Chop Chop!

It seems like Mondays have turned into recipe sharing time on this here blog.  Maybe it's because of all the cooking I do on the weekends. 

I love vegetables, but this is the time of year when I find it hard at times to eat as much of them (and of fruit!) as I should.  I'm a summer girl so my favorite fruits and veggies are summer based.  By now, the lettuce and especially tomatoes aren't so great and I begin to dread salads.  I like squash but only up to a point and what else is there?  I try to eat some veggies at lunch every day or for a snack - so unless I'm going to dip some baby carrots in something or eat a salad, what's a girl to do. 

All of a sudden potato chips sound like the perfect vegetable to have with my lunchtime sandwich.  Uh-Oh.

While digging through the recipe box for another veggie recipe that I wanted to make as a side dish to have with some grilled chicken, I came across this one for a salad I tend to make quite a bit in the summer but then gets pushed off the menu.  I had the ingredients on hand so this week I'm ejoying a bit of summer as a side.

This takes a bit of work because of all the chopping but it's so worth it.  A really simple recipe that is just loaded with flavor but has such a clean taste.

Chopped Veggie Salad

2 cups English cucumber (~ 1 cucumber)
1 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil

All the vegetable should be chopped into a dice.  As you finish each one, throw it into a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle the red wine vinegar and oil on top.  Stir well to combine.  The longer this sits, the better it tastes!

Per 3/4 cup serving:
Calories: 50, Total Fat: 2.7 g , Sodium: 204.4 mg , Carbs: 6.8 g , Fiber: 1.7 g , Protein: 1.1 g

Coming tomorrow:  how I managed the challenges of the weekend!