Cool as a cucumber

This unusual British summer weather has awakened a passion for salad this week, which is strange as I have always seen salad as a side dish to ignore as best as possible whilst enjoying the BBQ meat. But my sister has given me a really simple Greek Tzatziki recipe which is really nice in the hot weather and goes well with salad.

Tzatziki is made primarily from Greek yogurt and cucumber and whilst researching this blog article I was surprised by a few of the facts I discovered about the unassuming cucumber.

Cucumbers are almost all water, around 95%, which makes it a great food to help keep you hydrated. In hot weather to avoid health problems you should make sure you consume more fluids or eat more hydrating fruit and veggies, such as cucumber, melon etc.

Cucumbers are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol – three natural antioxidants that may reduce the risk of some forms of cancer. They are also a rich source of potassium, magnesium and dietary fiber which all help to regulate blood pressure.

They are an aid to digestion and can help alleviate heartburn and other digestive disorders by helping to flush toxins out of the body. Cucumbers are also a good source of vitamins A, B1, B6, C & D, Folic acid, Calcium as well as Magnesium and Potassium mentioned earlier.

Cucumber juice has been found to be beneficial for the diabetic patients. This vegetable contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.

Finally it tastes really nice in Tzatziki...

Ingredients:

160g pot of Total 0% Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber
2 tsp good olive oil
1 clove of crushed garlic

How to:

1. Grate the cucumber, then squeeze out as much water as possible and set aside. (Save the cucumber water in a small clean bowl)
2. Measure out the oil and add to the yogurt along with the crushed garlic.
3. Stir in the squeezed cucumber and once well mixed, set aside for at least an hour, longer if possible.
4. Dip a couple of cotton wool pads in the cucumber juice and lay back and place gently over your closed eyes. Enjoy the soothing feeling as your Tzatziki chills in the fridge.