zucchini idea #657

For everyone up to the gills in late summer squash, muffins and bread have probably made multiple appearances in your kitchen. Sauteeing, roasting, and grilling too. So how about stuffing?

This is one of our new favorite meals, perfect for these zucchini heydays: with fresh herbs, tomatoes, and a few jolly green giants, it sings of summer. Serve with wedges of juicy sweet cantaloupe and a simple side of buttered red potatoes.

(And it's grain-free if you like that sort of thing. I do.)

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Stuffed Zucchini*
(adapted from Simply Recipes) 

2 medium-sized zucchini**
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef***
1 medium-sized tomato, diced
1/4 cup white wine
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and thyme
generous grinding of black pepper
healthy dash of hot sauce (I used sriracha of course)
some sliced or grated "melting" cheese such as Provolone

1) Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, stir to coat with oil, and let brown for a minute or two. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until soft.
2) Raise heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Stir to break up as it browns.
3) Add tomato and white wine. Bring mixture to boil and let cook, uncovered, until liquid from tomato and wine has evaporated.
4) Meanwhile, scrub zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Scrape out insides, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Place in 9x13 baking dish.
5) Once liquid has evaporated from meat mixture, spoon it into a large mixing bowl. Add egg, salt, herbs, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir to combine and divide between your four zucchini boats. (If making this ahead of time, put foil over the stuffed zucchini now and refrigerate until dinner.)
6) Whether you made this ahead of time or not, once it is time to eat preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lift foil and pour in water to a depth of 1/4 inch. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover. Add cheese to top of zucchini boats (I cut slices into strips and lay them on top). Return to oven, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*A.k.a. "meat canoes" (husband's name for them).
**Mine were approximately ten inches long. I don't recommend using smaller, since it will be difficult to hollow them out.
***I have been using grassfed beef and it has a richer, more savory flavor than any commercially raised beef you're likely to find. So if you use CAFO beef, I can't guarantee quite the same level of lip-smackin' goodness. But I am sure it will still be very tasty!

{image credit: squash blossom by Jamie Anderson}

Shared on Simple Lives Thursday and Pennywise Platter.