Shrimp Scallop & Veggie Kabobs With a Margarita Butter Sauce

This is a great dish. Now, I do prefer an outside grill for this, but an inside grill pan or even the broiler will work. Because vegetables and seafood cook differently, I make separate kabobs so the seafood will not get overcooked. My favorites are to use zucchini, summer squash and grape tomatoes which are a nice compliment to the seafood. I brush the creamy Margarita Butter Sauce over both the seafood and the vegetables right after they come off the grill and then serve a little sauce on the side for each person to dip in. I serve my Sarasota's Spicy Simple Black Beans and some Jasmine rice for a great dinner. My beans by the way can easily be made ahead and just reheated, but honestly, they don't take more than a few minutes to make.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 12-15 Skewers

Ingredients

• Seafood and Vegetables

• 24  jumbo shrimp, peeled tails left on
• 24  medium sea scallops
• 2  zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch maybe a bit thicker slices
• 2  summer squash, cut in 1/4-inch maybe a bit thicker slices (yellow squash)
• 12 -16  cherry tomatoes
•  bamboo skewer

• Marinade

• 1  teaspoon chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  orange juice
•  salt (don't add to the marinade, season before grilling)
•  pepper (don't add to the marinade, season before grilling)

• Margarita Butter

• 1  cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1  large shallot, fine chopped
• 1⁄2 cup white wine
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 3  tablespoons  tequila
• 1  lime, juice of
• 1  teaspoon olive oil (to saute the shallot)
•  salt (go easy)

Directions

1. Marinade -- In a large baggie or medium size bowl, add the chili powder, garlic, olive oil and orange juice. Add in the vegetables and marinade 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, in the same bag or bowl, add in the seafood. Marinade another 5-10, no more.
2. Skewers -- I use bamboo skewers. To make sure they don't burn, soak these in water for about the same time as you marinate the seafood and vegetables - about 20-30 minutes.
3. Sauce -- As the seafood marinades I like to start the sauce. It takes about 10 minutes and your skewers cook very quickly. Once the sauce is made, I just put it on the back burner as I finish the skewers.
4. In a small sauce pan on medium high heat, add the olive oil and cook the shallot until tender. Should take just a minute or so. Add in the wine and on medium heat, cook until reduced by half, another 3-4 minutes if that. Then add in the cream and again, cook 3-4 minutes until reduced by half. Slowly stir in the butter and cook another minute until creamy and slightly thickened. Add in the tequila, lime juice, and season with salt. Reduce the heat to low and put on the back burner so you can finish your skewers. This is a butter dipping sauce, it is not supposed to be too thick.
5. KABOBS.
6. Vegetables -- I like to skewer them from end to end vs. through the center of the squash, this way they sit flat and cook quicker and more evenly. I alternate zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes.
7. Shrimp and Scallops -- Same as the vegetables. I lay mine out right on the counter which makes it easy to run the skewer through. I wrap the shrimp (slightly curled around the outside of the scallop). They don't go all the way around, but close. This way, the skewer goes through the tip of the shrimp, then through the scallop end to end and comes out through the tail of the shrimp. Again, this way the shrimp and scallops lay flat and cook more evenly and quicker.
8. Cook -- Whether you use your outdoor grill, inside grill pan make sure to lightly oil. If using your boiler, I cook mine on foil. but either way, there is oil in the marinade, so you should not have to add any oil. to your seafood or vegetables. Just season lightly both the seafood and vegetable skewers with salt and pepper.
9. I start the vegetables first as they will take a minute or two longer than the seafood. Grill the vegetables until slightly tender and the tomatoes start to burst. And for the seafood, you want the scallops lightly firm and the shrimp will just begin to turn pink and curl. DON'T overcook.
10. Serve -- Plate up the kabobs on a big serving platter and brush each skewer lightly with some of the butter sauce. Add a small cup or dish on each plate with a little extra of the sauce for dipping, you don't need much. Black beans and rice are the perfect side dish to this meal. ENJOY!