These Mushroom and Hummus Zucchini Boats are truly good! Melted, gooey cheese, juicy mushrooms, and slightly crunchy zucchini. Yum! Perfect as an appetizers, or even as breakfast.
1tablespooncilantrochopped, to garnish - you can also use parsley or dill to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Trim off each zucchini stem and blossom ends and discard. Slice each zucchini in half, lengthwise and place them skin side down on the lined sheet pan.
Using a teaspoon, remove the core with the seeds. As you remove the core place each half back on the sheet pan and place the zucchini core in a large non-stick pan.
Sprinkle each zucchini half with salt and, using a baking or silicone brush, brush each half with a little of the olive oil. Place in oven, on the middle rack, and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly softened.
While the zucchini is in the oven, add the remaining olive oil and sliced mushrooms to the pan with the zucchini cores and sauté over medium-high heat, until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms have browned slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and stir in the garlic powder and hummus.
Take the zucchini out of the oven (but don't turn it off, you'll need it shortly) and generously spoon the mushroom and hummus mixture into each zucchini boat.
Sprinkle grated cheese over each zucchini half, place them back into the oven, and bake until the cheese has melted and slightly browned.
Garnish with cilantro or other herbs before serving.
Notes
Try to select zucchini that are similar in size so that they cook evenly.
When hollowing out the zucchini, leave about 1/4 inch of flesh around the edges to maintain structure. Be careful not to scoop out too much, as the boats need to hold the filling without collapsing.
When you precook the zucchini, bake them until they are just starting to soften. Overcooking at this stage can result in mushy zucchinis after the final baking with the filling.
Taste the mushroom filling before stuffing it in the zucchini. Make sure it is well-seasoned with salt and garlic powder. Mushrooms absorb flavors well, so don't be afraid to season generously.
Keep an eye on the zucchini boats while they're baking to prevent overcooking. They're done when the cheese is melted and bubbly.