Japanese Shrimp and Noodle Salad
By: Anonymous
Published: Thursday, December 3, 2009 - 11:37pm

Ingredients




1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sesame oil divided
1/4 cup water
2 pkt fresh yakisoba noodles - (5.6 oz) see * Note
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 Japanese cucumber halved lengthwise,
peeled, sliced
1 celery stalk cut 1/2" slices
1 carrot shredded
1 cup lengthwise cut pea pods in strips
1 tomato halved, and
inch cut  thin slices
1/2 pound cooked shrimp peeled
(or lobster or crab meat)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste or to taste
3 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger root
Salt to taste
Freshly-cracked black pepper to taste

Preparation

1 * Note: Yakisoba noodles, usually sold in refrigerated packets of three, can be found at well-stocked supermarkets and at Asian markets. Wasabi and mirin also can be found in these stores. 2 Toast the sesame seeds in a small nonstick skillet until lightly browned, about 1 minute, watching carefully so they don't burn. Remove them from the skillet, placing on a paper towel to cool. 3 Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and the water in a skillet to a simmer. Add the noodles (discard the seasoning packets) and cover loosely to steam the noodles, about 1 minute. Uncover and stir the noodles, spreading them around the pan until they have separated and are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and let cool. 4 Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces to measure 4 cups and place in a large bowl. Stir in the cucumber, celery, carrot, pea pods and tomato. Toss in the noodles, shrimp and sesame seeds. 5 For the salad dressing, combine the rice vinegar, the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, mirin, soy sauce, wasabi, garlic and ginger. 6 Pour over the greens and noodles and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the salad with salt and pepper to taste. 7 This recipe yields 4 servings.