Like melon or squash, cucumber is part of the Cucurbitaceae family. On the shelves of our supermarkets, we usually come across between two and three different varieties of cucumbers:the so-called "Dutch" one (the most common, which represents 80% of French production), the thorny cucumber whose rather bitter taste is especially appreciated in the south of France and the "mini" cucumber, which looks like a gherkin but remains quite rare on our plates.
Composed of 95% water, needless to say that the cucumber contains almost no calories (about 15 kcal per 100 g). It is also a very good way to hydrate gently and has a very high satiety index (recommended for those who wish to keep the line). Often used directly on the skin, it is more for a moisturizing and invigorating effect that cucumber is useful (it does not contain any specific substance allowing any rejuvenation). Rich in nutrients, the Livescience site specifies that numerous studies prove that cucumber would help fight against the multiplication of cancerous pancreatic cells. It would also limit the risk of ovarian, breast, endometrial and prostate cancer. Thanks to its high vitamin K content, cucumber strengthens bone density and reduces the risk of fracture. In short, it's all good!
Cucumber can be quite an indigestible food. Indeed, even if we often talk about its bitterness, most varieties of cucumber today are modified to erase this unpleasant taste. On the contrary, it is its texture that causes poor digestion in the consumer. To avoid this, do not hesitate to chew the cucumber for a long time, to completely remove the seeds and especially to peel it.
Cold cucumber soup with croutons and dried tomatoes (for 2 people):
The Quitoque.fr site offers deliveries of baskets complete with quality and seasonal vegetables accompanied by many original recipes such as this one:
½ clove of garlic
1 Cucumber
1 Zucchini
¼ of a bunch of basil
1 can of sun-dried tomatoes
Bread rolls/croutons
Preheat your oven to 200°C and bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the zucchini. Meanwhile, rinse, peel (or not) and cut the zucchini. Once the water boils, immerse the zucchini in it for 5 minutes. While the zucchini is cooking:peel and chop the garlic, peel the cucumber and cut it into large dice, rinse, strip and chop the basil, drain the dried tomatoes and cut them into small dice (about 1 cm). Finally, cut the buns into cubes (approximately 1 cm) and arrange them with the dried tomatoes on a baking sheet. Pour a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper. Mix well. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the croutons are golden and the dried tomatoes are golden. Once the zucchini is cooked, drain it and place it in the bowl of a blender with the cucumber, garlic and basil. Add 2 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil and 1 glass of water. Salt and pepper then mix everything.
Serve the cold cucumber soup sprinkled with croutons, sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.
Special flat stomach detox water:
Organic cucumber
Organic lemon
Organic mint
Water (not organic but mineral)
Cut the cucumber WITHOUT peeling it, do the same with the lemon, removing the seeds well and rinse the mint thoroughly. Mix everything in a large amount of mineral water and leave well for several hours.
Serve chilled and drink without restraint!
Quinoa salad with cucumber (for 2 people):
200g quinoa
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1 onion
Feta
chives
Salt, pepper
Boil the quinoa. Meanwhile, cut and finely mix all the ingredients. Add the cold quinoa and put in the fridge for an hour. To season, use olive oil, lemon and balsamic vinegar.
