Rush-Hour Gourmet

Should you decide to forgo the bread in this shrimp salad sandwich, you'll be just as satisfied with this recipe as a main-course salad. I know this because I've become addicted to the salad since I first happened on the combination of sweet shrimp, spicy sausage, and soft bitter greens.

Makes six servings

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

for the salad:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup large uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp, halved lengthwise

1 piece (4 ounces) Spanish (smoked) chorizo, cut into thin slices

1 package (5 ounces) baby arugula

4 ounces pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 medium French bread loaves, about 10 to 12 inches long, or 1 long baguette, about 18 inches long

1. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; season with the salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil slowly; set aside.

2.

For the salad, heat the oil in a large skillet; add the garlic. Cook, stirring until garlic softens, about 1 minute. Stir in the shrimp; cook, stirring until the shrimp is pink and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chorizo; cook, stirring until warm, about 1 minute.

3.

Toss together the arugula, olives, shrimp and chorizo slices in a large bowl; add half of the vinaigrette. Toss, adding more vinaigrette as desired.

4.

Halve the French loaves lengthwise without cutting all the way through; hollow out some of the soft bread to make room for the salad. Line the hollowed loaves with salad. Close; cut each loaf into 3 pieces.

Per serving: 273 calories, 12 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams fat, 38 milligrams cholesterol, 764 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber