Tag Archives: cucumber

Lunch, Mediterranean, Salads, Sandwiches, Vegetables

Veggie Pitas

September 29, 2011 admin Leave a comment

It’s a salad in a pita ! And a mighty good one at that !

4 servings
260 calories per serving

2 T oil
1 T vinegar
1 t grated lemon zest
1 t oregano flakes
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
Salt to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper
¾ c chopped romaine lettuce
½ c finely chopped tomato
½ c finely chopped English cucumber
¼ c chopped black olives
¼ c crumbled low fat feta cheese
4 6 inch pita pockets, sliced

Mix oil, vinegar, zest, oregano, garlic and cayenne. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and mix well then spoon mix into pita breads.

Dinner, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Summer Squash Deluxe

August 31, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Crisp summer veggies with a twist ! The lemon, pepperoni and feta cheese add a nice Greek flair to this dish. If you have garden fresh zucchini, this tastes even better 🙂

4 servings
69 calories per serving

1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium cucumber
½ t salt
2 T sliced basil
1 T oil
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 oz. sliced turkey pepperoni
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese

Peel the zucchini, cucumber and squash and then using a vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips or ribbons and place in a bowl When you get down to the seeds, discard the remainder. Sprinkle with salt and let sit. Whisk together basil, oil, lemon juice and lemon zest and then add to the zucchini. Heat a skillet and crisp up the turkey pepperoni and then garnish the zucchini with the pepperoni and cheese.

Dinner, Fish

Tilapia with Melon Salsa

August 19, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The melon salsa is sweet but has a bite (onions + jalapenos) and is a perfect accompaniment to a simply broiled tilapia fillet.

4 servings
268 calories per serving

2/3 c honeydew melon, in very small cubes
2/3 c cantaloupe, in very small cubes
1/3 c English cucumber, peeled and diced small
1/3 c red onion, diced small
3 T chopped mint
1 t grated lemon zest
2 T lime juice
4 t oil
1 ½ t minced jalapeno peppers
¾ t agave nectar (or honey)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 6 oz. tilapia fillets
Pam

Preheat broiler. Mix first 10 ingredients and set aside. Spray baking sheet with Pam and sprinkle tilapia with salt and pepper and broil 3 minutes per side or until done. Serve with melon salsa.

Dinner, Lunch, Soups, Summer, Vegetables

Chilled Cucumber Soup

August 12, 2011 admin Leave a comment

What a burst of flavor you get from the fresh herbs in this soup ! Totally refreshing and so summery. Serve next to your lunch sandwich or as a quick palate cleanser in between courses of your favorite summer grill fare. At only 61 calories per serving, don’t think twice about adding this into a meal for a nice taste of summer.

4 servings
61 calories per serving

1 c fat free sour cream
1/2 c fresh basil
1/2 c fresh mint
1/4 c sliced scallion
1 c water
½ of a large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into a few pieces
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t Tabasco sauce
Salt to taste

In a food processor mix sour cream, basil, mint, water and scallions very well. Then add cucumber, lemon juice and salt and just pulse a few times making sure you leave cucumber chunks. Chill up to 6 hours.

Appetizers

Tabbouleh

August 4, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Tabbouleh is a Lebonese salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, mint and bulgur wheat. It is so healthy, so delicious and so very pretty to look at – serve some up as an appetizer at your next get together.

8 servings
214 calories per serving

1 c bulgur wheat
2 c boiling water
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped into small bits
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped into small bits
3 scallions, chopped
1 c chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c mint leaves chopped
2 t salt
1/2 c lemon juice
¼ c olive oil

Place wheat in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak 45 minutes to an hour and then drain it and squeeze out any extra water. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with pita bread, pita chips or as a side salad.

Dinner, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Curried Cucs and Avocado

July 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

My friend grows the tastiest cucs ! And they are just perfect in this salad. Just a bit of curry, just a bit of Tabasco, lotsa lime and great veggies. This is one you’ll make again and again.

3 servings
106 calories per serving

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 t salt
½ red bell pepper, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 ½ t sugar
½ t curry powder
A Couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 avocado, diced

Take the cucumber pieces and sprinkle with salt and set in a colander to drain. This helps some to remove some of the bitterness that some cucumbers have. Mix pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and Tabasco. Pat the cucumbers dry and add to the pepper mix. Finally add the avocado and serve immediately.

Chicken, Lunch, Salads

Chicken and Pasta Salad

May 31, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I love orzo and it is great in cold pasta salads. The goat cheese really melts in from all the lemon and it gives the whole dish a great flavor. Very satisfying !!

4 servings
275 calories per serving

¾ c orzo
¼ t grated lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
1 T oil
½ t Kosher salt
1 t minced garlic clove
¼ t pepper
1 c shredded grilled boneless skinless chicken breast (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
½ c cubed English cucumber
½ c chopped red bell pepper
½ c sliced scallions
½ c crumbled goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Mix lemon zest, juice, oil, salt, garlic and pepper and mix with the orzo. Add chicken, cucumber, peppers, and onions. Garnish with goat cheese and serve.

Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Cucumber Tomato Salad

May 27, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Always a great side – such a nice change from a regular green salad !

4 servings
70 calories per serving

4 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
½ c lite Zesty Italian dressing

Arrange all veggies on a plate and drizzle with the dressing.

Dinner, Lunch, Sides

Couscous with Tomatoes and Cucumbers

May 7, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is just as great served fresh as it is chilled and served the next day. A great side salad for dinner or lunch !

6 servings
126 calories per serving

1 c uncooked couscous
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped (I like to use the virtually seedless English cucumber)
¼ t oil
¼ t vinegar
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil 1 c of water, add couscous and stir well, then cover and remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in the tomatoes and cucumbers. Then stir in the oil, vinegar and spices.

Dinner, Mediterranean, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Greek Veggie Salad

April 19, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Some time the best thing about a salad is all the stuff OTHER THAN the lettuce. So this one takes out the lettuce and leaves all the good stuff leaving you with a perfect serving of delicious veggies. If you don’t have Greek vinaigrette around the house, use any vinaigrette and add a splash of lemon and some oregano.

4 servings
164 calories per serving

3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium cucumber sliced
½ c kalamata olives
½ c low fat Greek vinaigrette dressing
¼ c low fat crumbled feta cheese

Mix veggies and add dressing and toss to mix well.