Cucumber Salad
This one takes a while to make and keeps pretty well (about a week).
Prep:
Dice a red onion. (I definitely do not substitute - the red makes a nice color combo). Optionally, cut up the green part of a scallion or two or three (top right, in picture).
Two-step cucumber: cut some thin slices of your cucumber (get a nice english cuc, or your favorite), out of less than 1/4 of the length. Using a peeler, peel the remaining 3/4+ in circles, starting at one end and working your way to the other. If you do not have the patience for this, you can also use the coarsest part of a box-grater, to get little cucumber "chips". Some of the little seeds will fall away. That's o.k. (and desirable for some cucumbers).
Variations:
There are preps that use heavy-cut onion, if you are an onion lover. Some call for chopped peanuts on top. Some put vinegar in the dressing (yuk! unless you have a sour or pithy cucumber to 'rescue'). Shallots instead of garlic seems a superior idea. Some recipes call for hot peppers or pepper flakes (bleh). Mint - I haven't tried.
Composition:
I salt & pepper along the way.
As you fill up a layer with cucumber, sprinkle with salt. Pepper also, if you like (I don't with this dish, so I have no recommendations, except maybe a white pepper, so you don't put black flecks into the salad).
I use Morton Lite Salt (substitute Morton Salt Balance). It's "balanced" (with potassium) and good for dishes you like salty, without challenging your body to "rebalance" itself. However, it still isn't "okay" for sodium restricted diets (I don't think). Yes, it's more expensive, but this is a time to pay-up -- you can get your "naked sodium" calories elsewise (yes, "elsewise" is a word!).
When finished "layering", stir in the red onions and the big slices and optional ingredients, like the scallion. Definitely use one of the new Rubbermaid produce-saver inventions, so that the liquid drains (or let it sit and do the same "manually").
Shown here with sesame porkYou can eat it straight-up, especially when it is very fresh, alongside most everything. This salad could be a "salt" in a salty-sweet plate, for instance.
The typical Thai dressing advised involves a mix of nuoc chom (can be very salty, so think ahead), lime juice, seasame oil and possibly shallot/garlic and/or chili paste (green).
