Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Ingredients
8 ounces cornbread, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup cubed fontina cheese
1/2 cup cubed cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Place in a serving bowl and serve.


SOURCE

Special Cornbread

Quick Pickles

Serves: 16 

Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound(s) pickling cucumbers, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

1 cup(s) cider vinegar

1 cup(s) white vinegar

1 cup(s) light brown sugar

1 cup(s) slivered onion

2 clove(s) garlic, slivered

1 teaspoon(s) dill seed

1 teaspoon(s) mustard seed

Directions:

1.  Place cucumber slices in a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt; stir to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse, drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl.

2.  Meanwhile, combine cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, dill and mustard seed in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers; stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to bring to room temperature.

SOURCE

Grilled Spicy Filet Mignon Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 (12-ounce) filet mignons

Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Whisk soy sauce, lime juice, chile paste, and peanut oil together in a small baking dish. Add the steaks, turn to coat, cover, and let marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling.

Heat grill to high. Remove steaks from marinade and pat dry. Season both sides with pepper and grill for 3 minutes per side or until slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Salad:

1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

3 cups mizuna leaves, torn into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup chiffonade Thai basil or regular basil, optional

1/2 English cucumber, halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices

2 carrots, julienned

5 radishes, thinly sliced

8 each yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved

Ginger Lime Dressing, recipe follows

Salt and ground black pepper

While steak is resting, combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter, top with the steak, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the top.

Ginger-Lime Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon finely diced shallot

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit 10 minutes before using.

SOURCE

Cucumber Cream Cheese Nibblers

 

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
Reduced fat cream cheese
Whole grain baguette

Directions:

1. Slice the baguette into half inch slices.
2. Smear cream cheese on each piece.
3. Slice cucumber into quarter inch slices.
4. Top one cucumber slice on top of the cream cheese.
5. If you like dill, you can sprinkle some on top. Enjoy!
   

SOURCE:  Cucumber Cream Cheese Nibblers

Cucumber

Cool Cucumber Soup Recipe

I consider myself the kind of person who likes all vegetables!  I know how difficult it is for a lot of people to woof down certain veggies.  Lucky for cucumbers they're not the ones that are usually abandoned. =)  Try out this recipe.  I find it especially refreshing during long toxic days.

Some benefits of Cucumber:

1. Cucumber is best natural diuretic known, secreting and promoting the flow of urine.

2. Helps in kidney and urinary bladder disease.

3. The potassium content of cucumber makes it highly useful for conditions of high and low blood pressure.

4.  Cucumber contains erepsin, the enzyme that helps to digest protein.

Source



Preparation Time:  20 minutes


Ingredients: 
3 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1 English cucumber (about 1 pound), cut into chunks
1 scallion, white and green parts, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato (about 5 ounces), seeded and diced
2 teaspoons olive oil


Directions: 
1.  In a blender, combine the yogurt, cucumber, scallion and dill. Pulse until pureed. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle into individual bowls.
2.  Top each serving with 2 tablespoons of diced tomato, drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and garnish with a dill sprig.


*4 servings


Per Serving:
Calories 130
Total Fat 2.5 g (Sat Fat 0 g, Mono Fat 1.5 g, Poly Fat 0 g)
Protein 11 g
Carb 17 g
Fiber 2 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 140 mg



SOURCE:  Cool Cucumber Soup Recipe

Cucumber