Zuccanoes

This is a recipe that we found in the New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. We tried it simply because Zuccanoes (pronounced zoo-canoes) is a fun name and we liked saying it. To our delight, it ended up being delicious. Below is a copy of the recipe. I modified it slightly (reduced the amount of almonds, substituted olive oil for grape seed oil and used less salt) and I've written our version of the recipe below.

The Recipe

• 4 medium zucchinis
• 1-2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 1 1/2 c minced onion
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 lb minced mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 c cooked basmati rice
• 1/3 c toasted almond slivers
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Black pepper, dill and basil to taste
• 1 c grated old cheddar cheese

Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the insides with a spoon so that you are finished with hollow canoe-shaped halves. Mince the zucchini innards and set the shells/innards aside. In a frying pan, saute the onions and salt in the grape seed oil until the onions are soft (about 8 minutes). Add minced mushrooms and zucchini innards to the frying pan, turn up the heat and cook for a further 8 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. Stir in garlic and remove pan from heat. Stir in cooked rice, toasted almonds, spices and lemon juice. Line up zucchini shells on a cooking sheet or casserole dish and spoon mixture into each one. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

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Critique

Critique to come.