Dinner of the Week: Asian Shrimp Noodle Salad

I've been cooking with nothing but shrimp lately!  Evan and I are trying our best to cut back on calories by eliminating red meats and chicken, trying more vegetarian recipes, and cooking with fish and shrimp and whenever possible.  I absolutely love shrimp, so I don't feel like I'm dieting at all when I include them with our dinner!

Here is a delicious and healthy Asian Shrimp Noodle Salad that I found on Food Network.  It took all of 20 minutes to prepare and was light and summery.  The recipe suggested to grill the shrimp, but it was raining the night I decided to make this.  Next time, I'll try it on the grill!

Asian Shrimp Noodle Salad

Courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients:

- 14 ounces flat rice noodles

- 1/2 cup lime juice

- 1/3 cup fish sauce

- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

- 2 cloves garlic, pressed

- 1-2 teaspoons Sambal or Sriracha sauce

- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1 medium bunch asparagus, trimmed

- 1 carrot, shredded

- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

If using frozen shrimp, toss them into a colander and rinse them under cold water for five minutes.  Peel off the shells once they are thawed.

Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, Sriracha, and 1/3 cup water in a medium bowl.  I have a hopeless addiction to both Sambal and Sriracha sauce, so I ended up using about five teaspoons of it without telling my husband.  He didn't notice the heat too much in the final product, so all was well!

Clean, trim, and chop up the asparagus.  Transfer 1/4 cup of the marinade into another bowl and toss with the asparagus.  Let the asparagus marinate for approximately 10 minutes.

Toss another 1/4 cup of the marinade into a third bowl with the peeled shrimp.  Let the shrimp, too, marinate for approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil on the stove.  Add the rice noodles.  Cook until al dente -- approximately five to seven minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add some olive oil to the pan and toss in the shrimp and asparagus.  Cook both, stirring frequently, until the asparagus becomes tender and the shrimp turn bright pink.

Drain the noodles and place them into the bowl with the original marinade.  Shred a full carrot and mince a handful of cilantro.  Toss the carrot and cilantro into the bowl and mix well.

Once the shrimp and asparagus are cooked, add them into the bowl and stir until evenly mixed.  Serve immediately in single-serving bowls.

Enjoy!

Evan and I loved this noodle salad.  It was warm and flavorful.  It filled us up quickly, but we didn't feel stuffed.  The lime-cilantro mixture was delicious -- it was sweet and tangy with just a tinge of heat.

This recipe is definitely a keeper.  Hope you'll like it, too!

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