Spicy cucumber & pineapple salad

Happy weekend, if you’re anywhere but Calgary where it seems to be moving into fall already…seriously guys its been grey and cold and rainy all weekend.

Crappy weather does make for good cooking though and I’ve been canning up a storm.  I have been asked to write a blog post on canning and I definitely want to – but to be honest, I’m a canning newbie.  I started doing it about 3 or 4 years ago totally on a whim and at first I just did pickles. I’m starting to venture now – I’m doing carrots, beets, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, and peaches….I have a few other things up my sleeve but we’ll see what happens.  Also my grandmother would probably be turning over in her grave if she was watching me can because I’m so lazy with it.  I don’t sterilize the jars, I just clean them, and my brine ratios aren’t perfect (but I’ve never had a problem and they taste great), and I put a cloth in the bottom of my pot instead of using a canning rack or a silicone mat – because that’s what I have.  Nonetheless, I’ll keep you guys posted.

Anyways, back to the reason for my post.  This kick a$# pineapple and cucumber salad.

I posted it over Instagram a couple days ago, because I wanted you guys to have the recipe sooner than later and because its such a simple recipe it was easy to write it out on that teeny little space.

This salad is sweet, tangy and a little spicy (as spicy as you want it); and it has a little asian flare with the addition of sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.  I love this salad because its quick to put together and tastes great the next day, plus it goes with almost anything.

YIELD – 4-6 servings as a side

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small pineapple, cubed
• 1 – 2 whole English cucumbers
• 1/4 cup sliced red onions
• 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup rough chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp dried chili (more if you love spice)
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)*

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the pineapple into small cubes and toss in a large mixing bowl.
2. Slice the cucumber lengthwise down the middle and slice into half moon shapes and add to the pineapple.
3. Toss in the sliced red onion and chopped cilantro.
4. Then add the sesame oil, the rice wine vinegar, and mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine).
5. Toss together until everything is coated, then add the chili peppers (add more or less depending on how spicy you like it, just remember the spice will get stronger the longer it sits).
6. Scoop into your serving dish or bowls and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

*Special Note: if you can’t find Mirin – you can sub another tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and 1 tbsp of honey.

This salad is a great addition to BBQ’d salmon, steak, halibut, shrimp, pork belly, and grilled tofu; and if you finely dice the ingredients you can use it as a salsa on salmon burgers or for taco chips, or on rice crackers.

It’s a pretty versatile little dish.

Till the next recipe,

Kristen xo