Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Boats

Zucchini boats are a great way to make a quick, healthy, great tasting meal that the whole family will enjoy. To cut down on calories, reduce or eliminate the cheese topping. Pair with green beans and a tossed salad for a low calorie, but hearty meal.

Note: this recipe makes a total of 12 boats (6 zucchini halved). For a smaller meal, cut the recipe in half. Alternatively, only make 3 zucchini but make the full recipe. The leftover stuffing tastes great by itself and can be eaten as a low-calorie lunch the next day.

Ingredients

6 large zucchini

olive oil

salt (I prefer sea salt, but iodized or kosher works as well)

ground black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 yellow onion (I love cooked onion so I use a large onion. You can use a small onion if you prefer a milder taste)

3-4 garlic cloves, minced (Same with garlic; for a milder taste use 2 cloves)

Basil, 1/4-1/2 tsp

Oregano, 1/4-1/2 tsp

Parsley, 1/4-1/2 tsp

1 lb ground turkey

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

mozzarella cheese, to taste

parmesan cheese, to taste

fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray
3. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise
4. Hollow out the zucchini using a spoon. They should look something like this:

5. Baste the zucchini lightly with olive oil- it should take around 2 tsp to do so

6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and the garlic powder

7. Put the zucchini in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften when pierced with a fork

8. During this time, prepare the stuffing

9. Dice the onion and mice the garlic, and saute in 2 tsp olive oil until the onion becomes transparent, 4-5 minutes

10. Add the turkey and brown

11. Add crushed tomatoes and seasonings, to taste

12. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer

13. Once the zucchini are done baking, fill each boat with stuffing. Top with as much or as little mozzarella as desired.

14. Return boats to oven to melt the cheese

15. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan and parsley, if desired.

16. Serve with sides of choice and enjoy!