Perfect Summer Meals: part 1, Scallop Tacos

Summertime, and the livin's easy.... So should should be the meals! Light, easy, and taking advantage of summer crops.

I'll start this series off with the other nights dinner: Scallop Tacos with Cabbage Slaw with Avocado Sauce.

We substituted the scallops with codfish, but followed all the other directions to a T and it was wonderful. The original recipe is posted below, and I see why they used scallops for a more 'meaty' texture. The cod was a decent substitute however, so try either version. This recipe was taken from Weber.com, so there are a lot of grilling instructions.


Scallop Tacos with Cabbage Slaw with Avocado Sauce


Sauce:
1 large Hass avocado, diced
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 large jalapeño chile pepper, seeded
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 large garlic clove


Kosher salt
Ground black pepper


Marinade:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced


24 sea scallops, each 1 to 1-1/2 ounces
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage, rinsed under cold water
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed under cold water
8 corn or flour tortillas (6 inches)


Directions:

-In a blender combine the sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Set aside at room temperature until ready to serve.
-In a large bowl whisk the marinade ingredients, including 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove the small, tough side muscle that might be left on each scallop. Add the scallops to the marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes while the grill preheats.
-Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).
-In a medium bowl combine the cabbage and onion.
-Brush the cooking grates clean. Lift the scallops one at a time from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bowl. Discard the marinade. Grill the scallops over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until lightly browned and just opaque in the center, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove from the grill.
-Warm the tortillas over direct high heat for about 10 seconds on each side.
-Fill each tortilla with some of the cabbage mixture and three scallops. Top with the sauce and serve right away.

*For some, my picture upload site is having some problems, so please don't mind how the pictures are cut off... you should be able to get the idea.