Recipe: Cucumber Sesame Noodles

I don't know about you, but when it's hot as hell the last thing I want to do is stand in the kitchen and cook (and then eat) something hot. I'm all about salads in the summer, but they can get boring really fast (luckily for you I have a cookbook coming out in September with lots of exciting recipes!), so I whipped up these raw cucumber noodles with a Paleo sesame vinaigrette.

I love cucumber noodles because you don't have to cook them and they're a great alternative to zucchini noodles (which you can also eat raw but I usually don't). These are great on their own as a quick snack or in lieu of greens as the base to almost any salad--I'd love it with some chicken or shrimp on top.

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice or red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Thai garlic chili paste
1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

Wash and spiralize the cucumber (I use a hand-held one like this but I really want one like this) and place the noodles in a bowl.
In a small dish, combine sesame oil, vinegar, and garlic chili paste. Mix well and dress the noodles with it. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy.