Zucchinis, Zukes, or Courgettes, same thing, and at the moment they are in season here, so if you have lots of them in your vegetable crisper like I had, this could be the recipe for you. I wanted to do something a bit different with them this time, so why not stuff them? I really like stuffed vegetables, and they transform into a meal in themselves. Serve these as a meal on their own, or if you are thinking of a banquet, they make a great side dish for hungry people. This recipe is inspired by chef Yotam Ottolenghi, yes I am a fan of his recipes, as you know, and this one has ingredients which you probably have on hand already, if not they are easy to find. I had a lot of fun making this recipe, and it's a cinch to make for Meatless Monday, a Sunday lunch, or just during the week, it's light and easy.
I was preparing the zucchinis, removing the flesh and hollowing them out, having fun and making little canoes, when Mr. HRK came up to me and said I think that might be going a bit far. Mr. HRK has a very quick wit at times, and when I said to him, I need to do this before I can stuff them, which I didn't think was anything too extreme, he said well the Canoe Slalom race is on the TV and Aussie Jessica Fox is racing shortly for a Gold Medal, and you are making canoes? That's really getting into it isn't it? I hadn't even though of that, but we had a good laugh, and then Jessica won the Gold Medal for the Canoe Slalom race which was amazing, she was incredible, and I had my canoes to play with as well:) So Jessica you had lots of support back here in Australia, and we are so proud of you. So this recipe is an ode to the Slalom Canoe Gold Medal event, and a tribute to Jessica Fox. What a woman.
- Don't be afraid of adding extra herbal flavour to this dish, it will shine through.
- If you love chilli, add a chopped capilano sweet chilli to the stuffing mix.
- Very fresh, organic produce is the key to successful vegetarian cooking. I bought these zucchinis and beautiful cherry tomatoes from a local Mackay farmer, called Sweet As Fresh As, who throughout the Winter sell sweetcorn, tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers and whatever else they have in season. Their strawberries are to die for. I rarely manage to cook with those though, as we eat them all too quickly. They set up a stall at the Wednesday City Markets, and sell from their truck which they drive to a North Mackay roadside spot up the road from Bunnings and opposite a S.D.A. school. They can be found there every Thursday and Sunday morning. They are a real Mackay farming success story.
- Keep a tightly sealed bottle of lightly toasted pine nuts in the frig, so that they are ready for dishes like these, saves a lot of time.
- To save time, the stuffing can be made a day ahead so that the zucchinis are ready to be stuffed and baked.
- A mix of yellow and green zucchinis also looks very attractive on the plate.
I too like recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi. These stuffed zucchini boats look absolutely delicious and healthful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie, delicious, healthy and fun to make.
DeleteI'm happy to visit here and to meet you here. I, too, am a retiree, and I feel like I'm really learning to bake and cook at this time of my life. My husband have a garden, and it's another retirees' playground for us. Oddly, we've never tried zucchini, but now that you've put this recipe in my mind, I'm adding it to the list for our fall (Northern Hemisphere) garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment Deb, I love how you call them courgettes in the Northern Hemisphere. I hope you have better luck with growing them than I do, still we do manage to produce some vegetables. Take care, Pauline
DeleteGracias por la receta. Te mando un beso
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your very nice comment.I'm so happy you like the recipe.
DeleteYour zucchini look really delicious and I know that Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes are usually amazing. Zucchini is a great choice right now.
ReplyDeleteJudee it's lovely to hear from you. Zucchini are definitely a favourite here at the moment as well.
DeleteI often make stuffed zuchini, and have never added an egg, I bet that helps to hold it together, I will try that next time. I like the sound of that salsa as well. I love Ottolenghis recipes!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment, this was such a successful recipe, I am making the most of zucchinis in season. Best wishes, Pauline
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