Recipe #16: Zucchini Boats
Last week, I made zucchini boats for the first time! Then I made them four days in a row, and I’m not even a big fan of zucchini. (Thanks Lynette for the recommendation!)
They’re really easy to make. I didn’t follow a specific recipe; I just cut up some veggies and cooked them with some ground meat. I made these with my son Trey for lunch today. We went out to our garden, and after taste testing all of the herbs that we have, we picked some fresh cilantro and oregano to add to our meat and veggie mixture. I’m a big fan of using oregano to season meat, but I usually just grab the dried stuff from my spice drawer.
Trey and I each had one boat for lunch. He really liked his – he gave it a 5 out of 5. Then he said it was the best thing ever, but he changed his mind really quickly when he remembered how much he likes sushi and gluten-free pizza.
Here is what we did to make zucchini boats.
Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of ground meat (we used beef)
- Zucchini – I’m not sure how many zucchini boats you can make with a pound of beef. I usually make the beef and veggie mixture, and then each time I wanted a zucchini boat, I get out one zucchini and reheat just enough meat for that zucchini (on the stovetop). I’ve never made a full batch of these at once. I would guess that four zucchini (8 boats) would be about right.
- Veggies, minced – We used carrots and mushrooms, but I would also suggest yellow squash, garlic, onion, etc. We used one carrot and about a 1/3 of a mushroom package.
- Any seasonings that you like! Here is what we used:
- Oregano, either ¼ tsp dried or ¾ tsp fresh
- Cilantro (I didn’t measure, but we probably used two or three stalks of fresh cilantro)
- Salt, ½ tsp
- Pepper (we used our grinder and just ground pepper all over the meat – I tend to use a lot)
- 2 TBS of fat for cooking – We used coconut oil, but you could also use grass-fed butter if you don’t have a dairy sensitivity, or animal fat, like beef tallow)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut your zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to get all the soft seeded stuff out, making a boat! Place the two halves on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. We roasted ours in the oven for 10 minutes, so that it was soft, but not too soft. You don’t want it to be flaccid and floppy. 🙂
- While your zucchini roasts, put some fat in a skillet and throw your veggies in. Let them cook for 2 or 3 minutes and then add the meat. Cook until lightly browned.
- Once the zucchini and the meat are ready, spoon some meat filling into the zucchini boats. That’s it!
- Chow down!
Tips
- I recommend using organic, grass-fed meats, preferably from a local farmer that you trust. Your body will thank you. Here’s some more information about the differences between local grass-fed meats and conventional meat from the grocery store.
- Get organic veggies when you can, preferably from a local farmer that you trust. Organic veggies almost always have higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, and they certainly have fewer toxins. Glyphosate from RoundUp is a “probable carcinogen.”
- This recipe can be made however you like it. You don’ t even have to use any veggies. Season some meat and stick it in a zucchini boat. Done! I suggest using veggies, though, because you’ll get more nutrition. My go-to for seasoning meat simply is using ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp dried oregano. I even like cinnamon on meat. Goes pretty well together.
- Parchment paper is used to keep the zucchini away from the aluminum cookware. Check out this post about the dangers of aluminum for more information.
Pictures of the Process
I made the following picture and briefly considered using it as the featured image for this blog post, but decided that probably would confuse a heck of a lot of people. For those of you who are fans of Andy Samberg and Lonely Island, enjoy. Now you’re going to sing this every time you eat zucchini boats. Trust me, you will.