Recipe(tried): Thai-Style Chicken, Shrimp and Fruit Salad

Thai-Style Chicken, Shrimp and Fruit Salad
This salad is refreshing and very tasty. It can be served as an appetizer salad without pasta, or, double the dressing and serve as a pasta salad. I have made this with seasonal fruits like cantelope, strawberries, or peaches, and added diced cucumber (whatever I have at the time) - the dressing ties it all together beautifully. If you want, use your salad bar for pre-chopped items, to save time.

1 Grannny Smith apple, diced
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1 medium orange, peel and pith cut away and sections cut out (supremes), diced
1/4 pound boneless chicken breast, cooked and diced
1/4 pound medium shrimp, cooked and halved lengthwise
Optional pasta - 4 ounces dried pasta

Dressing (double this if you are using the optional pasta)-
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon sugar
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2-3 fresh hot green chilies (to taste), slivered very thinly
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish (this makes the dish, so don't omit!)
4 Tbsp chopped peanuts (cashews will work)
1 small red onion
cooking oil for frying the onion

Mix all salad ingredients together. Mix all dressing ingredients together.

Finely sliver onions and fry in oil until very well brown and crispy (my hint here, which I wouldn't do for company but would for me, is to use some of those Durkee Fried Onions [or whatever they call them now] to replace the frying of onions).

Top each salad with the chopped nuts and fried onions, garnish with some additional cilantro, if desired.