Last week, I had lunch with my editor and my literary agent. We met to discuss the success of the Inspiralized cookbook (yay!) and also, to toast to the news that I became a New York Times Bestselling author!
We went to Barbounia, one of my favorite dinner restaurants (I had never been for lunch.) I was so blown away by the Chopped Salad that I had to recreate it, using the Inspiralizer!
Barbounia is a Mediterranean restaurant in New York that always has something healthy to choose (sometimes, it’s difficult to choose there are so many options!) – you can dip cucumber slices into hummus or you can indulge in flash fried cauliflower.
The Chopped Salad is typically diced tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions with parsley, fresh mint, a lemon-tahini dressing and sumac, a spice (you can substitute paprika, if you can’t find sumac.)
What really is the literal cherry on top is that lemon-tahini dressing – it’s creamy, smooth and so flavorful. As a nut and seed butter addict, tahini-based dressings are my jam.
Instead of using diced cucumbers, I spiralized them! I found that cucumber noodles take longer to eat and are more satisfying than the diced variety. They also look very pretty!
I found out some other exciting news during that meeting and I can’t wait to spill the beans! Life is just so full of happiness right now, I’m trying not to blink, as not to miss a beat!
What are some of the best restaurant meals you’ve ever had?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 10 points
Lemon-Tahini Cucumber Noodles with Shrimp
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 large English/seedless cucumber
- 2 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons minced mint
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/3 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac or paprika
- For the shrimp:
- 8 large or 12 small shrimp defrosted, peeled, deveined
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
- salt and pepper
- For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons water to thin
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients for the dressing into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust to your preference, if needed. Set aside.
- Slice the cucumber halfway lengthwise and then spiralize it. Pat the noodles dry with paper towels and then place in a large mixing bowl, along with the tomato, mint, parsley and onion. Set aside.
- Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add in the oil. Once oil heats, add in the shrimp and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes, flip over and cook another 2 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
- Transfer the cucumber mixture to a plate, top with dressing and then shrimp. Sprinkle over with sumac (or paprika) and enjoy.
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