KACHUMBER SALAD

 ~ adapted from several online recipes

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1/2 t. salt 
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 c. chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 large lemon

Mix all ingredients in serving bowl. 

Notes: This recipe is really flexible, so adapt ingredients to suit your taste.

GOUDA, BACON, & CUCUMBER GREEN SALAD

 ~ Bethany Weathersby

spinach
gouda (sliced, cubed, or grated)
bacon, crumbled
cucumbers, chopped

Fill serving dish with spinach, then top with remaining ingredients. 

TUNA BOATS

~ Bethany Weathersby

3 avocados
1 T. lime juice
22 oz. canned tuna
1 cucumber, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
20 grape tomatoes, halved
8 lettuce leaves

Pit and peel the avocados, then mash with lime juice. Stir in tuna, cucumber, salt, and pepper. Scoop tuna mixture onto lettuce leaves. Garnish with tomatoes.

Notes: The amount of each ingredient is just a starting point, so adjust according to taste. If you have avocado dressing on hand, you can use it in place of the avocado and lime juice. 

SESAME GARLIC BEEF TACOS

~ Better Homes and Gardens magazine - March 2015

TACOS
8 white or yellow corn tortillas
1 lb. ground beef
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. packed brown sugar
3 T. rice vinegar
1 T. water
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
quick pickled cucumbers and slaw (see below)
lime wedges (optional)

QUICK PICKLED CUCUMBERS & SLAW
1/4 c. vinegar
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 c. very thinly sliced cucumber
1 c. shredded red cabbage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stack tortillas and wrap in foil. Heat in oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown beef over medium-high. Drain fat, then remove beef from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, then add sesame oil and garlic to skillet. Cook 30 seconds or until garlic is lightly browned. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, water, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return beef to skillet until heated through.

To make slaw, whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Add cucumber and cabbage, then let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 6 hours.

T serve tacos, spoon seasoned beef onto warm tortillas. Use a slotted spoon to top beef with pickled cucumbers and slaw. Garnish with lime wedge.

Notes: Our corn tortillas fall apart, even when warmed, but it still tastes good. You could serve this with rice instead of tortillas, though, if you want something less messy and more convenient, or just eat it all with a fork like we do. We use bottled lime juice because we always have it on hand. If you like this, then you may also like Korean beef and rice. It has a similar ingredient list for seasoning the beef, but skips the veggie topping. 

GREEK GARBANZO SALAD

~ allrecipes magazine (I think it was the June/July 2014 issue, but I can't remember)

2 15-oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can black olives, drained and chopped
2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced crosswise
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz. feta, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 c. Italian dressing
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. pepper

Put all ingredients in large serving bowl and toss together. Chill two hours before serving. 

Makes eight cups.

Notes: I use dried beans I previously cooked in the crockpot and froze, a 6-oz. can of olives because I think the amount called for must have been a typo and a smaller can is enough, whatever kind of tomato I have on hand, and homemade Italian dressing. 

CUCUMBER SUNOMONO

~ allrecipes magazine (I think it was the June/July 2014 issue, but I can't remember)

2 large cucumbers, peeled
1/3 c. rice vinegar
4 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. minced fresh ginger root (about 1-inch piece)

Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove any large seeds. Slice crosswise into very thin slices. 

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and ginger. Mix well. Add cucumbers and stir to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. 

Notes: These are so good! We use 3-4 cucumbers, keep the marinade quantities the same, and grate ginger that we keep in the freezer instead of mincing fresh ginger.

TUNA & VEGGIE GREEN SALAD

~ Bethany Weathersby

spinach and/or lettuce
tuna, flaked
cucumbers, chopped
red bell peppers, chopped
water chestnuts, chopped
chives or green onions, chopped
balsamic vinegar

Layer everything except the balsamic in serving bowl. Dress individual servings with balsamic vinegar.

LEMON GREEK SALAD

~ Take Shape For Life Lean & Green Meal Cookbook

42 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
6 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
3/4 c. black or green olives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
3 c. cucumber, chopped
3 c. orange or red bell pepper, chopped
3 c. tomato, chopped
6 T. red onion, finely chopped

Preheat grill to medium-high.  Place chicken on grill and cook five minutes on each side or until no longer pink.  Cut into slices and set aside. 

In a serving bowl, combine parsley, olives, and garlic.  Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil.  Add cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, and onion.  Toss to coat, then divide among plates and place sliced chicken on top of salad.

Makes six servings. 

Notes: We like this with green olives.

LEMON GARLIC CUCUMBERS

~ Judy Johnson

2 cucumbers
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. garlic salt

Peel cucumbers and cut into chunks, then place in bowl. Add lemon juice & garlic salt. Toss and serve.

Notes: This combo will result in most of the lemon juice settling at the bottom of the bowl, so you can use less lemon juice & garlic salt if you want. Just use this recipe as a starting point and tweak the ingredient amounts to suit your taste. I make my own garlic salt (3 parts garlic powder, 1 part salt) and use just enough lemon juice to help the garlic salt to dissolve. 

Linked up at: Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight - garlic

DILLY CUCUMBER DIP

~ Family Fun - September 2010

1 small English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 c. plain yogurt
1 T. finely chopped fresh dill
1 t. kosher salt
1 T. olive oil
1/2 small garlic clove, pressed

Use the large holes of a grater to shred the cucumber, then lightly squeeze the pieces to extract some of the liquid. In a small bowl, stir together the cucumber with the remaining ingredients.

Notes: You can use 1/2 teaspoon of regular salt in place of the kosher salt.

Cutting costs: Regular cucumbers are a fraction of the price of English cucumbers and there's no difference in taste of the dip.

MEXICAN LAYER SALAD

~ Taste of Home magazine - April/May 2009

4 c. torn romaine
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium avocados, peeled and sliced
2 large green peppers, chopped
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. canned chopped green chilies
2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. crushed tortilla chips
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a 2-qt. trifle bowl or glass serving bowl, layer the first five ingredients. Combine the mayonnaise, chilies and seasonings; spread over the top. Sprinkle with chips and cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes: I serve this in a regular salad bowl, use extra lettuce, and tweak the amount of each veggie according to what I have on hand. This is good served with honey lime chicken enchiladas and crockpot beans or chipotle chicken salad and cornbread. I like to skip slicing the avocados and use them instead for a double batch of avocado dressing, which I then use instead of mayonnaise for the dressing.