This Thai cucumber salad is quick and easy to toss together and the perfect side dish to just about anything.

Jump to recipe

Memorial Day seriously snuck up on me, as I sure it did for a lot of people. It didn’t occur to me that it was on the horizon last week when I participated in #BBQweek. Good thing I have festive food blogger events to keep me prepared.

Another way I am prepared is making recipes, taking photos of them, and subsequently forgetting to ever post them. This cucumber salad happens to be one of them!

It’s super easy to literally toss together so I figured now was a great time to finally unleash it in case you are looking for an quick and easy side dish for your social-distance approved mini cookout this weekend. May I recommend serving it alongside some Oven Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs?

I originally made this side dish for our Thai-inspired Easter dinner. Because there’s nothing I love more than spicing up otherwise traditional meals.

We smoked the ham and served it topped with a chile-lime sauce. On the side was obviously this cucumber salad and roasted carrots with a creamy nuoc cham dressing. And for dessert was the sweet coconut sticky rice I shared earlier this week!

Like the carrots, the cucumber salad would be a great side dish for just about anything. Especially some grilled meats. We are making burgers and I think this may need to make a reappearance for the occasion.

One year ago: BBQ Grilled Corn on the Cob

Three years ago: Gluten-Free Pop Rocks Brownies (aka Doc Brownies)

Four years ago: Weekly Meal Plan: May 23-29

Five years ago: Grilled S’mores Packets

Six years ago: Michael Symon’s Spicy 50/50 Burger

Seven years ago: Almond Toffee Applesauce Bread

THAI CUCUMBER SALAD

Print

Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

DRESSING

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt

SALAD

• 2 large cucumbers, sliced or spiralized
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the cucumber and shallots.
3. Pour dressing over the cucumber mixture and toss until coated.
4. Serve immediately or cover and store in fridge until ready to serve, topped with chopped peanuts.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!

Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

This sweet heat chile sauce is so stinking easy to throw together and packed with flavor, you’ll find yourself finding excuses to make it and dip anything in it.

Earlier this week, I left the metropolis of Columbus, OH and ventured off to Sabina, OH to spend the evening with Ohio Pork farmers including John and Connie Surber and Neil “Uncle Squeals” Rhonemus, members of the Ohio Pork Council including Heather Johnson (The Food Hussy), Chef Rachel from The Glendalia, Casey from Batter Up Bakery, and fellow bloggers Julie and Kinsee (Tastes of Lizzy T) and Amiyrah and her family (4 Hats and Frugal). It was an intimate group which lent itself to getting to know each other and for some story telling!

John and Connie Surber regaled us with stories about Connie jokingly receiving a fridge for pig semen as her 60th birthday present, and John finding a pair of Connie’s panties in his coat while out running errands because she had worn his coat while visiting the pigs one day and you have to shower in and out of the pig facilities so she tucked them in the pocket and forgot! They could probably write a book with all the stories they had to tell and said that raising pigs has certainly changed their conversations around the dinner table.

Wait did I say showering to visit pigs? Let’s talk about health for a minute namely of the pigs and, down the line, us. Neil “Uncle Squeals” Rhonemus told us that Trichinosis used to be a big problem and is why many people still cook their pork to 160 degrees F. As you know, pigs love to roll in the mud but what you may not know is why. Pigs do not have sweat glands so in order to cool off, they roll in the mud. Unfortunately this is also how they become infected. By bringing the pigs indoors, with temperature regulation, their overall health and the quality of the end product drastically improved. And showering when you enter and leave contributes further to their safety and health, therefore preventing sick animals from entering the food supply. I hope to come back and tour the facility myself and cuddle with some baby bacon!

Other than hearing funny stories and learning facts about raising pigs, another key to this event was to squash common misconceptions about cooking pork. What keeps you from cooking pork more often? Until Bob taught me to brine pork chops, I didn’t typically cook pork myself outside of a slow cooker because it typically came out too dry and tough. Turns out it wasn’t just an issue with marinading this other white meat, it was also a combination of not bringing to room temperature before cooking and then cooking too long. Let me explain.

One misconception is temperature and it’s relation to color. The first key is to bring the meat to room temp before cooking –  and this goes for beef and chicken too. Putting a cold piece of meat on a hot pan is going to cause the muscle to seize and dry out. By bringing it to room temperature first, the muscle is more relaxed and therefore tender. As for how long to cook it, that will depend on the thickness of the cut, but the rule is to cook to 140 degrees F. That being said however, some heat and cooking will carryover for 5 minutes and 5 degrees after removed from heat, so Chef Rachel recommends removing it from heat when the thermometer reaches 135, let it sit for 5 minutes, and in that time it will reach 140. And resting for 5-10 minutes allows the juices to redistribute before cutting.

Pink inside? That doesn’t mean it’s under cooked! After all, you used a thermometer that read 140 right? And I can attest to it, that pork Chef Rachel cooked for us might have been the most tender and juicy pieces of pork I’ve had in my entire life and I find myself craving it every day since. Now I desperately need a weekend getaway to her boutique hotel and culinary studio, The Glendalia to see what else she can teach me. Take a culinary journey with a hands on cooking class and then stay in a cute hotel room with personality and breakfast the next morning? Sign me up!

After dinner (which was complimented with side dishes made by Connie using vegetables and herbs from her garden as shown above), Casey served up two cobblers using the last of the season’s peaches and blackberries, and surprise, the original recipe is Heather’s mom’s! Could this dinner seriously get any better? Batter Up Bakery is a made from scratch bakery that bakes farm to table and only carries things while they are in season. Add her bakery to my list of places to visit on our weekend getaway because I also heard she uses an old school rolling doughnut cutter to make all their doughnuts. I freaking love it! P.S. I may have had 3 not-so-small servings of those cobblers. Seriously legit.

