It’s time to take cucumbers out of your iceberg salad with bottled dressing and let it shine on its own. Farmers markets have baskets full of fresh, local cucumbers and you’ll be surprised at the crisp refreshing flavor.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the season’s bounty. Here are just a few.
Tzatziki, a Greek cucumber and yogurt dip; cucumber and onion salad; and of course cucumbers are an integral ingredient in a classic Greek Salad. The best thing about all three of these recipes is that they can be made in minutes and are a cool treat on a hot summer evening.
Tzatziki -
- 2 cups Greek yogurt (or strain regular yogurt through a coffee filter until it thickens). If your yogurt isn’t thick, the end dish will be too watery.
- 1 large cucumber, finely chopped. Also let this drain on a coffee filter or paper towel.
- Mix together yogurt and cucumber, add salt and pepper to taste, crushed garlic cloves (1 to 4 depending on your preference) and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. The vinegar punches up all the other flavors and pulls the dish together. At this point you can add some finely chopped fresh mint or dill.
- This can be eaten immediately but it is better if you let it sit in the refrigerator and let the flavors really blend.
- Serve as a dip with carrot and celery sticks or warm pita bread or chips. Also tasty as a spread on hamburgers or with grilled fish.
Cucumber and Onion Salad -
This one can be a light refreshing salad with just a few ingredients or can be kicked up with more spices.
- Slice cucumbers and either a red or Vidalia onion.
- For a light salad, mix together ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, a pinch of honey or sugar, and salt to taste.
- Toss all ingredients together and let chill for 30 minutes.
For slightly more complex flavors:
- For the dressing, mix together 1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce; ¼ cup rice wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon honey; 1/2 cup sesame oil, chili flakes and a drop of chili oil.
- Toss with cucumbers and onions, and finish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
Classic Greek Salad -
This traditional salad uses all the season’s freshest vegetables. Don’t even bother making it with hot-house tomatoes, only fresh vine-ripe tomatoes will do.
- Cut cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers into bite sized chunks.
- Slice a sweet onion.
- Add kalamata olives and feta cheese.
- For the dressing, mix ¼ cup EV olive oil; ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 crushed garlic clove, and chopped fresh oregano or dill. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve at room temperature with crusty bread to sop up the juices.
Comments
The 101 Dumbest Moments In Business 2003 EDITION Whiffed pitch No. 6: blatant stereotyping. By Mark Athitakis April 1, 2003 (Business 2.0)– GRAND PRIZE WINNER, DUMBEST MOMENT OF 2002 Which leads to the question, Who is Chicken Man? & Why were whole fried chickens selected?
In September, insurance company AmeriChoice brings trucks to blighted neighborhoods in New York City and gives away coupons for "free chickens" as an incentive for the underprivileged to switch their Medicare coverage. New York state senator Carl Kruger files a complaint with the state attorney general. The 101 Dumbest Moments In Business 2003 EDITION - April 1, 2003 Apr 1, 2003 ... Just don't tell him about the "Chinese health balls." ..... In September, insurance company AmeriChoice brings trucks to blighted ... New York state senator Carl Kruger files a complaint with the state attorney general..... Falling on his sword, Welch announces he'll give up most of the perks,...2009 and 2010 $120,000 from your tax dollars.
Philadelphia PA Mayor Nutter received two years in a row $60,000 checks to help keep open and operate the city swimming pools. These checks came from AmeriChoice Health and on the surface seems like fine gifts. Yet, they are Bribes non the less, these checks come from a company who receives all its money from the Federal Government as a vendor for Medicare Medicaid services is not allowed to offer bribes kickbacks and money gifts of any kind in order to promote its share or induce its share of the market place. This is not allowed as a use of your taxpayers dollars, yet it happens.What does it really cost the City of Philadelphia to receive this money? Americhoice Health has a long history of corruption over the years yet seems to be protected by those who are responsible to over see their actions why is that? PS... Did the Mayor send for Chicken Man or was he approached by Chicken Man? The Mystery Widens! Can Chicken Man save the Liabraries?
