Recipe: Magic 8 Ball Zucchini

3 medium 8-ball zucchini, rinsed and hollowed out
1/2 lb. ground lamb
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 t. (or so) dried oregano
2 t. tomato paste
1 sm. tomato, chopped
1-2 T. Italian parsley, chopped
1-2 T. feta
1/2 c. cooked brown rice
1/4 c. (or so) water

This is one of those guideline recipes. If you like more rice, use more rice. If you’d rather have beef instead of lamb, go for it. If you want no meat at all, use more rice and tomato. Why brown rice? Well, whole grains are good for you. Use white rice if you want.

The one thing is though — the feta is critical from a flavor standpoint — it adds a nice salty brinyness. But, if you forget the feta or it’s gone off in your fridge, just add a little more salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top off of each zucchini and hollow it out with a melon baller (or a 1 t. measuring spoon), being careful not to make the walls of the zucchini too thin.

Brown the ground lamb in a medium skillet and drain the fat. Season with S&P. Add the onion and saute until translucent/softened. Add oregano, tomato paste, tomato and water. Cook for 3-5 minutes. If you want to use some of the flesh from the zucchini, add it with onion, otherwise just put it in your composter.

You want the tomato paste and water to make just a little bit of sauce. Can’t really see it in this photo. Mix in the rice and parsley. Cook for a minute or two more. Add the feta and take off the heat. Taste the filling to make sure it’s got enough S&P. Fill each zucchini with the ground lamb mixture, put in an ovenproof baking dish (this is just a 8×8 square dish) and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

The baking time varies every time I make this — you may want to cover the zucchini with foil and add just a bit of water to the baking dish so they steam. I didn’t – and even after 40 mins the zucchini were still a little firm. You also don’t want it caving in and falling apart. It’ll just depend on your zucchini.

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