Thai Cucumber Salad

It’s officially three weeks until Johann and I welcome our baby boy into this world. I often get asked the question, “are you ready?” I’m not sure if you can ever be ready for any life change because there is so much unknown – but we are incredibly excited to finally meet this energetic little guy that has been dancing in belly. 

Being pregnant in these Covid times has been interesting. I’ve gone through emotions of sadness, anger, excitement and gratitude all at the same time. Most of my family is on the east coast and I’ve been in LA for about 4 years now. It’s the first time I’ve truly felt the distance between us. I’ve going through my entire pregnancy without my sisters and parents and will also go through the birth of our first child without them as well. I’m extremely close to my family so this was a difficult reality for me to accept, but I know that things like this are just not within my control, so my only answer is acceptance.

I also know that what is most important at this time is that everyone is safe and healthy so that when we can finally meet again, it’s under good circumstances. Knowing that my family is well and safe is the greatest gift right now as I know there are so many people suffering and losing their loved ones.

In addition, these times have given me the opportunity to experience some wonderful things that I otherwise might not have. Johann and I started an incredible home garden full of herbs, greens, vegetables and fruits. It has been a labor of love and we have learned so much about what it takes to grow your own food and the environmental benefits of doing so as well. I have so much more appreciation for the farmers that work so hard to provide for us day in and day out.  Food is medicine and we are so fortunate to be able to grow so much here in the SoCal climate.

In addition, we are cooking at home so much more. I would say we cook about 95% of our meals at home. I’m not sure what that will look like once the baby is here, but I can say we both feel so much healthier when we are not eating out. I honestly don’t even miss eating out anymore. This time at home has given me the opportunity to experiment so much more in the kitchen and fall in love with cooking all over again. I know that Johann appreciates it too!

There have been so many ups and downs over the past 6 months, personally, societally, etc., but through it all, we have had so many friends step up and be there for us. I am feeling such incredible gratitude for the people and support we have in our lives. Family doesn’t just mean blood and I truly feel that I have gained an incredible second family here in LA, which certainly helps it feel more like home each day.

So I guess what I’m realizing more and more is that while we can’t control our situations all the time, we can make choices about how we respond to them. It is how we respond that ultimately creates our reality.

My mind has a tendency to go towards the negative – to focus on what I don’t have, what is not working, etc. – and that’s ok. But eventually, we get to choose which way we go. We are humans and the human experience is full of so many emotions. It’s important to allow yourself to feel them all. However, it can be super debilitating and even harmful to your health to stay in the negative emotions for too long. We can choose – and when we struggle to break free from our habitual negative thinking, we can choose to reach out for support.

So even at times if I have to “fake it til I make it,” I’m going to change my attitude to better reflect the life I want experience. I am beyond blessed to have the life I do, to be welcoming a new member into our family, to have a roof over my head, food on the table… Life may not be how I pictured it right now, but it is wonderful.  

So that’s where I’m at right now and I thought I would share because I have a feeling there are some you that may be feeling similar things and not feeling alone is so important right now.

Now that we have all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this delicious Thai Cucumber Salad. I’ve adapted it from the BudgetBytes recipe with some minor modifications. It’s the perfect cooling summer side dish that we make at least once a week with the cucumbers and herbs from our garden.

Thai Cucumber Salad

admin It’s officially three weeks until Johann and I welcome our baby boy into this world. I often get asked the question, “are you ready?” I’m not sure if you can… Sides Thai Cucumber Salad European Print This

Serves: 4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Adapted from BudgetBytes

DRESSING

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar 
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil 
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt 

SALAD

• 2 large cucumbers
• 3-4 radishes
• 3 green onions 
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts* 

Instructions

1. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Next, slice the cucumber (you can peel them or leave them unpeeled, based on your preference). Slice the radishes as well into thin slices. Add the cucumber and radish to a large bowl.
3. Chop the roasted peanuts and cilantro, and slice the green onions. Add the herbs to the bowl with the cucumber and radish. Set the peanuts aside.
4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. You can serve this immediately, but I prefer to let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Top with the roasted peanuts when ready to serve.

*If you have raw blanched peanuts and need to roast them, simply heat the oven to 350F, spread the peanuts on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Stir the peanuts twice during the roasting time.