I’ve been wanting to make my rendition of Zucchini Boats for a while now, and tonight seemed like the perfect night to do so. Zach is still in Poland, and sometimes it’s hard to cook for just one person, but except for some chopping, this recipe is very easy to construct. This is also the perfect time of year to start making zucchini. In some parts of the country, Zucchini and other summer squash, are really starting to come into season. They are great fried up or sautéed, and when they’re baked they’re even better. I spiced this recipe up a little bit and added some sultry touches. It’s simple, unique, and healthy.



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These Zucchini Boats aren’t your average vegetable concoction. I’ve added chorizo sausage to spice it up a bit, and boy was that a great idea. The combination of veggies and cheese with this sausage makes you wonder why you didn’t add chorizo to zucchini boats before! I also decided to marinate the veggies in a balsamic and drizzle with a garlic cream sauce. The balsamic lightens it up and the garlic cream sauce really brings out the sultry flavors in the tomatoes and zucchini! I’d suggest using the largest zucchini you can find. Sometimes these can be hard to come by, but they are definitely worth the search. I used a smaller zucchini since that is all the farmer’s market had, but I reassure you that bigger is better in this case. I’d also like to mention that when I was in the grocery store I came across yellow grape tomatoes, which are really orange. I haven’t seen these too often. So instead of using your every day red grape tomatoes, I decided to use the orange ones instead. They are so juicy and were a great substitution, so if you can get your hands on these, I certainly recommend them.

To pair this dish with a beer, I decided to use Trader Joe’s 2011 Vintage Ale which was actually brewed by Unibroue. Now we understand that this beer, because it is way past it’s release, is impossible to find. Not to mention, that you need to live near a Trader Joe’s that actually sells alcohol to purchase it. So I apologize if you can’t get your hands on it. I decided to pair this dish with this beer because the depth in this beer is so great. It really brings out the flavors and textures of this dish. Even though the sauces in this dish run deep, it is still a very subtle, light dish. It’s a Belgian strong dark ale, and it sure does live up to its name. If you are lucky enough to have one of these bottles stored in your closet, pair it with this dish, and if you aren’t lucky enough to have it, wait until this upcoming fall when Trader Joe’s releases it’s 2012 Vintage Ale. We aren’t sure exactly what it’s going to be yet, but we’re sure it will certainly be delicious!

Have fun and Enjoy!

Just a couple of the many ingredients!

Finished and Ready for Consumption!!

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