Monday, July 09, 2007

Zucchini-rific!

Stuffed Zucchini

Here I am again bringing you another wonderfully scrumptious meal. This time a low cost option.

Stuffed Zucchini (modified from a Penzeys Spices recipe)
serves 2

• 1 large zucchini
• 1 small white/yellow onion, diced
• 6.5 oz can of sliced mushrooms, minced
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 lb sausage (mild or spicy)
• 1/4 cup Italian Blend shredded cheese
• a bit of olive oil to sauté

Cut zucchini in half length-wise, and scoop out the centers. Dice zucchini centers and set aside with minced mushrooms & diced onion.

Sauté sausage and onions until sausage browns and onions start to become soft. Add mushrooms and cook until they start to release some moisture, approx 5 minutes. Add diced zucchini, and cook until soft. Finally, add tomatoes and continue to cook until there is very little liquid in the pan, approx 10 minutes.

Arrange zucchini on a greases baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sausage and veggie mixture into the zucchini shells. Sprinkle shredded cheese over mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the cheese browns.

* The original recipe recommends 1/2 cup of cooked rice for the sauage for a vegetarian option.

I'd say this probably cost less than $4, but then again we shop at places like the Farmers Market and Aldi (so canned food is super cheap). You can substitute fresh veggies for any of the canned, and I'm sure it would taste even better. And hey, you could even use the stuffing in other veggies too (perhaps mushroom caps, tomato, green pepper, etc).

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