Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Step 2

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Step 3

Cut off a tiny bit off both ends of the zucchini, then slice them in half lengthwise. Then take each zucchini half and dig a canal, remove the seeds to create a “canoe-type boat”.  Make sure you do not remove too much of the zucchini as you want a nice canoe.

Step 4

When all 5 zucchinis have been prepared, you should have 10 zucchini boats. Place them on the parchment paper, cut side up, sprinkle each boat with sea salt and black pepper, then turn them up-side-down (cut-side down) onto the parchment paper.  Place in a preheated 350 F oven and bake for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and set them aside until the stuffing is ready.

Step 5

In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot, add the diced onion. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes to soften them.  Do not add a splash of water, you want them to turn golden brown. Keep them moving around the pan to avoid burning.

Step 6

Once the onions are softened and golden, then turn down the heat and add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Step 7

Next add the 3 cups of water and 1 cup of vegetable broth; then add the tomato paste and increase the heat to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Stir to incorporate the tomato paste into the broth/water mixture.

Step 8

Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, sea salt, pepper, minced dried onion, and red pepper flake and stir to incorporate the seasonings.

Step 9

Add the lentils and cook uncovered for 15 minutes on medium heat. See recipe notes – cooking times vary by lentils used.

Step 10

After 15 minutes, then add the rice, stir once to incorporate, and simmer covered for another 20-25 minutes. See recipe notes on rice cooking times.

Step 11

After the additional 20 to 25 minutes has expired, check the rice and lentils to ensure they are both tender. Avoid stirring the mixture, you do not want the rice to release starches and become mushy. Stirring rice too often during the cooking phase causes the rice to become mushy.  Once the lentils and rice are tender, and when all or most of the liquid has been be absorbed, it is done. You are now ready to stuff the zucchinis.

Step 12

Place a tiny amount of water onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  You are just wetting the bottom.  There should be no standing water. This just prevents the zucchini skins from sticking to the bottom of the casserole pan.

Step 13

Lay the cooked/baked zucchini boats into your casserole pan, then fill each zucchini boat with the stuffing mixture. Once all the zucchinis are filled, press the filling down and add any additional leftover filling on top. It’s fine if the filing is piled high and overflows. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 20 minutes.  You are just looking to heat everything through since both the zucchini boats and lentil/rice mixture have already been cooked.

Step 14

Mix all the salad topper ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

Step 15

Place the yogurt, lemon juice, and tahini in a small bowl and mix well.

Step 16

Chop the garlic on a cutting board, then add the sea salt on top of the garlic, and smash the together to form a garlic/sea salt paste, then add the paste to the yogurt mixture and whisk until incorporated.