Zucchini Boats With Rice and Mushrooms
There are so many possibilities when preparing vegetables. I like to be creative and think outside of the box by adding different ingredients to recipes. Just like chicken, vegetables appear on my table every day. I love the texture of zucchini and try to choose smaller ones when cooking. The smaller the zucchini, the more taste and tenderness. Really large zucchini have little taste, may be full of seeds and are not tender.
Sometimes I blanche the zucchini; cooking it for a few minutes in boiling water makes it pliable and I can use the flesh easily as part of the stuffing. Nonna did the same with eggplants; I think it is the Calabrese way. Today I experiment with nonna’s recipe. She often mixed the fleshy part of the zucchini or eggplant with breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, parsley and cheese to create a soft and hearty stuffing. This one is closer to her style: https://recipesatmytable.com/stuffed-zucchini/
I add brown rice and mushrooms to bulk this stuffing; by doing so, I create a meal in itself. These little boats served with a side salad make a great lunch.
The bullion hangs out with the rice.
Give the zucchini room to cook a few minutes in water. Don’t make them too soft.
Starting the stuffing with the wet ingredients and spices.
Let the blanched zucchini sit for a few minutes.
The mushrooms add bulk to the stuffing.
Very colourful as the mushrooms hit the spices.
Flesh of the zucchini scoops out easily with a melon baller.
I could eat this rice mixture as is, in fact I did.
Out of the oven and crispy.
Zucchini Boats With Rice and Mushrooms
These little boats make a perfect side or main.
Ingredients
- 4 whole zucchini
- 3/4 cups brown rice cook according to package directions
- 2 cups chopped brown mushrooms or your choice of a good solid mushroom
- 2 tbsp onion flakes
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp grated parmesan reserve 2 tbsp for top of boats
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes with liquid
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
-
Cook rice according to package directions.
Cut zucchini lengthwise and place in a pan of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove, drain and cool. Dig out the pulp; I use a melon scooper.
Combine the remaining ingredients except the olive oil in a bowl.
Brush some olive oil on the bottom of your baking dish and place all the little boats on the bottom.
Fill each boat with stuffing using a teaspoon.
Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of Parmesan over the boats.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the zucchini.
Cook uncovered at 375 F for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
I calculate 1 zucchini per person for a main, and 1/2 for a side. Each zucchini produces 2 stuffed boats.
