Mediterranean Zucchini Boats Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• From stem to stem, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, chop, and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey sausage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking it up into smaller pieces. Add the onion and garlic and season with the oregano, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the reserved chopped zucchini pulp and cook until the onion softens and the turkey is no longer pink.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the whisked egg, bread crumbs, olives, sun dried tomatoes, 3/4 of the basil, pine nuts, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Toss and mix well.
• Spoon the stuffing into the zucchini boats and place in a 9 X 12 baking dish or baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until the zucchini are fork tender. Serve hot topped with the remaining basil and more Parmesan cheese if desired.

MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Trim ends from zucchini and cut each squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out centers of squash and place in a mixing bowl. Add onion, olives, feta cheese, garlic, pine nuts, 1/2 the Asiago cheese, basil, and oregano and mix well. Place mixture back into zucchini shells. Top each with a small amount of Asiago cheese and place zucchini boats on a baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until cheese browns, about 10 minutes.

MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut zucchini in half and use a spoon to scoop out the middle and create a "boat." Save the extra zucchini for smoothies or baked goods!
• Mix together remaining ingredients, except feta cheese. Season to taste.
• Fill the zucchini boats with the filling mixture.
• Top with feta cheese.
• Bake 15 minutes, until cheese begins to brown.
• Serve warm or cold and refrigerate 2-3 days.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Use a melon baller to separate and remove seeds and pulp separately from the zucchini, carving out each half and leaving about a half-inch shell. Chop zucchini pulp into pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter. Discard seeds.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground lamb; continue to cook and stir until lamb is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir chopped zucchini into the lamb mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer mixture until the zucchini is hot, about 3 minutes. Drain excess grease. Season lamb mixture with coarse salt and black pepper.
• Remove skillet from heat. Stir tomato sauce, tomatoes, feta cheese, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup mint leaves through the lamb mixture; spoon into the zucchini halves. Put stuffed zucchini halves into a large baking dish. Pour water into the baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Mix bread crumbs and mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mint leaves over the zucchini and top with the bread crumb mixture. Continue baking until the top is crusty and browned, about 10 minutes more.