Zucchini Boats With Ground Beef- Mediterranean

This zucchini boats with ground beef is a Mediterranean recipe. Stuffed with a ground beef mixture that is seasoned with middle eastern spices, and smothered with an Italian tomato sauce. The flavors are outstanding and they marry together wonderfully.

Traditionally, this dish or any zucchini dish for that matter is made with Asian zucchini, but since most grocery stores don’t carry that, you can simply use the type of zucchini that’s available for you at your local grocery store.

From another traditional perspective, this Mediterranean zucchini boats with ground beef recipe is usually served over Middle Eastern rice.

WHAT INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS RECIPE

• Zucchini squash
• Ground beef
• Diced onions
• Minced garlic
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Crushed tomatoes
• Tomato puree
• Water
• Dried basil
• Olive Oil
• Dried parsley
• Dried oregano

Utensils

• Pastry brush
• Small spoon or small ice-cream scoop
• Vegetable/zucchini corer (if you are using Asian zucchini)
• Large skillet
• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Large baking pan
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowl

A TRUE STRUGGLE OF A MIDDLE EASTERN GAL

When I first came to the United States, I had a lot of new challenges to face. One of the challenges that I considered at the time to be the biggest challenge was the food. Everything about the food was different. How it tasted, how it looked, even how it smelled. The hardest thing for me was that most of the fruits and vegetables that I loved and was used to were not available where I now live.

The only thing that I had to do to get my favorite fruit or vegetable when I was back in Lebanon was to walk into the garden and pick whatever I wanted, or go to the fresh produce store next door.

One of my favorite vegetables that I missed a lot was what apparently is called here the “Japanese eggplant”, and gray zucchini, also called Asian zucchini. Being from the Middle East, that was the only type of zucchini that I was used to.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIDDLEEASTERN ZUCCHINI AND EUROPEAN ZUCCHIINI

Even though the European Zucchini is delicious, it took me a while to get used to the texture and the flavor, and to figure out how to integrate it into Mediterranean recipes.

These pictures are deceptive because of the camera angle that they were shot at, but the European zucchini is a lot larger than the Asian zucchini. It also has a softer texture than the Asian zucchini when it is cooked.

European zucchini can be eaten raw, while Asian or gray zucchini has a slight slimy texture when raw, and is not desirable to be eaten raw.

European zucchini is a lot sweeter than Asian zucchini whether cooked or raw.

HOW TO PREPARE THESE BAKED ZUCCHINI BOATS WITH GROUND BEEF

The traditional way to prepare this Mediterranean zucchini boats with ground beef is to use Asian zucchini, core them, fry them, then stuff them. But since I had no gray zucchini at the time, and they are very hard to come buy, you can only find them occasionally at farmers’ market, instead, I used European zucchini in preparing this dish.

I was able to find Gray Zucchini Seeds online, and I finally have some growing in my garden. This makes my heart so happy! I love growing my own vegetables, and especially fruits and vegetables that are hard to find at the grocery store.

You probably can prepare them the traditional way, but since European zucchini tends to be very tender, it might fall apart after frying it while you are trying to stuff it.

I personally avoid the whole frying thing because it makes the dish super oily.

Preparing the zucchinis for this zucchini boats recipe

So for a healthier and tastier dish, I chose to cut my zucchinis in half lengthwise, core them using a spoon while leaving about a quarter to a half an inch of the zucchini rind intact, place them in a 9×11 glass baking dish, baste them with some olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste, and bake them at 400 F for 10 to 20 minutes, or until slightly tender.

You do not want the zucchinis to get very tender because they will be going back in the oven for a second time.

So if you like a firm zucchini at the end after the entire cooking process is done, you can bake them for about 10 minutes instead of 20. This will keep them firm and give you a good texture at the end.

Preparing the stuffing for zucchini boats with ground beef

While the zucchinis are getting baked in the oven, you can work on preparing the stuffing which really does not take that much time to prepare.

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and add them in with the ground beef into a large skillet. You don’t need to add any oil because the fat from the ground beef (or lamb if you choose to) will help cook the onions and the garlic.

Brown the ground beef along with the onions and garlic on medium heat. If you have any excess fat after browning the beef, you can place everything into a fine sieve and let it drain all the excess fat. After the fat is fully drain, you can place it back into the pan.

