Lynn J Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini Boats-by Monkey & Me
Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures, cooking instructions adjusted by me.
Yield: 5-6 Servings
Description
Full of flavor, stuffed with lentils and brown rice, these delicious Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a new take on a Classic Lebanese stuffed “koosa” (zucchini). The inexpensive and humble zucchini is brimming with deliciously earthy-spiced rice and lentils, then topped with a refreshing veggie salad and a zingy garlic yogurt dressing that is sure to knock your socks off. A fabulous Whole Food Plant Based recipe, vegan, oil free, sugar free, gluten free, no processed ingredients.
Ingredients
Zucchini Boat Ingredients:
5 medium zucchinis
1 large yellow onion, fine dice
1 heaping Tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth * (I used Pacific, Low Sodium)
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup uncooked small brown lentils *
½ cup uncooked rice (rice of choice) *
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon dried minced onions
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon coriander
Pinch red pepper flake
2 teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste) *
¼ teaspoon pepper (+/- to taste)
Salad Topper Ingredients:
12 grape tomatoes, halved
3 mini English cucumbers, sliced into coins
½ red onion, finely diced
Sea salt (+/- to taste) * (Possibly Leave out for Jumpstart)
Pepper (+/- to taste) *
3 Tablespoon lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
2 teaspoons dried mint (+/- to taste) *
Yogurt-Tahini Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsweetened plain plant yogurt (Homemade for Jumpstart)
1 teaspoon tahini (Omit for Jumpstart - it works just fine without it)
2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste) * (Possibly omit for Jumpstart)
Instructions
Zucchini Boat Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
ZUCCHINI: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Cut off a tiny bit off both ends of the zucchini, then slice them in half lengthwise. Then take each zucchini half and dig a canal, remove the seeds to create a “canoe-type boat”. Make sure you do not remove too much of the zucchini as you want a nice canoe.
When all 5 zucchinis have been prepared, you should have 10 zucchini boats. Place them on the parchment paper, cut side up, sprinkle each boat with sea salt and black pepper, then turn them up-side-down (cut-side down) onto the parchment paper. Place in a preheated 350 F oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and set them aside until the stuffing is ready.
RICE & LENTIL STUFFING: Fill a pot with 12 cups of water & bring to a boil. Meanwhile rinse the raw brown rice & brown lentils (green lentils will work too) When the water is boiling, add the lentils and rice to the water, boiling them for 30 minutes. Drain.
ONION & TOMATO SPICE MIXTURE: Brown the chopped onion using water or broth to deglaze pan. Once the onions are softened and golden, then turn down the heat and add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Next add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, pepper, minced dried onion, and red pepper flake and stir to incorporate the seasonings. Saute for 1 minute, add a spash of water if needed. Add tomato paste. Stir and cook 1 minute. You should have a think ball of the mixture. Add 1-2 TBSP of water and stir, to thin it a bit.
COMBINE the cooked rice/lentils with the onion, tomato, spice mixture. Stir as little as possible to combine.
Zucchini Boat Assembly: Place a tiny amount of water onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. No standing water. Lay the cooked/baked zucchini boats into your casserole pan cut side up. Put the spiced rice lentil mixture on top and smooth out. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Flavors will meld.
Salad Topper Instructions: Mix all the salad topper ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Yogurt Tahini Sauce instructions: Mix yogurt, lemon juice, chopped/pressed garlic and tahini (if using).
To serve, place a couple zucchini boats with lentil rice topping on a plate - it’s ok if the topping tumbles over onto the plate. Top with the salad topper & drizzle with the yogurt sauce. You’re ready to eat!