CEO of AmeriChoice Health Bolts.. Was that Chicken Man? John J. Kirchner - Director, Operations John Kirchner joined Healthfirst in May 2010 with over 25 years experience in health care management. Mr. Kirchner’s background includes responsibility for health plan P&L, strategic planning and operations, and government and regulatory affairs. Mr. Kirchner will be responsible for supporting all aspects of NJ health plan operations. Prior to joining Healthfirst, Mr. Kirchner held a variety of positions at AmeriChoice of New Jersey serving as President from 2007 through 2009.
Will this mystery man or woman or chicken ever be caught? Will the "secret eggs" given out to housing authority officers Clinics, Doctors and whoever, make it into through that crispy crust prepared by their Home Office Line Chefs?. Will the Doctors who collected all those extra eggs for sharing thier patients recipes with the Home Office Line Chefs ever really be rewarded? Will the Great Head Chef Chicken Man or whomever that directed and approved all to avoid, overlook the rules, laws and regulations Menu, ever be really compensated for their true worth or will Salmonella remain the dish served for Medicare and Mediciad Industry.
PS Is the Chicken Man a Blues Brothers Wanna B??? HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY PROFITS IN 2007:A Whole lot Of Chicken
UnitedHealth Group — $ 4.654 BILLION. UnitedHealth Group owns Oxford, PacifiCare, IBA, AmeriChoice, Evercare, Ovations, MAMSI and Ingenix, a healthcare data company ans a lot of others.
Doctors Group Sues AmeriChoice TOM WILEMON | The Daily News
Mid-South Imaging & Therapeutics PA, a hospital-based group of more than 30 radiologists, has filed suit against AmeriChoice, accusing the insurance company of “unfair and deceptive trade practices.” The complaint, filed last week in Shelby County Chancery Court, according to The Daily News online, www.memphisdailynews.com, alleges the insurance company made a “phantom offer” to the state in regard to doing business with Mid-South Imaging.
“Because AmeriChoice has not had an opportunity to review Mid-South’s lawsuit and its allegations, we are not in a position to comment at this time,” said Roger Rollman, a spokesman for AmeriChoice. AmeriChoice is one of two companies the state is contracted with to provide TennCare coverage in West Tennessee. The doctors from Mid-South Imaging provide radiology services to patients of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp.
The lawsuit comes after back-and-forth negotiations between the physicians group, the state and the insurance company, which is a division of United Healthcare of Tennessee. The insurance companies are owned by parent company United Health Group Inc. The complaint alleges that AmeriChoice is paying only 50 percent to 55 percent of the lowest rate paid by any other “equivalent network provider,” which in this case is Medicare. Daniel Van Horn, the lawyer representing Mid-South Imaging (MSIT), wrote about the negotiations in the complaint. “Beginning in January 2009, MSIT complained to the state about AmeriChoice’s failure to make any serious offer,” Van Horn stated. “The state responded to the MSIT complaint by talking with AmeriChoice. AmeriChoice falsely told the state that it had made an offer to MSIT in the range of 78 percent of Medicare – a phantom offer that was significantly higher than the 50 percent to 55 percent offer that it actually made.
“Upon learning of the alleged significantly higher offer as reported to the state by AmeriChoice, MSIT wrote AmeriChoice a letter dated June 11, 2009, offering to enter into a contract with MSIT at the originally offered shockingly low 50 percent to 55 percent reimbursement rate.” The physicians group cannot refuse to take AmeriChoice because it provides radiology services to a hospital, according to the complaint. MSIT is seeking compensatory damages, a declaratory judgment that AmeriChoice’s actions constitute “unfair or deceptive trade practice” and an injunction against the insurance company in relation to its reimbursement rates.
The Players and whats up for grabs. Profits United Health Group 2010 $4.293 billion
Here are some other 2010 budget numbers: Wonder what it cost CMS ( Can't Manage Shit) to operate each year. $453 billion Medicare/// $290 billion Medicaid ///$78.7 billion Department of Health and Human Services/// UnitedHealth Group Awarded TRICARE Managed Care Support Contract ... Jul 13, 2009 ... UnitedHealth Group Awarded TRICARE Managed Care Support Contract for more than $20.3 billion. BILLIONS awarded and still to be awarded United's AmeriChoice unit is the largest government contractor administering state Medicaid programs for the poor and federally sponsored plans for children. AmeriChoice's revenue rose 34% last year, to $6 billion.
