Filed under: People/Person, Produce | Tags: cucumber, health, mark bittman, no-cook meals, nutrition, recipe, vegan, vegetarian
I got a few cucumbers from last week’s CSA pick-up. I turned to How to cook Everything Vegetarian (Mark Bittman) for some suggestions. I settled on this one because I thought it seemed fresh and summery, and (more importantly) I already had all of the ingredients.
Cucumber Salad with Soy and Ginger (vegan)
from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
- 1-1.5 cucumbers (about 3)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
The instructions are pretty basic. Chop up the cucumbers (you may need to seed/salt them). Mix everything together and serve.
I made this dish on Friday, and let it hang out in the fridge. I sent it to work with husby on Monday. He reported back on Monday night that it had become quite pickled over those few days (I should have expected this). Despite that, he likes pickled things and thought it was very tasty. I, however, do not like pickled thing so I would eat this immediately.
I may make this dish again, but I think I’ll try other Bittman recipes with cucumbers first. I’ll also remember to take a picture next time!
I’ve been on a recent vegetarian/vegan restaurant kick lately. Raw Soul is a raw vegan joint on 145th Street in Harlem. It’s a fairly small space – very warm and friendly atmosphere. We ordered at the counter (I got the pesto pizza, husbo got the lasagna and we split a lemonade). My pesto pizza was out-of-this world. The raw crust was light and crunchy. The pesto was very flavorful, yet not too oily, and the veggie toppings were piled on high. While I did not try the lasagna, husbo gave a great review. I’m looking forward to heading back there to try the rest of the menu!
In addition to a lovely restaurant, Raw Soul also offers educational classes on raw food preparation, Chef course, meal delivery, and wellness literature. If you are in NYC, Raw Soul is worth a trip to Harlem.
If you’ve never eaten at a vegan restaurant, I recommend trying. My favorite part is that I feel satisfied and light when I leave – not sleepy, stuffed, and heavy (as in many other restaurants). I find that the food in vegan restaurants is always super fresh (not questionable as in other spots sometimes) and I get to sample things that I don’t necessarily have the time or know-how to prepare myself.
