8/12/10 - Tomato Basil Quinoa stuffed 8 ball Zucchini

These cute little mini zucchini were calling me from the farmer's market table. Like so many others, I couldn't help but imagine them hollowed out and stuffed - the perfect little vessel. I knew that Jeremy wouldn't be interested in zucchini no matter the shape so I decided to have a girl's veggie night with my friend, Tova. Each 8 ball was the perfect size for a single serving for each of us along with a nice big salad. I was having trouble decided exactly what direction to go with my stuffing but once I starting peaking around I found a recipe using basil.... hmmm guess who just got another big bag of basil from the CSA? Since I didn't have any sun-dried tomatoes I had to go with a little splash of sauce but I think I might have to try recipe as written some time (though going with out some cheese when baking something just seems wrong!)

This stuffing can be used for a variety of veggies including eggplant and peppers. Since quinoa is a complete protein it makes for a great meal for vegetarians. When stuffing the 8 ball zucchini it is best to first hollow them out using a spoon (cut off the top first) and steaming it for a few minutes (I placed mine upside down in about 1" of water in a covered wok pan). After softened fill with the quinoa mixture and top with some shredded cheese. Place in the broiler for 2-5 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. You can also add a soft cheese like feta or goat to the stuffing before broiling.

• Tomato Basil Quinoa Stuffing
• 1 c quinoa - rinsed and then cooked in 2 c water
• 1/4 c finely diced green pepper
• 1/4 c finely diced red pepper
• 2 finelly diced shallots
• 2 diced garlic cloves
• 1/4 c chopped basil
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 10 olives diced
• 1/2 c pasta sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1) Heat the oil and add the garlic, shallots and peppers - sweat until softened
• 2) Add the olives and mix to combine
• 3) Add the cooked quinoa and pasta sauce - stir
• 4) Once heated through add basil and oregano