Please do not be deterred from trying the following recipe because of my ridiculous title. Sadly, this little tune popped into my head as I was preparing these, and I just couldn't resist. 😉
I heart zucchini. I like it plain, sauteed with just a little olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. I like it marinated & sliced into long slabs, grilled on an outdoor grill. I like it as a pasta imposter. I even like it uncooked, diced small in a nice cold salad. It is really just good no matter how you cook it. So when this recipe from Real Simple showed up in my inbox today, I knew I'd give it a try and I knew it would be good.
These little boats are a yummy, healthy way to get some nutritious ingredients into a fun dish. You might even be able to trick little ones into taking a bite or two! We had these for lunch, but you could serve them as a side dish, snack, or appetizer.
If you don't have the ingredients it calls for {or don't care for some of the flavors, or have dietary restrictions...etc.} then swap them out for whatever you prefer. The "boats" can be filled with just about anything. I'm already picturing Zucchini Boat Pizzas.... 🙂 Yum!
Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa rinsed
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 15- ounce can cannellini beans rinsed
- ½ cup to 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes quartered
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan 3 ounces
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400° F. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds to create "boats". Arrange in a large baking dish or on a foil covered sheet pan, cut-side up. {season lightly with salt, if you'd like}
- Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the oil.
- Spoon the mixture into the zucchini boats. Top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
