A few weeks ago, the good wife told me about a recipe one of her friends had been talking about. That recipe was for a stuffed zucchini with the stuffing being primarily cheese. It sounded OK but my preference for things stuffed with cheese pretty much ends at ravioli or tortellini. I'm not even a fan of cheese stuffed jalapenos but that's a story for another day. It's been quite some time since I'd done a stuffed zucchini, mostly due to the fact that it's hit or miss with finding zucchini at the store that isn't beat up. I was doing my shopping the other day and found 3 zucchini that were on the small side but looked good and were in good condition. I actually bought them with the intention of stuffing them with something.
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| Bacon wrapped stuffed zucchini and pork chops just on the grill |
Once I had the zucchini home, the issue became when to fix them for supper. It then lead to what to have with it. I wanted something that could be done outside since it's pretty hot right now and I'd rather not heat the kitchen more than necessary. I settled on smoked pork chops and fried okra.
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| Smoked and ready to take inside |
So without further ado, here is the recipe.
Bacon Wrapped Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini
2 large or 3 smaller zucchini
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped approximately 1/4 inch dice
4 oz grated Cotija cheese
1 medium red onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
cumin
splash of brandy or Irish whisky (optional)
8 - 12 slices of bacon
Heat a skillet with some oil to medium heat. Put in the diced onion and garlic and cook until just starting to turn translucent. Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Let the mushrooms cook down until most of the moisture they release has cooked away. If using, add the brandy or whisky so it cooks down as well. While the mushrooms are cooking, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed bearing part. Once the mushrooms are done, transfer into a bowl and add the grated Cotija cheese and stir. Divide the mushroom mixture between the zucchini halves ensuring the zucchini are well filled. Once all the zucchini are filled, wrap them in bacon. Each zucchini should take two slices of bacon to be completely covered. Place the bacon wrapped zucchini on a grill with indirect heat and add whatever wood you prefer for smoking. Smoke at 250 - 275F for 20 - 30 minutes until the bacon is done and the desired color is reached. Once done, serve and enjoy.
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| A fine tasty supper, everything cooked outside |
Any mushroom you like can be used in this and I think shitake mushrooms would be very good but the baby bellas are what the store had when I picked them up. If you don't have or can't find Cotija cheese you could use some good Parmesan, Romano, or a nice Grana instead.
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| Cross section |
If you don't have a grill or don't want to fool with the grill these can be done in the over just as easily. I'd put them on a baking rack over a cookie pan and bake at 375 for 15 - 20 minutes. This should leave the bacon browned but chewy and the zucchini with still a little bite to it. If you want the bacon crisp and the zucchini soft then increase the time. If you bake them, keep an eye on them because this is just an estimate based on experience with my oven. Your oven my vary.
This would do well as a side with any protein you choose. I almost did grilled salmon but changed my mind and pulled pork chops out of the freezer instead.
Give these a try and let me know what you think.
Uncle T
