ORIENTAL SMASHED CUCUMBER SALSA: small households, dairy free

Cucumbers - wonderful diet food, crunchy, satisfying and economical - took on a new lease of life recently.  Not so boring and  going strong.

Easy-peasy Asian Cucumber Salad

Smashed cucumbeers have been around for awhile but new dressings and marinades elevate the crunchy salad veg.

Lightly smacked with a cleaver, knife or rolling pin, cut into bitesized craggy chunks, the cucumbers allow dressings to cling to the cucumber's surfaces instead of sliding off.  The technique originates from China who traditionally made the dressing with soy sauce and vinegar. 

This recipe was inspired by Waitrose's Food Magazine; it's punchy but more-ish.  It's for small households but the recipe multiples easily.

Feeds: 2 as a side, multiplies easily

Costs: £1.50'ish

Ingreds:

3 baby cucumbers*

1/2tb soy sauce

scant 1/6 tsp chiu chow oil OR a couple of dashes of tabasco OR 1/4 tsp chilli flakes

1/4 tbsp peanut butter

1/8 tsp fish sauce or lime/lemon juice

1/4 tbsp maple syrup or honey

green of one med spring onion, finely sliced

7g/1/3oz roughly chopped roasted salted peanuts

Method:

1. In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, chilli of choice, peanut butter, fish sauce or citrus juice and honey; if very thick add up to 1/2 tbsp cold water.  Set aside
2. Wash cucumber; remove stripes of peel; smack lightly with rolling pin, knife or cleaver; cut into bite size pieces 
3. Place in a bowl with green onions and most of the peanuts; drizzle over most of the sauce; stir gently until evenly coated; refrigerate 30 mins
4. Spoon onto serving plate; taste - if more heated needed/wanted drizzle over a little more chilli oil; scatterover remaining peanuts 

Comments:

'Nice!!' Retired writer

Tips:

Despite smacking the cucs with the flat of a large knife, they didn't look at all 'smashed'; instead the cucs had to be cut at small uneven angles.  They still looked and tasted quite good with each piece with a fine edge and a crunchy edge

*often found at Waitrose; now at M&S

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and is inspoired by Waitrose Food magazine.