Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

Awhile back, I bought a large bag of Quinoa so I’ve been looking for new recipes to try. The one challenge I have is that I like quinoa but my husband has more of a “I’ll eat it if it’s served” mentality. That’s a big difference in how one looks at this “perfect” food (so called by a nutritionist I know because of its low carb high protein properties).

The Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini recipe that I’m posting was good and it serves two (2) people which was even better as I didn’t have to worry about leftovers sitting in our refrigerator. If you try it, let me know how you like it. My husband (who likes spicy foods) said it was too bland whereas I (who don’t like spicy food) thought it was perfect.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed
• 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt & fresh pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives
• 1/2 cup pimientos
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup of dry bread crumbs

DIrections

1. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set it aside
2. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat
3. Add the quinoa and salt the water (if you wish) then return to a boil
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the quinoa is tender (about 15-20 minutes)
5. While the quinoa is cooking, scoop out the zucchini flesh but leave the shells intact and chop it up
6. Steam the zucchini shells until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, then set aside to cool
7. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat then add the onions, garlic and chopped zucchini. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 10 minutes
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the onion and zucchini mixture. Add the olives, pimentos and parsley to the mixture. Mix everything together.
10. Stuff the zucchini shells with the quinoa mixture then sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and arrange the zucchini in the pan.
11. Add 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and wrap it tightly. Bake until the filling is hot approximately 20- 30 minutes.
12. Uncover the pan and bake 10 minutes longer to lightly brown the topping
13. Serve immediately.

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