Lebanese Beef Zucchini Boats Food

LEBANESE BEEF ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice the zucchinis lengthwise and take a small spoon or ice cream scoop and 'gut' out the inside of the zucchinis. Place in a glass baking dish and brush the zucchini halves with olive oil.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the zucchinis are soft (cook time may be dependent on the size of your zucchinis).
• While zucchinis are in the oven, add the ground beef and chopped onions in to a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until beef is browned and onions are translucent and then add the lemon juice, spices, tahini and water Stir until well combined and add more water if the mixture is too thick.
• Once the zucchinis are cooked, add the beef mixture to the hollowed insides and place back in the oven for around 5 minutes to heat throughout.
• Garnish with mint and sliced almonds.

ZUCCHINI BOATS WITH GROUND BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil.
• Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Chop and reserve about 3/4 of the seeds for the stuffing.
• Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add zucchini boats and cook uncovered for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; cook and stir until browned and broken into very small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes. Add rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir some more. Quickly add reserved chopped zucchini pulp, onion, and carrot; continue to cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in red wine and Worcestershire and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef stock and cook for 3 minutes more. Simmer until mixture reduces, about 10 minutes.
• Place zucchini boats in the foil-lined dish and divide meat mixture evenly between them. Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.