Zucchini Boats
Zucchini boats are kind of a fun dish. Very pretty and tasty. They are also an effective way to use up your abundant end of summer bounty (provided you’ve not left the vegetable grow to ‘can-do zucchini bread only’ size.)
As an extra bonus, any delicious leftover filling can easily be stuffed into tortillas the next day for your breakfast (sure, put an egg on it!) lunch or dinner (taco salad anyone?)
I made this versatile filling for Zucchini Boats as part of my cooking demo a few weeks back but keeping in mind the crowd logistics we simply stuffed already roasted red and green bell pepper quarters which is another tasty option for your end of summer bell pepper surplus.
But for today, just another little recipe morsel for enjoying from the continual bounty of the summer season, the garden green zucchini.
Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- For the Ground Turkey Seasoning:
- 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, chipotle or Mexican chili powder, black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- For the Yellow Rice:
- 2 cups water
- Pinch of coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup rice
- 1 packet sazon spice (found in the Goya or Mexican section of the supermarket)
- For the Zucchini:
- 4 zucchini, ends removed, then sliced in half lengthwise, meats scooped out leaving enough to support the turkey and yellow rice filling, discard pulp or use for another recipe
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- For the Ground Turkey and Yellow Rice Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- mixed spices of ground turkey seasoning mix
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed, seasoned with a good pinch salt
- 1 cup corn
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- For the Topping:
- 1 cup shredded yellow cheddar cheese
Instructions
- For the Ground Turkey Seasoning Mix: In a small bowl stir together the cumin, coriander, chili powder, black pepper, and salt, set aside
- For the Yellow Rice:
- Boil the water, add in a pinch of salt, stir in the rice and packet of sazon seasoning, stir, reduce heat to very, very low heat, cover with a lid and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is cooked, around fifteen minutes, turn off heat
- For the Ground Turkey and Yellow Rice Filling:
- Heat Large Sauté pan on medium low heat, add olive oil and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan
- Add in the ground turkey breaking up the meat, sprinkle in the seasoning mix and continue stirring intermittently
- Just before turkey is fully cooked, sprinkle in the scallions and jalapeno, cook one minute, then tumble in the black beans, corn, and tomatoes, stir through and simmer for five minutes. Taste, check seasoning adding in a bit more salt if desired. Turn off heat. Blend in the yellow rice
- Assembling the Stuffed Zucchini:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Brush inside of zucchini boats with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Fill each zucchini with a few generous spoonfuls of the turkey and yellow rice mixture then evenly sprinkle over the shredded cheese
- Bake for twenty-five minutes, more or less, until zucchini are just tender cooked and cheese is melted
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