Stuffed zucchini - vegetarian/vegan
The other day I returned from the market with a variety of zucchini and decided to prepare a comforting meal for dinner, so I stuffed them with quinoa, extra veg, tofu for me and feta cheese for Vito.
I prepared 2 for each version and thought they were delicious!
The recipe of course can be easily adapted to your tastes and preferences. You can opt for a different cereal or a different filling, or even different herbs and dressings. Anyway, this is how I made them.
I used a quinoa mix -with red and white quinoa- because that's what I had ready (I always prepare a cereal to last a couple of days for quick and easy meals!), to which I added carrots, extra zucchini, radicchio and a protein. I chose to pre-steam the zucchini so that the cereal wouldn't get to dry once I baked everything in the oven.
We ate them with a baby spinach and raisins salad on the side and some red wine. I hope you will enjoy the recipe too. Let me know :)
RECIPE
STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH QUINOA AND VEG - Vegetarian or Vegan
Ingredients (for 2):
4 round zucchini
2 carrots
1 long zucchini
1/2 radicchio
100 gr quinoa mix (pre-boiled and ready to use)
80 gr tofu or feta cheese
1 crushed clove of garlic
3/4 laurel leaves
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
e.v.o.oil
black pepper
Method:
1.Wash the zucchini and chop off the top. With a long teaspoon, remove the inside, cut roughly and keep aside. Meanwhile, steam the round zucchini for 6/7 minutes.
2. Peel the carrots and slice with the zucchini and the radicchio.
3. Heat a pan, add some e.v.o.oil, a crushed clove of garlic, a couple of laurel leaves, the chopped veg (including the inside of the round zucchini) and cook for about 8 minutes. Towards the end, remove the laurel and add the tofu and the quinoa.
Let cool, put into a small bowl and add black pepper.
* If you are opting for feta, don't add it to the pan, but to the bowl once cooled (otherwise it will melt).
4. Pre-heat oven at 180°. Spoon into the zucchini the quinoa, veg and tofu or feta mixture.
Add a few drops of e.v.o.oil, the lemon juice and bake for 10 minutes, using grill mode for the last 2.
5. Serve hot with a salad on the side.
Alternative herbs: This simple dish tastes amazing as it is, but in case you are looking for a super fresh flavor you can replace the laurel with mint or basil. If you do, remember not to cook them but to add them eventually, directly into the bowl of quinoa, veg and tofu/feta.
