Looking for a stuffed zucchini recipe

[goldilocks]

All the recent talk about zucchini has me looking for a recipe for stuffed zucchini. I could very well wing it, but thought I might just ask if anyone has a good recipe for it. I remember watching a cooking show with Mollie Katzen recently in which she prepared this. Does she have a recipe in one of her cookbooks? Thanks in advance!

[Grace]

Here is an older CL recipe that I absolutely LOVE!! They're a bit labor intensive, but WELL worth the effort! I'd make these every day if I could..

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Rosamaria's Stuffed Zucchini

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: Sept 1996 PAGE: 75

INGREDIENTS FOR 16 SERVINGS:
4 medium zucchini (about 1-1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
10 spinach leaves
8 basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 medium carrot, peeled and quartered
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
3 large plum tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 large egg white

INSTRUCTIONS:
John Villani talked his cousin, Rosamaria Restiani, into sharing her recipe
for this appetizer that uses fresh Parmesan.

1. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-
inch-thick shell. Set pulp aside. Cut each zucchini shell in half crosswise.

2. Steam zucchini shells, covered, 3 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain;
set aside.

3. Place zucchini pulp in a food processor; process until finely chopped.
Spoon into a bowl; set aside.

4. Place rosemary and next 5 ingredients (rosemary through carrot) in a food
processor, and process until finely chopped.

5. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over low heat. Add rosemary mixture; cover and
cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini pulp, tomatoes, and salt;
saute over medium heat 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in breadcrumbs. Let
mixture cool. Add cheese and egg white; stir well.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Divide mixture evenly among zucchini shells. Place stuffed shells on a
baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield:
16 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed zucchini piece).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 70 (30% from fat); FAT 2.3g (sat 1g, mono 0.9g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN
3.9g; CARB 9.1g; FIBER 1.4g; CHOL 4mg; IRON 0.9mg; SODIUM 298mg; CALC 93mg

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

[lorilei]

Excellent Katzen recipe ahead... I'm drooling just thinking about it.

*slurp* :P

Cheese and Almond Stuffed Zucchini
Serves 6

3 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
2 cups grated Swiss cheese (7 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and, using a soup spoon, scoop out the insides of the zucchini to leave a fillable outer shell. Save the inner pulp and chop it.

Saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the salt and chopped zucchini pulp and continue to cook on medium heat until the zucchini is soft. Remove from the heat.

Stir the cream cheese cubes into the vegetables and cover for several minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the almonds, bread crumbs, grated Swiss cheese, nutmeg and allspice. When the cream cheese has softened, thoroughly combine all the ingredients.

Fill the zucchini shells and place them in an oiled 9-inch by 14-inch baking pan.

Add water to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Tightly cover the pan so that the zucchini shells will steam. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the filling has browned slightly. Serve on a bed of (preferably brown) rice.



And, as good as that one is... I have to give you one of my other favorites. I think this is an adaptation of one of Dean Ornish's recipes from "Eat More Weigh Less"... and it's THE best if you love mushrooms!

Zucchini stuffed with Mushrooms

5 large zucchini, about 3 pounds
8 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 cup water or vegetable broth
½ T sea salt
White pepper, to taste
2 T fresh tarragon, chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes
1/2 cup chervil

Cut 4 zucchini in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the pulp and seeds, taking care not to break the skins (leave 1/4 inch of pulp in shell). Chop the pulp and seeds and set aside. Blanch the zucchini in boiling water for 5 minutes and then plunge into ice water. Leave the shells in the water for 10 mintues. Carefully drain and set aside.

Cut the remaining zucchini into quarters lengthwise and then into 1/4-inch slices. In a medium-size pan, combine the chopped zucchini, zucchini slices, garlic, mushrooms, onion, water or broth and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes,or until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in tarragon. Taste and add pepper to taste.

Stuff the zucchini shells with the vegetable mixture. Place stuffed shells in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Finish cooking undcr the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly browned.

Sprinkle with diced tomato and chervil to serve.

[tracey67]

Here's a recipe from Food & Wine a few years ago (sorry, I don't have nutritional info for it):

Stuffed Zucchini

6 cups 1/2-inch cubes of white bread from 1 loaf Italian
8 6-inch-long zucchini
4 thick sliced of smoked bacon
5 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tart apples (Granny Smith), peeled and finely diced
3 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 325. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake for 30 min., or until crisp but not brown. Let cool. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and, using a spoon, scrape out the seeds, creating a hollow channel down the center of each half. Boil the squash until just tender, @ 8 min. Using tongs, transfer the squash to paper towels to drain. Pat the insides of the squash dry. Let cool completely. Season insides with coarse salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, @ 4 min. per side. Drain the bacon on paper towels, then coarsely chop. Pour off the bacon fat from the skillet and add 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, @ 6 min. Add the apples and cook until almost tender, @ 3 min. Let the mixture cool slightly.

In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the bacon, onion, parsley and thyme. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with 1 C. of water, 1 teaspoons coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to the stuffing and mix well. Firmly pack the stuffing into the squash, mounding it slightly. Place on a large baking sheet. (Can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Return to room temp. before proceeding.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Dot the stuffing with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Bake on the top rack of the oven for @ 30 min., or until hot and crusty. Serve at once.


