Shrimp salad with Ginger-Lime sauce

Today was absolutely beautiful. My peas are starting to sprout, my tomatoes and spinach are in the ground and my herbs are starting to establish themselves. Anyway, this salad is just the thing for a light summer lunch.

Mats:
Marinade/dressing
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 c soy sauce
1/2 c lime juice
2 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled
1 onion, quartered
4 Tbsp sugar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4c peanut oil
1/4 c green onions (scallions) chopped

Salad
1 head romaine or red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-sized chunks
6 oz mandarin oranges, canning liquid reserved
6 oz bean sprouts
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Sliced toasted almonds for topping (optional)

In a blender or food processor, add the onion, garlic, peeled ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, and 2 Tbsp sugar. Blend on high for 3 minutes.
Add the green onion and peanut oil and blend again for 2 min.
Put the peeled shrimp in a shallow bowl and pour about half the marinade over the raw shrimp. Marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Meanwhile, add the mandarin oranges with their canning juices to the leftover marinade. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar and stir.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce bits, halved tomatoes, and bean sprouts. Add the mandarin oranges and about 1/3 the dressing. It's quite strong, so don't soak your salad in it.
When the shrimp are done marinating, it's time to cook them. I used my panini grill set to 350 with the lid suspended about a half inch above the shrimp for 3 or 4 minutes. You can also cook them on a regular grill outside or possibly in a skillet.
Add the cooked shrimp to the salad, stir and serve topped with slivered almonds if you like them.