Okay, a professional food blogger I ain’t, but I do love to cook. However, social distancing and an abundance of caution mean I’ve been cooking every day for the past…OMG, we’ve been sheltering in place for 90 days!!!
This new rhythm means a weekly big food buy–no more dashing to the store for a special ingredient. I need flexible recipes I can adapt to whatever’s on hand, and stuffed zucchini fits the bill.
Step one: Slice zucchini lengthwise and hollow out with a melon baller or spoon. Reserve the zucchini guts. Place in an oiled baking pan. Season with salt & pepper.
I like my zucchini to have a little bite in the finished dish, so I just turn them upside down in the baking dish and nuke them for about 3 minutes. That steams then a little and results in a nice crisp-tender texture for the finished dish. IMO, mushy zucchini is gross.
Set the zucchini boats aside while you prepare the filling, and preheat your oven to 357 degrees Farenheit, or 190 degrees Celcius.
Step two: Chop the zucchini guts, along with other veg. Go wild! Chop up whatever is languishing in your crisper drawer. I used a few sad-looking mushrooms, orange bell pepper, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, a few elderly baby carrots, and half a tomato. Saute the veg in olive oil and season according to your desired flavor profile. This time, I used Penzey’s Greek seasoning. Other times, I use their Tuscan Sunset for an Italian profile. Other possibilities: Southwestern seasoning, Middle Eastern seasoning–open your spice cabinet and see what inspires you!
If you like, add some protein. I had some ground turkey on hand. If you’re using raw meat, brown it up first. Chopped leftover meat can go in after the veg is soft–not too soft, though. Mushy filling = blech.
Here’s my secret ingredient: Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup makes the best sauce for stuffed veggies! But you can use any tomato-based sauce: plain tomato sauce in a can seasoned with a spice mix or fresh herbs, leftover jarred pasta sauce, a can of tomato simmered with olive oil and spices, even salsa if you’re going for a Southwestern flavor.
Fill the zucchini. It’s okay to mound the filling on top and around if you have too much. It’s a messy dish anyway. Top with some kind of cheese–I used feta. Now bake at 375 degrees F/190 degrees C for at least half an hour. Give it a poke. You want the flavors well combined, the sauce bubbling, and the cheese melted.
Other variations:
Vegan stuffed zucchini: replace the meat with beans, chopped tofu, seasoned or plain, or chopped tempeh. Top with crumbled vegan cheese.
Southwestern stuffed zucchini: use chopped chicken, turkey, or ground meat. Top with salsa and shredded cheddar, taco-mix cheese, or Cojita cheese. Throw in some sliced olives if you have them. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Italian stuffed zucchini: use crumbled Italian sausage as your meat (can be vegan sausage), pasta or pizza sauce, and mozzerella and/or Parmesan cheese. You could also do a pizza filling by adding pepperoni or salami.
Sometimes I’ll incorporate leftover rice or quinoa into the filling too.
Et voilà! Easy, quick, versatile, and you get to feel viruous for transforming your leftovers into something new and delicious.
Do you have an idea for stuffed vegetable filling? Please share!
