Iranian Mint-Cucumber Salad

By Ashley Jean March 17, 2023 33 mins read 118 Views

This is one of my favorite recipes. This is what I do with cucumbers most of the time. I keep saying that I will upload it to my blog but have simply forgotten to. This one is so good that I thought it was high time to share. It goes well with Middle Eastern food!

Fatimeh, my maid in Iran made this salad for me many times. As traditional Iranian goat or sheep yogurt was available, she made her own. It tastes better with Greek Yogurt or sour cream. This tastes great with grilled meats or fish, as well as all Middle Eastern cuisines. It is delicious with Indian food as it tastes similar to their Rita salad.

Fatimeh also prepared a cucumber dish that was similar to Greek Tzatziki. She used 2 well-drained and grated cucumbers, enough yogurt to coat them nicely and some dried dill leaves (not dill seed). This national favorite is called Maasto-khiar. It is served with grilled kubideh, Iranian Grilled chicken and a bit of yogurt to coat nicely. .....I don't mind the dried versions of these herbs. I prefer the fresh. Fatimeh's cucumber salad with mint is my favorite.

This salad can be used in all phases of Atkins, Keto, and Primal Blueprint if you eat yogurt or sour cream.

INGREDIENTS:

1 8-inch long cucumber, peeled, or not depending on your preference

1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (or a combination of both)

2 tsp. 2 tsp. crushed dried spearmint (or one teaspoon fresh finely chopped).

Salty salt

VARIATION Add 1 T. minced onion

DIRECTIONS If you prefer, peel the cucumber. Slice into thin slices and place in a bowl with ice cubes. Let cool in the bowl for about 15-20 minutes. Strain the water and ice from the mixture and place the slices on some paper towels. Place them on paper towels to dry and then place them in a medium bowl. Add the mint to the bowl by finely crushing it between your palms. Fresh mint is also possible, but Fatimeh preferred to use dried. I've been known to mix fresh and dried mint. Add the yogurt or sour cream to the bowl. Season with salt. Mix until the cucumbers are well coated with the sour cream. Place in a pretty bowl. If desired, garnish with tomatoes or mint. Serve immediately as the dressing may become watery due to the moisture loss from the cucumbers. This is what I do when I am serving it to friends. I add the sour cream at the last minute.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Each serving contains:

40 cals, 3.15 g fat, 2.25 g carbs, 0.57 g fiber, 1.68 g NET CARBS, 1 g protein, 87 mg sodium

By: Peggy
Title: Iranian Mint-Cucumber Salad
Sourced From: buttoni.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/iranian-mint-cucumber-salad-2/
Published Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:30:45 +0000

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of a ketogenic meal?

The ketogenic diet makes it easy to eat. Think of it like regular healthy eating, but with a twist. The twist is to ditch processed carbs and replace them with high-quality fats and proteins.

You'll reap the many health benefits of this diet, including improved energy levels, better cognitive performance, and improved digestion. You'll also be able enjoy delicious, high-quality meals made with great-tasting ingredients.

What is a good example of a ketogenic meal? This could be grilled salmon served over fresh Kale with parmesan cheese and paired with roasted cauliflower drizzled with olive oil. Finished off with freshly cut herbs. It could be an omelet filled with bacon bits, bell peppers and cheese, all cooked in your favorite buttery spread.

Whatever your choice, you must remember that quality ingredients are essential to making any keto meal a success. So go ahead - get in the kitchen and explore new flavours while savouring healthy recipes for life-changing results!

How long does it take to lose weight with lazy keto?

It can be difficult to estimate how long it will take to lose weight using the lazy keto diet. There are many influences on how effective the diet will be, and it won't be the same for every person. It is dependent on each person's goals, lifestyle, and ability to adhere to this type of diet.

According to studies, you can see a gradual decrease in body fat after around two weeks. But, there are factors like body composition and caloric intake that can make it difficult to achieve your fat loss goals. Therefore, it is important to be consistent and monitor your progress for a long time.

Even if you don't exercise often, it is possible to lose weight even if you do not engage in any physical activity. It is possible to see results in as little as seven days if you combine regular exercise with healthy eating habits.

For any lifestyle change, including starting a fitness program or eating healthier, consistency is essential. Programs like lazy keto will show significant results if you are willing to work hard and have the knowledge.

Can I cheat 1 day on keto?

It's easier than ever to find options that are outside the norm. You can easily ask the information that flows like water if you want to stretch your diet and cheat for one day. While maintaining your healthy streak, it is tempting.

The answer, however, may not be what you expect. There's no room for compromise when it comes to keto. It is essential to follow through with your diet in order to reap the benefits and ensure long-term sustainability of your weight loss efforts and overall health.

Cheating on keto can cause you to lose any progress you have made towards your goals, and may even discourage you from achieving them as quickly as possible. Eating something greasy or sugary signals your body that it does not need it and undermines the effects of the shift away from such foods on keto.

Sometimes it can be difficult to avoid a lapse. It may be more difficult than following the diet. Therefore, evaluating the impact on your lifestyle could be crucial depending on factors like age, activity level or genetics.

Although temptation often clouds judgment while making decisions, ultimately, only you know what is best regarding lasting well-being.

Can you eat fruit on keto?

Curious about whether you can eat fruit on a keto diet? Yes, but be careful.

