The cucumber is one of the main summer vegetables. With its taste to the tasteless appearance, it manages to give a touch of freshness to any recipe. And, be careful, if you believe it is good only for salads you are wrong: very versatile, it is suitable for enticing palates even in sauces and flavored waters. And then it is a mine of mineral salts and vitamins, precious for fighting exhaustion and dehydration, typical summer conditions.
Below are some ideas for using cucumber in the kitchen, recipes tested by La Cucina Italiana. In our gallery, instead, a deepening on the thousand benefits of this vegetable that must never be missing in the refrigerator.

The benefits of cucumber

Cucumber was already known since ancient times for its beneficial properties for health and beauty. Composed for almost all water, it contains very few calories (only 13 kcal per 100 grams!). Rich in mineral salts, such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and sodium, it is also rich in vitamin C, protector of the immune system. Do you know why cucumber is recommended by many dieticians in slimming diets? For the presence of tartaric acid, able to prevent carbohydrates taken during a meal from turning into fat. Cucumber also has renowned purifying properties: for this reason it is advisable to add it to water, not only to flavor it, but also to make it more detoxifying. Can't digest it? The solution is: put it in salt for half an hour, cut into rounds. Then after rinsing it, it is ready for use.

Tzatziki sauce

Cucumber is one of the main ingredients of the Tzatziki sauce, typical condiment of Greek cuisine. Here's how to do it: after peeling a cucumber, grate it. Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic. To the two ingredients, add the yogurt and stir, until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped dill, to give that extra touch of freshness. Serve with toasted bread or as a condiment for fish or meat.

Cucumber flavored water

As is known, in summer it is essential to drink at least two liters of water. Don't you often have the urge to thirst? Aromatize the water as follows: in a jug filled with mineral water, add a lemon or a lime cut into slices and half a cucumber, always cut into slices, but keeping the peel. To give an extra twist, also add a small piece of ginger root. Here is your purifying and energizing water.

Roll with cucumber and avocado

Have you ever tried your hand at preparing a hosomaki Japanese (small rice rolls with black seaweed outside)? These are vegetarians, filled with avocado and cucumber. First, cook the rice with 700 g of water: once boiled, let it rest with the lid lined with a cloth. Peel the daikon and cut it into sticks 20 cm long. Do the same with cucumbers and avocado, cut into slices. Spread the rice on a tray, season with 5 g of salt, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar. Now spread a nori seaweed on a cloth, then stuffed with a layer of rice, a daikon stick, one of cucumber and 3-4 slices of avocado, rolled tightly helping yourself with the cloth until obtaining a loaf to be cut in thick rounds 3-4 cm.

Cucumber and goat cheese rolls

Do you want an original idea, to read fresh, to bring to the table as an appetizer? Prepare some rolls of cucumber and goat cheese. Here's how: cut the cucumbers into thin slices lengthwise and boil them. Meanwhile, work the goat cheese in a bowl, adding chives and mint. Stuff the cucumber slices with a tablespoon of cream and wrap the roll. Season with an oil-based emulsion, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Cucumber, feta and watermelon salad

Cucumber is the king of salads summer. Here is an alternative and very refreshing, which also uses watermelon, to give a sweeter note. Peel the cucumbers and cut them into cubes, do the same for the watermelon, taking care to remove the seeds. Also cut the feta into cubes and add the three ingredients in a bowl, seasoning them with an emulsion of oil, salt and pepper.