Cool, green and just gorgeous, too

Sometimes it’s too hot to cook but your body is craving more for dinner than just cold vegetables. On those days, shrimp is a particularly enticing alternative to proteins that require more firepower.

Back around the time when we were all worried that eggs were going to give us all early heart attacks, we also were told that shrimp were full of cholesterol. As so often happens in the world of nutrition, a new study has shown that eating shrimp is not, in fact, bad for your heart and is actually (probably) good for it.

Now, let’s be perfectly honest here. There is cholesterol in shrimp. But unlike eggs, you’re probably not going to eat shrimp every morning or even once a week.

So on those days when you eat shrimp, keep in mind that if you eat  3 ounces of shrimp (which is not a lot), you are within the daily recommended limit. And if you eat more than that (and you probably will), just limit your cholesterol intake from other sources for the next day or so. Have a bowl of fruit for breakfast the next day, for example, instead of eating eggs.

Cucumber and shrimp salad

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from ‘Into the Vietnamese Kitchen’

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about two limes); 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar;  3 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 tablespoons water; 1 Thai or serrano chile, finely chopped

Salad

2 pounds English cucumbers;  1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded;  2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 pound cooked shrimp; 1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, and crushed in a mortar

To make the dressing, combine ingredients and set aside to develop the flavors.

For the salad, trim the ends of each cucumber, and then halve lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to remove the seeds from each half. Cut the halves crosswise into angled slices a scant 1/8-inch thick. Then put the cucumbers and carrot in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and sugar, mix and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain the cucumbers and carrot in a colander and place under cold running water to rinse off as much salt and sugar as possible.

This part seems excessive but it’s essential: Working in batches, wring out excess moisture in a lint-free dish towel. Position a mound of the vegetables in the center, roll it up in the towel, then twist the ends in opposite directions to force out the liquid. Repeat several times, until you have extracted a substantial amount of water from the cucumber without completely crushing it. Set aside.

Place the shrimp in a colander and rinse with cold running water, then press gently to drain well. You can split the shrimp lengthwise. Then combine with the vegetables.

Just before serving, add the peanuts and sesame seeds and toss to distribute evenly. Strain the dressing over the salad (to remove the bits of chile) and toss again and serve. Traditionally, this dish includes slivered pork and chicken, but certainly in summer, it’s dandy with just shrimp.

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