Stuffed Round Zucchini Recipes

STUFFED ROUND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Slice the tops off the round zucchini and scoop out the middle using a grapefruit spoon. Make sure to leave a small amount of the perimeter intact so that the squash retains its shape. Reserve the insides of the zucchini and set aside.
• Place the hollowed out zucchini in a baking dish along with the sliced tops and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 15-18 minutes until fork tender.
• Meanwhile, place the vegetable broth in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the liquid is fully absorbed. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• While the quinoa cooks and the zucchini is in the oven, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Next, add the reserved insides of the zucchini to the skillet and sauté until the moisture fully cooks out, about 7-8 minutes.
• Add the parsley to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Transfer the zucchini, shallot, garlic mixture to the bowl with the cooked quinoa and stir together.
• Spoon the filling into the baked round zucchini, top with the zucchini caps and serve each stuffed zucchini as an individual portion.

ROUND 2 RECIPE - STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice the zucchini lengthwise, scoop out the seeds from the center and put on a baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl combine the remaining ingredients expect for 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Fill the centers of each zucchini half with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the filling.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is golden brown and toasted, about 15 to 20 minutes.

BALSAMIC STUFFED ROUND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180°C.
• Put the tomatoes, chopped mushroom, garlic, onion and oregano into a bowl. Mix to combine and add the balsamic vinegar, mixing until well combined. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• Cut the zucchini in half lengthways, and using a teaspoon scoop out and discard the pulp.
• Heap the tomato mixture into the scooped out shells.
• Grind over salt and pepper to taste, drizzle over the olive oil, and top with the parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until the shell just starts to go soft.

SLOW COOKER STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Scoop out flesh from the zucchini halves, leaving shells about 1/8 inch thick. (Zucchini flesh may be saved for another use.)
• Place tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, basil leaves, Italian herb seasoning, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until blended, about 1 minute. Set mixture aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sausage to skillet and cook, stirring often, until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture and heat until simmering; stir in Parmesan cheese.
• Place hollowed-out zucchini shells into the bottom of a large slow cooker, trimming them to fit if necessary. Spoon the sausage mixture into the shells, cover the cooker, and cook on High until tender, about 6 hours. Remove cover and spread a layer of mozzarella cheese over each stuffed zucchini. Cover and cook on High until cheese has melted, about 10 more minutes.

SAUSAGE STUFFED ROUND ZUCCHINI OR EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Scoop out the round zucchini, reserving the tops. Or scoop out the eggplant.
• Chop the vegetable centers you've scooped out and set aside.
• Cut the mozarella into cubes - about 1/3 inch.
• Chop the onion.
• Mince the garlic.
• Dice the bread into 1/4 inch cubes.
• Brown the sausage (breaking it up as you put it in the pan or as it cooks) along with the garlic and onion in the olive oil, crumbling the sasuage as you stir.
• When browned a bit, add the chopped vegetable centers and spices and stir until it softens and some of the liquid has evaporated if the vegetables are watery.
• Add the tomato sauce and bread cubes and stir until the cubes are softened.
• Remove the filling from the heat and add the mozarella cubes.
• Scoop the filling into the hollowed vegetables, top with the reserved tops and bake in a deep baking dish at 350 for about 45-60 minutes or until the filling is hot and the vegetable bowls are tender (but not falling apart). I find the vegetable bowls cook better if I cover the baking dish with foil for about half of the baking time.

PROVENCAL-STYLE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Pulse the diced bread in a food processor until you have an even mix of fine and coarse crumbs. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the parsley leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and process until evenly mixed. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture for the filling. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of the extra-virginolive oil into the remaining breadcrumbs, transfer the mixture to a small container, and set it aside. (Alternatively, you can use store-bought fine fresh crumbs: Combine 3/4 cup breadcrumbswith 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons, and mix 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil into the remainder.)
• Lay the zucchini on a flat work surface, and using a sharp knife, slice off the top quarter of each squash lengthwise. Next, slice a sliver off the bottom of each squash to help keep it stable. Using a small melon baller or spoon, remove the inner flesh from the zucchini to form a small boat shape, leaving a shell that is approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut the zucchini pulp into 1/4-inchdice, and reserve it separately. Lightly salt the inside of the zucchini shells with the remaining1/4 teaspoon salt. Set them, hollow side down, on paper towels to drain while you prepare the filling.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add the sausage and saute until it is golden, using a spoon to break it into small pieces, about 6 minutes. Add the onions and cook until they are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, and cook, stirring, until the moisture has evaporated and the filling comes together, 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir inthe reserved 2 tablespoons breadcrumb mixture, and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Rub the outside of the zucchini with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Turn the zucchini hollow side up, and lightly pat the insides with paper towels. Using a tablespoon or other small spoon, fill the zucchini with the warm filling. Top with the reserved breadcrumbs. Lay the zucchini in a baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes,or until golden brown and crispy on top.