Titanic Zucchini

A number of years ago when my boys were still young, the family took a trip one winter down to Orlando, Florida, in order to escape the snow and cold of Northeast Ohio. We had previously done the Disney thing, so this time we focused on all of the other attractions that Orlando had to offer including Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Medieval Times and Sea World.

My in-laws had rented a place for a month and one afternoon all of us decided to go see the Titanic Exhibit. This exhibit was comprised of a number of the items that had been recovered from the wreck, as well as some educational parts on the ship and what happened to her.

We arrived and found that the exhibit wasn’t open yet, so we killed some time and when they opened up the doors we were first in line. The ticket seller was still setting up her area when we stepped up to the counter, and she opened up a brand new pack of tickets to sell.

We made our purchase and when she handed us the tickets, we noticed that each of them had the name of a person on them. This was a person who had travelled on the Titanic and at the very end of the exhibit you could see if they had survived (spoiler alert: the ship sank).

The very first ticket had gone to my youngest son (Aaron) and like little boys are won’t to do, he instantly started bragging to his older brother that Aaron’s guy was much better than his brother’s. I looked at Aaron’s name, Edward J Smith. The name itself didn’t ring a bell, but hit title was also listed: Titanic Captain. Needless to say he was a little disappointed at the end.

Zucchini Stuffed with Sausage, Mushrooms & Sage

These zucchini are like boats and with the size of the zucchini I picked, they were almost Titanic sized.

Only a few ingredients.

Bake the hollowed out zucchini.

Cook the sausage.

And the onions.

And mushrooms.

Toast the pine nuts.

Put it all together.

Cover with cheese.

Eat this and you’ll feel like the King of the World!

Zucchini Stuffed with Sausage, Mushrooms & Sage

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds zucchini, a.k.a. 1 ginormous zucchini or several medium-sized ones
1/2 cup walnuts
1 pound sausage
1 onion, diced
8 oz mushrooms, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced sage
2 eggs
1 cup shredded pecorino cheese, divided

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375° F. Find a rimmed baking dish large enough to fit your zucchini halves. I ended up using a turkey roasting pan.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Leave an inch or so of zucchini. Set the zucchini in the baking pan cut-side up and seasoning it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour a quarter inch of boiling water into the pan, cover with foil, and bake for 10 minutes, just until the zucchini is no longer raw. Set aside to cool enough to handle.

Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast them alongside the zucchini for 5-10 minutes, until fragrant. Chop into small pieces and set aside.

Leave the oven on and set at 375°F.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up into medium-sized bits as you go. Transfer to a bowl and drain off all but a teaspoon of the grease. Add the onions to the pan with a good pinch of salt, and cook until soft and golden. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Cook together until the mushrooms have turned golden and any moisture they released has evaporated. Stir in the garlic and sage. Cook for about thirty seconds until fragrant.

Combine the walnuts, cooked sausage, onions, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Taste and add more salt or other seasonings to taste. Beat the eggs together. Stir the eggs and 3/4 cup of the pecorino into the stuffing mixture.

Pat the zucchini dry and fill the cavity with the stuffing. Go ahead and really pack the filling in there before mounding it on top. This will help it hold together when you slice the zucchini later.

Drain the liquid from the baking pan, rub it with a little butter or olive oil, and place the stuffed zucchini back inside. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the zucchini, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the cheese is crispy.

Allow the zucchini to cool slightly. Slice into portions and serve. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for one week.

Nutritional Info: low-carb
sugar-conscious
Per serving, based on 6 servings. (% daily value)
Calories
410 Fat
34.5 g (53%)
Saturated
11.9 g (59.7%)
Carbs
7.4 g (2.5%)
Fiber
2.1 g (8.6%)
Sugars
1.2 g
Protein
19.1 g (38.2%)
Cholesterol
66.7 mg (22.2%)
Sodium
955.4 mg (39.8%)
nutritional data provided by

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-zucchini-stuffed-with-s-157175