Vegetarian Zucchini Boats Food

VEGETARIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut zucchini lengthwise in half; scoop out centers onto cutting board, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Place shells in 9-inch square baking dish; set aside.
• Chop zucchini pulp; place in medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, the tomatoes, cracker crumbs and basil; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into zucchini shells; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
• Bake 15 min. or until heated through.

VEGETARIAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and trim a little off of the bottoms so that they will sit flat in the baking dish. Scoop out the centers, where the seeds are, with a spoon.
• Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a cup or bowl. Brush over the inner surfaces of the zucchini boats. Arrange tomatoes into the grooves and sprinkle bread crumbs around and in between to fill in the gaps.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven's broiler on.
• Place mozzarella cheese around and on top of the tomatoes. Return to the oven and broil until golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Trim and discard zucchini ends. Working with the 3 widest, cut across width into 2inch lengths. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out inner meat and seeds of each 2-inch piece, leaving a thin base at bottom so "boat" stands for stuffing. Place scooped-out centers into a food processor.
• Roughly chop remaining zucchini. Add to food processor and puree until well chopped.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch zucchini boats just until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Immediately refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain and arrange, flatside down, in a large jelly roll pan or roasting pan.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add reserved chopped zucchini and saute until liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir in nuts, cook for 1 minute, then add cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook until cream thickens, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and all bread crumbs. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
• Using a tablespoon or pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, stuff zucchini boats with cream mixture. Pour boiling water into pan containing filled zucchini boats until it rises about 1/4-inch, to form a water bath. Bake 15 minutes.
• Heat broiler. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over tops and place under broiler until slightly golden, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

ZUCCHINI BOATS (VEGETARIAN)

Steps:

• Blanch onion in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and cool.
• Combine onion, spinach, oregano, rice, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper, mixing well. Set aside.
• Cut ends from zucchini, then cut lengthwise in halves and remove seeds. Place, cut side down on baking sheet that is lightly prepared with vegetable cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or just until squash is tender.
• Mound equal portions of spinach filling in each zucchini. Bake for 10 minutes. Spoon 2-3 T tomato sauce on each and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for additional 5 minutes.