My first born has always enjoyed cooking. I am a firm believer that kids belong in the kitchen mixing, tossing and chopping from the earliest possible age and he is a product of that. In preschool he came home with a yummy recipe for apple pie and insisted we make it that afternoon. In junior high he had a small business making and selling homemade pasta. In high school (inspired by the movie Chef) he threw a summer dinner for a dozen friends. So, it was no surprise that on a warm night after coming back from his first year at college he asked if he could help me cook dinner. I was heading out to the store to pick up ingredients for grilled tandoori chicken kebabs. As I headed out he called after me to add to my list a bag of avocados. I asked what he wanted to make.
"Grilled avocados!"
It seems to me chefs everywhere have gone grill crazy - grilling pizzas and nectarines seems common place. But avocados? I don't much like avocados except in a fresh and spicy guacamole so I replied:
"Ugh."
Well, I ate my words. And everyone he has served grilled avocados to since has eaten them too. Hard to understand why grilling an avocado makes it so yummy but it does. Try for yourself!
Servings: 6
Grilled Avocado
Cut avocados in half, remove seeds
Squeeze lime juice over and brush with olive oil
Grill cut side down, over medium-high heat until grill marks appear
Turn cut side up and place on platter, squeeze lime and brush again with oil
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
Serve with a spoon!
Tandoori Chicken
Puree the first five ingredients in a blender or processor until smooth
Pour over the skewered chicken in a 9x13 glass baking dish
Marinade in the refrigerator several hours to overnight, turn skewers occasionally
Discard sauce
Grill kebabs over high heat on lightly oiled grate, with cover down, turning occasionally, until grill marks appear and chicken cooked through
Serve on clean platter after sprinkling with chopped cilantro