Spicy Thai Cucumber Salad

I found this when looking for South Beach Diet friendly receipes and made a few minor changes. It is a treat that must be eaten as soon as you make it though because the mint will overtake the other flavors if you try to make keep it for a longer than a day. You could leave the mint out until ready to serve. For another variation use cilantro instead of mint.

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 2  seedless European cucumber or 4  fresh garden cucumbers
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped of fresh mint
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped peanuts

• dressing

• 1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• 1  teaspoon Tabasco jalapeno sauce
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons garlic paste (or ground garlic found in Asian food stores)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cut ends off cucumbers, then cut off the peel, leaving thin strips of peel in stripes along the cucumber. Cut striped cucumbers in half lengthwise, then in 1/2 inch slices.
2. Wash mint, dry well and chop coarsely.
3. Coarsely chop peanuts.
4. Mix dressing ingredients.
5. Combine chopped mint and cucumbers in plastic bowl with a snap on lid, pour dressing over, put lid on and shake a few times so cucumbers and mint are completely coated with dressing.
6. Pour into serving bowl, season with salt and pepper if desired, sprinkle chopped peanuts over and serve immediately.