Sorry, this post is supposed to be about pork. I digress. This recipe is for one of the sauces served with the pork loin, which yes was a little pink and freaking fabulous. Chef Rachel admitted that this sauce recipe was the result of cooking while under the influence of alcohol but it’ll knock your socks off with how much flavor is packs and how easy it is to make. While we had it served over grilled pork loin, it could really go with anything. Heck I want to use it as a dip for anything edible. It’s sweet but packs some heat!

Thank you again Ohio Pork for inviting me to this event and to the Surber family for hosting us in your home! I love sharing stories and talking food with people involved in every aspect of how it gets onto the table and cannot wait to come back for more.

One year ago: One-Pot Sausage & Swiss Chard Pasta

Three years ago: Single Serving Cake Batter Popcorn

Four years ago: Vegan Buckeye Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

Five years ago: Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Six years ago: Peanut Butter Hummus

SWEET THAI CHILE SAUCE

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) bottle sweet chile sauce (she used Frank’s Red Hot Sweet Chile Sauce)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped with seeds

1/2 lime, zested and juiced

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Transfer to a medium sauce pot. Heat over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until warmed through and bubbly around the edges.
3. Remove from heat and either serve immediately over preferred meat or store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Source: Chef Rachel at The Glendalia.

With one week until I need to send the final draft of my dissertation to my committee I have been in super-productive mode. Hence my lack of a post yesterday. I did next to nothing other than write all last week until Friday afternoon when my brain died. After sending my Introduction to my advisor I just couldn’t process nerdy thoughts, so I took the night off and hung out with friends Friday night. The rest of the weekend wasn’t as writing-productive as I would have liked, but I feel less tense and my apartment is cleaner. Accomplishments come in many forms.

For all my fellow stressed out people who are desperately trying to get things done while still getting some sustenance, here is a quick and healthy meal for you tonight. It’s kind of like those healthier pasta recipes that mix in fettucine-sized slices of zucchini. This time whole wheat spaghetti is mixed with broccoli slaw and tofu which has sauteed into a spicy-honey sauce and topped with peanuts, cilantro and green onion. It’s spaghetti gone Thai!

Two years ago: Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Candied Bacon

SPICY THAI NOODLES WITH TOFU

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 oz. whole grain spaghetti

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha)

4 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

10 oz. bag (3.5 cups) broccoli slaw

2 Tbsp chopped peanuts

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile in a medium skillet, heat sesame oil, honey, and hot chile sauce over medium heat. Add tofu and broccoli slaw and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Toss noodles with slaw mixture, divide onto two plates, and top with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and scallion. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted slightly from Fitness, May 2012.

Change up pizza night with this Thai chicken pizza topped with sweet chili sauce, shallot, zucchini, chicken, mozzarella, peanuts, cilantro, and basil.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

Welcome to #SummerGamesWeek 2021 hosted by Amy from House of Nash Eats!  We are celebrating the start of the Tokyo Games with over 50 recipes representing more than 25 countries competing in the upcoming Summer Games! Come join me and my fellow Summer Games Week bloggers as we bring you recipes from appetizers to drinks to entrées and desserts!

I enjoy both traditional and nontraditional pizzas. But with how frequently I have pizza for dinner it’s refreshing to have some very different options out there.

Thai chicken pizza

So now it is time for a very nontraditional pizza. There is no tomato sauce or even pesto, instead the sauce is sweet Asian chili sauce. To continue with the lack of tradition, it’s topped with zucchini, peanuts and cilantro. The only things not out of the ordinary are the chicken, mozzarella and basil. But do not fear the unexpected because your taste buds will love this – that is if you are into nontraditional pizzas and Asian flavors.

Looking for more fun recipes to liven things up? Scroll down for more recipes celebrating all the Nations participating in the Summer Games!

Monday #SummerGamesWeek Recipes

• • Yakitori representing Japan by House of Nash Eats
  • Mixed Berry Scones representing the United Kingdom by Simply Inspired Meals
  • Instant Pot Chicken Adobo representing the Philippines by Lemon Blossoms
  • Crepes representing France by Devour Dinner
  • Chicken Gyoza representing Japan by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
  • Chimichurri Sauce representing Argentina by Take Two Tapas
  • Pork Satay representing Thailand by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Island Banana Bread representing the Bahamas by Our Good Life
  • Hibachi Chicken representing Japan by Palatable Pastime
  • Mititei representing Romania by That Recipe
  • Dorayaki representing Japan by Magical Ingredients
  • Peach Cobbler representing the USA by The Redhead Baker
  • Kefta Salad representing the Middle East by Art of Natural Living

Post updated 7/19/21, photo above is the original.

One year ago: Grilled Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

THAI CHICKEN PIZZA

Print

Yield: 3-4 Servings Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pizza dough, risen
• Olive oil, for brushing
• 1/4 cup sweet Asian chili sauce, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 Tbsp chopped peanuts
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 with a pizza stone* on the bottom third. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Spread the chili sauce over the crust in an even layer.  Layer with the shallot, zucchini, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, and cheese.
2. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone using a pizza peel* and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Sprinkle evenly with the peanuts, cilantro, and basil before slicing and serving, with additional sauce drizzled on top if desired.

Notes

*Don't have a pizza stone/peel? Assemble on a round or square cookie sheet instead.