cumin-lime and black bean zucchini boats

cumin-lime and black bean zucchini boats

cuminlime2 When life throws you HUNDREDS of pounds of zucchini, you book an appointment with the chiropractor and then get cooking. I'm not going to lie to you, deep down I have a complete and utter hatred for summer squash and zucchini. And while I love cooking these guys up in the kitchen there is nothing I dread more than harvesting heavy crate after heavy crate at the farm.  My lower back and upper arms will never be the same again.  The good news is that our customers at the market are happy and I figure that makes it all worth it! marketstnad It really is amazing how one minute we can be cranky and tired at the farm and the next minute we are happily selling our produce to our community.  I tell ya, farming isn't just physically exhausting it's emotionally draining too. That is why we always end our day with an ice cold beer. It brings us back to neutral. farmer beer cuminlime1 In honor of all the squash still available at our farm and at farmers markets all over, I made us all stuffed zucchini boats. I invite you all to play around with this recipe. Use whatever filling you think would taste great. Pour a beer (it's good for sore muscles!) and dig in.

Cumin-Lime and Black Bean Zucchini Boats

Prep Time: 10 mins.
Cook Time: 30 mins.
Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-size yellow or green zucchini
  • 1-2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup organic black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 1 cup pre cooked quinoa or rice
  • 1 small bunch of cilantro
  • For the dressing:
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 TBS honey
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
  3. Cut the zucchini lengthwise down the middle. Use a small spoon to scoop out the middle leaving a 1/4 inch shell.
  4. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, serrano pepper, tomatoes, and black beans. Cook until everything is heated through. About 5 more minutes.
  5. Add cooked quinoa to the pan and drizzled with dressing.
  6. Divide mixture between the squash halves. Top with pepper jack cheese and place in the oven for about 25-35 minutes (or until heated through)
  7. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Notes

Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients and necessary. Always taste test as you go and add anything you feel is missing.

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