Robyn's mobileFRIENDLY Recipe - Cucumber, Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

Robyn Keller, mobileWOMEN.org Contributor & Outreach Coordinator

I come from a family of foodies so it was natural for me to want to cook.  I am a c6-7 quad and married to another quad. It's important to both of us to eat healthy but can be a challenge.  What better way than to cook our own food? With my limited hand use, I knew if I was going to cook, I would need to be creative.  So over the years I’ve found some helpful tools and great recipes that taste wonderful yet are simple to make.

I find this the best time of year to create flavorful dishes with a bounty of healthy vegetables to choose from. When planning meals, utilize some of the fantastic local produce that is in season – it’s inexpensive and super-fresh. YUM! If you have your own garden, you probably are buried in tomatoes and cucumbers right now so here is a recipe for a refreshing salad with some tips for those with limited hand function: 

Cucumber, Tomato, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

2 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced

1 Pint Grape Tomatoes, halved (You can also try the yellow cherry tomatoes which are actually orange when they are ripe. They are delicious bursts of sweetness!)

1 cup Mini Fresh Mozzarella Balls (perfect bite-sized pieces - no cutting required!)

Handful of Fresh Basil, sliced

Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Peel and seed the cucumbers. I find that using a melon baller works great to remove the seeds. If that is too difficult, you can use an English Cucumber (this usually comes wrapped in plastic) or there are baby cucumbers that you don’t even need to peel. 

Then slice the cucumbers to your desired size. I use my Norco Universal Quad Cuff to hold my knife. 

Next cut the tomatoes in half, I like using a serrated knife for this step. Put your cut up vegetables in a serving dish then add your fresh mozzarella. 

I make my own vinaigrette using Good Seasons and their wonderful cruet. You can get the cruet free with the purchase of the packets of Good Season. I use balsamic vinegar and I add 1 tablespoon of Organic Honey to the vinegar before adding the seasoning and oil. Shake it up good a pour the desired amount over the vegetables and cheese mixture. Chill!

Before serving I slice up a handful of Fresh Basil and add it to the salad.  This way the basil won’t turn brown before serving.

Hope you enjoy this  latest addition to my Mobile-Friendly Recipes!

Robyn Keller is the Outreach coordinator and a committee member of mobileWOMEN.org. See videos of Robyn's cooking tips and adaptive cooking tools on mobileWOMEN.org's Youtube channel.

If you have a mobileFriendly recipe that you would like to share, please e-mail us at info@mobilewomen.org.