One of the biggest issues I have when I plan meals is trying to find something that both Brian and I will like and that’s healthy at the same time. I have to give him props for being open to trying new things (his favorite is spaghetti squash) but something tells me he wouldn’t be happy eating veggie burgers and a side salad all week. These zucchini boats were a happy medium between the chicken parm that he loves and my veggies on veggies idea.
The whole process was pretty easy too. I cooked the ground chicken in a skillet with the salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. When it was no longer pink I added some fresh garlic and onion and allowed the mixture to cook for about a minute. Then I added the tomato sauce. The tomato sauce below is one of my favorites.
Trader Joes uses organic tomatoes and doesn’t add sugar to this sauce. Tomato containing products are something I always try to buy organic. Tomato plants are frequently treated with pesticides in order to better preserve the crop from insects and weeds. It’s on the dirty dozen list of produce with the most pesticide residue. I also like to look for no added sugar. Popular brands tend to have upwards of 3 teaspoons of added sugar to sweeten the sauce. Look for a label like this with minimal ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, and spices.
While the chicken was cooking, Cut the ends off of each zucchini and then cut the zucchini in half. I scraped out the seeds to make a reservoir for the chicken to go. When the chicken was finished I added that to each zucchini boat and topped with a sprinkle of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
The final product was delicious! It gave me a good amount of veggies and protein that I wanted and the heartiness that Brian likes. He gave it a two thumbs up! 🙂
Enjoy!
-Carly & Courtney
