard and Dill Salad

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large seedless cucumber, peeled
1 small white onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons chopped dill

Method:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and sugar. 

Add oil in a slow stream, stirring constantly.

Halve cucumber lengthwise, cut halves crosswise into ⅛"-thick slices.

Toss cucumber with onion, dill and vinaigrette.

Serves 4 
Printable recipe

Enjoy!

Here’s wishing you all

a

Safe and Happy

Memorial Day Weekend!

Crispy Cucumber, Celery & Sweet Onion Salad w/Sour Cream Dressing

You’re familiar with the old rule of thumb, you should drink eight glasses of water per day, some experts say more… 

That seems like quite a grind to me most days, but here’s the catch:  You don’t have to drink all that water...

Roughly 20% of our daily water intake comes from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Cucumbers have the highest water content of any solid food at 97%, and they truly do have a cooling effect on the body, so there is some truth to the phrase, “cool as a cucumber”.

While it’s still important to drink plenty of water, especially on hot days, eating cucumber is a great way to get some of that fluid into your body and quench your thirst at the same time.

But, the great refreshing cucumber taste is the best part, and this slightly adapted Country Living recipe provides the proof ~

It’s a fresh, crunchy, tasty salad of cucumber, celery, and onion; enhanced with a touch of dill and seasonings,  swimming in a creamy tangy dressing coating.    

It’ll perk up your taste buds, for sure!

Cucumber, Celery & Sweet Onion Salad w/Sour Cream Dressing
Printable recipe      

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

Method:

Whisk together sour cream, oil, lemon juice, dill, and sugar in a bowl.
Season with salt and seasoned pepper.
Add vegetables and toss to combine.
8 servings


 Enjoy!

Pan-fried Spicy Tilapia w/Cucumber Salad

This weeknight dinner wasn’t fancy, nor fussy, just delicious with the pairing of pan-fried tilapia and cucumbers!

It had been a while since we last had tilapia so it was time to fry some up.  Lots of spicy seasonings were in order, with cornmeal for added crunchiness.  Adjust cayenne pepper to your heat preference.

I serve the cucumber salad with fish year round because it’s delicious and knows how to perk up a meal.

The salad is composed of crisp and cool cucumbers smothered in a sour cream sauce, with enough white wine vinegar for a little bite.  

Red bell peppers and green onions are incorporated for taste and eye appeal ~ and a smidgeon of sugar doesn’t hurt either ~ it keeps it on the delicate side.

This is a quick meal that isn’t short on flavor...

In other words, it’s pretty close to perfection and good enough for company!


Pan-fried Spicy Tilapia w/Cucumber Salad
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ pounds fresh tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon each, butter and vegetable oil
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
½ teaspoon each, salt and seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over low heat.
Pat fish dry with a paper towel.
On a shallow plate, mix together cornmeal and seasonings.
While butter melts, dredge fish in cornmeal mixture.
Increase heat to medium high, heat for a minute until butter turns a golden brown.
Add fillets to pan and sauté about 3 minutes on each side until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Transfer to serving plate and serve with Cucumber Salad.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, sliced thin
¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
¼ light sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar, more or less

Method:

Combine all ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving with tilapia.
Serve

ENJOY!
 

Sweet Pepper-Cucumber-Red Onion Summer Salad

I had a variety of small sweet peppers in the refrigerator, plus a cucumber and red onion that needed to be used ~ this recipe did them all justice!




We like refreshing salads such as this in the summertime with grilled meat.  




The flavors are zippy ~ it’s a wonderful salad on a hot summer night!

Sweet Pepper-Cucumber-Red Onion Summer Salad
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

12 small sweet peppers, seeded and cut into small chunks
1 cucumber, sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced into strips
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

For the vinaigrette:

¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Method:

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl.
Add vegetables and toss lightly.
Let rest 15 minutes before serving or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Serve

ENJOY!

