STUFFED ZUCCHINI BAKE
4 medium zucchini, about 28 ounces *
1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic
1 small onion, diced, 2 1/2 ounces or about 1/2 cup
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, diced, 2 large or about 3 ounces
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/4" of the flesh intact. Discard the pulp. You can use a teaspoon to dig out the pulp and seeds, then once most of the pulp has been removed, use the spoon to scrape out any remaining seeds. Place the zucchini shells on a greased, foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and pepper. Brown the meat, garlic, onion, and mushrooms, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper; drain the fat. Fill the zucchini shells with the meat mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 350º 45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Uncover, top with cheese and bake to melt the cheese, about 10 minutes.
Makes 8 servings
Freezing not recommended
* I've adjusted the carb count to reflect the fact that there will only be about 19 ounces of zucchini after removing the pulp.
Per Serving: 143 Calories; 9g Fat; 13g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
I think I'd probably use another kind of cheese next time. The parmesan doesn't melt enough. Cheddar, mozzarella or even Swiss cheese might be nice. Although this recipe is great for induction, it's a bit dry and could use some kind of sauce mixed in with the meat or something. The filling is a kind of crumbly and needs something to hold it together.
Here's a photo of the hollowed out zucchini before stuffing:
