Recipe: Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

I made a salad yesterday that I have been making throughout the summer.  Besides being quick and easy, it’s also refreshing and energizing.

This salad is perfect at the end of the day when you want a little something, but you don’t want to load yourself down.  The last meal of the day should be the smallest anyway, since the inactive part of the day is approaching.

Also including food that has some heat, like onions or chives, will help during the cooler time of the day – the night time.  Protein will also help, so the addition of some hemp seeds and sprouts would be great accompaniments with this.

Make sure you eat at least four hours after the last meal and preferably before 7:00 PM.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber, peeled
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 1/2 – 1 avocado, depending on size
• 1 lemon or lime, juiced
• Sea salt
• 1 bunch fresh basil, minced, or 1-2 Tablespoons, dried
• Pinch cayenne or chipotle, optional, if you want a kick
• Garlic

Directions:

1. Finely dice the cucumber, tomato, and avocado.
2. Add the basil.
3. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.

My son gave me this marvelous chopper for Christmas.  It’s similar to one I saw on Amazon called the Vidalia Chop Wizard.  When I use this tool, I can create this wonderful concoction in about 5 minutes.

I used the basil from my garden, but there are so many other options you can use to alter the taste and experience of this salad.

If you want an Italian experience, along with the basil, you can use oregano, garlic, and chives.  Tarragon and thyme can also be added to this, as well.

For a south-of-the-border flavor, you can add chili peppers to the salad, then spice it up with chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano.

There are also some powerful herbs that you can add to this salad to enhance the nutrition.  Parsley and nettles are great.  You may have heard me mention a favorite seasoning of mine – the nettle/horsetail/alfalfa ground mix.  I get these from Mountain Rose Herbs, and combine equal parts of these together.  This works well in a shaker bottle that I can then sprinkle on my salads.  These are great bone building herbs, as well as good protein.

So, as you can see, you can truly dress up your salad to fit the mood you are in.  Be creative and have fun!