Man, I love summer! Summer vegetables are my favorite. I love to buy locally from the local farmers market to little fruit and vegetable stands here. I would grow my own but it's just too damn hot here in North Texas and we are in the middle of a drought as well. Who am I kidding? I'd rather buy than grow it myself. I'm not great at keeping plants alive.
My first trip this summer to the vegetable stand here in town and I brought home some tasty local vegetables and fruit...cucumbers, purple onions, squash, zucchini, new (red) potatoes and peaches for my kiddo. I am a sucker cucumbers and since childhood we've put cucumbers in a vinegar concoction and let them marinate and they come out still so crispy and delicious and perfect for summer.
So are you ready for this easy, healthy snack or summer side to any meal with locally grown cucumbers and onions you can get in your own garden, at your local farmers market or fruit/vegetable stand? This recipe also works really well with the large cucumbers that are too bitter because they've grown too big in the garden.
Vinegar Cucumbers and Onions
Ingredients:
4-5 small to medium size cucumbers (peeled and sliced)
1 medium purple onion (sliced into rings)
2 cups of vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute like agave nectar with 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste but may omit)
Get a good size bowl you can seal with a lid. Wash, peel and slice cucumbers and place in the bowl. Cut the onion into slices and place in the bowl as well. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Seal with lid and place in refrigerator overnight or 12 hours so they soak up the flavor. The longer they marinate the better they taste and the spicier they get, too!
If you know me any at all I'm always trying to find and create healthy, protein-rich meals for maintaining this healthy lifestyle I started just over a year ago. Lately there have been too many carbs in my recipes for my liking, so this next recipe is low carb (basically no carb) but still tasty even without those unhealthy carbs.
I'm always experimenting trying out new and different things and my newest venture is making quiches. I love a good quiche. I am particularly fond of the flaky crust that comes with a good quiche, ugh my downfall I know! So I decided to see if a crustless quiche was just as good...and you know what? It comes pretty close if it's made right.
My first crustless quiches combines some of my favorite fixins, too...ham, cheese, broccoli and locally grown fresh onions. Yum!
Broccoli, Ham and Cheese with Onion Crustless Quiche
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend)
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package frozen broccoli steamer
1 cup diced ham (I used deli sliced that is diced up pretty fine)
1 small purple onion (diced)
Preheat oven to 350. Microwave broccoli steamer per instructions on package, chop finer if you wish and set aside. Spray cooking spray into pie pan and set aside as well. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add in ham, cheese, onion and broccoli and whisk everything together well. Pour into pie pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. Remove from oven and serve with your favorite side (like spicy vinegar cucumbers and onions maybe).
(A slice of quiche with a side of spicy vinegar cucumbers and onions...perfect summer meal)
I believe my next quiche will include more of my summer vegetables. Good stuff! Now that I know how yummy these crustless quiches are I plan to make a lot of them with all kinds of different ingredients. Check back for more wonderfully mostly healthy recipes. And remember to comment if you had a chance to try out this recipe or other recipes of mine and, if you like what you see, please take a moment and subscribe.
Enjoy your summer and try to stay cool the best way you know how. Bon Appetite!
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