I used to grow a lot of zucchini until my garden became the headquarters of all the local wildlife. For some reason, zucchini was always the first vegetable they targeted until I finally stopped planting it. Now I'm lucky to put a few tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in, but when I had a lot of zucchini this is one of my favorite ways to make a main dish out of it.
You can serve this zucchini topped with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese or your favorite spaghetti sauce for a delicious change.
Now whenever we get a taste for this recipe, I visit our local Farmer's Market. I do hope you will try this dish because it is an excellent simple main dish.
My Zucchini Stuffed With Rice and Cheese Dinner
3 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup of rice, uncooked
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1-3/4 cups of water
3/4 cup of peas
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Velveeta cheese, sliced thin or cubed in small piece
1/2 cup of Provolone cheese, grated or sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
Parmesan cheese
spaghetti sauce (optional)
Cut zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out and dice the centers while leaving 1/4-inch thickness of the shell.
Take the diced zucchini, onion, and garlic and cook in the oil over medium heat until onions turn golden brown and vegetables get tender.
Add rice, salt, basil, and 1-1/2 cups of water to the vegetable mixture. Heat to boiling before covering. Then simmer for about ten minutes. Add peas and simmer for additional ten more minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
Take the vegetable mixture off of the heat. Now stir in the milk and the cheese and combine well.
In a large skillet, heat the zucchini halves in the remaining 1/4 cup of water to boiling. Lower the heat and simmer this for about five minutes or until tender-crisp. Salt the halves, if you wish.
Fill the halves with the rice-vegetable mixture. Place back in your skillet, cover and cook over low heat just to heat through.
Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese or your favorite spaghetti sauce or both.