United Health Group and its subsidiarys must be exhausted from signing Corporate Integrity agreements each and every year and as reward for their violations well what happens? they are awarded more contracts and more money and maybe even an ambassadorship here and there and if anybody should question what the heck is going on, then send them a Elmo doll. (Americhoice sponsors Sesame Street) Up side, Billions to be made, down side pay some fines (cost of doing business) move on and nobody goes to jail or gets excluded from the game. Get up the next day put on your Elmo costume and its back to work as usual. WOW, even in the Casino world or Mob world this would be a no no, suprised Hollywood has not done a movie on this or maybe even great TV.
Full Name: Wayne Berman Title: Vice-Chair; Finance Co-Chair; Adviser
Over the course of three years, Berman’s lobbying firm was paid $660,000 to lobby on behalf of UnitedHealth subsidiary Americhoice, a managed care HMO providing health insurance to Medicaid, Medicare, and SCHIP recipients. Specifically, according to the lobbying report, they lobbied on Medicaid issues in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. [Americhoice Lobbying Reports 2004 – 2007; Americhoice.com] Berman Also Lobbied For “Absurdly Low” Rates for Medicaid Managed Care Companies to Pay Out of Network Hospitals. Also included in the DRA, and mentioned as a lobbying issue on Berman’s Americhoice lobbying report, was a provision setting rates managed care companies must pay to out-of-network providers -- mainly hospital emergency rooms -- for care received by Medicaid beneficiaries. Rather than forcing managed care companies to reimburse out-of-network hospitals an amount comparable to network providers, the legislation set the default amount to the state’s “fee-for-service rate,” which often is “absurdly low.” The provision thereby shifted financial responsibility for services to Medicaid beneficiaries from the managed care companies to the hospitals themselves, permitting managed care companies to rake in huge profits, while hospitals incurred added losses. [Modern Healthcare, 1/29/07; Text of S. 1932] To Save Money, Bill Cut Services to Medicaid Beneficiaries, But Left Managed Care Providers Untouched. Under the final budget package, substantial Medicaid spending cuts were achieved by imposing new premiums and increased co-payments on Medicaid beneficiaries; some costs were also shifted to the states, who in return were awarded new powers to drop coverage or reduce benefits to certain beneficiaries. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the AARP CEO decried the final bill, saying it “protects the pharmaceutical industry, the managed-care industry and other providers at the expense of low-income Medicaid beneficiaries.” [Inside CMS, 12/29/05; Los Angeles Times, 12/22/05; World Markets Analysis, 12/21/05; The Hill, 12/20/05]
Election Year Medicaid Medicare Inducement issues left open for November not openly discussed.Politics have gone from heated to man on fire thoughts. Also the Judicial dilemmas, since all are offically allowed to bear arms again, the big city Mayors are concerned about how the poor will be able to rearm themselves, and are looking for some type of financial relief from Federal State Medicaid programs to maintain their status quo.The higher courts face tough issues this term since making honest fraud legal, there agenda now turns toward making honest kickbacks and honest bribes equally as legal. This topic remains high as a shared issue by the medicaid medicare enrollment providers since they are looking to expand inducements past the complicated pregnancy stage.
The DOJ has serious concerns that if legalized marijuana in California for medical reasons could be used as a inducement or inticement to help secure new enrollments for the Federal State Medicare Medicaid programs.The State of California is concerned that if the Feds step up their effort in killing off the marijuana crops it could cause higher tax problems that effect Medicaid currently under consideration by the State 'marijuana tax control board'. Limo drivers cancel their planned Medicaid Cuts DC rally and leave for California to protect this years crop. Wow, don't think I would like to be in Politics for this years elections. Govenor Schwarzenegger indicated that if the Tea Partys membership keeps holding their rallies at our Marijuana burning fields they will have to be taxed for their free use of inhalants, prior to having them bused back to Arizona. Senator Mccain wants the deportation of illegal Mexicans to stop immediatley claims their State has gone to POT and insists California return his landscapers at once.
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