Spring Salad with Mint & Grilled Shrimp

Upon returning from our oh-so-wonderful-didn't-want-to-come-home honeymoon, I noticed that our mint plant had flourished in our absence.  After not cooking for three weeks, I was inspired to conjure up a dish with this beautiful herb.  I dreamed up a refreshing spring salad with grilled shrimp - no doubt still thinking of all the delicious seafood we ate in the Yucatan.  

INGREDIENTS

3 oz. baby spinach

3 Persian cucumbers, chopped

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped,

1/2 small red onion, minced

2 Tbsp mint, coarsely chopped

6-8 shrimp

High quality olive oil

Juice of half lemon

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Serves 2.

DIRECTIONS
Peel, de-vein and rinse shrimp.  I left the tails on for a nice presentation.  Skewer the shrimp.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

I got these gorgeous, large shrimp at Whole Foods.
I always look for wild-caught seafood.

Chop cucumber, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts and red onion.  Combine chopped veggies, spinach, and most of the mint in a large bowl.  Drizzle generously with a high-quality olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and squeeze with juice of half a lemon.  Set aside.

Grill shrimp until cooked through and opaque - approximately 2 minutes per side.

Divide salad on two plates and top with grilled shrimp.  Garnish with the rest of the chopped mint, drizzle with a bit more olive oil and a splash of fresh lemon juice.

Spring on a plate - enjoy!