Shrimp and Shirataki Salad with Thai Flavors

If you love noodles/pasta but are trying to avoid excess calories and carbs, give shirataki noodles a try! These noodles come prepacked in liquid, and just need to be drained and rinsed, and then can be used in place of cooked pasta. They don’t really have much of a flavor of their own, but make a great vehicle for your favorite marinara, a low fat alfredo, or other pasta sauce. You can also marinate them as I do in this recipe, they’ll soak up lots of delicious flavor. They also work wonderfully in Asian soups, so try them in miso soup, too!

For dieters they really are a godsend, and can be used to make a lot of fun and interesting meals with virtually none of pasta’s calories or carbs. Read here for more about Shirataki noodles and where to buy online if they aren’t available near you.  In my neck of the woods (central NJ) you can get them at any of the local asian markets.

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Splenda granular
• 1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce
• 10 ounces cooked shrimp
• 7 ounces shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together fish sauce, water, lime juice, Splenda, and sriracha sauce. Add shrimp and shirataki noodles and stir to coat. Marinate several hours or overnight.
2. To assemble salads, arrange spinach on 2 plates, and top with cucumbers, tomatoes and red pepper.
3. Using tongs, lift the shirataki and shrimp from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip away, and divide between the two salads.
4. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and mint on top of finished salads.

Makes 2 servings

Per serving: 217 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 237 mg cholesterol, 15 g total carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 33 g protein, 525 mg sodium.