Event: Shhh Cooking Secretly
Theme: Summer Treat
Recipe: Cucumber Orange Salad
Cucumber Orange Salad is a refreshing, cooling and easy to make salad. Perfect for the summer, this salad can be enjoyed as a side or as a light meal. Add any cheese of your choice. I prefer either feta or halloumi. If you don’t like either, go for paneer or cottage cheese. The fresh orange salad dressing makes the salad very flavourful.
Shhh Cooking Secretly
In brief, every month a new theme is chosen by members. Then, the participants are paired up. In turn, they give each other 2 secret ingredients to use in their recipe which is prepared fitting the theme.
As soon as their dish is ready, the photo is shared on our Facebook group. Then, other participants try and guess the secret ingredients. Towards the end of the month the recipe is shared on the group. Additionally, members get to know each other and interact with them.
My Partner
This month my partner is Anu Kollon who blogs at Ente Thattukada. For summer treat Anu made refreshing Watermelon Lemonade with the ingredients I suggested as her secret ingredients. In return she gave me cucumber and orange.
My Recipe For The Theme
I’m in Montreal and it is very hot here. It seems there is a heat wave all over the world as for June, I hear Mombasa too is very hot. With the ingredients given to me, I thought of smoothie, ice lolly and salad. I finally settled for a salad as that is what we had for our summer picnic at the park near my son’s home. I chose to make the salad dressing at home as I am not a huge fan of ready made dressing.
What Is So Special About My Homemade Orange Salad Dressing
Firstly, the addition of cumin powder as I feel that orange and cumin pair very well. Also I added some lightly roasted fennel and sesame seeds. Not only do they provide a slight bite but add so much flavour too.
Memories: Day Trip To Mont Tremblant
My son decided to take some time off from work and we took the bus to Mont Tremblant for the day. The bus ride is about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Located in the heart of the Laurentian Mountains, it is a very popular ski resort. It is equally popular during summer. When we reached the town, it was quite busy.
As our visit was quite short, we spent time walking around the village as it is better known. The gondola ride is a must as it offers spectacular view of the mountain, lake and the colourful Disney like village. At the top of the mountain you can walk around the designated paths and get a 360º view of the Laurentian Mountains, parks and the Lake Tremblant. Taking a short hike around connects your soul to nature. White, purple and yellow flowers growing naturally speckled against the green ferns.
On our way down, again by cable car, we saw an old couple hiking up. That put hubby and me to shame! This old couple was hiking up the steep slope. Canadians take outdoor life very seriously. Parents make a conscious effort to teach their children from a very young age to cycle, hike, row a boat, play sports and appreciate nature. Maybe that old couple have been trekking and hiking from a young age and therefore have so much strength and stamina. During our short hike, I was breathless, in the literally sense and also because of the exhilarating view.
Some More Recipes Using Cucumber and Oranges
Ingredients Required For Cucumber Orange Salad
- Cucumber – I prefer using English Cucumber as they are succulent and the skin is soft enough to eat. Cut into slices.
- Oranges – choose nice sweet juicy ones. Need for the salad and the dressing. For the salad, peel the orange, slice them thickly and cut into quarters or smaller pieces.
- Orange Zest – grated rind. For the salad and the dressing.
- Fresh Orange Juice – freshly squeezed is best.
- Carrot – peel and cut into thin slices.
- Red Radish – cut into slices.
- Salad Leaves – use any of your choice.
- Feta Cheese – cut into cubes or crumbled. If you don’t like feta cheese then replace it with halloumi or cottage cheese.
- Dried Fruit of your choice – add either raisins, cranberries, dates, apricots or any other dried fruits of your choice.
- Nuts – add nuts of your choice. I added some walnuts.
- Onion – peeled and thinly sliced. Use either red, white or yellow. I prefer to use the red ones for salad.
- Fresh Mint Leaves – wash and pat them dry on a kitchen towel.
- Olive oil – for the dressing.
- Vinegar – use white wine vinegar, balsamic, etc. Use any of your choice but use a good quality one.
- Salt – add according to your taste.
- Cumin Powder – for the dressing.
- Fennel Seeds – lightly roast them in a pan over low heat. Alternately, roast them in the microwave oven for 30-40 seconds.
- Sesame Seeds – lightly roast them in a pan over low heat till they begin to pop. Alternately, roast them in the microwave oven for 30-40 seconds.
The above ingredients are just a rough guideline. Besides cucumber and orange, feel free to add ingredients of your choice. Add olives, baby spinach, other radishes, broccoli,etc.
Cucumber Orange Salad
Ingredients
For The Salad:
- 2 oranges
- 1 small cucumber
- 6 red radishes
- ½ cup feta cheese cubes
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small onion
- 12-14 mint leaves
- handful salad leaves
- 6-8 walnuts
- 1 tbsp raisins
For the Orange Salad Dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper powder
- ½ tsp orange zest rind
- ½ tsp cumin seed powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
PREPARE THE SALAD:
- Slice the cucumber and radishes thinly.
- Peel and slice the carrot thinly.
- Grate the rind from one orange and keep it on the side.
- Remove the peel from the oranges. Cut into slices and then cut them into quarters.
- Wash and dry the salad and mint leaves.
- Peel and cut onion into thin slices, vertically.
- Roast the walnuts lightly on a pan over low heat.
- Mix cucumber, radishes, walnuts, orange,raisins, onion, mint leaves and feta cheese in a salad bowl.
PREPARE THE ORANGE SALAD DRESSING
- Roast the fennel seeds lightly in a pan over low heat.
- Roast sesame seeds in a pan over low heat till they begin to pop.
- To prepare the dressing mix all the ingredients. I like to use a jar with an airtight lid to shake the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.
- If you want to serve the salad chilled, put it in the fridge without the dressing.
- Pour the dressing just before serving or let everyone help themselves to the dressing.
Notes
- Use red, white or yellow onion.
- If you don't have vinegar, replace it with lemon juice.
- Add fresh basil instead mint.
- Add other salad ingredients of your choice.
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