Kitchen Tip for Cucumbers

 

The picture above illustrates the preservation technique I use for thin skinned cucumbers, (like the English cucumbers), but this would also work with other varieties. I usually only use this technique for the smaller ones, because the larger ones have a longer shelf life. 

But those minis...if you don't eat them every day, the remainder of your cuke stash will deteriorate much faster.   

So my solution to this dilemma is simply to wrap them in a paper towel dampened with vinegar. It doesn't have to be soaking wet. We always have a spray bottle with vinegar on hand in the kitchen for various uses, and I just spritz it a few times, wrap the cukes, then spritz it again if needed. 

I wrap the cucumber completely, and if there's room, place another on the paper towel and continue wrapping. We normally use the paper towels that have the half sheet option, and I only use the half sheet to do this. The minis aren't usually that long so I place them with the ends of the cukes facing the short sides before rolling. Two will fit comfortably on there, and if they are small in diameter, three will usually fit. Then just put them in a bag and place in the refrigerator. Refresh with vinegar spritz if needed. 

They do start to get a little "pickley" after a few days, (but I'd rather deal with that than have them deteriorate to the point of no return and end up donating them to the compost bin). It's not that noticeable because the inside of the cukes do retain the cucumber flavor. If the tangy taste is bothersome, you can always peel them, or make a nice cucumber salad with oil & vinegar. 

I can't take complete credit for the tip. Years ago I read about preserving block cheese using this technique, (and it does work with the cheese, in case you are wondering), so one day I decided to try it with the cucumbers.

As far as paper towel brands, well...we use Costco's paper towels and have not had any issues with the towels tearing or fragmenting when used in this manner. There are brands out there which won't fare as well,  but it's still doable with those, I'm sure. Just take care when rewrapping after removing one for use. 

After your cuke stash has been depleted you can still use the paper towel(s) for cleaning or spills. 

Salad of Dreams....

 Try this at home! Every day! You don't need no stinkin' store-bought salad!

I recommend: Two types of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, red onion, radishes, olives, olives, olives, bacon, ham, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, boiled eggs, avocado, your favorite dressing, croutons....mmm...mmm...mmmmmm!!!!!!!! 

Eat More Salad!

I have to mangle Forrest Gump's quote a bit: "Salads are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get."

Very true when you are dining out: Salads can be very good, very bad, or any point between the two.

They can also be very ugly, but as long as the ingredients are fresh, I'd chow down! But, if they are ugly as in: Rusty lettuce, dried out vegetables, looks like someone took them out to the parking lot and ran over them before service, well....Run, Forrest! RUN! 

Keep a good supply of veggies and fruits at home--that's your best bet. It takes minutes to throw a salad together and it's definitely worth it in the long run.

The stars of this yummy salad are: Leaf lettuce, baby greens, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, turnips, zucchini, carrots, red bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, black olives, avocados & fresh mushrooms.

Go make yourself a salad right now!

Another shot of this kick-ass salad.

Salad: Everything but the Kitchen Sink...

Did I go overboard with these salads? Nahhhhhh!!!

The salad base, which is almost completely covered, was: Romaine lettuce, kale, a mix of baby greens, cucumbers, zucchini, turnips, carrots & cauliflower.

Top layer: Cheddar cheese, boiled eggs, smoked turkey, tomatoes, avocados, Black Forest ham, mozzarella (rolled with prosciutto & basil), Muenster cheese, provolone, bacon & red onions.

Sprinkled some chia seeds on top as well. Do you think adding the chia was too much? NAH! :)

Then we had: t-bone steaks, loaded baked potatoes, sauteed green beans and New York cheesecake for dessert. Just kidding! We had the salad and that's it. Sure didn't need anything else!

What can I say? I didn't have time to eat all day so this covered 3 meals for me. :)

"Everything But the Kitchen Sink" Chef Salad

Salad Base

Yes indeedy! There were two. Each completely consumed.

Let's Talk Salad for a Minute...

Salad...we should have at least one a day. Two would even be better. Even eating a simple salad made with lettuce & tomatoes is better than not eating salad at all.

Eating a simple salad can get to be monotonous, so let's jazz it up with plenty of colors, flavors, textures and extra vitamins.

Iceberg seems to be the most popular lettuce to use in salads but it is also the least nutritious. Check this link for some good information about lettuce: "Top Five Lettuce Types by Order of Nutritional Value."

Below is a salad made with a colorful assortment of vegetables. Did I go overboard? Yes. As I was building it, I said to myself: "I think we're going to need a bigger bowl!"

Here's what we ended up with in this salad: The base was Romaine lettuce and Kale.

Then the rest of the veggie gang marched in to join the fun: Turnips, stem of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, tomato and avocado.

I wanted to share this salad with you because I feel that sometimes people feel limited when deciding to make a salad...you know, like you HAVE to have only certain veggies or you'll be breaking a rule and the Salad Police will be beating your door down and calling for your arrest.

Not so! Never be afraid to throw different veggies in a salad--ones that aren't in "conventional" salads.

It certainly breaks the monotony and you get a lot of fun flavors and textures. If you're not a big fan of cutting vegetables up for salad, invest in a "Salad Shooter," or equivalent. Those things can greatly reduce preparation time. They're small and easy to clean, unlike a food processor.

Here's to healthy eating! BOOYAH!!!!

I started out trying to be neat about it but the vegetables got a little out of hand. There's actually quite a bit of the base under there. It just got buried.

Salad Gone Wild

This was the base: Kale & Romaine

Lucky 7 Shrimp Salad

I spent a long day reviewing empirical studies and peer-reviewed articles for a research project. I decided that doing a bit of work in the "lab" was in order...for rest and relaxation. Here is what was born in Dr. Frazier-stein's lab today (click on the link below for the recipe):

Lucky 7 Shrimp Salad

Shrimp kissed with a marinade of balsamic vinegar, sesame oil & ginger syrup, then lightly roasted.

Served on a bed of baby greens dressed with emulsified apple dressing and garnished with toasted sesame seeds.

Was it good? 

It was GOOOOOOOOOOOOD! 

This one's a keeper! 

Lucky 7 Shrimp Salad