Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stuffed Zucchini

So, I was trying to come up with clever finger food ideas for an upcoming event I’m attending.  And every single idea that popped into my head just wasn’t healthy enough.  For some reasons, appetizers generally seem very cheesy and carby and caloric to me.  I’m not really into blowing all my calorie cookies on the bites before the meal, so I was feeling stumped.

And then the idea of stuffed zucchini came to me.  I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to eaten with my hands.  Would they be floppy?  Too hot out of the oven?  How would they taste room temperature (some people, I find, actually have self control and don’t just immediately shovel all the food in their mouth that is set in front of them).

Well, what did you think I was going to put in my zucchini?  Meat?

Sweet potatoes and black beans really are the perfect combination.  The texture here in this recipe is substantial and interesting and the spices combined with the rest of the ingredients is a home run.  The filling is based off one of my favorite meals ever, sweet potato and black bean burritos.

They are baked just long enough to highlight the flavor of cooked zucchini but remain substantial enough to be eaten with your hands in a few bites.  I tasted one prior to the photo shoot (to decide if the recipe was blog worthy, after all) and after the photo shoot so I can attest they are delicious room temperature.

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Stuffed Zucchini
4 large-ish zucchini
1 large-ish sweet potato
1 cup black beans
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 T chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cook sweet potato as desired (steam, boil, bake) and remove skin.  Mash with a fork and incorporate black beans, mashing along the way.  Stir in the remaining ingredients until evenly distributed.

Hollow out zucchini by slicing zucchini in half and then by scoring a v-notch and popping out the interior of the vegetable.  Whittle away as much of the interior as you can without compromising your zucchini boat.  Mound sweet potato filling in zucchini boats.

On a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, line stuffed zucchini and bake for 20 minutes.