spicy corn and black bean stuffed zucchini

This stuffed zucchini recipe came to me mid heat stroke.

We were diving head first into our third tomato planting on this glorious 90 degree, 100 percent humidity, New England day.

Naturally, I began to hallucinate funny things like Sprite, potato chips, and spicy pickles.  It’s truly amazing that no one ended up in the ER.  It was hot!! The good news is that we all made it through the day. The bad news is that there was no spicy pickles at the finish line!

The only positive thing that happened during the heat of the afternoon was this recipe that popped into my head.  This is the kind of dinner you make when you need to forget about your day and just enjoy your evening.  I highly recommend a nice summer ale to accompany your meal.

Spicy Corn and Black Bean Stuffed Zucchini with Cilantro Lime dressing (serves two) with leftover filling!

1 large zucchini, sliced in half and innards removed with a spoon leaving 1/4 inch rim

2 ears of fresh corn kernels

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half

1 cup of cooked quinoa

Feta cheese for topping

Preheat the oven to 375

In a saucepan sauté the red onion in a little olive oil.  After a couple of minutes add the pepper, corn, and black beans. Remove from heat.  Mix quinoa and tomatoes with the corn mixture. Scoop into prepared zucchini boats.  Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.  Check you zucchini often to make sure it is not burning.

For the Cilantro Lime Dressing:

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup diced cilantro

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp honey

dash of red pepper flakes

Whisk everything together and serve over your zucchini boats with a sprinkle of feta cheese.

Enjoy!