Oriental Dressing
1/4 cup light vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
Mix ingredients together and set aside.
Noodles
8 ounces udon noodles or linguine
1 tablespoon light vegetable oil
Cook noodles according to the directions on the package and rinse with cold water. Lightly toss with vegetable oil and set aside.
Bell Peppers and Salad Greens
2 red bell peppers
1 cup mixed lettuce leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil, leaves only
1/4 cup cilantro, leaves only
1/8 chopped mint
salt and pepper to taste
Roast and peel peppers. Cut in strips and set aside. Mix salad greens and herbs together and set aside.
Just before frying the shrimp, arrange the noodles, the bell peppers, and the salad greens in layers on 4 salad plates.
Tempura Shrimp
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/8 cup baking powder
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 cup cold water
2 cups vegetable oil or more (for frying)
12 large shrimp, tails on, peeled and deveined
In a bowl sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper together. Gradually add enough cold water to make a thin pancake-style batter. Chill until ready to use.
Heat the cooking oil to 340 to 350 degrees. Dip the shrimp in batter, holding by the tail, and place carefully in vegetable oil. Fry 2 minutes (1 minute per side if not completely immersed in oil), or until lightly brown. Drain on paper towels. If preparing more than one batch, keep the cooked shrimp warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to use.
Arrange shrimp on top of prepared salads and drizzle plates with dressing. Serves 4.
