[Chloe222]

Hi all,
Thought I'd do this for all of us who need new snack ideas. Cucumbers and celery are "free", so please tell us what you do with them that squelches your appetite, or better yet, satisfies cravings.

I'm pretty basic:
CUCUMBERS:
* Slice cucumbers into spears, spray with EVOO, sprinkle with Real Salt, enjoy with a big glass of water.

CELERY:
* Take 3-4" celery stalk, spread with WF whipped peanut butter. (don't really like the peanut butter by itself, but once on the celery, its better)

[rainbowsmiles]

Celery and Cucumber Salad with Herbs

6 celery stalks
1 English cucumber (seedless cucumber), peeled, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss together celery, cucumber, parsley, mint and oil in a bowl. Season to preference with salt and pepper.

[Jonsgurl0531]

I just eat my cukes with a sprinkle of salt and red pepper flakes. YUM!

[rainbowsmiles]

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and drained
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 mini orange bell pepper
1 green onion, sliced
1 garlic cloves, sliced
1.5 cups chicken broth
Fresh herbs: parsley, dill, thyme
salt and pepper to taste
dash red pepper flakes
2 oz milk

Method:

Heat zucchini, cucumber, celery, orange bell pepper, green onion, garlic and herbs in broth until soft and the liquid is reduced. Puree veggies in batches in a blender until smooth. Add back to the pot and Stir in milk and salt and pepper to taste. About 1-2 servings

[cinthia]

Sounds yummy,Thanks for sharing!

[rainbowsmiles]

4 ounces large cooked shrimp, peeled
1/3 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and medium sliced
1 large celery stalks, sliced thin
1 red onion ring diced
2 oz plain greek yogurt (this instead of your 2 oz milk allotment)
you can omit this if you want!!
2 TBSP WF mayonnaise
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste


In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, curry powder and salt.
Add shrimp, celery, cucumbers and mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

[hatgirlie]

Thanks for the ideas. I will try them! Get tired of the same ol' same ol'.

[Chloe222]

Rainbow,
These are GREAT! Can't wait to try the soup!

[LizRR]

Braised Pork Chops & Celery

The recipe I am working from: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/642684

Ingredients
4 cups chopped Celery (splitting with my husband, ~1 celery rib = 1/2 cup chopped)
Garlic
EVOO
Chicken stock
2 egg whites
1 lemon
2 pork chops

Directions:
1. For the braised vegetables: place the celery and 2 cloves chopped garlic into a large pan with some EVOO and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for~5 minutes until the celery are slightly softened.
2. Pour in the chicken stock, just enough to cover veggies, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes over a low heat, or until the vegetables are meltingly soft. Keep warm.
3. For the pork chops: season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add ~1-2 cloves chopped garlic. Add the pork chops and fry for 3-4 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest.
4. Meanwhile, remove the braised celery and onions from the heat. Spoon the egg whites over some of the cooking liquid. Mix well to combine, then add lemon juice and lemon zest (I like to use all of the lemon!). Heat through gently for a few minutes (make sure the heat is not too high or the mixture will curdle). Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. To serve, spoon the braised celery and onions onto plates and rest the pork chops on top. Spoon over the rest of the sauce.

[LizRR]

I also roast 4 ribs celery with 1 head cauliflower & 4-5 cloves garlic at 350 for 25-30 minutes and purée for a nice 5 cups of deliciousness I add to my soups each weekday.

[rainbowsmiles]

Originally Posted by LizRR

I also roast 4 ribs celery with 1 head cauliflower & 4-5 cloves garlic at 350 for 25-30 minutes and purée for a nice 5 cups of deliciousness I add to my soups each weekday.

i do this liz....and use it for "sauces" too or any time i want to thicken recipes!! i love the creamy roasted taste!!!

[paulimapi]

Sounds awesome, thanks!
I didn't know celery was free.

[LizRR]

You can also make cucumber noodles (similar to your zucchini noodles paulimapi).
Original recipe link: http://www.framedcooks.com/2012/02/m...r-noodles.html

Marinated Shrimp with Cucumber Noodles

INGREDIENTS
2 English cucumbers
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 lemon, halved
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon evoo oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
18 chilled forks

DIRECTIONS
1. Slice cucumber into long noodles, using a mandoline and being Very Very Careful!! (or a veggie spiral slicer)
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into the water and then drop in the lemons and add the salt. Add the shrimp and cook until firm, about 2 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside.
3. Combine soy sauce, oil, lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic and cayenne in a large bowl. Add shrimp and cucumber noodles, tossing to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Twirl a few cumber noodles on each chilled fork and spear a shrimp on the end. Serve immediately.

[Lynnie63]

I had asked this in the FAQ sticky, but no one answered yet, so I'll ask it here.

I've read the new P1 shet and don't see where it says cues & celery are free.

Can someone please let me know where this info came from?

[wuv2bloved]

Originally Posted by Lynnie63

I had asked this in the FAQ sticky, but no one answered yet, so I'll ask it here.

I've read the new P1 shet and don't see where it says cues & celery are free.

Can someone please let me know where this info came from?

I still use the cukes and celery as part of my 2 cups of veggies, I don't count them as "free". I have eaten them for lunch for the past 15 months with success I am NOT changing it....I have not seen an updated sheet stating they are "free"