Reduce the heat to low and add in the cinnamon, all spice (or seven spice if you have any), and salt to taste. Stir until everything is well combined, and take it off the heat.

Use this stuffing to fill your zucchini boats with.

Preparing the sauce for this zucchini boats with ground beef and spaghetti sauce recipe

Now it’s time to prepare the Italian tomato sauce for these Mediterranean zucchini boats. For the sauce, all you need is a crushed tomato can, a can of tomato puree, water, salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley. Mix all the ingredients together. Poor it around the zucchini boats making sure to not disturb the stuffing that’s inside the zucchini boat.

Place the pan into a 400 F oven and bake for 20 to 30 min or until hot and bubbly. When it’s done the zucchini boats should be slightly tender.

As a side not, make sure to not throw away the zucchini cores. You can sauté them or blanch and freeze them to use in other dishes such as zucchini egg omelet, or zucchini bread.

HOW TO SERVE MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

You can serve these Mediterranean zucchini boats with ground beef as is for a low carb recipe option. You can also serve them the traditional way over Middle Eastern Rice.

Zucchini Boats With Ground Beef – Mediterranean

Chantal

This zucchini boats with ground beef is a Mediterranean recipe. Stuffed with a ground beef mixture that is seasoned with middle eastern spices, and smothered with an Italian tomato sauce. The flavors are outstanding and they marry together wonderfully.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• Pastry brush
• Small spoon or small ice-cream scoop
• Vegetable/zucchini corer (if you are using Asian zucchini)
• Large skillet
• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Large baking pan
• Measuring cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Wooden Spoon
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients

  

• 2 pounds Zucchini squash
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can 14 OZ crushed tomatoes
• 1 can 14 OZ tomato puree
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

 

Asian Zucchini prep.

• After washing the zucchini, remove the tops using a sharp knife.
• Begin coring the zucchini by inserting the vegetable corer into the center where you have removed the stem while making sure to not poke through the bottom of the zucchini. You will now begin to gently rotate the corer and remove the center of the zucchini little by little until you have a hollow zucchini with about a ¼ inch rim. Repeat this process with the remaining zucchini.

European/English Zucchini prep.

• After washing the zucchini, remove the tops using a sharp knife.
• Slice the zucchinis halfway lengthwise to make a boat shape.
• Core the inside of the zucchini using a small spoon or an ice-cream scoop. Make sure to leave about a ¼ inch rim so that the zucchini does not fall apart after its baked.

Directions continued

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the insides and outsides of the zucchinis with olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper.
• Place them on a 9×11 glass baking dish (if you are using English zucchini, place the round side down, and cut side facing up) and bake for 10 – 20 minutes, or until slightly tender.
• Note: English zucchini tend to be softer than Asian zucchini when cooked, so you may want to cook it for a less amount of time depending on its size so that it will be able to hold up its shape when it gets cooked for the second time as you will see here.
• While the zucchinis are getting baked, prepare the stuffing . Place the ground beef, garlic, and onions into a large skillet on medium heat. Stir constantly to mix in the beef with the onions and garlic. This process will also prevent the beef from cooking into one solid chunk.
• After the ground beef has fully browned, place everything into a fine sieve and drain any excess fat. Place them back into the pan on low heat.
• Add 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, and a ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir until everything is well combined. Take it off the heat and set aside.
• After the zucchinis have been baked and have cooled slightly, Fill them with the stuffing that you have prepared. (If you are using Asian Zucchini, wait until they cool down enough to handle them. Hold the zucchinis in the palm of your hand with the opening facing up, gently fill with the stuffing about two-thirds of the way without compacting it, and place back into the pan on its side.)
• In a mixing bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, 1 ½ cups water, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt or to taste, and 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Pour into the baking pan over the stuffed zucchinis. Make sure to not pour directly over the stuffing, otherwise, the stuffing would fall off the zucchini and mix in with the sauce. Give the pan a gentle shake to allow the sauce to seep into the bottom of the pan, and under the zucchinis.
• Place the pan back into the oven at 400 F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the zucchinis are tender, and the sauce is hot and bubbly.
• Allow it to cool slightly before serving. Serve over Middle Eastern Rice rice. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Don’t throw away the zucchini cores. You can save them in the fridge for a few days to use in zucchini breads, omelets, soups, bakes, and so on. Or, you can throw them to your chickens if you have any, or in your compost pile.

Keyword Mediterranean, zucchini bake, zucchini boats

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