This time of year, I’m always overrun with a steady supply of zucchinis. And though I love zucchini bread, I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy this summertime vegetable. When I first started my plant-based journey, I was introduced to a delicious way to enjoy zucchini, even when they look like a small baseball bat. Zucchini Pizza Boats is now one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. They are a delicious way to enjoy the flavor of pizza and makes a wonderful entree for family get-togethers.
Why I love zucchini
- Zucchini contains high amounts of antioxidants–the highest amounts are found in their skins.
- The fiber in zucchini helps develop short chain fatty-acids (SCFAs), which help reduce inflammation and symptoms of some gut disorders such as IBS, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative collitis.
- Zucchini’s fiber helps to regulate blood sugars, preventing levels from spiking at meals.
- Zucchini contains zeaxanthin and several other compounds that can prevent oxidative stress which can lower your risk of getting cancer.
- The potassium found in zucchini can protect you from high blood pressure.
What you need to make Zucchini Pizza Boats
- Medium size zucchinis
- Pizza Sauce
- Button mushrooms
- Green Pepper
- Small onion
- Our Quickie Pizza Sauce
- Black olives
- Garlic
- Easy Veggie Crumbles
- Italian Seasoning
- A little salt
Chef’s Notes
- Choose medium to large zucchinis from your garden or from the store. You will want a sizeable zucchini so there is plenty of room for stuffing them.
- You can vary the toppings to fit your mood or your tastebuds.
- A veggie pizza boat could include broccoli or shredded spinach–a great addition for adding more greens to your meals.
- A Mediterranean Pizza Boat can include artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and/or roasted peppers.
- How about a Hawaiian Pizza Boat? Try the veggie crumble recipe with some red and yellow peppers, onions, and pineapple.
Zucchini Pizza Boat
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 green pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small onion, sliced in rings or diced
- 2 cups Quickie Pizza Cheez sauce optional
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-2 cups Easy Veggie Crumbles
- 1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice a zucchini in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of each zucchini. I do this by cutting close to the edge of the zucchini, leaving a small margin along the sides, and being careful not to cut all the way through the zucchini. In the center, make a slice down the center, then making horizontal slices across the center of the zucchini where you find all the seeds. This will make it easier for you to scoop this center portion out.
- Lay the hollowed out zucchinis on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone baing mat. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat up 1-2 tablespoons of water over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook for a couple of minutes, until soft.
- Add the pizza sauce, veggie crumbles, Italian seasoning, and salt. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until hot. Remove from heat.
- Inside each zucchini boat, spread a thin layer of additional pizza sauce; season with extra Italian seasoning and/or garlic powder.
- Spoon the pizza filling inside each of the zucchini boats until full. Spread on some Pizza Cheez Sauce, if desired. Sprinkle on black olives.
- Bake in the oven for 25-45 minutes. The time depends on the size of the zucchini. Test the doneness by pricking the sdes of the zucchini with the tip of a sharp knife.
Quickie Pizza Sauce
Mix one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes with a tablespoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil. Mix in 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast flakes and season it with a teaspoon of salt. Use immediately in making Zucchini Pizza Boats or save for another delicious recipe that requires tomato sauce.
Easy Veggie Crumbles
Blend 1 cup of walnuts in 2 cups of water in your food processor; process until it resembles milk. Add in half of a large onion, cut in quarters along with a clove of chopped garlic, a teaspoon of salt and oregano, and 2 teaspoons of dried basil. Continue blending until smooth and creamy. Remove from the food processor and add to a bowl of 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Mix all together. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to allow the liquids to absorb and thicken up a bit.
Spoon the batter onto a baking sheet that is lined with a silicone baking mat. Bake in a preheated 250-degree oven overnight. In the morning, the veggie crumbles will be dry and crunchy and ready to pack away until you’re ready to use it in the pizza sauce. It will smell so good, you’ll want to get cooking right away!
You can use this recipe for making taco “meat” or when making sloppy joes, or many pasta dishes. When I use it in tacos, I like to add 1-2 teaspoons of cumin for a zippy Mexican flavor. When you use veggie crumbles in place of any burger, just mix it with some tomato sauce. It will soften up as you cook it, giving you a veggie-meat made with whole food plant ingredients, which is always a healthier option.
Pizza Cheez Sauce
Blend 1 block of firm tofu (drained) wth 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup water. Add additional water, as needed, to process the tofu into a cream-like batter. Add 1/4 cup tapioca starch, 1 teaspoon of salt and onion powder, 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes. Spoon into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat.
Stir with a spatula or spoon regularly for about 3 minutes. The sauce will start to curdle and separate. Keep stirring. You know the sauce is done when it becomes a little stretchy like mozzarella cheese. After cooking, spoon it onto your pizza boats. Do this within 20 minutes or it will start to firm up.
Pizza Cheez Sauce reheats easily and is great in sandwiches and pastas as well as pizza.
