Cucumber lemon juice is a refreshing and hydrating drink – perfect for summer. It’s also dyuretic and low in calories, so it’s recommended in weight loss diets.

I learnt this recipe from my friend Fernando Carrizales, Venezuelan photographer, as well as nature lover (sadly passed away in 2015). You can enjoy some of his work in the article “fair-trade cacao for our plant milks”, as pictures were taken by him.

Before starting this recipe, I recommend you checking out this post, where we explain, step-by-step, how to make veggie juices with Vegan Milker, as well as some tips and tricks to get them perfect every time.

Once you’ve seen the true potential of Vegan Milker, which you can not only use to make plant milks, but juices as well, you can start preparing this lovely juice. It’s super wasy to make, and the pulp can be upcycled to make a delicious Greek sauce or as a beauty mask.

Ingredients:

• 1 Big cucumber
• Juice from one lemon
• 100 ml. Water (optional: it can be added to take away a bit of the zing from the lemon or to make the cucumber pulp easier to blend)

Instructions:

1. Wash the cucumber, peel it and cut it into small slices.
2.  Fill the jar from your Vegan Milker with the lemon juice (and water, if you’re using it too)
3.  Add the cucumber bits in batches, so it’s easier to blend.
4.  Squeeze the last droplets of juice with the mortar and enjoy the juice!

The remaining pulp can be used in many different ways. I love making tzatziki with it . so refreshing for the summer! And it’s lovely used as a facial mask as well. No need to throw anything away!

Tzatziki recipe:

Tzatziki is a refreshing yogurt sauce which is lovely to have during the summer, as a side for veggie burgers or salad or to dip some nachos.

Ingredients:

• Pulp from making the lemon cucumber juice
• 200 ml natural organiz yogurt*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tbsp. Fresh minced mint (or 1 tbsp. Dry)
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt and pepper to taste

*It’s best to use Greek yogurt, since the higher fat content makes for a creamier sauce. If you don’t have full-fat yogurt on hand, you can strain the buttermilk to make it creamier.

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle some salt to the remaining pulp so it starts releasing extra water.
2. In the meantime, mix 200ml of yogurt, 1 tbsp. of oil, the garlic clove, mint, salt and pepper in a bowl. You can also add some lemon juice to add some extra zest.
3. Now, add the cucumber pulp and mix everything together by hand or using a blender.
4. Let it chill in the fridge.

Cucumber lemon face mask

Cucumber juice aids in the production of collagen to make the skin plumper. Used in this mask, it helps hydrate the skin, and it’s also brilliant to heal sunburn.

You can use the remaining pulp from making the juice to make a quick mask. Feel free to add some honey or egg white to make it easier to spread.

After applying to the face, wait 20 minutes and rinse with water.

Happy summer!