Grilled Succotash with Shrimp & Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, shelled

• 2 chicken breast (1 to 1 1/2 lbs)

• 1 red/yellow bell pepper, cut into large pieces

• 1 green bell pepper, cut into large pieces

• 1 small zucchini, large dice

• 1 small yellow squash, large dice

• 1 pkg frozen Lima beans

• 1 cup (1-inch long) long beans (Chinese beans or Bora beans) or green beans

• 4 to 5 ears corn, shucked and soaked in cold water for 15 minutes

• 1 cup cherry tomato, cut in half

• 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves

• 2 tbsp chives, cut into 1 inch

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 to 3 tbsp bay seasoning

1. Wash shrimp and chicken breasts and pat dry. Season with bay seasoning and some olive oil. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized pot, heat 3/4 cup to 1 cup water to boil. Add lima beans to boiling water along with some salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook according to package directions (8 to 10 minutes). During the last 2 minutes to cooking, add long beans to pot. Drain, place beans in a very large serving bowl or platter.

3. Heat grill on high. When grill is heated, place corn on grill, lower heat to medium and grill for 15 minutes turning every 3 to 5 minutes. When corn is done, set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove kernels with a sharp knife. If you've never removed kernels before, visit this site for a quick tutorial: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/inside-our-kitchen/article/a-good-trick-for-removing-corn-kernels-from-the-cob.

4. If your grill is large enough, while corn is grilling, place a grill basket on one side of the grill.

5. Place bell peppers in a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil. Stir to combine. Add peppers to grill basket and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once peppers are done grilling, remove and place in the platter with the beans.

6. Add zucchini and yellow squash to the same bowl as the peppers were in, drizzle with some olive oil and stir to combine. Add zucchini and yellow squash to grill basket, turn heat up to medium-high and grill for about 7 minutes. Add grilled squash to the platter

7. Keep the grill at medium-high temperature. Brush grill grates with some oil, place chicken breast on one side of grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 . Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Dice chicken and add to platter.

8. Place seasoned shrimp in the grill basket and cook for 2 minutes per side. Add cooked shrimp to platter.

9. Chiffonade (thinly slice) basil leaves; add to platter along with chives and tomatoes and a generous helping of salt and pepper. Using 2 serving spoons or salad servers, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

10. Place in bowls, serve warm.

Yields: about 6 servings

Notes&Tips:

• Succotash is a Native American dish. "We have 17th-century Native Americans to thank for it; they introduced the stew to the struggling colonial immigrants. Composed of ingredients unknown in Europe at the time, it gradually became a standard meal in the settlers’ kitchens.The name is a somewhat Anglicized spelling of the Narragansett Indian word “msickquatash,” which referred to a simmering pot of corn to which other ingredients were added. Most often, it contained corn, beans and squash, the Three Sisters, which the natives cultivated together in distinct mounds. There was winter succotash, made from dried corn, dried beans and pumpkin; or summer succotash, made with fresh sweet corn, shelling beans and tender summer squash. Fresh or dried meat or fish were common additions."-The New York Times, August 20, 2015; David Tanis.

• For this version of Succotash, I have decided to grill all ingredients, except the beans. It turned out to be a wonderful fresh and delicious dish that tasted like "summer" in your mouth.

• This Succotash can be customized to suit your taste. It works great as a stand alone dinner, lunch, or by omitting the shrimp and chicken, a side dish or a vegetarian dish.