Delectables With Dan Presents: Meaty Zucchini Madness
Every once in a while I'm struck with inspiration and I need to get into the kitchen and try it out. I was grocery shopping the other day and I was tired of the same old shit that I'd been having. I wanted to branch out, add to the variety, you know? They had some great sales on fresh fruits and vegetables and I really wanted to take advantage of that before they go out of season.
The meal that I'm about to make makes two portions so be mindful of that when preparing.
YOU WILL NEED
1 large zucchini
3/4c. beeless beef crumbles
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
vegan shredded cheese of choice
4-5 tablespoons petite diced Italian style tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
half cucumber, sliced
2c. fresh spinach
2 handfuls fresh red raspberries
6 slices fresh ripe watermelon
After you've washed your zucchini, cut the top stem part off and slice evenly down the middle with a sharp knife. You're going to want to have your frying pan out in advance for this. Give it a spray with some non-stick cooking spray, then using a tablespoon scrape out the inside of each of the zucchini sections. Be careful to go deep, but not too deep, you still want some of the "meat" of the vegetable to be there for later. Set that in a bowl to the side.
You're going to put your meatless crumbles into the pan. Let them cook a little over half-way through, you'll know when you've reached that point you're going to add your tomato and zucchini insides to the pan. Give them a decent stir before adding in your seasonings. Give the mixture a few stirs, turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer and cook together. During this time, you're going to preheat your oven to 350F and give a small baking pan or tray a nice spray of non-stick cooking spray. Place the hollowed-out zucchini on the tray, apply a pinch of salt and the olive oil to it.
It should take roughly 10 minutes to cook up the filling for the zucchini. When the filling is ready, using a large tablespoon, spoon the filling into the hollowed-out zucchini. Just pack it all in there. Nice and tight. (You all know what I mean.) You're going to put in to bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed, pull it out and test your zucchini. It should be soft, but not squishy. You want a bit of firmness to it, it needs to hold its shape. If it's at that point, sprinkle the top of the stuffed zucchini with whatever shredded vegan cheese you're feeling and put back into bake until the cheese has melted down. I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella.
While the zucchini is in the oven you'll prepare the rest of the plate. Wash your spinach and portion it out to one cup each and sprinkle a handful of berries over each portion of spinach. Slice your watermelon in six equal slices and place 3 on each plate. Slice up your cucumber into nice little wheels and plate.
When you pull out the zucchini out of the oven, allow it to sit and settle for a few moments before plating. If you desire, add a bit more basil and pinch of oregano over the top of the baked zucchini. It really makes for a lovely photo if you do that. I mean, it also adds to the flavour, but part of a good meal is having it look good as well, I think.
There you have it. A colourful and nutritious meal that leaves you full for longer and for less. You can simply multiply the recipe to make more portions than what's listed here.
Until next time, veggies.
The meal that I'm about to make makes two portions so be mindful of that when preparing.
YOU WILL NEED
1 large zucchini
3/4c. beeless beef crumbles
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
vegan shredded cheese of choice
4-5 tablespoons petite diced Italian style tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
half cucumber, sliced
2c. fresh spinach
2 handfuls fresh red raspberries
6 slices fresh ripe watermelon
You're going to put your meatless crumbles into the pan. Let them cook a little over half-way through, you'll know when you've reached that point you're going to add your tomato and zucchini insides to the pan. Give them a decent stir before adding in your seasonings. Give the mixture a few stirs, turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer and cook together. During this time, you're going to preheat your oven to 350F and give a small baking pan or tray a nice spray of non-stick cooking spray. Place the hollowed-out zucchini on the tray, apply a pinch of salt and the olive oil to it.
It should take roughly 10 minutes to cook up the filling for the zucchini. When the filling is ready, using a large tablespoon, spoon the filling into the hollowed-out zucchini. Just pack it all in there. Nice and tight. (You all know what I mean.) You're going to put in to bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed, pull it out and test your zucchini. It should be soft, but not squishy. You want a bit of firmness to it, it needs to hold its shape. If it's at that point, sprinkle the top of the stuffed zucchini with whatever shredded vegan cheese you're feeling and put back into bake until the cheese has melted down. I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella.
While the zucchini is in the oven you'll prepare the rest of the plate. Wash your spinach and portion it out to one cup each and sprinkle a handful of berries over each portion of spinach. Slice your watermelon in six equal slices and place 3 on each plate. Slice up your cucumber into nice little wheels and plate.
There you have it. A colourful and nutritious meal that leaves you full for longer and for less. You can simply multiply the recipe to make more portions than what's listed here.
Until next time, veggies.
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