Stuffed Cucumbers ~ the 2nd Time Around

Thanks to Alice, my late mother-in-law, it’s the same old question every summer:

“When are you making stuffed cucumbers?”

The truth is, it’s my pleasure to make the dish, I enjoy cooking it, and I wouldn’t dream of not making stuffed cucumbers!


My MIL introduced me to stuffed cucumbers many years ago; I posted it over 5 years ago, way back here ~ it begged to be posted again, it’s that good! 

A little time consuming, it might be, but it’s easy, not a plethora of ingredients; with the results amazing you, making your diners happy to be around your table.

To start, peel the cucumbers, and removed the seeds carefully.  Let them soak in salt water while you tend to the rest of the recipe.


I used canned tomatoes, incorporate fresh tomatoes from your garden, if you wish.  
Add chopped onions, seasonings and a touch of brown sugar to cut the acidity.  
Simmer on medium-low heat while stuffing cucumbers.



Stuff the cucumbers with the meat, place in the sauce and simmer until transparent.


A perfect summertime meal to us, with a crusty bread and a salad of mesclun greens ~ I’m hoping you give it a go ~ and like it too!

Stuffed Cucumbers

Ingredients:
6 cucumbers, ends cut off and peeled

For the sauce:
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomates
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the meat:
3 pounds extra-lean ground beef*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Method:
Peel cucumbers, cut off ends until you can see the seeds; carefully scoop out seeds with a knife, without cutting through meat of cucumber.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt to water in a large bowl.
Add cucumbers and let soak for 30 minutes or so (while you make the sauce and meat.)
In a large pot, add tomato products, onion, brown sugar and salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer while preparing meat and cucumbers, stirring occasionally.
Combine ground beef and seasonings for the stuffing and meatballs.
Drain cucumbers.
Stuff cucumbers carefully with the meat.
Place stuffed cucumbers in tomato sauce.
Cook on medium-low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the cucumbers are slightly transparent, stirring occasionally. (Cooked too long, the cucumbers will break apart.)
Serve stuffed cucumbers in a bowl with a couple of meatballs.
*Use less meat if you do not want meatballs.

ENJOY!

 

Grilled Salmon w/Cucumber Dill Sauce

Grilled salmon is my favorite fish recipe.  I like the flavor of it, how easy it is to prepare, and how healthy it is.  The cucumber dill sauce here only makes it better!  

The salmon is seasoned simply for the grill.  The cucumber sauce is mellow and refreshing with a little crunch.  I have used both fresh dill and dried dill, and I’ve used Vidalia onion slices as well as red onion, it doesn’t matter.  It’s the combination of it all with sour cream, vinegar and seasonings that makes for a dish good enough for company.

Bill gave this dinner a rave review and I seconded it!

It’s simply good summer-time eating!

Grilled Salmon w/Cucumber Dill Sauce 
Printable recipe

Ingredients for salmon: 
4 salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds

For cucumber sauce: 
½ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cucumber (2 cups) thinly sliced
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

Method: 
Preheat grill to medium-low heat.
Season salmon with salt and pepper.
Scatter fennel seeds over salmon and press in so they do not fall off during grilling.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Place on grill and cook about 5 minutes per side, turning once.
Meanwhile, whisk together sour cream, dill and vinegar.
Add cucumbers and onion.
Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
Serve salmon with cucumber sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Summer Salad

I’m a summer type of person!  I love the warmth, the flowers, the sun and the abundance of fresh vegetables at the farmers markets. 

We’ve already hit the hot part of summer ~ 101 degrees is predicted for today, and it’s only June!  I’m wondering what July and August will bestow upon us.  It’s that part of the year when it’s too hot to cook and eat a heavy meal, and way to hot to start the oven.  

