Eggplant Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini Boats

“Nice” is a treacherous word.
I actually can’t think of any other word that expresses contentment and acceptance while also harboring subterranean shades of doubt and pessimism.
Let’s make some examples.
Introduce a significant other to your family, and ask your parents afterward what they thought, if they respond “Oh, she is nice”, then they didn’t like her, at all. I talk from experience.
Nice is what you say when you’re skeptical and hesitant but you don’t want to offend.
Let’s take a different scenario.
Say your girlfriend bought a new dress that she is wearing to your date tonight. She spent the last hour or so in the bathroom getting ready — and by the way, women of the world: What’s going on in the bathroom? 60 minutes or more to get prepped? Really?
Anyway, she is really proud of the dress and she feels like a model. When she asks “How do I look?” you enthusiastically answer “You look nice!”
Ouch! You’d better run for your life buddy. You have just released the KRAKEN and you'll not get out of there alive. I want you to know that, I talk from experience (again!)

In fact, if you look up "nice" in the dictionary, it yields 17 entries.
According to the dictionary if you describe something as “nice”, you could be saying something is anything from “amiably pleasant” to “finicky”, “virtuous” or even “reluctant”.
That’s why today we have a word that has become so muddled in its meaning that its once positive connotation is now drenched in ambiguousness, with a somewhat negative connotation.
Let’s face it: you had no idea of the consequences when you said “You look nice”, but to your girlfriend “looking nice” meant “looking crap” (and for that reason, you’re in a whole lot of trouble!)

But these Eggplant Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini Boats...they’re are not “nice”, they’re just plain awesome. Seriously.
Here’s the thing with stuffed zucchini boats, they don’t look pretty. Like “cupcake-pretty”. But they’re so damn delicious you won’t even have the time to look at them.
There are all of the flavors of eggplant parm here, but in a new and inventive way.
Tomato sauce, eggplant, Parmesan, herbs and seasoning. Mixed and stuffed into zucchini boats.
This recipe is a great way to use up summer veggies and create a mouthwatering meatless meal you’re gonna love.
If you’re not used to going meatless, put down the forkful of meat once in a while, this recipe will open your eyes!

 Eggplant Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini Boats                                                    Print this recipe!

Ingredients 
Serves 4

4 medium zucchini, washed
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup / 2 oz / 50 gr + 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup / 4.3 oz / 112 gr almond meal (or GF breadcrumbs)
8 tablespoons tomato sauce (such as marinara)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and place a rack in the middle. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook zucchini for 5 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large (preferable non-stick) skillet over medium-high heat, add onion, salt and saute’ for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and saute’ for 1 further minute, until fragrant.
Finally add eggplant cubes and saute’ - stirring every now and then - until browned and soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl and puree/mash with an immersion blender (you can also use a food processor or a blender to do this.)
Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, black pepper and stir until well combined.
Add almond meal (or GF breadcrumbs) ¼ cup at a time and mix with your hands until it reaches a firm consistency (you might need to use more or less almond meal). Set aside.
Slice the zucchini in half and scrape out the fillings with a spoon.
Arrange zucchini boats on the lined baking dish, drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil and brush to coat.
Fill the hollowed zucchini boats with about one tablespoon of marinara sauce and top with eggplant mixture, dividing equally (use your hands to do this, it’s really the only way to do it!)
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
Serve warm!

Nutrition facts

One zucchini boat yields 194 calories, 14 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs and 9 grams of protein