Spicy Zucchini Boats | Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan Option

I made this a couple of weeks ago because I had some leftover homemade spaghetti sauce after canning it. Not enough to make a full spaghetti, but enough to make this super quick recipe. I gotta say, this is a super lazy recipe, perfect for those nights when your brain is fried after a long day working! haha

I bought some spicy sausages (organic/grass-fed), cut them open, and cooked the inside as if it was ground beef, with a bit of olive oil and some minced onion. If you would prefer a meatless/vegan option, I’d recommend roasting chickpeas or even raw walnuts mixed with a lot of spices like paprika, cayenne, oregano, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. It would be super delicious!

This recipe is for 2 people, but if you need more or less, simply double or half the recipe.

Enjoy!

ECP xo

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Spicy Zucchini Boats | Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan Option

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

A quick and tasty spicy zucchini boat recipe to use leftovers and fresh produce for a healthy meal!

Ingredients

• 2 large organic zucchini washed, cut in half, lengthwise
• 2 organic/grass-fed spicy sausages cut open and cooked until nicely browned in a pan
• 1 onion minced

Vegan option: roast chickpeas (or raw walnuts) and minced onions with a little bit of good quality olive oil, and paprika, cayenne, oregano, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes

• 1 cup homemade tomato & vegetable sauce (or an organic store-bought)
• 1/4 cup organic cheddar cheese or Daiya vegan cheese
• extra-virgin olive oil for cooking

Instructions

1. With a spoon, gently remove the area where the seeds are in each zucchini halves.

2. Once your sausages and onions (or chickpeas with onions and spices) are nicely browned, fill each half zucchini with the mixture, then spoon enough tomato and veggie sauce over everything, and sprinkle with the cheese of your choosing.

3. Put in an oven-resistant baking dish with a lid, add 1/4 cup water at the bottom of the dish, cover, and cook in the oven at 425F for about 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and grilled a bit.
4. Serve with a simple green salad.

Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 606kcal | Fat: 48g | Saturated fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1159mg | Potassium: 1075mg | Carbohydrates: 18g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Protein: 23g | Vitamin A: 910% | Vitamin C: 44.4% | Calcium: 186% | Iron: 2.6%