Cucumber Salad
It’s June but here in Southern California, you’d never know it. Here in Redondo we’re in the midst of serious June gloom. We may see the sun, but it’s only for an hour or two. Then the fog comes rolling back in and with it, a serious chill. But just because it feels like winter, doesn’t mean we have to cook like it is. I prefer to believe it really is almost summer which means it’s time to start enjoying our meals outside. That means more proteins on the grill and plenty of salads.
I love a good salad. I love them so much in fact, I often have one every day for lunch. My favorites are chopped, ceasars and Greek. A good Greek salad filled with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta is my jam. I love the combination of flavors: the sweet tomatoes, crunchy Persian cucumbers and salty feta cheese make a delicious feast. Add a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you have a delectable event for your taste buds.
As much as I love a good Greek Salad, Lara Lyn Carter introduced me to a salad I like at least as much, maybe more. It’s her Cucumber Salad and I found it in her new Skinny Southern cookbook. This book has all those classic southern dishes you love but with half the calories. How can southern cooking be light and healthy and still delicious? It’s easy: just use alternative ingredients like coconut sugar and almond flour instead of wheat flours and processed sugars. You lose the calories without losing one bit of the flavor.
Carter wrote Skinny Southern after she changed her eating habits, and she changed those shortly after she saw a photo of herself at a food event she didn’t like. It was at that moment she vowed to start eating clean. No more processed foods or gluten. She lost all the weight and started recreating recipes bearing this new lifestyle in mind. She substituted wheat flour for gluten-free alternatives, and used maple syrup or coconut sugar whenever recipes called for the standard processed white sugar. That way she got the sweet she needed without the extra calories. But Carter didn’t stop there. She used coconut and olive oils to cook with, which turned into a lifestyle full of healthy eating. She then compiled all those recipes into this wonderful cookbook.
This yummy Cucumber Salad isn’t the only salad in the cookbook. Carter has a potato salad without mayonnaise. A marinated mushroom salad, a quinoa salad and the classic Waldorf. All have healthy amounts of raw vegetables or fruits and their dressings are based in yogurts, olive oils and vinegars. Turns out you don’t need mayonnaise or vegetable oils to make a great summer salad. While I haven’t made every recipe in Skinny Southern, I’ve tasted enough of them to know that just because you use alternative flours and sugars, doesn’t mean you can’t turn out decadent dishes… all summer long.
Notes
Adapted from Skinny Southern
Ingredients
- 6 Persian cucumbers, sliced into coins
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Instructions
- Place the sliced cucumbers in a large bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the cucumbers.
- Cover, chill and allow to marinate for 2-3 hours before serving.
