Shrimp and Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing

My favorite thing about this recipe for Shrimp and Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing is that is uses pre-cooked shrimp. There a SO MANY times I have leftover shrimp OR I buy the wrong bag of frozen shrimp and accidentally pick up pre-cooked... in addition to that, this recipe also uses other "pre-made" items like packaged coleslaw mix and store bought teriyaki sauce which makes it super easy.

I know it is December, and this recipe was taken from the May, 2008 issue of Food and Wine Magazine, but this noodle salad is so yummy that you can eat it anytime during the year. It's served room temperature, which is "cold" to some people so I can imagine it being nice during the summer. That and the original article I found it in was for "picnic salads" so known as a good dish to prepare ahead of time and travel well. However, we had it for a light dinner (in December) and enjoyed it thoroughly. I even have leftovers for work tomorrow.

The only downside to this recipe is that slicing shrimp "lengthwise" isn't as easy as you would think.

Shrimp and Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing 4 to 6 servings 7 ounces dried udon noodles or fettuccine (fettuccine broken in half) 12 ounces shredded coleslaw mix 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced 1 cup cilantro leaves 3/4 pound cooked medium shrimp, halved lengthwise 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic sauce 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt Lime wedges, for serving

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water. pat dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions, cilantro and shrimp.

In a blender, combine the teriyaki sauce with the ginger and chile-garlic sauce and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the vegetable oil in a thin stream and puree until the dressing is emulsified. Season lightly with salt. Add the dressing to the bowl with the udon n oodles and toss well. Serve the noodle salad with lime wedges on the side.