With Memorial Day weekend upon us, I wanted to post another healthy side dish option for you to balance out the carb and mayo laden dishes you're sure to face at BBQ's.  Don't get me wrong, I love carbs and mayo, but I also like to have some balance.

Before I get to the recipe, if you're still looking for other healthy side dish ideas, check out these salads Spinach, Fruit and Cheese Salad, Balsamic Strawberry Couscous Salad, Honey Mustard Cole Slaw, Black Bean and Corn Salad and Knock-off Tabbouleh.  And while I'm at it, this Strawberry Shortcake would make a great dessert if you're still searching for one.

When I made the Shrimp and Peas Pasta Salad I had a hard time thinking of what to serve with it.  While it could stand on it's own, I need some variety in my meal.  Since it already contained protein, vegetables, starch and fat, I was stumped.

I recalled the last bunch of radishes I threw away and challenged myself to use them up here.  While we like radishes, they aren't our preferred vegetable so they tend to get pushed to the bottom of the produce drawer.  Once they land there, they sit there, for weeks.  Then I can't figure out what's at the bottom of the produce drawer, and that's not pretty.  I wasn't going to let that happen again.

Enter this pickled salad for which I had all the ingredients on hand.  I added red onion and this became a perfect accompaniment to the pasta salad, ever so slightly sweet without the pungency of raw onion.  This is a very refreshing salad that I can see making again this summer to balance out the starchy, mayo laden, summer salads.  I may play around with it by adding some fresh herbs as well.

This was better the 2nd day, so I would recommend you make it the night before you plan to serve it.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thin radish slices
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced