Stuffed Zucchini Boats

   Well, this year has seen me increase my intake, and my love, for zucchini. In the past I had only had zucchini cut up and roasted with other veggies on a bbq. More often than not, that resulted in pretty squishy, not so tasty zucchini. 
   Our neighbour Frank, with his magical vegetable garden, gave us a bunch of zucchini over the last few weeks, and so I started to find ways to eat it that I actually enjoyed. Enter the zucchini boat.
   This particular recipe was created because Franks also gave me a glorious bunch of fresh basil from his garden. So, I started putting things together, and this particular boat was one of my favourites (I've made a bunch of different kinds). 

Stuffed Zucchini Boats
As a side note, some people like to cut in half, scoop out the centre, and roast the zucchini on it's own, then add the filling and eat it. If you're used to that, then do it. If not, you can do it my way if you want. :)  

Ingredients:

• 4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
  
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1lb. ground beef (or turkey, chicken pork, or venison)
• 6 oz. of tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp Franks Original Hot Sauce (more or less, depending on your love of spiciness)
• 1 Bell pepper, finely diced
  
• 1 Small-medium tomato, diced
  
• To taste (a pinch of at least 3) Paprika, chile powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, ground garlic, ground onion, pepper, or sea salt
  
• 4 medium sized zucchini
• 1 Bunch of basil, minced (the best way to cut fresh basil is to stack it up, roll it up, then chop)
  

Method:

1. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, place the bacon. You can cut it into pieces before putting it into the pan if you want to save some time. Once the bacon and cooked and crispy, remove from the pan, and place onto paper towel or newspaper to absorb some of the grease. 
2. Add the diced onion to the pan, and give it a few minutes to brown.
3. Add the ground meat to the pan, and cook, breaking up the bigger pieces, until no more pink shows. If there is still a lot of the bacon grease left at this point, spoon some of it out, or use another paper towel to dab it out. 
4. Add the tomato paste, pepper, tomato, spices and Franks to the beef, and stir to combine. Once well incorporated and warm, add the bacon back in, stir it all up, and remove from the heat.
5. While you are making the filling, heat your oven or bbq to 400, and prepare your pan to roast the zucchini by lining it with parchment, tin foil, or lightly greasing it. 
6. Cut the zucchini down the centre lengthwise, and scoop the seeds out.
7. Place into prepared pan, and give them some salt and pepper. Divide the basil between the zucchini boats, then add your filling. If you have a pan that is too big, and your zucchini won't stand up, use a few wads of tin foil to prop against it to hold them up.
8. Roast the zucchini until you stick a knife into a thick spot, and it's tender, but just how tender is a matter of preference. Generally 10-20 minutes is the appropriate window of time.
9. Serve and enjoy! 

Stack, roll (not pictured, but you literally just roll the stack up), and chop

   It may seem like a lot of steps, but it really is so simple. And soooo yummy! 
   I've made stuffed zucchini this summer with tuna, avocado and hot banana pepper rings, one with sausage and sour kraut, and another one with chicken, tomato, and artichokes. A zucchini is kind of tasteless, and so it makes a willing vessel for any number of taste combos you can imagine! 

   Well, that's it for now! Today is meant to be a little rainy, which is o.k. Sometimes I am glad for a rainy day because it forces me to stay indoors and get some stuff done in the house (....cleaning....blah...). :)  
   Happy Wednesday!