It is important to reduce carbohydrate intake to maintain ketosis and to burn fat. Some fruits can still be part of a balanced keto diet.

While low-carb fruits can fit into a keto meal plan, they should be consumed sparsely and in careful moderation. Different fruits have different amounts of carbs. For example, bananas have significantly higher carbs than avocados.

Your body uses sugar in fruits to produce energy. Overdosing on sugar can cause blood sugar spikes, which can impede your efforts to achieve nutritional ketosis. It's important that you pay attention to the portion sizes of sugary items and not overdo it.

Fresh fruit is more nutritious than processed sugary snacks. This will help you fuel your body, without the added carbs of desserts and processed snacks such as pies or candy bars.

Remember that fresh fruits are generally healthier than sugary treats when you're weighing whether or not the keto diet is right for your needs. But, only one portion at a given time.

Can I eat a dairy free keto diet?

Absolutely! While dairy products are a staple of a keto diet plan, these tips will allow you to enjoy delicious dairy-free options and still maintain your ketogenic lifestyle. Your keto diet plan must limit your carb intake while increasing the amount of healthy fats. That said, there are many plant-based alternatives to select from to remain within your set guidelines.

First, you need to identify the fats and proteins that are most beneficial for you. Alternatives to traditional dairy sources such as butter include avocado oil (tahini), coconut oil, nut butter, and tahini. Alternative sources of protein include tofu, tempeh and other meat substitutes. Nuts and seeds provide excellent crunchy textures.

When it comes to sweets creamy coconut milk, plant-based yogurts and heavy cream can be substituted for. Vegan cheese made from cashews, macadamia nuts or macadamia nuts may be a good alternative to dairy cheese.

Make sure to include other seasoning options in your recipes to make them stand out. Herbs, spices, vinegar, and citrus juices can aid in flavouring foods so that they have that one-of-a-kind taste, no matter what components they exclude! As long as you remember the principles of the ketogenic diet while simultaneously recognizing tasty solutions around those food restrictions, you'll be able to maintain a successful dairy-free keto plan!

What happens if you go over 20 carbs on keto?

Pondering the potential ramifications of what happens if you go over 20 carbs on keto? It's a crucial thought that needs to be finely weighed, as consuming too many carbohydrates can stall weight loss or even cause weight gain.

Understanding the interaction of carbs with your body, and how fast you process them, is essential to solving the problem of how much can be too much.

Avoiding too many processed carbs when following a low carbohydrate diet such the ketogenic diet is key. The rule of thumb is not to exceed your body's requirement for energy, which means reducing your total carbohydrate intake to no more than 20g per day. It is crucial to be aware of this number when trying to maintain ketosis. Exceeding it can cause an imbalance in your body, which can lead to slow progress.

For optimal health, and the best possible results when it comes to tracking macronutrients in your food, it is worth sticking within the limits of ketogenic eating. This helps you understand how your body works to produce energy, which is crucial for people looking for sustainable weight loss.

What is lazy keto vs keto?

To understand which one is best for you, it's important to know the difference between lazy and keto. A traditional ketogenic diet (lower fats, moderate protein intake, and lower carbs) is beneficial for weight management, mental clarity, energy regulation, as well as energy regulation. Lazy keto is a more accessible option that allows for a limited intake of carbs.

Contrastingly, lazy keto apportions less attention to precise macronutrient tracking and instead focuses on a basic lower-carb model involving fewer restrictions on food choices but still reaping the rewards of conventional keto diets: namely weight loss and mental clarity or improved appetite control. It is often used as a starting point for people who are new to keto.

Keto involves hours of researching recipes that adhere to dietary protocols and ensures precise macro-nutrient measurements when preparing meals--the process can be quite meticulous yet effective over time as carb intake becomes further restricted while fat consumption increases. The lazy keto approach is, however, less rigorous than its name. Instead of requiring careful calculations at every meal, lazy keto encourages simple low-carb eating that doesn't involve as much calculation.

In summary: traditional ketogenic diets are intensive yet highly beneficial, whereas lazy keto provides an alternative approach for those unable to commit too much to their diet plan for consistent results without having to be tied down by copious crunching of numbers each mealtime.

Statistics

Fats should replace the majority of cut carbs and deliver approximately 60–80% of your total caloric intake. (healthline.com)
It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs (9Trusted (healthline.com)
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy, but on a strict ketogenic diet, less than 5% of energy intake is from carbohydrates (learn more in our beginner's guide for the ketogenic diet). (eatingwell.com)
Around 35% of total calorie intake is probably the upper limit. (healthline.com)
One older study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75% (25Trusted Source (healthline.com)

External Links

How To

Calculating your Macros for a Ketogenic Diet

Discovering the best approach to keto living is essential in achieving and maximizing your results. Calculating macros for a ketogenic lifestyle can be simple or difficult.

Understanding macro nutrition will help you understand the meaning of Macros in a Keto Diet. Further explanation of this term is required for the body to function well and thrive. Our bodies can benefit from each nutrient's functions by measuring how much we consume.

Preparing meals with macros requires careful planning and observation to ensure you are able to track your progress. You can ensure that you are making the right deductions in order to determine what is best for you and your journey.

Be patient when considering all aspects of macro tracking. Flexibility allows room for improvement while learning your own specific body's needs so that you have the space to make corrective adjustments if need be. By understanding macronutrition in a different light, you can really shine!

Resources: