Persian Zucchini Boats - Summer Garden Recipe - Dairy Free
Garden zucchini overload? Try this Persian inspired Zucchini Boat recipe! It is dairy-free and paleo (if made without the rice). Persian Zucchini Boats are light yet hearty and can be made from your garden bounty.
Ingredients
Rice
- 1/2 cup white basmati rice
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp avocado or olive oil
Persian Zucchini Boat
- 2 medium-sized zucchinis
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp mint, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 lemon
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup reserved zucchini pulp, chopped
- 2 tsp reserved chopped herbs for garnish
Instructions
Rice Preperation
- Rinse rice thoroughly until water runs clear.
- Add 1 cup of water and rice to a small saucepan.
- Add ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp oil.
- Stir and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil until only a small amount of water remains. Approximately 10 minutes.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook about 10 minutes more until the rice is soft and fluffy.
Zucchini Boat Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Chop spinach.
- Finely chop cilantro, parsley, and mint.
- Cut ends off of the zucchini and slice them in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out the pulp and leave about ¼ inch of zucchini flesh in the zucchini. (see video) Chop and reserve 1 cup of pulp for this recipe. Save the remaining pulp to use in other recipes.
- Heat a medium-sized saucepan on medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil.
- Saute chopped onion and ground turmeric for 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and saute for 3 more minutes or until fragrant.
- Add reserved 1 cup of the chopped zucchini pulp. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and saute until brown. 8-10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain grease from pan if needed.
- Add the chopped tomato, spinach, parsley, cilantro, mint, tomato paste, and the juice from half a lemon. Save 2 tsp of the chopped herbs for garnish.
- Reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes and taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the cooked rice to the filling and combine.
- Scoop the beef filling into the zucchini boats.
- Place prepared zucchini boats in a 13-inch baking dish or pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown and the zucchini is tender.
- Enjoy!