One Perfect Bite: cucumbers

Showing posts with label cucumbers. Show all posts

Friday, July 15, 2016

Dieter's Herbed Shrimp and Watermelon Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another of the main course salads I rely on when I'm watching my weight. It is simple to make, and I've come to love the texture and melded flavors of the herbs and vegetables that bolster the shrimp used in the salad. I use large shrimp, not because they're better, but because they are easier to peel and portion, and I always seem to be in a hurry these days. I prefer to make the salad using oregano or basil, while the Silver Fox is keen on mint. Often the final choice depends on what fresh herbs I have on hand. Unfortunately, the watermelon, which adds a pleasant sweetness to the salad, gets goopy if it sits too long, so plan to make only what's required for the meal at hand. The recipe can, however, be doubled if you have a need for 8 salads. Here is how this salad comes together.

Asian-Style Pasta with Peas, Peanuts and Cucumbers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'll be on my own for dinner much of this week, so I'm going to try making dishes that will feed one person without having leftovers to deal with. I'll be able to do that for most of the week, but I had to make an exception tonight. I had a quantity of snow peas that simply had to be used before they became fodder for the compost heap. I didn't want to waste them and couldn't bear the thought of another stir-fry, so I did a quick search for recipes where they might be used. I finally settled on this one for peanut noodles. It appears everywhere, but I think it was originally developed for Food and Wine magazine, and they should be the ones credited for its creation. While I have several excellent recipes for noodles of this type, they don't use snow peas and would not easily adapt to their addition. Because this recipe was an ideal solution to my "pea" problem I've ended up adding yet another recipe for peanut noodles to my repertoire. I can honestly report that this dish is fast, easy and delicious. I will make it again, although it presents some problems. Unlike most dishes of this sort, these noodles are served hot. The vegetables are added just before serving to keep them crisp-tender. Herein lies the problem. When the dish is reheated it becomes goopy and the vegetables become limp. That means leftovers will leave much to be desired. As written, the recipe makes four very generous servings. Try to manipulate ingredients so you have no leftovers to deal with. Barring that, have an impromptu pot luck and invite the neighbors to eat with you. Despite problems with re-heating, those of you who make this dish will be pleased with the results. Here's the recipe.

Sunomono - An Easy Japanese Vinegar Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect...We had another unexpectedly warm day and the gift of cucumbers from a friend gave me an excuse to make a much simpler supper than I had planned. These were the first yellow cucumbers I've had and I was really curious about their taste. As it turns out, the flesh is identical in flavor to that of the green variety, but the skin is unpleasantly bitter. Sunomono is a vinegared salad that is made with cucumbers or other fresh vegetables. Small pieces of seafood, such as crab, octopus or shrimp can also be added to make the salad more substantial. This is a very easy dish to make and it is elegant in its simplicity. The word sunomono means vinegared things, so you'll find there are many versions of this dish. I've added far more shrimp than are normally used in its preparation because I wanted to use it as a main course salad for the two of us. I usually make the salad with the near seedless English or Japanese cucumber. For those of you who have never seen the Japanese variety, they look like English cucumbers with warts. I do hope you'll give this simple recipe a try. Here's how to make this light and refreshing salad.

Cucumber and Sour Cream Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Cucumbers and peppers of all types come to market with a vengeance at this time of year. While there are scores of recipes for peppers, it's harder to find new and interesting ways to prepare cucumbers. I make the usual relish and pickles, and, of course, add them to fish and chicken salads, but it is hard to find truly new ways to use cucumbers. I tend to fall back on the recipes of my childhood and use them with only slight changes to accommodate more modern tastes and better ingredients. The home I grew up in was in a multi-cultural neighborhood and we had Swedish neighbors to our right and German neighbors to our left. I've spoken before with great fondness of Mrs. P and Hannie. They were an important part of my childhood and my love affair with food began in their kitchens. Each kitchen had its own version of cucumber salad and both were delicious. One was vinegar based and the other relied on sour cream. They both, however, shared a preparation technique that guaranteed an outstanding salad. They would salt their cucumbers and let them sit for several hours before adding them to salads. The salting drew moisture from the cucumbers and assured they would be crisp. Once rinsed, they were patted dry and covered with sour cream or vinegar. The result was always a crackly crisp salad that even Lucullus would enjoy. Years ago, I stumbled on a recipe for a cucumber and sour cream salad in House and Garden magazine. It has become a fixture in my kitchen at this time of year. It really is simple to make and I think you'll enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Cucumber and Sour Cream Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by House and Garden Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped chives or a grating of onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, head and fronds
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 firm fresh cucumbers

