She Strengthens

Elevate Your Grilled Zucchini to a Main Course

Grilled zucchini often takes a backseat as a side dish, but by adding a hearty grain stuffing, it can become the star of the show. This innovative recipe combines the creaminess of cashews with the nuttiness of quinoa, all wrapped up in a tender zucchini package.

The Filling: A Blend of Flavors

To create the filling, cashews are soaked for 2 hours to achieve a silky texture. Then, they’re blended with garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of cumin and cayenne pepper. This mixture is cooked with quinoa, which is rinsed to remove its bitter coating, and flavored with fresh parsley, lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Preparing the Zucchini

While the quinoa mixture cooks, the zucchinis are halved and hollowed out, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. They’re brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper before being filled with the quinoa mixture. To secure the filling, toothpicks are used to sandwich the zucchini halves together.

Grilling to Perfection

The stuffed zucchinis are grilled over medium-high heat for 6 minutes on each side, or until they develop a nice char. As they cook, the filling is heated through, and the zucchinis are tender and slightly caramelized.

Serve with a Fresh Twist

This vegan masterpiece is best served with a bright and refreshing vegetable salad, making for a healthy and satisfying meal. With its unique flavor profile and impressive presentation, this grilled zucchini dish is sure to impress your guests.

Game Plan

Remember to soak the cashews 2 hours in advance to ensure the best results. This recipe yields 6 servings and takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes to prepare, plus the 2-hour cashew soaking time.

Ingredients

For the quinoa:

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup quinoa, any color or variety
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the zucchini:

• 6 medium zucchinis (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 24 toothpicks