Great Green Boats

I made this tonight for my daddy and let me just tell you, that last zucchini is no longer in the pan. It was so fun and very, very tasty!! Super healthful, low-fat, yummy and filling all at the same time! I bet if you called it "green boat chili," it might entice kiddos to eat it up too. It's from Rachael Ray's magazine but as usual I tweaked it to my taste so I will give you the recipe that I actually used.

Green Boat Chile (or chili stuffed zucchini)

Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 25 mins

Ingredients:

* 4 zucchini (abt 2 lbs), halved lengthwise and seeded

* 2 tablespoons EVOO

* 1 onion, finely chopped

* 1 package ground turkey

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin

* 1 can red kidney beans, drained

* 1 can chopped tomatoes, drained (or just get rid of some of the liquid)

* 1/2 of an 8 oz bag Mexican-style shredded cheese

salt and pepper

Directions:

* Preheat the oven to 450. Arrange the zucchini cut side up in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Add 1/2-1 cup water to the dish, cover with foil and bake until the zucchini begins to soften, about 15 minutes.

* Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the turkey and cumin and cook, breaking the meat up, until just browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and beans.

* Uncover the baking dish, pour off the water and season the zucchini with salt. Fill the meat mixture and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. (I had a good bit of the meat mixture left over but I suppose that all depends on the size of your zucchini. If you have extra, just serve it on the size or use it tomorrow to make something else.)

The pics in her magazine of course looked prettier and her recipe was a bit different. But if you can look past all that, you should give it a try. Delish!!