Last week’s Tomato and Fennel soup was such a hit that I decided to post another recipe from Hope Cohen’s upcoming book, Fast Fresh and Simple.
Yesterday at a play date, I was sitting with my girls (c’mon, aren’t play dates less about the kids and more about the parents?!?) talking about how excited I am about this book, debuting this October. As you know, my philosophy about cooking is all about Fast, Fresh and Simple food…oh with a dash of delish thrown in, of course.
We were also talking about how important family meals are. The HOTY and I have made a commitment to be out no more than two to three nights a week (and preferably less!). I know that sounds like a lot, but there are some weeks with a whole lot going on. Anyhoo, we’ve made the conscious commitment to be home with Sweetly Six for family dinners.
Yes, it’s important to eat together in order to sit down and catch up on the day, but there’s more to it. A study called The Importance of Family Dinners VI dug deep to see if there was a connection between the frequency of family meals and teen substance abuse.
Check this out: Compared to teens who eat family dinners 5 to 7 days per week, those who only eat family dinners fewer than 3 per week are:
- Nearly twice as likely to use alcohol
- Twice as likely to use tobacco
- One and a half times more likely to use marijuana
How’s that for a stunner? All the more reason to have (and enjoy!) family dinners!
Thank you again, Hope, for sharing your recipes with The Silver Pen!
Cucumber Salad
by Hope Cohen
European seedless cucumbers are my favorite salad cucumbers, as they are lower in moisture, resulting in a crisper, less watery salad. I especially like the combination of dill and mint with the cool cucumber flavor. The sugar and vinegar create a sort of “pickled” effect. Make it a day or two before if time permits, to allow the flavors to marry.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
- ½ red onion peeled, sliced very thinly, rinsed in cold water and drained
- 3 TBS each of fresh dill and mint, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but as long as 24 hours. 4-6 hours is best. Serve well chilled.
To learn more about Hope and even get a few more recipes, please go to her website: http://www.fastfreshandsimple.com/