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!

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

This is a flashback of our trip to 

Hawaii

where all the best juicy fragrant

 luscious pineapple grows!

 

Dole Plantation on Oahu Island, Hawaii

A great tour and delicious Dole Pineapple Whip!

  

Thanks to Bill's friend for this recipe that’s apparently all over the www, but this is the first I’ve laid eyes on it.
 
It’s pineapple, ham, red bell pepper, and green onion, all coated with a tasty pineapple dressing for a delicious pasta salad.

This is another potluck dish for the summer, that’s a little different in a great way.  It’s all about the fantastic sweet and tangy pineapple dressing that’s so easy to make.  

The creamy sauce has a whole lot of tang, thanks mainly to the added vinegar, Dijon mustard and sour cream.  Pineapple juice and a spoonful of honey take the edge off.  

It gives awesome flavor when combined well in the bowl filled with pasta, pineapple, ham, peppers and onion.  

It may not be the fanciest of dishes, but it’s one of the best of the season…

It will surely be a hit at your family cookout or at your next gathering!



Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Printable recipe 

Ingredients:

8 ounces bow tie pasta
1 (14-ounces) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups diced ham
2 green onions, sliced thin

Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅓ cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper to taste

Method:

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss with the dressing.
Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
Store refrigerated up to 5 days.


Enjoy it!

Mustard Slaw

Mustard is my favorite condiment.  Bill and I had lunch at Red Robin yesterday, where he watched me smear my burger with mustard.  He told me that’s as bad as putting ketchup on a hot dog, which I would never do.  

Grandpa always spread his bread with mustard, so I learned about mustard at an early age.  But then, I always loved Miracle Whip spread on white bread for an after school snack too…

Speaking of Red Robin ~ have you been there lately and noticed a $1.99 charge on your bill for Entertainment Tax?  Seriously now!

Anyway, if you like mustard, here’s your slaw ~ that’s the secret ingredient with this fantastic slaw.
Mellow yellow mustard gives the slaw just enough bite; without overpowering the slaw, like a pungent spicy hot mustard.  

Adding the combination of mayo, a little sugar, half-and-half, celery seed, and a splash of vinegar makes the dressing creamy, sweet and tangy, having a very balanced flavor.

Purchase a bag of shredded cabbage mixture to eliminate your doing the doing the shredding and/or to save time.

This slaw is perfect with burgers, fish sandwiches or on pulled pork sandwiches.  

You will be hooked from the first bite, and hopefully your mustard naysayers will too!

This is pretty tasty slaw!


Mustard Slaw
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

5 cups white cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

Mix vegetables in a large bowl.
Blend everything else in the blender or whisk well.
Pour over cabbage and toss.
Makes 6 cups


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!
 

Tuna, Olive & Wheat Berry Salad

You’ll give your jaws a workout eating this grain!

I like most grains, but had never cooked wheat berries  before ~ it’s a good thing to finally be on the wheat berry bandwagon!

Wheat berries are the entire wheat kernel, containing lots of fiber and nutrients. Prepared, they’re nutty, chewy and robust, working well in hearty salads, stews, cereals and stir-fries.

This is a slightly adapted Cooking Light recipe.  I wasn’t sure if it would win Bill over ~ it only did a smidgen.  

For me, it was a healthy, tasty salad, a little chewy, with a little tang and delicious.  

Next time, I will add dried cherries, some celery, or maybe chopped apples or cherry tomatoes.

Tuna, Olive & Wheat Berry Salad

Printable recipe  

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomato dressing

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup cooked wheat berries

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

10 olives, sliced

2 (6 ounce) cans albacore tuna, drained

Method:

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.

Stir in remaining ingredients and toss to coat.

Serves 4

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!

Summer Potato Salad

I’ve made a lot of potato salads over the years, usually going back to this one ~ or close to it.

This is our favorite, loaded with sweet pickles, celery, red onion, pimentos, black olive slices, and Miracle Whip with a dab of mustard.  

It’s a summer standard to go with most any meat or seafood from the grill.

Potato salad is the perfect side ~ it’s simple, easy and just like the potato salad our mom’s used to make.  

Here’s the recipe:

Summer Potato Salad

Ingredients:

6 red potatoes, peeled and cut in half
⅓ cup sweet pickles, chopped
¾ cup celery, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
¼ cup black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped pimientos, drained
1 cup Miracle Whip
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

Method:

Boil potatoes until tender; drain well and cool.
Cube cooled potatoes and place in a large bowl.
Add pickles, celery, onion, black olives and pimientos, combine.
Add remaining ingredients and toss lightly to mix.
Arrange a few olive slices on top for garnish, if desired.
Place in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight to chill.
6 servings

ENJOY!

