Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Use a melon baller to separate and remove seeds and pulp separately from the zucchini, carving out each half and leaving about a half-inch shell. Chop zucchini pulp into pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter. Discard seeds.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground lamb; continue to cook and stir until lamb is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir chopped zucchini into the lamb mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer mixture until the zucchini is hot, about 3 minutes. Drain excess grease. Season lamb mixture with coarse salt and black pepper.
• Remove skillet from heat. Stir tomato sauce, tomatoes, feta cheese, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup mint leaves through the lamb mixture; spoon into the zucchini halves. Put stuffed zucchini halves into a large baking dish. Pour water into the baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Mix bread crumbs and mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mint leaves over the zucchini and top with the bread crumb mixture. Continue baking until the top is crusty and browned, about 10 minutes more.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Drizzle olive oil on zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until zucchini is fork-tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• While zucchini is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef with onion and garlic until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic salt.
• Combine tomato paste with 1 cup of water in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Drain fat from beef mixture if needed. Add tomato paste mixture and heat through. Turn off heat, add fresh basil leaves, and mix until well blended.
• Remove zucchini from the oven; leave the oven on. Scoop meat mixture generously into each zucchini quarter and sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Put the zucchini in a medium saucepan.
• Add enough water to cover and boil about 5 minutes, or just until tender.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare a baking pan with nonstick pan spray.
• Split the zucchini in half lengthwise; leaving a 1/4-inch shell,.
• scoop out the pulp.
• Chop the pulp from 1 zucchini; set aside.
• Save the rest for another use (mixed vegetables, soup, or stew).
• Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saucepan.
• Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped zucchini pulp and all the other ingredients except.
• the pine nuts and tomato sauce.
• Cover and simmer over low heat 15 minutes, or until the rice is almost tender.
• Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until light brown and fragrant.
• Stir them into the rice mixture.
• Stuff the mixture into the zucchini shells.
• Arrange the zucchini on the prepared baking pan and pour the tomato sauce.
• over and around the shells.
• Cover with foil; bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine first 11 ingredients and 1 can of the tomato sauce; mix well. Stir in tomatoes. Halve zucchini lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Fill with meat mixture; place in two 13x9-in. baking dishes. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° until the zucchini is tender, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese during the last few minutes of baking.