Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad with Tofu Tataki is your new chill menu for hot weather.  For real, the inner temperature of a cucumber can be 20º degrees cooler than the outside air. That’s why “cool as a cucumber” is a real thing.

Cucumbers are about 95% water, making them an excellent way to stay hydrated, especially during hot weather. They are a good source of potassium and low in sodium, as well. In the summer, cucumbers are plentiful and, best of all, make for an excellent cooling side dish.

Sliced, seeded, and salted, they are tossed with an umami-packed dressing rich with sesame, soy, and chili crisp. Salting them removes some of the water and increases their density, making them heartier and slightly more “meaty.”

This quick 5-minute read also shares: 

• Best Life Living Tip: Protein Calculator 🫘
• Self-Care Strategy: Sensible Snacking, not Mindless Munching 🫐
• Ideas and Inspiration: Safety First! 🦺

Hey! It’s an honor when you click “read more,” and I thank you. I know you are the type of person who wants to use your time and energy to help you create a better life.

If you are new here, as an introduction, I am a French-trained chef and award-winning cookbook author. I’ve worked with Nathalie Dupree, Martha Stewart, Anne Willan, and Bobby Flay; edited The Joy of Cooking; and styled a Super Bowl commercial for Bud Light.

I also lost 65# and in the process realized it really is about health gain and not weight loss. If a post menopausal Southern chef can change her life, then you can, too.

Read on for more — including this fantastic Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad with Air Fryer Tofu Tataki. I know you’re going to love it.