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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Tamarind, Tomato and Cucumber Salad

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Tamarind, tomato and cucumber salad is a wonderful side to roasted or grilled dishes. This crunchy salad has a bit if spice plus a hint of sweet and sour taste from the tamarind.

 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons tamarind puree

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon hot water

250g cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cucumber, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

Salt and ground white pepper to taste

 

Place the tamarind puree, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix well. Season it with salt and pepper.

Next, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a medium sized bowl. Add the tamarind mixture and toss until the vegetables are coated.  Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.

Add the coriander before serving. Serve chilled.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: wEnDaLicious

Tzatziki

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Tzatziki is a Greek appetizer or dip served with pita bread that can be used as a sauce for other dishes like souvlaki. Other variations use mint instead of dill, while some even add sour cream. The cucumbers make this dish refreshing.

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 cup plain or Greek yogurt

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped

 

Strain the yogurt for 10 minutes, so that the excess water is drained. The yogurt also becomes thicker in the process. After, place it in a bowl and add the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the cucumber and toss until they are coated in yogurt. You may blend it in a food processor if desired. Adjust the taste with more salt or lemon juice if desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled with pita bread or meat.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: dcarlbom

 

Kani Salad

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Kani refers to imitation Japanese crab sticks. It does not contain any crab; instead it has flavoring.

Kani salad  is a common appetizer you can find in most restaurants that serve Japanese food. It is a personal favorite. It makes a good sandwich filling as well.

 

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and julienned

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

Lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

2 fresh ripe mangoes, thinly sliced

150 grams of kani kama (imitation crab sticks), pulled apart into thin shreds

1/3 cup of Japanese mayonnaise

Tobiko (orange-colored flying fish roe), optional as it is quite expensive

 

In a bowl, combine the julienned cucumbers, carrots, mayonnaise. Mix well. Place a bed of lettuce on a plate. Place the kani salad on top of it and add the sliced mangoes and tobiko. Garnish with shreds of kani/crabsticks if desired. Serve cold.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: shmuck

 

Baked Trout with Cucumber Sauce

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This is a light and refreshing dish that is easy to make. Feel free to use other kinds of fish. Enjoy it with buttered vegetables and/or rice.

 

Ingredients:

4 trout fillets

Salt and pepper

300 ml fish or vegetable stock

1 small cucumber

300 ml sour cream

1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped and for garnish

 

Preheat the oven at 350F.

Place the fish fillets in a shallow baking dish. Pour over the stock and season it with salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the trout are soft. Drain and discard the juice.

To prepare the sauce, peel and grate the cucumber. Place it in a bowl and add the cream, vinegar and chopped tarragon. Season it with salt and pepper.

Place the fillets in a plate and put some cucumber sauce over it. Garnish with fresh tarragon. Serve it with rice or vegetables.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: VirtualErn

 

Oatmeal Crusted Herrings

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This dish works best with Herrings that haven’t been smoked or flavoured, as this may contrast the tastes that you get from the dish.

Herring Fish

As well as this, it’ll also be worthwhile having a mixture of sides – I’ve found that a range of seasonal vegetables- such as these spicy ones- always works well with a range of Seafood dishes.

To Serve 4
4 Herrings weighing around 225g, gutted and filleted, heads removed
1tbsp Olive Oil
4tbsp Pinhead Oatmeal
1tsp Dill Seed
Rind and Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt
Pepper
½ Cucumber
1 Little Gem Lettuce
50g Butter
2tbsp Fresh Dill leaves, finely chopped

1. Rinse the Herrings off, and pat them dry on a piece of Absorbent Kitchen Paper, then smear the fleshy side of each Fish Fillet with a little bit of Olive Oil. Place on a Grill tray lined with Foil, fleshy side up.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the Oatmeal, Dill Seed, Lemon Rind, Salt, Pepper, and mix well. Sprinkle the mixture over the Herring Fillets, and pat down lightly to give a good coating.
3. Peel the Cucumber, halve it lengthways, then peel out the soft juicy centre using a teaspoon. Cut into slices about half an inch thick, and cut the Little Gem Lettuce into similar sized pieces.
4. Grill the Herrings for about five minutes, until the topping is browned off.
5. Whilst the Herrings are cooking, melt the Butter in a pan along with the Lemon Juice. To the pan, add the Cucumber and Lettuce to the pan, and stir until the Leaves begin to wilt, then add the chopped Dill Leaves then season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
6. Serve fresh from the heat, on a warmed plate.

Photo Courtesy of: La.Catholique

Cucumber & Zucchini Cousous

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Couscous is very nutritious and it has twice the amount of nutrients found in pasta. According to historians, couscous originated from North Africa. It is a staple dish in some countries in Europe and the Middle East. It is usually served with meat or as a side dish. It can also be eaten alone with bread. You can eat it warm or cold, depending on how you want it.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

10 ounces uncooked couscous

1 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

1 zucchini, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 big red onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

6 slices lemon

Mediterranean flat bread

In a saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil under medium heat. Saute the garlic, onions and zucchini for 5-7 minutes until soft.

