A savoury cocktail with shrimp and bell peppers

Shrimp cocktail is a seafood dish made with a tomato dressing and generally they are served chilled in a martini glass. I tasted them for the first time in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and I am in love with it since then. When I saw a similar recipe in the South Beach diet book, I was more than excited to try it right away. Days are getting hotter and hotter in California. The hot weather makes us crave for any dish that is cold. Shrimp cocktail is one such perfect snack to munch on a hot summer day. The dipping sauce is creamy and the mild sweetness from the red bell pepper blends wonderfully with the spicy hot sauce. The juicy shrimp coated with the delicious sauce is a treat for the mouth. The addition of chilli flakes and lemon juice is my version of the dish. The original recipe doesn't need them. Next time, I will try to add cilantro too as we are a big fan to it.

Serves 2

Ingredients

20-30 shrimp - I used frozen ones from Costco

1 large red bell pepper

2-3 tablespoon sour cream - I used the fat free ones

1 large garlic clove

1-2 teaspoon hot sauce or 1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil/ any oil of your choice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large wok. Once the oil ripples, throw in the cleaned and de-veined shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Drain any water and let the shrimp cool.

Grind the bell pepper, sour cream, garlic, hot sauce/ chili flakes, salt and pepper to a fine paste. Don't add water. 

Chill the sauce and shrimp in the refrigerator until you serve.

 

Pour the sauce onto a martini glass and place the shrimp along the edges of the glass or you could serve them in a bowl as I did in the photograph.

TIP

1. Shrimp cocktail is an ideal snack for phase 1 of South beach diet.

2. You can definitely eat them in your phase 2 and 3 as well.