Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Asian slaw salad with shrimp

The other day I was searching for something to eat for lunch. I decided on salad. However my salad idea was thwarted by my lack of lettuce. I did however have a head of cabbage. I didn't want cole slaw, this was lunch, not a side dish.

The thought of slaw got me thinking about Chinese chicken salad, a favorite at potlucks and family gatherings. Its basically a sweet dressing over cole slaw mix with fried ramen noodles and a bit of chicken. Not the healthiest of salads but it sure is good! I could cast my Kitchen Witch spell over this one, its overdue for a face lift anyway!

I decided that the dressing needed to have more acidy and less syrupy sweetness. An easy fix, I upped the vinegar and lowered the sugar content. A dash of crushed red pepper flakes add a mild spice and the clove of garlic scents the dressing. This dressing was starting to take on a more grown up feel. I kept the salad pretty basic, added a bit of crunchy celery and removed the ramen noodles which keeps it on this side of healthy. Almonds were standard in the original and I didn't see any reason to omit them either. Rather than chicken I went with salad sized shrimp, I found them on sale for $2 a bag and was looking for a place to use them.

This salad looks and tastes delicious in its grown up version. I hope you enjoy it too.

Asian slaw with shrimp salad
makes 2 servings
1/2 head cabbage sliced very thin
1 carrot shredded
2 stalks celery sliced thin
small bunch chives (about 15 stems) minced
1/4 c almonds, chopped
sprinkle sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/2 c White Wine vinegar
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic smashed

Small salad shrimp, 1 oz per person

Make dressing by dissolving the sugar in the vinegar. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and boil for 4-5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.

Remove garlic clove and discard. Add about 1/4 c oil to the vinegar mixture. Shake well to emulsify.



Salad prep:
Shred cabbage and carrot. Add sliced celery and chives, toss well to distribute evenly. Add 2 T dressing and toss again, this will help soften the cabbage slightly.

Place slaw on a plate, top with almonds and sesame seeds. Add shrimp and drizzle additional dressing over top.

Nutrition Facts Asian style dressing provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 176.7
Total Fat 14.0 g
Saturated Fat 1.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.2 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 931.9 mg
Potassium 25.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.7 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 13.2 g
Protein 0.5 g

Nutrition Facts for Asian slaw with shrimp salad provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138.2
Total Fat 1.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 55.3 mg
Sodium 245.1 mg
Potassium 1,265.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24.3 g
Dietary Fiber 10.1 g
Sugars 1.4 g
Protein 11.7 g

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmm this would be lovely and crunchy and filling too. Thanks!

Lorraine said...

Yummy! That looks very tasty..very different..love it!

Jessica said...

this sounds SO good! It's totally on my menu for next week! :)

tasteofbeirut said...

I have had some cabbage languishing in the fridge for days; that's a great idea for a salad! Super tasty.

Unknown said...

I just love Asian flavors! This slaw salad looks fantastic, Andrea!

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