From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The heat wave here has broken and we are again enjoying the more temperate weather that this area is known for. It is, in a word, beautiful. The days are pleasantly warm, but once the sun sets we cool down quickly. When the temperatures soared, I pulled out some of the recipes I used when we were living in Illinois and New Jersey. Summers in both areas could be unpleasantly warm, and this recipe and others like it were a godsend on hot nights when I was working. I should be ashamed to admit it, but when this was on the menu, I'd stop to pick up steamed shrimp and carry-out rice to make short work of the meal. Once home, I spread the rice on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer for a quick cool down. It took all of five minutes to make the dressing and once it was done, I'd combine it with shrimp, cucumbers and rice and give it all a good toss. The salad went back into the freezer for another half hour to chill a bit more before before serving. It was a light, easy and delicious meal for blistering summer nights. It still is. While it's not necessary, I try to use day old rice to make this salad. The rice has more substance and holds it shape better than fresh rice when tossed. I'm not a fan of mayonnaise, so I've dressed the salad with oil and vinegar to cut back a bit on calories. I also use garden cucumbers, but remove the seeds before chopping and adding to the salad. The recipe can be doubled to feed a crowd or halved to feed just one or two, and you can, of course, substitute brown rice for white. I think you will like this easy summer entree. Here's the recipe.
Shrimp and Rice Salad with Cucumbers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or red onion
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 pound cooked shrimps, shelled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise
Dressing
Juice and julienned strips of peel from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1) Place rice, shallots, cucumber, shrimp and lemon zest in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
2) Mash garlic and salt in bottom of a small bowl. Add mustard, lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Whisk to combine.
3) Pour dressings over salad and toss gently to mix. Add pepper and parsley and toss again. Chill slightly. Yield: 4 servings.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Thai Tuna Salad - One Perfect Bite
Asian Chicken or Shrimp Salad - One Perfect Bite
Curried Turkey Salad - One Perfect Bite
Grilled Chicken Salad with Spicy Pineapple Dressing - For the Love of Cooking
Thai Beef Salad - The Cooking Addicts
Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette - Sauce and Sensibility
