Spiralizer readies cucumbers for salad
Nothing is more cooling than cucumber on a warm day. We all know how delicious it is mixed with cream cheese and spread on rounds of bread, or cut into chunks to add crunch to a salad. But I’d never thought about how delicious and eye-catching it would be to use my spiralizer on cucumbers to make a beautiful salad with a hint of Asian flair.
I’ve never considered cucumbers to be a very versatile food. They have such
a distinct flavor and tend to overwhelm other ingredients. But there are flavors that stand up to cucumbers and marry beautifully with their undeniably bold taste, such as sesame and honey.
The beauty of this salad lies in its simplicity. Whisk the dressing ingredients together, then slice — or for a fun effect, spiralize — the cucumbers and let them drain in a colander for about an hour. While the cucumbers are doing their thing, you can do yours: Make the rest of dinner, clean house, work outside … whatever chores you need to take care of.
When you’re ready for dinner, toss the cukes with the dressing, and the salad is ready to be served with a grilled steak, pan-fried pork chops or most any entree you might be making. It would make a deliciously different side dish for a vegetarian meal as well.
Keep in mind, however, that cucumbers contain a lot of water, so this dish might get a little watery if you let it sit too long. If that happens, drain it in a colander. But the best thing to do is toss and serve right away.
Asian Cucumber Salad
2 tablespoons toasted
sesame oil 2 tablespoons toasted
sesame seeds 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon honey
1⁄2 teaspoon red chili flakes (depending on how spicy you like it) 2 cucumbers, spiralized
(or sliced)
1⁄2 tablespoon kosher salt Sliced green onions, for garnish (optional) Combine sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar, honey and chili flakes. Spiralize or thinly slice cucumbers and toss with kosher salt in a colander. Let drain for about an hour, then rinse cucumbers and pat dry with paper towel. In serving bowl, toss cucumbers with sesame sauce and serve garnished with sliced green onions. Or
cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, waiting until just before serving to add garnish.
BEST PIMENTO CHEESE IN TOWN
Yelp recently posted a list of the best places to enjoy pimento cheese in Chattanooga. Whether you use it as a dip for celery or spread for crackers, top a burger for a different kind of cheeseburger or grill it on a biscuit for breakfast, pimento cheese is one of those spring dishes many of us just can’t seem to get enough of.
Here’s the list.
› Tremont Tavern. Order it on your burger.
› Public House. Use it as a dip for fried pickles.
› Urban Stack. They serve it hot as a dip.
› Dub’s Place. Forget the mayo. Have them spread a layer of pimento cheese on top of your char-grilled burger.
Where’s your favorite place to enjoy pimento cheese? Did it make the list? If not, let me know.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress. com.