Grilled Poblano and Avocado Salsa

One of our meals this last week was shrimp tacos from a website call Eat, Live, Run.  The tacos were yummy, but the best part of the dinner was this salsa.  I have seen lots of salsa recipes with grilled corn and pepeprs and I have never tried them.  I just wanted to eat the salsa and skip the shrimp.  My little one year old couldn't get enough.  She kept yelling for more.    This salsa tasted like summertime!  Delicious!

1 ear corn, husked
6 scallions, white and light green parts only
1 poblano chile
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved  (I used two roma tomatoes instead)
1 large (or 2 small) haas avocado
1 small bunch cilantro, minced
juice of two small limes
1 clove garlic, minced
1./2 salt
1 T olive oil

Heat your grill up to medium high.

Brush corn, green onions and poblano chile with olive oil and place on grill. You want everything to have a nice char to it—to chile should be black and the corn and onion should be charred. This will take about five minutes, flipping occasionally with tongs.

When done, remove veggies from grill and let cool on a plate. When cool, peel the now black skin off the pepper, remove the seeds and chop into small dice. Run your knife down the corn to remove the kernels from the cob and place into a bowl with the pepper. Chop onion and place into bowl as well.

Add chopped avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro to the bowl and add lime juice and salt.

Individual Potato Gratin

From Sister's Cafe

This will be one of our side dishes for Christmas Eve.

Ingredients:
Vegetable spray
2 large russet potatoes, rough peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray (I used the jumbo sized muffin tins). Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto a plate and serve.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1 C. Sugar
3 eggs
1 C. vegetable oil
3 C. shredded zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
3 C. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. chocolate chips

Whisk together sugar, eggs, oil, zucchini, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa, salt, and chocolate chips; mix well. Combine flour mixture and wet ingredients just until blended. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick tests done.

Zucchini Soup

Here's another sister-in-law recipe. Brenda's kids love this soup. I haven't tried it, but I plan to make it on a cold day!

Peel and dice several small or one large zucchini. On the large ones remove the seeds.
Boil diced zucchini till tender. Ladle zucchini out of the boiling water into your blender. Add some boiling water to the blender to facilitate blending. Puree zucchini. Add 1-2 bullion cubes to remaining boiling water. Return blended zucchini to water.

Wisk ¼ c. flour, add 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat and add 1 c. milk or 1 can evaporated milk and 1 tsp thyme seasoning. Add grated cheese till pale yellow color and salt and pepper. Return to heat till cheese is melted and soup is warm. DO NOT BOIL.

Zucchini Bread

My sister-in-law Debbie has the best zucchini bread. We look forward to family reunions or family gatherings where she pulls it out. We all love it.

½ cup oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups shredded raw zucchini
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Combine oil, applesauce, sugar and eggs in large mixer bowl. Beat well. Blend in vanilla and zucchini. Combine dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to mixer bowl and blend well. Pour batter into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and lightly floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let loaves stand in pans for 10 min. then turn out on to racks to cool.