HARRISBURG, Pa. — The summer squashes are in season, and this week’s Seasonal Servings finds a clever way to incorporate them into Taco Tuesday!
Instead of the usual taco shells, zucchini boats cradle plenty of cheesy meat, topped with more fresh, seasonal flavor courtesy of a quick and easy pico de gallo! It’s a great way to use fresh garden tomatoes, peppers and herbs!
Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients:
- 4 medium to large zucchini
- 1 pound, ground beef
- 1 tablespoon, avocado oil
- 1 packet, taco seasoning
- ½ cup, chopped white onion
- 1 cup, black beans
- 2 cups, taco cheese blend
- 1 cup, diced plum tomatoes
- ½ cup, diced red bell pepper
- 2/3 cup, diced red onion
- 1 diced jalapeno (can use less to adjust spice)
- 1 lime, juiced
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup, cotija cheese
- Salt and pepper
Directions for the zucchini and meat mixture:
Carefully cut each zucchini in half lengthwise, and then hollow out each half. Bake in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until softened but still firm. Remove and set aside.
While the zucchini boats are baking, you can start the meat mixture. Add lean ground beef to a pan with olive oil. Add the taco seasoning after a few minutes of breaking down the beef. Then, add the chopped white onion when the beef is cooked halfway. Next, add the red bell pepper after two additional minutes of cooking. Once the beef is fully cooked, add the cheese and the beans. Remove the meat mixture from the heat once the cheese is melted.
Directions for the pico de gallo:
Mix the tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, lime juice and cilantro together in a bowl. Season everything with salt and pepper.
Directions for assembling the zucchini boats:
Scoop the meat mixture into each zucchini boat. Top it with the fresh pico de gallo. Sprinkle the boats with cotija cheese and top with some more cilantro. You can also squirt some more fresh lime juice on top if you have an extra lime or serve with lime wedges.