Directions:
1) Dissolve salt and sugar in vinegar, add the sour cream and stir smooth. You may like more or less vinegar, salt or sugar, but don't make dressing too sweet. Add the chives, dill and celery seed.
2) Slice unpared cucumbers paper-thin and combine with dressing. Chill for 1 hour or more. Sour cream cucumbers improve in taste as they stand and flavor of cucumbers seeps into dressing. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Plum Buckle

Two Years Ago Today: Shrimp Chowder

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Bread and Butter Pickles - Kirsten's Kitchen
Braised Cucumbers with Dill - The Mom Chef
Corn and Cucumber Salad - Chef Tom Cooks
Pickled Cucumbers - Almond Corner
Friday Favorites: Ten Favorite Cucumber Salads - Kalyn's Kitchen

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Scandinavian Shrimp Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... This lovely salad is inspired by those that are served in Scandinavia during the summer months. I classify it as a summer salad because it uses fresh dill heads and they are a seasonal ingredient. The heads, seen to the left, are more strongly flavored than the feathery fronds you can always find in your grocer's produce aisle. They are used primarily for pickle making. They have a wonderful fragrance that is as easily identifiable as that of tarragon or cilantro. The salad defines simplicity, both in its use of ingredients, and the effort required to make it. Cooked shrimp, from the fish market, can be used to make it if you are running short of time. I tend to use less mustard in this dish than many others do. I like dill to be the dominant background flavor in this salad and it already has to compete with the strong flavors of the cornichons and capers. A little mustard, here, will go a long, long way. We are talking shrimp, not hot dogs. I like to serve the salad as a topper for open faced sandwiches. It can, of course, also be served on a bed of lettuce if you would prefer. I know those of you who try this salad will love it. The shrimp and cucumbers give it lovely texture and it is truly a gift from the sea. Here's the recipe.

Scandinavian Shrimp Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon water or stock
1/4 cup fresh dill heads, chopped
1 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1 cup sliced English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin slices
1/3 cup cornichons (gherkins), sliced
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

Directions:
Thin mayonnaise with water or stock. Add dill, Dijon mustard to taste and lemon juice; whisk to combine. Add shrimp, cucumber, cornichons and capers; toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Black Bean Burritos

Two Years Ago Today: Blue Cheese Steak Sandwiches

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chilled Calamari Salad with Lemon and Parsley - Gina's Skinny Recipes
Santa Barbara Salad - Ciao Chow Linda
Debo's Seafood Salad - Christine's Pantry
Tequilla Lime Crab Salad - Hugging the Coast
Crab Salpicon - The Winter Guest

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Linguine with Snow Peas, Cucumber and Peanuts

Asian-Style Noodles and Two of My Favorite Peanuts

Grandson Connor

Grandson Joshua

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been on my own for dinner this week and, because of that, I've been trying to make dishes that will feed one person without having leftovers to deal with. I did well until tonight. I had a quantity of snow peas that simply had to be used before they became fodder for the compost heap. I didn't want to waste them and couldn't bear the thought of another stir-fry, so I did a quick search for recipes where they might be used. I finally settled on this one for peanut noodles. It appears everywhere, but I think it was originally developed for Food and Wine magazine and that they should be the ones credited for its creation. While I have several excellent recipes for noodles of this type, they don't use snow peas and would not easily adapt to their addition. Because this recipe was an ideal solution to my "pea" problem I've ended up adding yet another recipe for peanut noodles to my repertoire. I can honestly report that this dish is fast, easy and delicious. I will make it again, although it presents some problems. Unlike most dishes of this sort, these noodles are served hot. The vegetables are added just before serving to keep them crisp-tender. Herein lies the problem. When the dish is reheated it becomes goopy and the vegetables become limp. That means leftovers will leave much to be desired. As written, the recipe makes four very generous servings. Try to manipulate ingredients so you have no leftovers to deal with. Even having said that, those of you who make this dish will be pleased with the results. Here's the recipe.

Linguine with Snow Peas, Cucumbers and Peanuts...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2/3 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound linguine
1/2 pound snow peas, cut diagonally into thin slices
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
2 scallions including green tops, chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts, divided use

Directions:
1) Combine garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, chicken broth, lime juice, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in jar of a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
2) Cook linguine in a large pot of salted boiling water until almost done, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add snow peas and bean sprouts and cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Drain and toss with the peanut sauce, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the scallions, cucumber, and 1/3 cup of the peanuts. Serve with the remaining peanuts sprinkled over the top. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.