Grilled Land & Sea Salad with Grilled Croutons and Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled
1 lb top round or flank steak
8 oz large crimini mushroom tops
4 cups 2 inch cube bread (slightly stale)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic

salad:
10 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 large cucumber, thinly sliced
5 tomatoes, cut up
1 head romaine, chopped

vinaigrette:
1 bunch basil
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Please all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender, pulse until smooth. Set aside. Arrange salad ingredients on a plate. Set aside.

Rub freshly ground black pepper and sea salt into both sides of the meat. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat the oil and garlic cloves on the stove or microwave until just warm. Set aside. Thread the shrimp and bread cubes on bamboo skewers. Brush the shrimp, mushrooms and bread cubes with the garlic olive oil.

Meanwhile, prep grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Place the steak in the middle and the skewers around the edges. Grill until the steak is medium-rare, the shrimp is fully cooked and the bread is toasty. Allow the meat to sit five minutes. Slice thinly. Top the salads with steak, shrimp and grilled croutons. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

My thoughts:

I know, another salad recipe. But it has been an unusually hot summer and we have pretty much given up on making anything that isn't grilled, no-cook or made in the slow cooker (save the occasional late night jam or cupcake making). The bright green basil dressing and grilled steak, shrimp and croutons make this salad fancy enough for company but is super simple. Just take care that the croutons don't burn, not unlike the shrimp, they go from "raw" to crispy very quickly.