Stuffed Zucchini
From Gourmet Nutrition; DR. John Berardi, Michael Williams & Kristina Andrew
One of my favourite things about summer is all the fresh veggies and fruit! Here in Canada we are usually eating vegetables that have been imported from another country. I am very grateful that we have that opportunity, but unfortunately that means that our veggies are quite old by the time we get them. As they age they lose some of their nutrients and their flavour!
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In summer, fresh fruit and veggies are available from local farmers or maybe from your own backyard! You can't get fresher than that!
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From my garden!
This year I decided to plant zucchini, tomatoes, kale, cucumber, and hot peppers (my husband loves them!) The zucchini harvest has already begun! This is just one of 5 zucchinis! One of them was a meal for a squirrel but we still got to enjoy the rest!
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Stuffed Zucchini is a recipe I grew up enjoying. In fact, it is one of the things I used to beg my mom to make! The recipe I'm giving you here is a little different than what I ate as a child, but still really delicious! It's pretty easy and quick to make too! Feel free to experiment with the recipe. My mom used to put bacon in ours, but this is a vegetarian version so no bacon.
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Ingredients
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2 zucchini (medium size, halved lengthwise)
olive oil for pan
1/4 cup onion (finely diced)
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup protobello mushroom (diced small)
1/4 cup tomato (diced)
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup pecans (crushed), substitute suggestion- walnuts
1/2 cup tomato sauce
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and spoon out the white flesh using a knife and spoon.
Dice the flesh of the zucchini and set aside.
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Preheat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Add the zucchini flesh, garlic, onion, and mushrooms. Sauté until onions are lightly browned and liquids have evaporated. Don't worry the mixture shrinks a lot while cooking. First time I made this I thought it would never fit in my zucchini!
Remove the pan from heat. Add tomato, feta cheese (or whatever cheese you like) and pecans to the pan. Mix.
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Place the zucchini peel on a baking sheet. Stuff the zucchini peel with the heated mixture. I like to top it with some extra cheese (optional). Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the zucchini is fully cooked.
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Remove and serve.
Use as a side dish or a meal! Great with fish.
