From 1 yearLunch and dinnerUnder review by our nutritionist
Zucchini boats with ground beef
Zucchini cut in half become little boats, filled with ground beef sautéed with the zucchini's own flesh and tomato, then baked. It is family food, with vegetable and meat in the same bite, and easy to cut into small pieces for your toddler to eat with their hands or a fork.
- Difficulty
- 4 out of 5
- Ingredients
- 2 out of 5
- Time
- 3 out of 5, 45 min45 min
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Makes 4 servings (baby and family)
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 9 oz (250 g) lean ground beef
- 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- chopped parsley and green onions, to taste
How to make
- 1Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving a ½-inch border. Chop the flesh.
- 2In a skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the beef and stir until no pink is left, breaking up the lumps well.
- 3Add the chopped zucchini flesh and the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes, until the liquid dries up. Turn off the heat and mix in the herbs.
- 4Arrange the zucchini halves in a baking dish, fill them with the beef and cover with foil.
- 5Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake 5 more, until the zucchini is soft. Let it cool down and, for your toddler, cut into small pieces.
Tips
- Texture (1 to 2 years): the zucchini should be soft enough to cut with a fork. Cut your toddler's portion into fingertip-size pieces.
- No salt in the pan: grown-ups salt their own plates. The tomato and the herbs already add flavor.
- Cheese, just a little: if you want a golden top, use a little fresh mild cheese (such as queso fresco), which has less salt.
- To vary: swap the zucchini for cooked chayote or eggplant, and the beef for ground chicken.
- Storage: in the fridge, up to 2 days. Reheat well before serving.