 

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

It doesn’t get much easier than this, nor taste much better!

We eat a lot of slaw in the summer with grilled meat, and this easy recipe for the dressing is my favorite.  I use olive oil mayonnaise and Splenda. 

Add the full amount of pepper; it may seem like a lot, but it’s not too “peppery.”  The spices are subtle, being perfect for slaw.  

Mmmm...  Maybe, the next time I make potato salad, I will toss it with this dressing!

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

Ingredients: 

½ cup low-fat mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon sugar or Splenda

1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon celery seed
2-3 cups mix of green and red cabbage*
1 small onion, chopped

METHOD: 

In a large bowl, whisk first 7 ingredients.

Add cabbage and onion, toss well.
Refrigerate for 4 hours.
Toss again before serving.
Serves 2-4
*Or one bag of prepared slaw mix from the produce section.

ENJOY!

Tomato and Peach Salad

This is my new favorite summer salad!

I was doubtful when I came across this recipe in Cooking Light:  peaches with tomatoes and red onion???  But then I told Bill (the peach and tomato lover in the house), about it, became intrigued and had to give it a go.

It’s amazing how the individual flavors of tomatoes, peaches and red onions ~ each taste delicious on its own ~ generate a uniquely different flavor when combined.

Acid and sweet balances perfectly with the tangy vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, lime juice and honey, coating the blend.

It’s a saporous combination that uses great flavors of summer and goes well with any grilled meat!

I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we do!

Tomato and Peach Salad

Ingredients:

3 medium peaches, skinned, pitted and cut into thick wedges

3 medium red tomatoes, skinned and cut into large chunks

½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved

½ medium red onion, thinly slice

Dressing:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

In a large bow, combine the peaches, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and red onion, and toss gently.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice and honey.

Slowly add the oil in a thin stream, whisking to emulsify,

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the dressing to the peach mixture and gently toss.

Serves 8

ENJOY!

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

A salad like this, tastes like summer to me!

Orzo pasta mingling with sweet cherry tomatoes, the subtle taste of fresh cucumbers, the mildly pungent flavor of red onions; rich, fruity, meaty kalamata olives, and salty, tangy feta cheese, all tossed together with a vinaigrette dressing.

I like the taste, shape and texture of orzo pasta ~ it’s perfect in a salad, making a great side dish for grilled meat.

Try this easy one filled with mouthwatering Greek flavors; leftover, it tastes good chilled too!

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

For the orzo salad:

1 cup dry orzo pasta (approx. 2 cups cooked)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:

¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

Cook orzo al dente according to package directions; rinse under cold water and drain well, set aside.
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives.
In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients and whisk well.
Drizzle vinaigrette over vegetables and toss.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add feta and toss lightly.
Serve at room temperature.
Serves 4

ENJOY!

Tangy and a little bit Sweet Balsamic Coleslaw ~ GO CARDS!!!

What is served alongside sandwiches in a little paper cup, always goes to family reunions and company picnics, and generally remains untouched by most people?

It’s coleslaw!   Why does coleslaw get a bum rap?

Coleslaw can be traced back to the ancient Romans, when dishes of cabbage, eggs, vinegar and spices were served.  Years later, the Dutch claimed land in New York, and grew cabbage along the Hudson River.  They shredded their cabbage for a salad and called it “koosla.”

Whether creamy with mayonnaise, sweet with pineapple or savory with bacon, I like about any version.  And, it doesn’t have to be overwhelmed with mayonnaise and sugar to be delicious; this version is the proof.

This vinaigrette combines balsamic vinegar with cider vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard for a smooth, tangy dressing.  It’s a colorful coleslaw that is good any time of the year.  For a particularly nutty flavor, use Savoy cabbage instead of green cabbage.

A little sweet ~ a little tangy, it’s delicious!

How about you, are you eating your coleslaw today? 


Tangy Balsamic Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 small head green cabbage, shredded
½ small head red cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped parsley

For the dressing:

¼ cup sugar or Splenda
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Pour shredded cabbage, onions and parsley into a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, both vinegars, mustard, oil, and salt and pepper. 
Pour the dressing over the slaw and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

ENJOY!

GO CARDS!!!

BEAT CATS!

TONIGHT!