Stuffed Zucchini Boats
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There’s just so much I love about this dish. Aside from how delicious it is, this meal is super healthy, easy to make, and can be prepared in advance. Zucchini has a high water content, making it low in calories. So, once you stuff it with some flavorful veggies and the protein rich quinoa, top with just a bit of mozzarella…...you’ve got an amazing healthy meal. This is a light dish, so I serve it with a nice big salad.
If you'd like, you can try topping the zucchini boats with a bit of a light marinara sauce!
To keep this vegan, eliminate the parmesan and mozzarella.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium red pepper, finely diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes or ½ C. grape tomatoes, finely diced
- 6 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
- 1 cup cooked red quinoa
- 3 - 4 large fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan, grated (optional)
- ½ cup mozzarella, grated (optional)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, onion and red pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté 6-8 minutes, just until the onion softens a bit.
Scoop just a bit of each zucchini out with a round scoop. Chop the scooped out bits up into a small dice put the zucchini aside.
Add the tomato, zucchini bits, thyme leaves and some salt and pepper to the pan. Continue to sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts down.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cooked quinoa and sprinkle with some fresh basil leaves. Add the Parmesan if using. Stir to combine and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean up. Arrange the zucchini on the sheet. Using a small spoon divide the mixture between all of the zucchini. Cover the baking sheet with foil. You can refrigerate at this point up to a couple of days if you'd like to serve it later. Otherwise, place the sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, covered.
After 30 minutes, uncover and top each zucchini with some mozzarella. Place the sheet back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
