Chicken, shrimp, and veggie kabobs for Memorial Day

Let's just say that I got a little bit carried away for Memorial Day. I had no intentions of making a big meal, but when I started planning a few recipes, it turned into a big production (not unlike what happened when I cooked for Thanksgiving last year). I suppose that's what happens when I cook for multiple people (five, in this case). It's also easier to get carried away when I have a couple of extra pairs of hands (thanks, Mom and Dad!). And I'm also constantly afraid that there's not going to be enough food, so I make enough for a small army. But, the leftovers have disappeared fairly quickly.

The stars of the meal were these shrimp and chicken kabobs. I thought that Memorial Day wouldn't be complete without something on the grill, and kabobs are more fun than slabs of meat (plus, you get to mix in lots of veggies!).

Tarragon and mustard chicken marinade (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

Cut chicken into small (bite-size) pieces. Mix remaining ingredients together, and marinate chicken in the mixture for 6 hours.

Shrimp marinade (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

6 drops Tabasco sauce

1 tsp Cajun seasoning mix

Mix mustard through Cajun seasoning together, and marinate shrimp in the mixture for 6 hours.

Veggies I used for the kabobs:

2 small containers of cherry tomatoes

2 Vidalia onions, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 red bell peppers, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered

3 medium zucchini, sliced

Soak a bunch of wooden skewers in water for at least 10 min (ideally more). Put veggies and meat on skewers (ideally you should keep chicken and shrimp on separate skewers because they cook at different rates). Spray kabobs with olive oil and grill over medium flames until meat is cooked through, turning occasionally (I'm not sure exactly how long it took because Dad was kind enough to take care of the grilling). Makes about 40 kabobs.

I loved these, and the marinades were perfect. I especially enjoyed the one I used for the shrimp, and I'm planning to use it on salmon very soon. This was a good compromise for my family because there are several people who prefer meat, and several of us who would rather have a veggie-rich meal. The kabobs take a long time to make (and we ended up with a huge mess on the kitchen counter), but they're very festive and much more fun to eat!