Brown Rice Stuffed Zucchini Food

BROWN RICE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Trim zucchinis and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the zucchini pulp leaving the shells about 1/4 inch thick and set aside.
• Roughly chop zucchini pulp.
• Saute onions, pepper, and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add zucchini pulp and pecans and continue to saute about 3 minutes.
• Add tomato, rice, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
• Stuff reserved zucchini halves with rice mixture and top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
• Place zucchinis in a small, shallow casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil, and return to oven for about 10 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned and bubbly.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH BROWN RICE AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In medium sized saucepan, combine rice, water, bay leaf and fennel seeds and simmer, covered for about 35 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf and fluff rice with fork. cover and set aside
• Wash and trim both ends of zucchini, then cut in hallf lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out zucchini pulp leaving about ½" thick walls for "zucchini boats" - Coarsely chop zucchini pulp an set aside
• PRE-HEAT OVEN AT 350 Degrees
• Spray a shallow baking pan, just large enough to contain zucchini with vegetable spray and set aside
• In small non-stick saute pan, lightly brown pine nuts over medium heat - set aside
• In a medium sized, non stick saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Add sliced mushrooms, thyme and paprika. Saute mushrooms until soft, then add zucchini pulp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooked brown rice, diced tomato and swiss chard. Stir and saute until chard wilts and mixture binds together. Add shredded basil and toasted pine nuts.
• Generously mound filing in zucchini boats. Let it overflow
• Transfer filled zucchini to prepared baking pan. Top each zucchini boat with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle black pepper over tomato slices. Add ⅓ " water to bottom of pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for about 35 minutes or until tender.

RICE & SAUSAGE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Brown sausage til fully cooked, remove from heat.
• Mix in rice, tomatoes, onion, cumin, turmeric, and parsley.
• Cut zucchini lengthwise and scrape out seeds and some of the flesh with a spoon.
• Fill zucchini with sausage rice mixture.
• Bake for 40 min or until zucchini is tender.
• To speed things up, you may boil or microwave zucchini to precook.
• Garnish with parsley and green onion.

BROWN RICE STUFFED PORTABELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, sautee onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes.
• Add brown rice and pine nuts and saute for another 5 minutes.
• Add broth, raisins and cumin. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
• Stuff mixture evenly into portabello caps.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 400.