In a deep saucepan, boil the broth. Stir in couscous and then cover for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes. After, fluff it with a fork.  Add the cucumber, parsley, basil, sautéed zucchini and lemon juice. Mix well and season it with salt and pepper.

Serve with warm with lime wedges and flat bread.

Photo Courtesy Of: Lori_NY

Peppered Camembert and Nectarine Salad

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This dish has an unusual blend of tastes and textures, but one that will definitely get your taste-buds going. It’s simple, fast and very easy to make, and is great as a starter to many Summer evening meals.
Camembert Slice
Arrange the Cheese and Nectarine on top of a bed of mixed salad leaves – an alternative to using Camembert is to use Brie, but make sure you remove all of the rind, and if you prefer, Peaches can be used if you like instead of Nectarines.

To Serve 1
30g Camembert Cheese
1tbsp Coarse Steak Pepper
1 Nectarine
4cm Cucumber
15g Pecan Halves
Mixed Salad Leaves
1tbsp Sesame Oil
1tsp Balsamic Vinegar
Pinch Dry Mustard
Pinch Sugar
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
Salt and Pepper

1. Cut the Rind off of the Camembert, and cut into cubes or slices, and then roll in the Pepper, making sure that they are evenly coated. Set aside and chill.
2. Halve the Nectarine, remove the stone and slice thinly, place into a medium sized bowl along with the Pecan Nuts. Cut the Cucumber into thin sticks (julienne) and add to the bowl with the Nectarine and Pecan mixture.
3. In a bowl, whisk the Sesame Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Mustard, Sugar, Garlic, Salt and Pepper together, before pouring over the Nectarine Salad and tossing lightly. Chill until serving.
4. Arrange the Salad leaves on a plate, and spoon the Nectarine Salad and dressing on top, before finishing with the Camembert portions as close to serving as possible to make sure they stay in shape.

Serve with crusty rolls or bread.

Photo Courtesy of: quinn.anya

Avacado Salad

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Rich, Buttery and very good for you – Avocados are a great food and can be used in a whole range of meals. This salad is a quick and easy dish, perfectly suited as a starter, or as a light lunch or dinner with some fresh bread or rolls.

Avacado

For the mixed leaves, aim for a mix of different tastes, textures and colours. Lots of variety in the leaves will make this dish taste different each time, and it’s great for using up what’s left from other salads.

Serves 4

Mixed leaves

2 Avocados

2 sticks Celery

½ Cucumber

75g Blue Cheese

Handful Walnuts

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Wholegrain Mustard

1.       Rip the leaves into a large bowl

2.       Halve the Avocados, remove the stone, peel and slice thinly, and add into the bowl.

3.       Slice the Celery and Cucumber, crumble the Blue Cheese and chop the Walnuts before adding into the bowl. Try to vary the size of each piece to make it more enjoyable

4.       In a separate bowl, mix the Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and Wholegrain Mustard

5.       Toss the leaves, Celery, Cucumber, Cheese and Walnuts with the dressing and serve at room temperature

Photo Courtesy of: pink_fish13

Mint and Cucumber Refresher

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Slightly similar to a mojito, but a bit less ‘naughty’ and a lot more refreshing! This drink is a great for early evenings, and amazing with creamy dishes.

Serves 1
Sprigs of mint
1 tsp caster sugar
Juice of lime
2cm piece of cucumber, sliced thinly
Chilled Sparkling water
Ice cubes

1. Chop a few mint leaves, and mix with the sugar
2. Rub a little lime juice around the rim of an attractive glass, and dip in the minted sugar, then leave to dry.
3. Mix the rest of the lime juice, cucumber and mint (some chopped and some whole) into a jug and chill.
4. To serve, layer the ice cubes at the bottom, then the lime and cucumber mix, followed by the sparkling water, and mix slowly with a stirrer.

Photo courtesy of Summer Tomato

Herb Dip

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A great accompaniment for many fish dishes – try with some Jumbo King Prawns to dip for an extremely succulent taste, and mix of textures.

To Serve 4

100ml Crème Fraiche
Dill
Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon
2cm Cucumber

1. Finely chop the Dill, so that there are pieces which are no longer than three or four millimetres.

2. Finely chop the Cucmber into similar sized pieces. You may actually find it easier to use a Grater for this, but be careful with fingers and thumbs.

3. Slowly add the Lemon Zest, Dill and Cucumber to the Crème Fraiche, stirring all the time to make sure it’s mixed thoroughly.

4. Add the Lemon Juice and mix well again before serving.

Photo Courtesy of Norwich Nuts