Ground turkey filled zucchini boats

Ground Turkey filled zucchini boats!

I've been seeing a ton of amazing looking recipes for stuffed peppers, zucchinis, and mushrooms going around Facebook and Pinterest lately!  The problem is, that every single one seems to be filled with heavy pork sausage or ground beef, and tons of cheese!  Oh, but they look so good, and I need to figure out a better way!  These zucchini boats are just the thing, with extra lean turkey meat and tons of flavorful veggies!

Start out by getting all your ingredients ready.  Cut 3 zucchinis lengthwise, and scrape out the center seeds and all the surrounding flesh.  Save the flesh, it adds a huge amount of moisture!  Next, finely dice 1/2 a package of baby bella mushrooms, 1/2 red bell pepper, garlic, green onions, and the pulp of the zucchini.  You will also need a beer, wine, or stock, and about 2 cups of the whole grain of your choice.  

Now, start roasting the zucchini at 400*, just until barely tender.  Remove and set aside to cool.

 Now for the turkey.  Get a nice dark brown on about a pound of extra lean ground turkey breast, move to the side of the pan, and get a similar dark golden brown on the mushrooms.  DO NOT use salt yet, you will draw water out of the meat and mushrooms, and they won't get that delicious caramelized depth of flavor!

 Once you have achieved the desired color on your meat and mushrooms, add the remaining veggies, and a good splash of your favorite liquid.  I used the amazing Wisconsin beer, New Glarus, but I promise I won't judge your deglazing liquid choices.  Just make sure it is adding flavor! 

Once the veggies are soft and translucent, add about 2 cups of brown rice, or any whole grain of your choice.  I used the cheater Uncle Ben's easy brown rice...  I didn't judge your liquid, so don't judge my cheater grains!  This works great with day old brown rice as well, because it will need to be cooked a bit while the rice absorbs any extra liquid.

 Set the filling aside, and get to work on the topping!  I used:  1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, 1 Tablespoon of grated parmesan, 1 Tablespoon of Pecorino Romano grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Mix with a fork, until the breading is evenly mixed.

 Now to fill these babies!!  Heap that delicious turkey and veggie filling into the zucchini shells, and top evenly with the breading mixture.  Pop into the oven at 400*, until the zucchini is nice and soft, and the top is golden brown.

Allow the beautifully browned boats to rest and cool for at least 15 minutes, so you can handle them, and very gently lift onto a plate.  I served them along with a mixed greens salad, and it was so satisfying, filling, and delicious!  Now this is happy healthy eating!