When the heat becomes impossible to bear, it is important to have fresh food available, to eat without having to turn on ovens and stoves. In fact, in summer, space should be given to cold, fast and light dishes that are also easily digestible.
So green light for pasta or rice salads, fish, fruit, vegetables and fresh desserts. Even in the rows of vegetables, there are many varieties that can be used in the kitchen in various ways. Among these is certainly the cucumber which, as we will see, has many beneficial properties for health.
A vegetable to bring to the table until September
Cucumber is one of the richest vegetables in water (just over 95% of its weight) and is very low in calories. In fact, 100 g of cucumbers provide just 14 calories, of which 48% are carbohydrates, 32% lipids and 20% proteins.
Thanks to the aforementioned properties, this vegetable could be perfect to include in diets, also because it promotes the sense of satiety. In addition, it would also be an excellent source of fiber that would promote good bowel function and the absorption of cholesterol and blood sugar.
In addition to being an ally of cardiovascular health, therefore, cucumber is also a source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
It is one of the richest vegetables in water and would be ideal for weight loss and cholesterol control
Along with these incredible nutritional properties, however, some side effects due to the consumption of this vegetable should also be highlighted. Remember, in fact, that cucumbers could:
a) interfere with the intake of diuretics and anticoagulant drugs;
b) cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea due to the accumulation, inside the cucumber, of toxins (cucurbitacins) which also give it a bitter taste.
Regarding this last point, however, there are varieties of cucumbers that do not contain cucurbitacins and which would be more digestible. We are talking about carousels, or barattieri, a hybrid variety between cucumber and melon, especially typical of Puglia.
A simple, quick and super tasty recipe
With the arrival of summer, the carousels are the undisputed protagonists of the tables of all the Apulians. Sweet, fresh and juicy, they go very well with salads enriched with tomatoes, fresh onions and so on. Furthermore, they are ideal to combine with both first courses and second courses.
Today, we will see how to enhance these vegetables with a truly unmissable and simple recipe to replicate at home. In fact, we will only need:
a) 2 carousels;
b) 120 g of dried tomatoes;
c) valeriana;
d) first salt cheese;
e) EVO oil;
f) salt and pepper.
First, we peel our carousels and cut them in half. After that, let’s extract the inner part containing the seeds and let’s take care of the salad. In a bowl, add the valerian, the dried tomatoes cut into strips and the first salt cut into cubes. At this point, pour a drizzle of raw EVO oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Let’s mix it all up and make our own carousels.
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