That means cool crunchy summer salads filled with an assortment of vegetables.  They’re not just fresh and cool; they’re healthy and filling on a hot summer day.  A salad can be just about anything and is as good as the hands that prepare it…

Summer Salad

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon freeze-dried red jalapeños

5 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges

1 cucumber, sliced into half-moons

1½ cups corn kernels (about 2 ears)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

In a small bowl, toss together the first 5 ingredients.

Stir together the tomatoes, cucumber and corn in a medium bowl.

Pour dressing over the vegetables.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve

Are you a summer, winter, spring or fall type of person?

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind Of Cooking.  She has unique tips on Tuesdays and yummy recipes every Friday!

Cucumber and Onions with Trivia Bits

Many gardeners have a surplus of cucumbers now and this recipe is an easy tasty way to utilize them.  The sweet and sour thing going on in it is so good and we enjoy eating it all summer long. 

I’m crazy about cucumber and onion salad but don’t like the high amount of sugar it generally takes to make it.  This is my solution to that and I’ve been making it this way for years.  Bill likes it topped with tomato wedges just before serving. 

Here are some interesting cucumber tips and trivia:

1. Cucumbers are natural diuretics used to help lose weight!

2. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

3. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

4. Anyone allergic to pollen or aspirin should avoid eating cucumbers. They can cause an unpleasant mouth itch.

5. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

6. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

7. Soak slicing cucumbers in salt water before slicing to suck some of the moisture out of the cucumber. Sliced cucumbers leak water when sliced.

8. In Roman times, the Emperor Tiberius grew cucumbers in carts, and had his slaves wheel them around to catch the sun.

9. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

10. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

11. General Ulysses S. Grant was said to have been extremely fond of cucumbers. General Horace Porter remarked in an article, 'Campaigning with Grant', the General "often made his entire meal upon a sliced cucumber and a cup of coffee."

12. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

13. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

Can’t stop at 13 so, believe it or not:

14. There is actually a mining community called “Cucumber” in Southern West Virginia.  As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 94.  It’s the only community in the U.S. with that name.       

I can’t vouch for all of the above ~ I just know that sometimes the most ordinary recipes are the best and this recipe lives up to that.  While making supper, I’ve been known to devour a good amount of this before it even makes it to the table.  

It’s all about the crisp cool cucumbers, the sweet Vidalia onions, the spicy pepper and the biting taste of the vinegar.  

It’s a delicious, simple summer salad!

Now for the recipe:

Cucumber and Onion Salad Sugar-free

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin

2 Vidalia onions, sliced thin

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

½ cup Splenda

Salt, to taste

2 teaspoons McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper Blend

Method:

In a non-metallic bowl, combine cucumbers, onions and garlic.

Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

It’s great! 

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.

Opa!!! Greek Cucumber & Kalamata Salad

Are you ready for a salad with some OOMPH!!!?  If so, you’ve stopped by at the right food blog!

Combining the nippy taste of goat cheese with salty Kalamata olives and spicy radish slices gives you a pleasant pungent little salad.   Goat cheese is a bit tangy with great flavor and a creamy texture.   It pairs perfectly with the Kalamata olives.  The olives come to us from Greece with their deep rich aubergine color, turning dark brown when brined.  They’re sweet, rich and a treat to eat, especially when paired with cheese. 

You’ll enjoy this spicy summer salad like we do with about any meat or seafood from the grill.  If you haven’t tried Robusto Italian Dressing, put it on your shopping list.  It’s so spicy delicious and blends well with pasta also or is an excellent marinade for seafood.  I use it often, in many dishes but not with lettuce yet.  So I guess that will be next!

I adore this salad and really want you to try it!  I think you’ll like it also!  I actually could make a meal of it along with a slice of crusty bread!

Greek Cucumber  & Kalamata Salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

1 red onion, chopped

4 radishes, sliced thin

½ cup Kalamata olives

¾ cup crumbled goat cheese

¼ to ½ cup Wish-bone Robusto Italian Salad Dressing

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Καλή σας όρεξη!

Does that really mean, Bon Appetite in Greek?

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.