International Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

MIDDLE EASTERN STUFFED ZUCCHINI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients of rice, ground beef, shredded onion, fresh parsley, dill, diced tomatoes, water, olive oil, allspice, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix by hand to combine.
• Now, remove the top of 3 tomatoes and remove the core to hollow out the tomatoes making room for the stuffing. Do this using a corer like this one.
• With a knife, remove the very top of the zucchini, then cut each zucchini in half to make shorter zucchini for stuffing. Now you need to hollow out the zucchini to make room for the stuffing.
• Insert your corer about 3/4 of the way into the zucchini, making sure not to poke the bottoms. Twist the corer and pull out the zucchini cores or hearts. Do this a few times, and gently scrape the sides of the zucchini until you have hollowed each out making room for the stuffing. You'll want to leave about 1/4 inch rim of zucchini.
• Lightly oil the bottom of a large deep cooking pan like this one. Slice the remaining tomato and spread over the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion slices and the cores or hearts of the zucchini. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
• Now, using your hands, gently stuff the hollowed tomatoes with the rice stuffing. Then loosely stuff the zucchini with the rice stuffing about 3/4 of the way (do not over-stuff or crowd the rice stuffing in the zucchini or it will not cook well).
• Arrange the stuffed tomatoes in the center of the cooking pan, then add the stuffed zucchini (stuffed side up) around them. Tilt the zucchini a little, this helps them cook nicely through using less liquid.
• Now add the tomato sauce and water. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Place the pan on the stove and cook on medium-high heat until the liquid starts boiling. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for for 50 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the rice stuffing is fully cooked.
• Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the sauce from the cooking pan. Enjoy!

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.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a small baking dish with foil. Scoop out the seeds from the zucchini, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell.
• Combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend, the parsley, capicola and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper, then fill with the ricotta mixture.
• Drizzle each zucchini half with about 1 tablespoon marinara sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend. Transfer to the baking dish and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

IMPOSSIBLE™ STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cut the ends from the zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise. Hollow out the zucchini with a small spoon by scraping out the seedy flesh, leaving about 1/2 inch of flesh on the bottom and sides of the zucchini. Discard the scraped-out flesh. Place the zucchini into a 10x15-inch pan.
• Combine meatless ground beef, tomato, bread crumbs, Pecorino-Romano cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, onion, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well using clean or gloved hands.
• Stuff the hollowed-out zucchini with the mixture until all of the mixture has been used. Sprinkle the tops with shredded mozzarella.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and zucchini are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

INTERNATIONAL STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice from the bottoms so they sit flat. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells. Place zucchini shells in a small microwave- and oven-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside. , In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat, cook beef and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the Havarti cheese, 1/2 cup feta cheese, basil, salt and pepper. , Fill zucchini with meat mixture. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Top with remaining feta; bake 5 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted.