cucumbers

I've been trying to figure out what to make with leftover fennel, and I've finally found the perfect recipe. It highlights the sweet, delicate notes of anise in fennel and the grassy, lemony scent of dill. This dish can be easily modified: Add protein with chicken, another textural element with cubes of ricotta salata, and crunch with almond slivers. To put the salad together, read more

Like David Chang, I believe this year is all about rice. It's a delicious and ancient staple consumed by more than half the world's population. There are more than 7,000 varieties of rice and countless cultural preparations, so I've decided it's time to race around the world in the comforts of my own kitchen. Naturally I'm inviting you to join me on my rice adventures as I travel the globe experimenting with risotto, sushi, gumbo, and everything in between. To get things started, let's head to India with this rice and lentils with raita. It's healthy, fast, and delicious. Learn how I made it and read more

Just because it's a weeknight doesn't mean you can't experiment with new flavors and ingredients. If you've never had hearts of palm, consider making this recipe tonight. With a smooth, firm texture and artichoke-like flavor, hearts of palm look like white asparagus but with no tips. While it's difficult to find hearts of palm fresh, the canned variation is readily available and simple to use.

In this delicious dish, the palm hearts are mixed with cooling cucumber. The salad is a base for spicy seared shrimp. To look at the recipe, read more

National Pickle Month may be coming to a close, but pickles are delicious in any month. With a bounty of Summer produce and the rising costs of prepared food, more and more people are taking up home canning. Because pickles happen to be one of my favorite snacks, I decided to take a stab at making them. However, I'm an impatient cook, an attribute that isn't conducive to making pickles. When I came across this recipe for quick dill pickles, I knew it was perfect. To see how these spears went from cucumbers to pickles in under three hours, read more

A great staple to incorporate into your weekly diet is the grain quinoa. Like couscous, quinoa takes on the flavors of its surrounding ingredients. In this recipe, the quinoa is tossed with crunchy peppers, cool cucumbers, and salty olives. Although cheese is not one of the components, crumbled feta or goat cheese would be delicious stirred in with the vegetables. To experiment with quinoa tonight, read more

Nothing says "hello, Summer" more than an icy, cold, fruity popsicle! Refreshing and delicious, these watermelon cucumber popsicles are the perfect finish to a classic Memorial Day barbecue menu. Although you will need to purchase popsicle molds and sticks, it's worth the investment because homemade popsicles are sublimely divine. This recipe would even be exceptional with a little vodka added! To take a look, read more

Every time I visit my mom, she always sends me home with jars of her homemade pao tsai, aka pickled vegetables. Hers are sort of like kimchee and they're a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet. Last week, when I visited my mom, she only had one jar to hand over and demanded that I give it to my sister. Her reasoning was that my sister was busy and that I could just make my own. I couldn't really argue with her and decided to prove to her that I could. The technique is actually really simple and quick — it took about 15 minutes to make, plus a day to sit — and the results are pretty nice. See the recipe I used — just tweak it to suit your own palate — when you read more

How many of you love falafel? There's a place near me that makes the best I've ever tasted, and I just turn the other cheek when I see the little balls being deep-fried. If only there were an easy and healthier way to make it myself....

There is! I picked up a box of Fantastic Falafel Mix that a friend recommended to me, and now I'm sharing this gem with you. It's quick and easy to make, and you can add your own veggies in the wrap to make it even healthier. It's got the perfect amount of crunchy chewiness, and it's made with garbanzo beans, so it's got protein too.

Want to see what it really looks like, what the nutritional info is and how to make it yourself? Then read more

This cucumber salad with mint and feta looks like it will be great for the summer and great for entertaining. - Simply Recipes