6 Ways with Stuffed Vegetables

6 Ways with Something Extra / Hero Vegetables

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There are times when we feel like a vegetable based main meal, or want to impress a guest. Cooking stuffed vegetables is a great way to create a delicious and healthy meal that is both appealing and satisfying. Many different vegetables can be stuffed and with a wide variety of fillings, including rice, vegetables, beans, meat and cheese.

Serving stuffed vegetables is also an excellent way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. Already packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre, vegetables stuffed with other nutritious ingredients can make a well-rounded and balanced meal. A meal of stuffed vegetables can also be low in carbohydrates, and being baked, low in fat.

stuffed_vegetablesStuffed vegetables can be customised for a range of dietary preferences or restrictions. The fillings can be totally plant-based for vegans or vegetarians, include meat for omnivores, and tailored to specific taste preferences, either spicy or mild – Asian, Middle Eastern or European.

Probably the most popular vegetable to serve stuffed is the capsicum. Large, tasty and empty, it could have been designed to be filled with any number of combinations of rice, meat and vegetables.  I have provided two options here below, but, you can, of course, let your imagination run wild.

Traditionally, the capsicum is opened by slicing off the top. However, it’s difficult to find a way to keep a single capsicum upstanding in the oven. I would suggest halving the capsicum vertically through the stem to make two little capsicum boats which are easy to fill and share with a guest. As capsicums do take a while to cook through, I would also recommend that you give them a head start by microwaving them for a few minutes before adding the filling.

Along with capsicums, tomatoes and zucchinis are also a mainstay of Mediterranean cuisine. Their tender interiors can be easily scooped out and replaced, or combined with other ingredients to make the stuffing.

Large mushrooms can also be upturned and stuffed. The stem can be trimmed and chopped and incorporated into the stuffing. They can be accompanied by a small salad, or baked alongside a few cherry tomatoes.

The baked potato which, technically, is topped rather than stuffed, is a definite favourite in the Anglo-Saxon world. Here below is a quick and easy way of making a traditional baked potato in the microwave oven. The potato can be substituted with a sweet potato and can be served with a filling made from a few common ingredients as suggested here below or topped with any tasty mixture such as leftover stew or Bolognaise sauce.

Tip: Some of the following recipes call for breadcrumbs. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make a small batch by breaking a pita pocket or a toasted slice of wholemeal bread into small pieces, then processing in a bullet blender to break the pieces down into crumbs.

For more hearty recipes for vegetables, go to the entry The ‘Hero’ Vegetable and follow the links.

 

Recipes:

Stuffed Capsicum

Capsicum and Vegetable Bake

Tomato Parmigiana

Stuffed Zucchini

Roast Mushrooms

Microwave Baked Potato

 

Stuffed Capsicum

  • 1 red or green capsicum
  • 1 single-serve microwave rice
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon
  • 2 tbsp. (plus) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella (optional)
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Dried onion, garlic, pepper, oregano and parsley

 

  1. Microwave rice for 40 seconds
  2. Cut capsicum in half through the stem and remove membranes and seeds
  3. Microwave capsicum for 2 minutes
  4. Stir bacon, Parmesan, tomato paste, olive oil, herbs and spices into rice
  5. Fill capsicum halves with rice mixture
  6. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and/or more Parmesan
  7. Bake in a hot (200°C) oven for 40 minutes

Variation: substitute ¼ cup chopped mushrooms for the diced bacon

 

Capsicum and Vegetable Bake

  • 1 red or green capsicum
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
  • ¼ cup instant couscous
  • 3–6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • ¼ cup mushrooms, chopped
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
  • ½ tbsp. olive oil
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Garlic granules, pepper, and parsley

 

  1. Cut capsicum in half through the stem and remove membranes and seeds
  2. Microwave capsicum for 3 minutes
  3. Place couscous in a small bowl, pour ¼ cup boiling water onto the couscous and let stand until water is absorbed
  4. In another bowl, mix together onion, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes
  5. Season with garlic, pepper and parsley and stir in olive oil
  6. Place a bed of couscous in each capsicum half
  7. Top couscous with vegetable mixture
  8. Top with shredded mozzarella and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese
  9. Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) oven for 20 minutes

 

Tomato Parmigiana

  • 1 large tomato (or 2 small tomatoes)
  • 2 tsp. basil pesto
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella (see above)
  • 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

  1. Halve the tomato crossways (or slice the top off small tomatoes)
  2. Scoop out about ½ of the contents of each half
  3. Drain pulp and chop finely
  4. Mix in pesto, olive oil, mozzarella and breadcrumbs
  5. Press mixture into tomato cavities
  6. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  7. Roast in a pre-heated hot (200°C) toaster oven for 30 minutes

 

Stuffed Zucchini

  • 1 medium/large zucchini
  • 1/3 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp. (plus) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon
  • Garlic, paprika, pepper and basil
  • Olive oil
  • Oil spray

 

  1. Halve zucchini lengthwise
  2. Scoop out the soft, pulpy core, retain and chop
  3. In a small saucepan, sauté onion with spices
  4. Add diced tomatoes with basil and sauté
  5. Add chopped zucchini and simmer until zucchini is soft and translucent
  6. Stir in Parmesan cheese and bacon
  7. Line an oven tray with baking paper and spray with oil
  8. Place zucchini on oven tray and fill cavities with tomato mixture
  9. Top with shredded mozzarella and/or more Parmesan cheese
  10. Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) toaster oven for 40 minutes

 

Roast Mushrooms

  • 2 medium or 1 large flat or Portobello mushroom/s
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon
  • Garlic granules, pepper and parsley
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs (see above)
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive or canola oil

 

  1. Remove stalk from mushrooms and peel caps if necessary
  2. In each cap place diced bacon with spices
  3. Mix breadcrumbs with parsley and Parmesan cheese and dampen with a little oil
  4. Press mixture into mushroom caps
  5. Bake in a moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes

Variation: trim and chop mushroom stems and substitute for the diced bacon

 

 Microwave Baked Potato

  • 1 large potato, thoroughly washed
  • 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 tbsp. diced tomatoes (or 2–3 cherry tomatoes, quartered)
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Dried onion, garlic granules and parsley
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Prick potato all over with a fork
  2. Rub potato skin with olive oil
  3. Microwave for 7–9 minutes depending on size
  4. Cut potato down the middle but not all the way down to the bottom
  5. Fluff up flesh with a fork
  6. Place mozzarella in the cavity and top with tomatoes and bacon,
  7. Sprinkle with parsley, spices and shredded Parmesan cheese
  8. Microwave for a further 1–2 minutes.

Variations:

  • substitute a small sweet potato for the potato
  • at Step 8 place under a griller for 5 minutes instead of microwaving
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