(A loyal reader of Somebody’s Mom, Suzanne, is our guest recipe contributor today, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!)

– 3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded,
and cut into 1/4-inch slices
– 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
– 1/2 red onion, sliced paper-thin
– 1/3 cup minced cilantro

Dressing:
– 1/2 cup rice vinegar
– 2 tsp. honey
– 2 tsp. Reduced-sodium soy sauce
– 1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
– Pinch dried red pepper flakes

Preparation per 8 servings:
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Marinating time: 60 minutes

1. Combine the cucumbers, carrots, red onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over cucumbers, cover, and refrigerate for 60 minutes. Salad may be eaten with a fork.

Nutritional Values per Meal: 1/2 cup
– Calories: 25
– Calories From Fat: 10

– Total Fat: 1 gram
– Saturated Fat: .1 grams
– Cholesterol: milligrams
– Sodium: 50 milligrams (without added salt)
– Total Carbohydrate: 5 grams
– Soluble fiber: 1 gram
– Sugars: 3 grams
– Protein: 1 grams

(* Footnote – I made this recipe for friends. I changed it around
a little bit. Instead of 1/2 cup rice vinegar, I used 1/3 cup.
Instead of 1/3 cup of Cilantro, I used 2 tablespoons.
Instead of 1/2 red onion, I used 1/4 red onion.)

It’s looks like it’s gonna be a long, hot summer! So, if you’re not yet as cool as a cucumber, I have a sure fire recipe to get you there. Known for their ability to cool down the body, “cukes” as they’re fondly referred to, have also been proven to help control jaundice, diarrhea, epilepsy, sore throat, conjunctivitis (redness of the eye) and swelling of extremities. Now, that’s one smart veggie!

Can’t digest those darn seeds? Well, simply cut them in half and use a spoon to eliminate the seeds. Too much work? Hey, this is America…..buy cucumbers that are already seeded.

Salads are so refreshing, and adding cucumbers along with sliced red onions, juicy, red tomatoes and your favorite all-natural, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette will do a body good!

If you suffer from diabetes as several of my friends and relatives do, you’ll be happy to hear about the special benefits cucumbers provide. Let me explain:

Beta cells within the pancreas produce the hormone insulin. Cucumber is found to have a hormone essential for beta cells in the insulin production. Moreover, the Glycemic Index of cucumbers is found to be zero. It’s a do-good food for diabetics.

Who am i ?:
Suzanne Ault contributes articles for the recipes for diabetics blog, her personal hobby blog related to cooking ideas to stop diabetes.

Her Complete Bio: http://www.diabeticdietrecipes.org/about
Her Photo: http://www.diabeticdietrecipes.org/suzanne.jpg