Saturday 8 June 2013

Refreshing Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Weird fact: This is my secret blog. It's not entirely secret; my whole family and a few friends know about it - but that's it. Why? I'm not really sure. Maybe it's just because this blog is not as polished as I would like it to be yet, maybe it's just because I'm self-conscious about the fact that it exists for some reason.

I'm sure that I'll share this blog with more people, but for now I end up sneakily taking photos of my food when no one is home or awake. Luckily, my roommates mostly seem to sleep until noon so I often see no signs of life before leaving for the day. It does mean that my posting schedule is a little erratic. Most food bloggers seem to schedule their cooking around blogging; I cook when I want food and then hope that I'll get a chance to take a picture before I've eaten the whole dish or it has been in the fridge for so long that it no longer looks appetizing.

This probably makes it harder for me to achieve the consistency that I want in this blog, and therefore makes it less likely for me to share it. I guess I've created a bit of a cycle of positive feedback, but for now it is what it is. This salad, for example, was made yesterday and then smuggled into my room this morning for some photos before I ate it for breakfast. And by breakfast, I mean second breakfast. Don't judge.

This salad is so refreshing - the bright and tangy flavours from the herbs and lemon juice go well with the fresh and hydrating vegetables (or fruits, if you want to be technical) and the red onion and seeds add a little extra crunch for texture. Plus, it's so easy to make.

Simple and light, this salad is perfect for summer. It is somewhat inspired by greek salad - the lemon, herbs, and salt make the tofu somewhat reminiscent of feta. If you want to go further towards a greek salad, add some olives or even feta. I used tofu for the protein content (which also makes this vegan) but adding feta and removing some or all of the tofu would also be delicious - just be sure to adjust the salt and lemon quantities accordingly.

Ingredients
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 English cucumber, chopped
  • 1/3 red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 package extra-firm silken tofu
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, to taste
  • 2 tsp salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Directions
1. Chop fresh vegetables and herbs and mix together in a salad bowl.
2. Dice tofu, and mix with 3tbsp lemon juice, dried herbs, and salt.
3. Add tofu mixture to vegetables and mix. Taste, and add additional lemon juice to salad if desired.
4. If making in advance, leave the salad in the fridge until you are ready to eat it. This salad stores well as the flavours infuse the tofu more over time, but it can also be eaten immediately.
5. Add sunflower seeds just before serving, and enjoy!










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