I'm Stuffed!

Don't know what to do for dinner tonight? Looking to find a good use for the 17 inch zucchini growing in your garden? Well, have I got the blog entry for you!

Stuffed Zucchini with Sausage

I have made this twice (over the past 9 days) with amazing results. There is this nice farmer who sells oversized stuffing zucchinis down at the New Bern Farmers' Market. I love it because he only charges me $1 per zucchini. How is that for a bargain?!?

1 zucchini (at least 12 inches) or 6 medium ones
Pam or Mazola spray
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (fresh is better)
1/2 heaping cup of chopped mushrooms
14 - 16 oz vegetarian sausage (if you're a meat eater, turkey sausage would be OK)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper (can be omitted if too spicy for your taste buds)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2-4 T Parmesan cheese

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. You want to leave the shell about 1/4 inch thick. Take half of the zucchini innards and chop (rest can be discarded or used in another way). Place prepared shells into a baking pan.

Spray you skillet with Pam/Mazola and heat over medium-high heat. Saute onions for about 3-4 minutes. Just before the onions get soft, add your garlic and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Next, add your mushrooms and zucchini innards and saute for another 2-3 minutes. This mixture should feel soft, but not mushy. You should be able to distinguish the various ingredients in this mixture.

In a separate skillet (coated with Pam/Mazola), add your sausage. Lightly brown and mince sausage until it looks like hamburger. Once cooked, stir in the onion/garlic/mushroom mixture from the first pan. Add your can of diced tomatoes and cook for an additional minute to reduce some of the liquid. You want a mixture that is moist, but not soupy. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, add egg, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Fill zucchini shells with mixture and sprinkle each shell with 1-2 T Parmesan cheese. Place about 1/4 inch of water into the pan and bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes. This will ensure that the stuffing is hot and the entire zucchini shell cooked.

Remove from pan and serve while steaming! Enjoy!