Grilled Chicken and Shrimp Salad

No need to mince words here. This is the best salad I've ever had. And I've been the kind of guy who thinks a salad is a salad is a salad. Not anymore. Well, at least when it comes to this salad.

This meal is the creation of my friend Robyn at Simply Fresh Dinners (Public Service Announcement, I've found A LOT of recipes on her site. You should take a look.). The combination of flavors makes it truly unique. And the homemade oil and vinegar dressing Robyn concocted offers the perfect compliment to all of them.

There are no grilling secrets here. Just grill up the chicken and shrimp over direct heat, combine with the other ingredients, and enjoy!

Ingredients (makes four servings)

• 1 lb raw, frozen, peeled and deveined large or jumbo shrimp
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups of spinach
• 2 cups of strawberries, sliced
• 2 cups of red grapes
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup feta cheese (I'm not a feta fan, so I used parmesan)
• 1/2 cup croutons
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Dressing ingredients

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Shrimp marinade ingredients

• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp Asian Chili Garlic Sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• dash of freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Prepare grill to medium high heat
2. Season chicken with garlic powder and pepper
3. Grill each side, over direct heat, for approximately eight minutes. Prepare salad while chicken is grilling. Remove at 155 degrees and tent for 5-10 minutes.
4. Combine shrimp marinade ingredients in medium sized bowl and gently add shrimp. Do not let marinade for more than 15 minutes as the lemon juice will begin to cook the shrimp.
5. Mix salad dressing and add to spinach to taste. The entire dressing is not needed. Set extra aside.
6. Place spinach on each plate and top with strawberries, grapes, almonds and croutons.
7. While chicken is tented, grill your shrimp. Be sure to use a basket so it doesn't slip through the grates. Grill for no more than three minutes.
8. Slice chicken and place, along with shrimp, on each plate. Sprinkle with Feta (or, in my case, Parmesan) and serve.

Click here to see Robyn's step by step comments.