STUFFED BURRITO ZUCCHINI BOATS

So Much Zucchini

July 20, 2024

Optional sauce toppings: Enchilada Sauce, tomatillo Sauce (see recipe below), salsa

Preheat the oven to 400F and grab a metal or glass baking dish or casserole pan. Line with parchment paper.
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and gently scoop out the inside of the zucchini. (I like to use a grapefruit spoon!) Leave about ¼ inch of flesh around the edges of zucchini boats. If your zucchini has large seeds, remove them and discard seeds.
Place empty zucchini “boats” in a prepared baking dish, open side up, and set aside.
Lightly chop the remaining scooped-out zucchini and place in a sauté pan, on medium-high heat, with onion, bell pepper, minced garlic, and a few tablespoons of vegetable broth. Sauté for about 5 minutes and add smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano, and a little more broth, if needed.
Add cooked grain of choice, along with another splash of vegetable broth, and stir to combine. Add cooked black beans and corn, and stir again to incorporate all ingredients. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning as desired, adding more spices or salt/pepper.
Spoon mixture into zucchini shells and press down lightly to add as much filling as possible into each “boat.”
Top with a few dollops of optional sauce of choice and cover tightly with foil or casserole pan lid.
Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, until zucchini is tender and you can pierce it easily with a fork
Serve topped with additional sauce, chopped avocado, sliced green onions, salsa, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, and/or vegan sour cream

TOMATILLO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed, cut in half

1 large white onion, peeled, cut into thick slices

2-3 jalapeño peppers, cut in half and seeds removed

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 to 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

⅓ cup chopped cilantro

Juice and zest of 1 lime

⅛ teaspoon iodized sea salt (optional)

Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining with parchment paper
Toss tomatillos, onion slices, jalapeño halves, and garlic in a bowl with a few tablespoons of broth and lightly season with salt and pepper. Pour vegetables onto prepared baking sheet
Roast vegetables until they are tender and have caramelized spots, about 30 minutes.
Let cool slightly and place all roasted veggies and any juices they may have left on the baking sheet into a food processor, and process until smooth
Pour mixture into a saucepan with 1 to 1 ½ cups vegetable broth, additional salt and pepper, if desired, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Note: To make this a creamy tomatillo sauce, stir in ½ cup vegan sour cream with the chopped cilantro and lime juice!