Recipe #2

This morning, when I pulled up to the school, kiddo said " Mom, I'm ready to be a real big kid and go in by myself. I know where my class is... love you, bye!". There it was... she started Kindergarten just yesterday, and all of a sudden today she already needs me just a little less. *Sigh* I'm actually excited and proud of her, but lets be honest, the kids are always ready before the moms are. Always.

Today is a recipe day and this is an easy go-to recipe that you can use as a side dish, especially in the hot summer months when you don't want to turn on the stove. With a few additions it can turn into a delicious main coarse. It has very few ingredients, but packs in a lot of nutrition, flavor, and is very satisfying. The trick to getting your family healthy isn't throwing out everything you love, it's just serving the junk a little less and the healthy stuff a little more. It's easy to do that with good tasting recipes like this:


Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 pint of tomatoes, either halved cherry tomatoes or chunks of other tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1 small shallot (or finely chopped red onion)
3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Seed your cucumber and cut into bit size pieces. If you are using cherry tomatoes, halve them. If using larger tomatoes that are very juicy, scoop the seeds out and either discard or save to add to spaghetti sauce. The extra moisture will make the salad a little watery. Mix the cucumber and tomatoes into a bowl. Chop the shallot into a small dice and add that. Add the balsamic vineger, salt and pepper and mix. This tastes best if you let it sit for a little bit before serving, 20 -30 minutes. It is also great eaten immediately, so if your in a hurry don't worry about it.

There are a lot of variations that I have seen on this recipe and many things that can be added. If you have some leftover cooked pasta you can toss that with this to make a cold pasta salad that is delicious. If you add some chopped chicken with the pasta you have a wonderful summer dinner! I have also used this on top of salad greens in place of a salad dressing. It is light and tangy, and the balsamic and tomatoes add a nice sweetness. This is a very versatile recipe, takes only a few minutes to make, and doesn't even require a stove.

On a night when you just can't bring yourself to cook dinner, you can throw together this quick salad and serve it instead of potato chips along side sandwiches. If there are leftovers, they will keep in the refrigerator. You can serve the following day on a green salad or even in a pita for lunch.

There is roughly 45 calories in an entire cucumber. It has lots of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium. It has almost no fat at all and is mostly water. It makes a great, healthy addition to any salad or meal, so don't just walk past the cucumbers anymore in the produce isle. In addition to all of this, I find that cucumbers are usually one of the cheaper items in the produce section as long as they are in season.

So, now you know cucumbers pack an awesome nutritional punch, they are economical, and you are armed with one great recipe that can be turned into a side dish, main dish, salad dressing, or lunch.... what are you waiting for!? Get out there and get your family a little healthier! It's really that simple.