Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Mouthwatering grilled stuffed zucchini boats including minced beef, black beans, sweetcorn, and yogurt -the perfect starter or side.
It's attractive, surprising, and appetizing. Why don't we stuff more vegetables with beef? These zucchini boats are great for potlucks or parties or for a low-carb dinner.
One evening, out of pure inspiration (and looking through my fridge for whatever sort of ingredients to make something fresh, delicious and nutritious to make), I decided to put a spin on grilled stuffed peppers and grill these zucchinis and stuff them with minced beef, spices, and vegetables.
The result is these snackable grilled stuffed zucchini boats that look sort of like open-faced tacos. Best of all, you can prepare in less than 30 minutes. This is great news if you are looking for something you can make quickly for a potluck or party but still wow your guests.
Alternatives
I recommend either serving these zucchini boats as the main dish or as an appetizer. For the carnivores out there, they also make a great accompaniment for the main beef dish, especially one cooked on the grill, like steak.
You can make a vegetarian variety of this dish by switching out the ground beef with cubed mushrooms or a soy-based "meat", to keep the same sort of texture.
Interesting Facts
Here's a bit of interesting information you can sprinkle into the conversation to pair with your zucchini boats. Zucchini is a type of soft-shelled squash. The young fruits are eaten as vegetables, and the flowers are sometimes eaten as well, usually fried.
Did you know that zucchinis aren't only green and long? Zucchini plants can produce fruits that range from long to round, and from light green to almost black.
How to Store Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Store these Zucchini boats without the yogurt for up to 24 hours. They are best eaten on the day.
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Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Equipment
- chopping board
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 small zucchinis
- 200 g minced beef
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
- ¼ onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- ¼ cup of sweetcorn
- ¼ cup of canned black beans
- A pinch of dry basil
- Greek yogurt for topping optional
Instructions
- Heat a splash of oil in a saucepan. Add onions, garlic, minced meat, salt, pepper and cook until the minced beef is brown. Pour in chopped tomatoes and stir well. Add dry basil and more salt and pepper to taste.
- Leave to cook for 10-12 minutes on a medium heat. Add sweetcorn, black beans and stir well. Leave to simmer on a low heat for 2 minutes and set aside.
- Remove the stems from the zucchinis, slice each zucchini lengthwise and remove the seeds from the center. Lightly coat the inside of each zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the zucchinis on a heated grill for 10-12 minutes (face down). Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- Add the minced beef sauce to the center of each zucchini and add a drizzle of Greek yogurt.