Also...check out the Zucchini Casserole from the March CL issue. I made it last night and it is SO good!! DH - who says he doesn't like zucchini and threw a fuss when he saw what I was making - ending up eating a large portion and declaring it "REALLY good".

tracey :D :D

[Kelli Kerrigan]

Cooks Illustrated had an article on stuffed zucchini a few issues back. As usual, they give the best way to cook a given food and then variations of it. I can look for that issue tonight at home and post if you or anyone else would like.

[goldilocks]

Thanks to all of you for responding. They all sound delicious. Kelli, please post your zucchini recipe when you have the chance.

[Anne]

Hi goldilocks. This isn't a traditional stuffed zucchini recipe but it does make a nice side dish. I took a large zuch, cut off both ends, and cored out the seeds. I cooked it by rolling it across the barbie grill and then sliced it into 3 inch sections. I stood the sections on end and filled them with the following recipe - minus the squash but with cherry tomatoes added. I marinated the veges, and then cooked them at the same time as the zucchini 'log'.

Grilled Marinated Vegetables

1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
2 cups sliced yellow squash
2 cups sliced zucchini
12 green onions, trimmed
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetable cooking spray

1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. Combine potatoes and next 11 ingredients (potatoes through garlic) in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag, and marinate 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

3. Remove vegetables from bag, reserving marinade. Place vegetables in a wire grilling basket coated with cooking spray. Prepare grill. Place grilling basket on grill rack, and grill 7-1/2 minutes on each side or until tender. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Pour warm marinade over grilled vegetables. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

CALORIES 153 (19% from fat); PROTEIN 4.5g; FAT 3.2g (sat 0.4g, mono 1.1g, poly 1.2g); CARB 28.5g; FIBER 4.4g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 2.8mg; SODIUM 263mg; CALC 58mg

[RobinC]

Here is one of the recipes featured in the recent Cooks Illustrated issues.

Stuffed Zucchini

4 medium zucchini (about 8 oz each), washed
salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium Red Bliss potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 large garlic cloves, minced
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), seeded and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

1. Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second oven rack to lowest position, then place a rimmed baking sheet on each rack and heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, halve each zucchini lengthwise. With a small spoon, scoop out seeds and most of flesh so that walls of zucchini are 1/4-inch thick. Season sides of zucchini with salt and pepper, and bush with 2 tablespoons of oil; set zucchini halves cut side down on hot baking sheet on lower rack.

3. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl and spread in a single layer on hot baking sheet on upper rack. Roast the zucchini until slightly softened and skins are wrinkled, about 10 minutes. Roast potatoes until tender and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip zucchini halves over on baking sheet and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot, but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium high; stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cooked potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil, 1/2 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Divide filling evenly among squash halves on baking sheet, spooning about 1/2 cup into each, and pack lightly; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return return baking sheet to oven, this time to upper rack, and bake zucchini until heated through and cheese is spotty brown. about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

[Peggy]

We are being taken over by zucchini from our garden, so tonight I tried the Rosamaria's Stuffed Zucchini recipe recommended by Grace. (NOTE: Having similar taste buds, I have to try anything recommended by Grace!!:D ) Anyway, it really was good! My husband dislikes his zucchini plain, so the more ingredients, the better for him. It was alittle time consuming, but well worth the effort.

Peggy

[kwormann]

I made a stuffed zucchini the other night. I made a "boat" out of the zucchini then filled it with a mixture of: supercheese (a cream cheese from a local bagel shop made with serrano chilies, garlic and chives), pre cooked shrimp, chopped and crabmeat, picked over for shells. I baked it until alsmot soft then grated fresh parmesan cheese over it for the last few minutes:) It was a hit!

[Susann]

Here is another Molly Katzen recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook. It is one of my all time favorite items to make and eat!

Stuffed Zucchini, Turkish Style

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 tbs butter
3/4 c finely minced onion
3 small cloves crushed garlic
3 beaten eggs
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
3/4 c grated swiss cheese
2 tbs freshly chopped parsley
1 tbs fresh chopped dill or 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1 1/2 tbs. flour
salt and pepper
paprika for the top

Scoop out the insides of the zucchini to leave a half inch rim. Chop the innards into little bits and cook in butter with onions, garlic, salt and pepper until onions are soft. Combine with flour, cheeses, herbs and beated eggs. Correct salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini cavities and dust the tops with paprika. Bake at 375 30 minutes, or until the filling solidifies. Serve with a fresh tomato salad. Makes 4 servings.

[Missi]

I thought your stuffed zucchini recipe sounded yummy, so I had to make a variation of it. I made my own "super cheese" mixture with cream cheese, serrano peppers, garlic, green onions, and a little Paul Prudomme seafood seasoning. Then I mixed in crab and stuffed it into the zucchini "boat". I topped with bread crumbs and parmesan. DH loved it! I served it with a tomato and rice soup. Thanks again for posting!

[kwormann]

Im glad you liked it:)

Ive also stuffed it in mushrooms or peppers...Havent tried tomaotes, but imagine it would be good!