Grilled Avocado with Poblano & Queso Fresco

Well this is it for now on the savory side.  It has been a fun month getting to share some savory dishes here (Do you think I should continue to throw some on here every now and again?)  I thought I would round out the month with a new dish for me to make, but a take on one of my new favorites at Rose's Luxury.  We can definitely just go ahead and call this a copy cat recipe for their Grilled Avocado which is basically amazingly delicious, I wish I was eating one right now, and I hope it stays on their menu for a long time.  

Grilled avocado, if you have never tried one, almost melts in your mouth with of course a nice grilled flavor.  Charles said last night that it scoops out almost like ice cream.  To make it a copy cat and not knowing Rose's actual recipe, I grilled my poblano pepper and half a seeded jalapeno to get a nice char on each.  I couldn't find cotija cheese at the store, so I substituted with some queso fresco.   This turned out exactly like I hoped it would.   The peppers add great flavor with a little kick and a different texture.  The cheese adds a nice creaminess that softness the spicy nice of the jalapeno.  If you are a big fan of avocados, I would definitely give this recipe a try.  I know next time that I have to make two avocados because Charles wants an entire one to himself.  Now that the grill is out, these are definitely going to be in the mix this summer.  Enjoy! 

Half the avocado...seed removed.

Then cut off just a little of the bottom, so it sits flat on the plate.  Then brush the top and bottom with the olive oil and lime juice mixture.

Brush the pepper with some of the olive oil and lime juice too and grill until charred.  I have to say that these would probably me awesome with some grilled green chilies when they come into season later this summer.

From the top....oh so spoonable.

I served these with cilantro lime tilapia...I adapted the recipe from Closet Cooking.  It was seriously delicious, and will definitely be added to the rotation of dinner dishes in the Owen's household.

Grilled Avocado with Poblano Peppers:

*Makes two halves/feeds two as a side

1 avocado, halved and seeded

1 poblano pepper

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined

1/2 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/8 cup queso fresco, crumbled

1.  Heat your grill to high.

2.  Taking half of the avocado, slice just a little off what will be the bottom off to make a flat area, so the avocado half can sit flat on a plate face up. (as seen in the picture above)  Repeat with the other half.  

3.  In a small bowl, combine the lime juice and olive oil.  Generously brush the top and bottoms of the avocado halves.  Then salt and pepper the tops of the avocado as desired.  Brush the poblano and jalapeno pepper with the lime-oil mixture too, and take the leftover lime-olive oil mixture out to the grill with you.

4.  Once the grill is hot, turn down to medium-high.  Place the peppers on the grill so they can start to char, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and rotate often.  Once the poblano is charred on all sides and has puffed up a bit, remove to a plate.  Once the jalapeno is nicely charred remove to the plate as well.  

5.  Re-brush the bottoms of the avocados with the lime-olive oil mixture, place on the grill and cover with the piece of foil.  Let them grill for 3-4 minutes on the bottom side.  Then, re-brush the tops of the avocados with the lime-olive oil mixture and flip them over, cover with foil and let grill for 5-6 minutes until nice grill marks are made. (Try not to touch the avocados too much, in case they are sticking just slightly.)  I used a spatula to pick up the avocados and move them to a plate, placing them face up.  Cover with the aluminum foil to keep warm and head back inside.  

6.  Take the now cooled poblano, cut off the stem and slice open.  Using your hands remove the seeds, then dice the poblano pepper and the jalapeno pepper and mix in the bowl with the remaining lime-olive oil mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.

7.  To assemble, top each grilled avocado with half of the poblano pepper mixture, sprinkle with just a little salt and then with half of the crumbled queso fresco.  Serve immediately and Enjoy!