It’s not quite squash season but we had a hankering for some stuffed squash. This hit the spot!

This was a lovely dish and was what the doctor ordered. You see, Baby Lady recently pulled her Iliotibial band. This in turn strained her hamstring muscle and we’re leaving for St. Croix next week. As a result, the doctor put her on a heavy does of steroids with the net out being she has to reduce her carbohydrate intake while she is on the steroids. Otherwise, you wind up with a big weight gain, something about carbs and steroids don’t play well together. Of course, that means no bread, no rice, no pasta, no cheese (we cheated on the feta). It’s a good thing this is only going to last 7 days. If you’re in the mood for low carbs and big flavor, give this meal a try. We liked it a lot. Maybe you will, too.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 large white onion, small dice
• 1 red bell pepper, small dice
• 1/2 fennel bulb, fine dice
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, (1/2 tsp both) to taste
• 1 lb shrimp (26-30 count), coarse chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 5 oblong zucchini, roughly 2 1/2 lbs, halved lengthwise
• 2 cups crumbled feta, roughly 8 ounces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving a 1/4-inch shell all around. Rub with oil and place in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Season the zucchini shells with salt and pepper. Par cook the zucchini for 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion, bell pepper and fennel.

Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 minutes. Add the garlic and stir another 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper.

Cook, mashing, until thickened, roughly 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool, slightly, Add the parsley, dill and 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled. Mix to incorporate.

When the mixture has cooled to the extent not to cook the shrimp, add the shrimp to the mix and stir to incorporate.

Fill the zucchini shells with the stuffing.

Place in oven. Bake the zucchini an stuffing mix for 15 minutes, until the filling is cooked through. You don’t want to overcook the shrimp.

Top the zucchini with the remaining 1-1/2 cup feta.

Place in preheated broiler and broil 6 inches from the heat until the feta is melted and golden.

Serve and enjoy!