Mediterranean Zucchini Boats
This recipe was created out of my desperate need to eat summer’s bounty in a creative way. I’ve been on a grilled/roasted zucchini kick for a while and needed a change! I had some creative juices flowing at naptime and decided to throw this dish together… and man did it turn out!
Now, on a normal, “daily grind,” sort of day, I wouldn't have had energy or time to make this dish so let me tell you how I would try to recreate to make it more simple.
Use frozen, microwaveable quinoa or brown rice as the grain.
Sub dried herbs and spices instead of fresh (onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, basil, oregano, etc.) - less chopping time! One tablespoon fresh herbs is equivalent to one teaspoon dried.
If you have some extra hands (wink wink) you could even let them do the scooping - depending on how old they are.
We had this as a side dish, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be a main course. I might add some chick peas or use quinoa instead of bulgur (as it has 8g protein versus 4g in bulgur). Hope you enjoy!
Mediterranean Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 8 large zucchini
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 heaping cup feta cheese
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked bulgur (see note)
- 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare zucchini by slicing them in half (lengthwise). Scoop out the flesh with a melon ball scooper or grapefruit spoon leaving about 1/4 inch on the sides to make a sturdy "boat". Place zucchini boats on a sheet pan or baking dish. Set aside. (I do this while the bulgur cooks.)
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the all ingredients (tomato through bulgur - using just 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the mixture). Stir to mix thoroughly.
- Dollop bulgur mixture in the zucchini boats, the mixture will be heaping.
- Sprinkle the filled boats with the parmesan cheese and remaining tablespoon olive oil.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes:
1.) To cook bulgur, combine 1 cup bulgur, 1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock in a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 12 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool for about 10 minutes and fluff with a fork. This recipe uses almost all of the bulgur - there's about 1/2 cup left (perfect for mixing into a salad with some beans and/or tuna!)
2.) Don't throw the zucchini insides away! Use it for a smoothie!