Moosewood Zuccanoes

Here's another recipe that made its first debut on Facebook, thanks to a picture posted by my dear husband. This recipe for Zuccanoes (Stuffed Zucchini) is from that staple of vegetarian cooking: Mollie Katzen's The New Moosewood Cookbook. While I like all the ingredients called for in this recipe, I didn't particularly like the dish. Tyson prepared the rice for me and I think it was a bit undercooked (Love you, Ty!). I also couldn't find big enough zucchini the week I made this, so I substituted mo qua. I'm not sure what impact that had. If I made these again, I would use zucchini, I'd make sure the rice was nicely cooked, and I'd probably use less lemon juice. 

·      4 medium zucchini (about 2 lbs)

·      1-2 Tbs olive oil

·      1 1/2 cups minced onion

·      1 tsp salt

·      1/2 lb minced mushrooms

·      1 1/2 cups cooked rice

·      1 1/2 cups minced almonds or pecans (lightly toasted)

·      3 Tbs fresh lemon juice

·      Black pepper and cayenne pepper, to taste

·      A few pinches of freshly minced (or dried) herbs (any combination of parsley, basil, dill, thyme, or marjoram)

·      1 cup (packed) grated Swiss or cheddar cheese

1) Cut the zucchini lengthwise down the middle. Use a smallish spoon to scoop out the insides, leaving a canoe with a 1/4-inch shell. Mince the insides, and set everything aside.

2) Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion and salt, and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft (5-8 minutes).

3) Add the minced zucchini innards and the mushrooms. Turn up the heat and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, letting the liquid evaporate. Stir in the garlic and remove from heat.

4) Stir in the rice and nuts, along with the lemon juice, and season to taste with black pepper, cayenne, and the herbs of your choice.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill the zucchini shells, top with cheese, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through.