quinoa-stuffed yellow zucchini

one word: veggie-licious! 

and so the fascination with yellow zucchini continues… this time around, i thought i’d create my version of stuffed zucchini, inspired by fellow foodie blogger our life in food.

– preheat oven to 375F

zucchini bowls:
– 1 organic yellow zucchini (sliced lengthwise in half)
– use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeded content of the zucchini halves, creating a boat-shaped form for each half.
– rough chop the seeded content removed from the zucchini. set aside.

the quinoa:
– bring to a boil: 1 cup (250mL) organic quinoa & 2 cups water in a small pot (no cover)
– then reduce to simmer, cover pot and cook until the water is absorbed into the grains (approx 10-12 min). it’s ready when the grain is translucent.
– allow to cool, then fluff w/ a fork. set aside.

veggie quinoa stuffing:
combine the following ingredients in prep bowl:
– 1 yellow tomato (diced)
– 1/2 red tomato (diced)
– 3 fresh organic radishes (thinly sliced, cut into halves)
– dash of salt
– 3 tbsp fresh italian parsley (finely chopped)
– seeded content from zucchini halves (rough chop)
– 1 cup organic quinoa (cooked)
– 2 tbsp light creamcheese (at room temperature)
– 1/4 cup light mozzarella cheese (grated). reserve a small portion of grated mozzarella for topping
– season w/ ground black peppercorns to taste
– fold ingredients until combined well

heaping bowls of organic goodness:
– generously stuff zucchini halves w/ veggie quinoa
– sprinkle grated mozzarella for melted topping
– bake for 12-15min at 375F until cheese is melted and zucchini is semi-softened

food styling:
– serve quinoa-stuffed zucchini w/ organic mixed greens & honey dijon creamy dressing (or your fave salad dressing)
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– pairs nicely with a crisp white wine

leftover redux:
– perk up leftover quinoa stuffing w/ bell peppers… check out the previous yumyumyummers recipe for quinoa pepper sushi rolls